Having your Facebook account hacked can be a scary and frustrating experience. Your private information is exposed, you may have lost access to an important method of communication, and you likely feel violated. It’s understandable to want to call the police in hopes they can catch the hacker. However, involving law enforcement isn’t always the best or only option for dealing with a hacked Facebook account.
Should you call the police if your Facebook was hacked?
In most cases, calling the police after your Facebook was hacked is not necessary and may not result in any action. There are a few reasons for this:
- Facebook hacking often does not qualify as a crime under the law. Police typically only get involved if there are threats, harassment, stolen identity details used for fraud, or similar serious issues.
- It can be very difficult or impossible for the police to trace and identify a Facebook hacker. The person may have used sophisticated methods to cover their tracks.
- Law enforcement frequently does not have the time or resources to thoroughly investigate a straightforward Facebook hacking case with no major damages.
However, there are some situations where you may want to contact the authorities after your Facebook was compromised:
- If the hacker changed your profile information to include offensive, threatening or harassing content.
- If the hacker used your account to send inappropriate messages to your contacts.
- If there is evidence the hacker was able to access more sensitive personal data like financial information or exposing private photos.
- If the hack was part of a larger identify theft attempt, such as if they also accessed your email, bank account, etc.
In these cases, you may file a cybercrime complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or your local police department. Provide as many details as possible about the nature of the hacking and any damages that resulted from it.
How can you regain access and secure your Facebook account?
Rather than getting the authorities involved, in most Facebook hacking cases the priority should be regaining access to your account and improving security. Here are some tips:
- Use the Facebook account recovery process. Go to Facebook and click the “Forgot Password” link. Follow the steps to regain access, which may include resetting your password, verifying your identity, and securing your account.
- Double check account security settings. Once you’re back in your account, check your security settings. Enable two-factor authentication, update your password to a strong unique one, revoke access for any unknown sessions/devices, and limit app permissions.
- Run antivirus software. Scan all your devices to detect and remove any malware or spyware that could have captured your login details.
- Watch out for phishing. Don’t click links in emails or messages claiming to be from Facebook. Log in directly through the real Facebook site or app.
- Submit an account hacked report. Use Facebook’s tools to notify them your account was compromised. This can help in case there are issues later on.
Taking these steps should both get you back into your account quickly and prevent future hacking attempts.
How can you help prevent your Facebook from being hacked?
Once your account is restored, take measures to lower the odds of hackers gaining access again in the future. Here are some ways to be proactive with Facebook security:
- Turn on login approvals in settings. This requires you enter a code from your phone or authentication app every time someone tries accessing your account from an unrecognized device.
- Don’t use weak or recycled passwords. Create a long, unique password using a mix of letters, numbers and symbols.
- Be wary of apps or sites requesting your Facebook login. Only enter your credentials directly on Facebook.
- Beware messages or emails asking you to click suspicious links or download files. This could be attempts to steal your login info.
- Keep Facebook app permissions limited. Don’t grant access to data like your contacts or location unless truly needed.
- Secure devices linked to your Facebook account with PINs/passwords and antivirus software.
- Review your privacy settings and limit what profile information is public.
- Turn on login alerts to be notified when your account is accessed from new devices.
Practicing good password hygiene, avoiding scams, limiting app access and enabling security options like two-factor authentication can go a long way in keeping your account safe from compromise.
What should you do if someone is impersonating you on Facebook?
Having someone impersonate you on Facebook can be just as concerning as having your real account hacked. Here’s what to do if someone creates a fake Facebook profile pretending to be you:
- Report the fake profile to Facebook. Use the report links on the profile itself to file an impersonation complaint.
- Alert your friends and family not to communicate with the imposter account.
- Tighten your own privacy settings to limit what details can be seen and used.
- If the impersonator contacts people demanding money or sharing inappropriate content, you may need to get law enforcement involved.
- Consider deleting or deactivating your Facebook account temporarily if the issue persists.
Unfortunately fake profiles are difficult to prevent entirely, but reporting them promptly can help get the accounts removed before major damage is done.
What legal action can you take if your Facebook was hacked?
In most straightforward Facebook hacking cases where your account was compromised but no major identity fraud or damages occurred, there are limited legal steps you can pursue beyond reporting it to Facebook and the authorities:
- You can sue the hacker in civil court for any financial losses like bank fraud if you’re able to identify them. But this is difficult and usually not worthwhile.
- Reporting child pornography or other serious abusive content uploaded through your account may prompt a criminal investigation.
- If the hack was part of a larger corporate/government data breach, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit.
- Hacking Facebook may potentially violate the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act or other cybercrime laws. But charges are rarely filed for minor account compromises.
For typical account takeovers resulting in little tangible damage, the effort and costs of lawsuits generally outweigh any potential monetary or legal outcomes. Focus instead on damage control and prevention.
What should you do if you think you know who hacked your Facebook?
Discovering or having a reasonable suspicion of who compromised your Facebook account should shift your response. Here are important steps to take if you believe you know the hacker’s identity:
- Document any evidence supporting your suspicion regarding their involvement.
- Change all account passwords they may have had access to, not just Facebook.
- Report them to Facebook so they investigate and block the individual.
- Consider reporting them to police, especially if you have proof and the hack was clearly criminal.
- Cut off contact with the person and suggest mutual friends also distance themselves.
- Monitor your accounts closely for any signs of further malicious activity.
Positively identifying a Facebook hacker is rare, but merits additional safety precautions in case they target you or others in the future using information gleaned from your account.
Should you delete Facebook if your account was hacked?
Deactivating or deleting your Facebook account is an option if all other efforts to secure it have failed and you remain at high risk of repeat compromise. However, it’s an extreme measure with downsides you should carefully weigh:
- You will lose access to all your Facebook data, messages, photos and contacts.
- It can cut you off from friends, family members and other connections on the platform.
- Shutting down your account doesn’t necessarily resolve vulnerabilities like reused passwords, malware or lax security habits.
In most cases, the wiser path is to keep your account after a hack, but instantly improve your settings and vigilance. Consult with your friends and be extremely selective about what personal details you share going forward.
Conclusion
Having your Facebook account compromised can be disturbing, but understand that calling the authorities and pursuing legal action will often accomplish little beyond reporting the incident. Priority number one is always regaining access to your account through Facebook’s account recovery options. Next, take whatever steps you can to lock down your account and prevent future unauthorized access.
With proper precautions, increased awareness, and help from Facebook’s security teams when necessary, most account hacking cases can be resolved safely and completely in a reasonable amount of time. Don’t overreact, but instead focus your energy into protecting yourself in the future.