Facebook is one of the world’s largest social media platforms – which has naturally attracted hackers and fraudsters who want to exploit the website to scam people out of money.
Getting hacked on Facebook is more common than many people think.
“Most people who have used Facebook for a while have probably at least seen several of their friends’ accounts get hacked, and that they start spreading content they shouldn’t, so it’s relatively common,” says Måns Jonassoninternet expert at the Internet Foundation, for News24.
But what actually happens to your Facebook account when it gets hacked?
Photo: STELLA Pictures/ddp/AA
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Simple mistake – and you get hacked on Facebook
To get hacked, all it takes is for you to accidentally click on a link sent to you by another hacked account, often someone you know well.
“On Facebook, it’s common for hacked accounts to be used to spread links to phishing attempts. You might get a direct message from one of your Facebook friends asking you to click on a link to see a funny picture. The link goes to a site where you are tricked into logging in and getting rid of your account details,” explains Måns Jonasson.
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It is also in this way that a hacked account can turn into many more in a short time, according to the expert.
Måns Jonasson. Photo: Kristina Alexanderson / InternetstiftelsenThat’s what hackers do with your Facebook account
Criminals thus use your hacked account to hack other people in your Facebook network. The goal of this is to cheat as many users as possible out of money.
“Your hacked Facebook friend may also start sending you messages that they need money, they may be ‘stuck in Berlin’ and need a penny to get home, or have an offer where you can buy Bitcoin or something else for huge advantageous price. The end goal is always money, but even if they don’t manage to blow you money, your hacked account can still be valuable, to blow your friends along.”, says Måns Jonasson.
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“No one wants to be the one who…”
To avoid getting hacked, it’s best not to click on suspicious links in Facebook Messenger, enable two-factor authentication, and make sure you have a unique password that you don’t use anywhere else.
If you do not secure your account, you are putting yourself and your loved ones at risk.
“I think the important thing to understand here is that even if you don’t get scammed yourself, your insecure account can be used to scam your friends. No one wants to be the one who, due to a mistake or lack of security, contributed to friends and relatives being scammed on money”, Måns Jonasson concludes by writing to Nyheter24.
Photo: Kallestad, Gorm/TT
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