Whether you like to admit it or not, Facebook has become an integral part of many lives.
It’s a way to connect with family and friends, or for businesses to thrive and reach new customers. But frustration is growing for many Facebook users who say they were locked out of their accounts after hackers hacked into their login details and changed their passwords.
Many cybersecurity analysts say these types of social media account takeovers are happening more often these days, in part due to the value associated with social media account information being sold on the dark web.
Social media credentials, according to some accounts, are more valuable than social security numbers and other personally identifiable information, experts say.
For users who lose their account, starting a new page is not an easy solution after spending so much of their life tied to their social identity.
“Facebook is good for networking, building relationships and maintaining relationships,” life coach Koren Utley said, adding that her page has helped her connect with many members of her community who rely on her. she. “I am a trusted voice in my community, I am a trusted business owner.”
Utley said her profile is also the repository of her most meaningful memories.
“My mother passed away two years ago,” Utley explained. “And so I have a lot of memories, pictures of my mom on Facebook.”
You can imagine her anxiety when this month Utley said she had been removed from her profile, which was also used for her ‘Bold and Brilliant’ life coaching business.
Utley’s account was hacked by hackers, and it happened within minutes, she says. It all started with a direct message to his Facebook Messenger inbox.
“Someone from my church reached out and said, ‘Hey Koren.’ Very simple message,” Utley explains. “And I said, ‘Hey, how are you?’ And in 60 seconds, my page was hacked.”
Utley is adamant she didn’t click on any links or share any account information with the person. She said all she did was respond to the direct message, and that was all it took.
Experts say a “chain of victimization” can occur when hackers use a Facebook account to compromise other followers.
Come and find out, Utley said, the “old friend from church” who reached out had also had his Facebook account hacked days before, causing a domino effect from one profile to another.
“I just never thought this would happen to me,” Utley said now, reflecting on that whole ordeal. “I thought my page was secure. It just didn’t happen.”
Utley is not alone. NBC 5 Responds has heard from many Facebook users over the past month who said they don’t have access to their profiles.
Libertyville teacher Tracy Aleckson contacted NBC 5 after her 12-year-old’s account was hacked last month.
“Honestly, I literally cried,” Aleckson said. “I was so frustrated.”
Adding insult to injury, Aleckson said the hackers, impersonating her, shared material that violated Facebook’s “child sexual exploitation standards.” She only knew this because she had received an email informing her that the account was suspended.
Tracy Aleckson said Facebook deactivated her account before she could explain what happened.
For Utley and Aleckson, they both said in the days following the hacks that they couldn’t reach anyone on Facebook, now called Meta, for help.
“You have this billion dollar company and you have no way to contact them,” Aleckson said.
“Hundreds of people tried to contact them to report the page,” Utley said. “And they all got the same message: there’s nothing they can do.”
After NBC 5 Responds contacted Facebook about Utley and Aleckson’s profiles, Utley was able to get his account back. Aleckson is still trying to get his account back.
The social media giant wouldn’t comment on what might have happened, or the situation Utley detailed about hackers accessing his account through a direct message.
Koren Utley turned to NBC 5 Responds for help when she couldn’t get in touch with Facebook.
Cybersecurity experts we spoke to said they hadn’t heard of this specific iteration of fraud, but admit that hackers are constantly evolving in their tactics.
These same experts had heard of hackers sending images via messages that could contain malware that could take control of a person’s device, but in Utley’s case, she said no images had was shared before his account was hacked.
Yet the issue of “social media account takeovers” has become rampant in many forms over the past few years.
“It’s really exploded in the last 24 months,” said Eva Velasquez of the Identity Theft Resource Center, adding that the center has seen first-hand a dramatic increase in cases.
“We’ve spoken to thousands of people over the past two years who are going through this experience,” Velasquez said. “Victims whose social media accounts – Facebook, Instagram, among others – were taken over.”
A common trend has emerged, Eva said, of hackers taking advantage of a user’s followers on their profiles, much like what happened in Utley’s case.
“Bad actors have found they do much better when an individual feels like they’re talking to a friend,” Eva said. “And so taking over those accounts can lead to that chain of victimization.”
Protect your social media account against attacks
Most of the ways NBC found 5 to protect your social media accounts are preventative measures to take before this happens.
It’s all about good digital hygiene.
Strengthen your password
The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends using a strong, unique password, up to 12 characters or more.
“Don’t use a password you’ve used on other accounts,” Velasquez said. “It can be a passphrase or something you can easily remember.”
Additionally, setting up two-factor authentication for profile changes, like passwords, can alert you to an account invasion and keep hackers out.
Back up your photos and information
Another important point to consider is storing your information in multiple places.
Having photos and other information you might need saved somewhere other than your account can help in case something happens to your profile.
“Do a health check of your social media accounts,” Velasquez said. “Make sure you have no stored data, photos, contacts and items only [on your social media account] so that if the worst happens, you have backups.
For really meaningful photos, videos, and important information, it’s also recommended that you store these backups separately from your device.
“If you only have your photos stored on Facebook, get a thumb drive, hard drive, store them somewhere else, so you have a copy if anything happens to that account,” Velasquez recommends. “It will certainly make it less traumatic if you are unable to recover the account.”
Are you eligible for “Facebook Protect”?
Some Facebook users are eligible for something called Facebook Protect, an enhanced security feature the company rolled out last March.
Facebook Protect adds more security to a user’s account, including two-factor authentication and additional staff checks for hacking threats.
This feature is not available to all users. The company’s website said it was “a security program for groups of people most likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists and government officials”.
It’s unclear if Facebook plans to roll out the feature more widely.
To learn more about Facebook Protect and whether you can use it, click here.
If your account is already hacked, what can you do?
Many Facebook users who contacted NBC 5 for help said their attempts to get help on Facebook after their accounts were hacked were unsuccessful.
This has also been noticed by cybersecurity experts.
“They don’t have dedicated customer service. You can’t actually talk to a person,” Velasquez said. “It’s good when things are going well. But when there is significant fraud or litigation, it creates a real problem.
Users are encouraged by the company to visit this webpage to attempt to recover their account.
If your profile is a business account or is used for your business, be sure to highlight this when contacting Facebook for assistance. This can speed up a response from Facebook’s side.
More useful information from Facebook can be found here.
Free useful resources
Experts also say users shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if this happens to them.
“We really want to encourage people not to be embarrassed or ashamed, not to think they should know or understand these things, and to get help if they need it,” Velasquez said. “It’s a really complicated space and not everyone can know everything about it.”
To learn more about the Identity Theft Resource Center, including how to access its many free services and advice, click here or call 1-888-400-5530
