Did you know that 175 million people are active Facebook users in the USA alone? That’s more than 50% of the total population!
Unfortunately, while most users aim to build connections or expand business opportunities, some have more malicious intentions – hackers. According to Statista, in 2021, one-third of American social media profiles were compromised, with a staggering 77% of these attacks occurring on Facebook.
The threat posed by Facebook hacking is severe. If intruders successfully breach your account, they could impersonate you, asking your entire friend list to send money. Or worse yet, they could steal their banking data using phishing links. The dangerous “creativity” of cybercriminals has no limits.
To safeguard your digital life, we’ll explain how do Facebook accounts get hacked, what to do if cybercriminals attack your profile, and how to prevent future hacking attempts.
How Do People Get Hacked on Facebook?
The primary reason why do people hack Facebook is straightforward: money. Cybercriminals have developed numerous hacking techniques to carry out financial scams. Let’s explore the most common ones:
Phishing Attacks
Phishing is a hacking technique used to steal your credentials or banking information. By creating convincingly designed fake login pages or online forms, intruders can deceive you into entering your password, card number, or other sensitive data. In 2022 alone, around 1.27 billion phishing sites were detected globally.
How do people hack your Facebook using phishing? The most common types of scam messages include:
- Fake Notifications. You receive an email asking you to submit your credentials due to an unauthorized login attempt. This has nothing in common with the real alerts you usually receive on Facebook Messenger or the official app. Still, many people fall into this trap.
- Promotions. If you’re subscribed to online Facebook stores, restaurants, or other services, a fake manager account may send you a link to a personal discount or gift. Predictably, you must provide banking details or an address to claim your “award.”
- Friend requests. If one of your Facebook contacts gets hacked, their page may turn into a spam bot that sends phishing links to everyone on their friend list. For example, they may share a link to an online gallery inviting you to see fantastic pictures from your recent home party or ask you to send them money for an emergency.
Sketchy Applications
The ever-growing interest in how does Facebook gets hacked has led to the rise of new mobile apps. These apps, designed for hidden data transfer, are available on the open Internet. We’ve outlined two commonly used types:
Facebook Spy Apps
Social media monitoring apps, spy apps, and tracking apps – these terms all refer to one type of software that clones your Facebook account. The most shocking part is that syncing to Facebook or any other social media platform doesn’t require passwords or verification codes.
So how do people hack your Facebook with a spy app? Simply by installing it on your device. The app takes care of the rest, transferring your Facebook data to a cloud database. All that’s left for hackers is to log into the database and get your passwords, chat history, and photos. Since spy apps run in stealth mode, you won’t notice anything.
How many Facebook spy apps are out there? Dozens. We’ve done some research and handpicked the most popular (and powerful) ones.
| Name | Target Devices | Facebook Data | Hidden Mode | Requires Physical Access |
| Eyezy | iOS 7.0+ Android 4.0+ | Chats (regular and secret) Shared photos and videos Friend lists Live location Posts and comments Passwords | Yes | No |
| mSpy | iOS 7.0+ Android 4.0+ | Messages, including deleted ones Shared photos and videos Friend lists Live location Posts and comments Passwords | Yes | No |
| CocoSPY | iOS 7.0+ Android 4.0+ | Personal chats Group chats Shared media Friend lists | Yes | Yes |
| Spyic | iOS 7.0+ Android 4.0+ | Private messages Group chats Photo gallery | Yes | Yes |
| uMobix | iOS 6.0+ Android 4.0+ | Private messages Shared links Extensions Friend lists | Yes | Yes |
Phishing Apps
Surprisingly, despite multi-step moderation of applications released on the Play Market and App Stores platforms, malware persists. How does Facebook gets hacked in that case? It’s a next-level phishing scheme that leverages authorization pages.
Look at reputable apps like Adobe Lightroom or PicsArt. The first thing you notice is the ease of registration. You can instantly log in from your Google account, iCloud or Facebook. Tempted by the absence of lengthy sign-up forms, users hit “Sign In With {App} without a second thought.
Unfortunately, hackers are well aware of these user habits. They create entertainment apps that require your Facebook credentials to launch them. Once you type them in, malicious actors gain access to your account.
Keylogger Software
Sometimes, cybercriminals don’t have to devise complex fraud schemes to steal your data. This rings especially true when someone has physical access to your device and can install a keylogger software when you’re not around.
How do people hack your Facebook using a Keylogger? This software records all keystrokes you make on your phone or PC and forwards data to the hacker. Since most sophisticated keyloggers filter our text by type of app and context, it’s relatively easy to figure out which emails, numbers, and passwords you use to log in to your Facebook account.
How Does Facebook Get Hacked? 3 Signs to Look For
If you suspect someone might have hacked your Facebook account, look for these three signs:
Login Alerts
Your account may have been hacked if you receive notifications on Facebook Messenger or your primary mailbox asking you to verify your identity. Meta’s security technology relies on identifying your IP address, operating system, and location. Thus, when hackers try to access your Facebook account from a different device, you will receive these notifications.
However, the security system may also fail to recognize you if your device is connected to a VPN or switched to Incognito mode.
