Two weeks ago, two kind people volunteered to share the story of their hacked Facebook accounts with us. We had an interview with them and we are sharing the stories here. Hopefully, this can help you secure your own Facebook account.
The interview is between Online Informed & Safe (OIS), John and Reyes. I have used placed holder names, John and Reyes, for our volunteers. Minus that, this story is based on their real-life experience.
Intro
Interviewer: Good evening John, good evening Reyes. Thank you for agreeing to share your story with us.
John: Evening, it’s a pleasure.
Reyes: Evening, I’m happy to help.
Interviewer: Alright, so we will dive right into the main business. Here is my first question:
Question 1: When did you find out your account was hacked?
John: In the morning sometime in February 2021. I got a call from a friend that said my account might have been compromised as someone is promoting what looks like an obvious Ponzi scheme via the account.
Reyes: My friends reached out to me once they got tagged on a suspicious post that was shared via my Facebook account. The post was also promoting a Ponzi scheme.
Question 2: What was your first action after your attention was pointed to the hack?
John: I tried logging into the account but could not. I eventually reported the account to Facebook.
Reyes: I also tried logging in and it failed. I tried resetting my password without any luck too. I contacted facebook support too and provided identification documents.
Question 3: What action do you think aided the hacking of your account?
John: Call from Fake amazon seller
Reyes: Predictable phone number and the email link to my Facebook account might have been compromised.
Question 4: Was the response from Facebook support helpful?
John: Nope!
Reyes: Not exactly.
Question 5: Were you able to recover your account?
John: No!
Reyes: Yes, I was able to do login and change my password. I think I was fortunate. Here is how I managed to get in:
Conclusion
Interviewer: Once more thank you for doing this. From your answers, I have learnt that giving OTP to anyone that calls you on the phone is always bad. Also, avoid using predictable phases like your phone number as a password. Your input will help our readers stay informed and safe online. Do have a lovely night.