I never planned to use this blog other than to promote the books that I write. Then, last Monday (November 13th), I got a friend request on Facebook from someone I was certain I had already friended. Like normal, I reached out to them and asked if they friended me.
No, they claimed. They were hacked. They asked for help getting back into their account.
As I helped them, I sensed something was wrong. I checked for devices that didn't seem to belong to my account. There were a few so I booted them. Then I changed my password. I missed one key point to check.
Bada-bing, bada-boom. At 4:00 am the next morning, I was kicked out of my account, unable to get back in. Hackers had control of my account and still do a week later.
Incidentally, the way I was hacked is exactly how Facebook tells you to reclaim your account. It encourages you to use a friend or family member's Facebook account to begin the recovery process of your own. It seems to be the latest and most effective way for a hacker to get your profile.
So, what do you do if you sense something is off and someone is trying to hack you? You need to keep your wits about you and not panic.
1.) For starters, right now, go enable your Two-Way Authentication. I know it sucks to jump through hoops to get into your account. It is well worth it. Many platforms will ask if it is you on an entirely different website that your hacker cannot access. Stop reading. Go do it now. I will wait here until you are done.
Under your profile, click on Settings. From there, click on Password and Security. You will find Two-Way Authentication.
2.) Check for other devices that are logged into your account. If one doesn't look familiar, boot it. Worst-case scenario, you have to log into one of your personal devices again. That option is far better than fighting a hacker for how long.
Follow the same steps as in Step One. In the section beneath Two-Step Authentication is a step that says "Where you are logged in". Click on that button then start booting devices except the one you are on.
3.) Check the email that you log on with. This is the step that I missed. The hacker set up an email that was similar to the one I have (feel free to email them at triciaandersenauthor@outlook.com). If you find the address is not the one you set up, change it as quick as you can and save it. Double-check that all foreign devices are gone and it is just the one that you set up. Verify once again that the email there is yours. You can never be too careful. You can find this under your profile then Personal Details.
4.) Change your password. Whenever you feel something is wrong with your account or you suspect that you clicked on something you shouldn't have, change it. It's better to be safe than sorry. Come up with a word or phrase that is hard for a hacker to figure out. It should have a capital letter, a lowercase letter, a number, or a symbol.
Once you have changed everything, keep an eye out for your texts and emails. Hopefully, everything is quiet and the threat is over. If not, stay tuned for part two.
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