Spammy Messages
You may not often review sent messages, but if there’s a risk of a hacking attempt, it’s a good idea to take another look at them. Remember the first method of how do people hack your Facebook? Phishing links are distributed through direct messages, and intruders often impersonate you to trick other users into revealing their Facebook credentials or credit card details.
Check your direct messages carefully. If you notice recent conversations with people you rarely interact with or if the text contains suspicious links, it’s better to warn your contacts about a possible hacking attempt and report a data breach to Facebook.
Unusual Activity on Other Platforms
If you use Facebook to log into other social media platforms, such as Instagram or Snapchat, hackers can also attack them.
For instance, they might send phishing links via Instagram DMs or post spam on your Snapchat Story. The same principle applies to any services and third-party applications connected to your Facebook account.
My Facebook Account Is Hacked: What to Do?
No matter why do people hack Facebook accounts, your privacy should remain intact. Below we’ve outlined crucial steps you should take if you notice any suspicious activity on your profile.
Set Up a New Password
If you can still log into your profile, set up a new password immediately. Make sure it differs from any password you currently use. We recommend opting for long-tail complex passwords that consist of random symbols, letters, and numbers.
End Your Current Sessions
To regain control over your hacked Facebook account, end active sessions. This way, you can log out of all devices, including the hacker’s. Go to your Security settings, select “Where You’re Logged In,” and choose “Log Out Of All Sessions.”
Reach Out to Facebook Help Center
Report the hacking attempt to Facebook Help Center to receive detailed instructions on recovering your account and protecting your data. If somebody has changed your password and you can’t log in, the support team can also assist you in regaining access.
How to Prevent Future Attacks?
How do people get hacked on Facebook? The primary reason is simple — they weren’t cautious about security measures. However, it doesn’t mean you have no control over the situation. Let’s dive into the effective steps you can take to safeguard your Facebook account.
1. Install an Antivirus App
There are many antivirus apps designed for mobile and desktop operating systems, but only a few can detect and eradicate social media malware. Here’s a list of the most robust cross-platform antivirus software for protecting your Facebook account:
- Bitdefender. This app effortlessly blocks any phishing links and malware lurking on Facebook, regardless of the device you’re using. Additionally, it deletes malicious emails, filters out spam messages, and turns on VPN when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network.
- Norton 360. If you’re seeking a centralized solution for protecting your Facebook account across your smartphone, tablet and PC, consider Norton 360. The app provides a single control panel for monitoring threats from any device. It comes with antiphishing, antimalware, antivirus, and antispyware tools – all in one package.
- Avast. AI-based technologies are increasingly pervasive, and Avast doesn’t fall behind. This app utilizes machine learning to protect your Facebook account from existing and emerging threats such as viruses, adware, and spyware. The core features are free, while Avast Premium offers additional tools like a Wi-Fi scanner and VPN.
2. Modify Your Privacy Settings
If you have ever wondered why do people hack Facebook easily, you might be surprised to learn that users often unintentionally publish too much sensitive data. For example, your phone number and email address, which serve as your login details, might be visible on your main page.
Therefore, adjust the privacy settings so only your trusted contacts can access your data. For example, you can:
- Display your email address and phone number to a limited group of users
- Disable number and email lookup
- Hide your Facebook profile from search engines
- Limit the audience for your posts
- Block unknown contacts from sending you messages
3. Set Up Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication works like a double barrier to anyone who has obtained your login credentials. Simply put, Logging into your account requires a unique confirmation code sent to your mobile device or email. This means that even if someone knows your password, they can’t enter your Facebook account without physical access to your device.
4. Change Your Passwords
If you regularly change your passwords, the chance of your Facebook account being hacked significantly decreases. It’s recommended to change your passwords about once every three months. Also, avoid using password-generating websites, as they might store your entries.Opt for a secure password manager that stores your data offline instead.
5. Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi Networks
Open Wi-Fi networks often serve as a channel for distributing viruses and malware. Moreover, spy apps can also be installed via Wi-Fi on the latest iOS devices. Therefore, consider the risks even if you’re tempted to switch from a mobile network to free Wi-Fi somewhere in a public place to boost your Internet speed. We recommend at least connecting through a trusted VPN service to ensure a secure Facebook session.
6. Always Log Out of Facebook Account on Shared Devices
If you’re wondering how do Facebook accounts get hacked by people close to you, the answer is simple: human forgetfulness. Once you log into Facebook from someone’s device and add it to the “trusted list,” your session continues until you manually log out. If you forget to do this, the person who owns the device can enter your account.
Key Takeaways
Considering how do Facebook accounts get hacked, it’s crucial to safeguard your personal and financial data from malicious actors as soon as possible. Let’s recap the key steps:
- Set up two-factor authentication and strong passwords.
- Always log out from active Facebook sessions on shared devices
- Install reputable antivirus software on your desktop and smartphone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hackers might send you fake sign-in forms or install spyware on your device.
There are two ways to install spy apps: physically on your device or through a Wi-Fi network.Once hackers place such a “bug” onto your smartphone, the app records your data and sends it to a cloud database.
The motives can vary, depending on the scale of the fraudulent scheme and the primary intent. For instance, a recent great hacking scandal on Facebook involved the misuse of personal for a targeted election campaign. A more common reason is financial gain.
