Marilyn’s Facebook hack serves as a chilling reminder of the rising sophistication of online scams and the vital importance of digital vigilance and cybersecurity.
At a Glance
- A common Facebook scam involves a hacker impersonating a friend to trick you into sending them your account recovery code.
- Once they have the code, hackers can lock you out of your account and take it over.
- Cybersecurity experts say the single most important preventative measure is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
- If you are hacked, you should immediately go to Facebook.com/hacked and report the crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
How a Simple Message Leads to a Takeover
In a scenario that has become alarmingly common, a Hampton, Virginia, woman named Marilyn recently lost control of her Facebook account through a clever social engineering scam. The story, detailed by Fox News, provides a textbook example of how cybercriminals exploit trust to gain access to your digital life.
The ordeal began when Marilyn received a message from an account that appeared to be her friend’s. The “friend” claimed they were locked out of their own account and needed help, asking Marilyn to receive a recovery code on their behalf and send it to them. In reality, the hacker was using Marilyn’s own phone number on the Facebook password reset page. When she received the six-digit code and sent it to the scammer, she unwittingly handed over the keys to her own account. The hacker immediately changed her password and email, locking her out completely.
What to Do If Your Account is Hacked
If you suspect your Facebook account has been compromised, it is crucial to act quickly.
- Go to Facebook’s Official Recovery Page: The first and only place you should go is Facebook.com/hacked. This official portal will guide you through the steps to report the compromised account and begin the recovery process.
- Beware of Fake Support Scams: While trying to get help, Marilyn encountered another layer of fraud: fake support numbers found through online searches. These are scams designed to trick desperate victims into paying for bogus services or giving up even more personal information. Never call an unofficial support number.
- Alert Friends and Family: Let your contacts know your account has been compromised so they do not fall victim to any messages sent by the hacker from your account.
- Report the Crime: An account takeover is a crime. You should file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
The Best Defense: Prevention
According to cybersecurity experts, the single most effective way to prevent this kind of attack is to enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This security feature, which you can turn on in your Facebook settings, requires a unique, temporary code from an authenticator app or SMS message in addition to your password whenever you log in from a new device. Even if a hacker steals your password, they cannot access your account without this second factor.
As advised in a Forbes article on the topic, using strong, unique passwords for every account—ideally stored in a secure password manager—is also a critical layer of defense. Marilyn’s story is a powerful reminder that in today’s digital world, a healthy dose of skepticism and strong security habits are not optional.
