Having your Facebook account hacked can be a scary situation. Your account contains personal information, conversations with friends and family, photos, and more. Unfortunately, there are many risks associated with a hacked Facebook account.
Your Personal Information is at Risk
Your Facebook profile contains a wealth of personal information – your name, email address, phone number, home address, date of birth, relationships, work history, education history, interests, and more. All of this information is at risk if your account is hacked.
A hacker with access to your profile could potentially use this information to steal your identity, sign up for accounts in your name, access your other online accounts, or impersonate you online. They could also use the information for social engineering scams against your friends and family.
Your Friends and Family are at Risk
In addition to your own personal information being at risk, your friends and family are also put at risk by a hacked Facebook account. How?
Once in control of your account, hackers can easily message your Facebook friends and family while posing as you. They can ask for personal information, money, or other favors that appear to come from you. This puts your loved ones at risk of falling for scams and hacks themselves.
Hackers can also gain insider information about your friends and family from your conversations, photos, and posts. They can then try to hack or scam your inner circle with this insider information.
Your Account Security is at Risk
Obviously, the security of your Facebook account itself is put at grave risk by a hack. Hackers can gain access to:
- Your login credentials like email and password
- Your account settings
- Your linked accounts like Instagram or Messenger
- Your payment information if you have it saved
- Your posting/messaging abilities
With this level of access, hackers can lock you out of your own Facebook account, impersonate you, post content as you, and potentially gain access to other linked accounts.
Your Connected Apps are at Risk
Many users connect other apps and services to their Facebook accounts – like Spotify, Instagram, Pinterest, Tinder, and more. By connecting these apps, you allow them to post content and access certain information from your Facebook profile.
If your Facebook account is hacked, any apps you’ve connected are also at risk:
- Hackers can post content and messages through connected apps
- They can access information you’ve allowed these apps to access
- They may be able to compromise or hack these connected accounts as well
In essence, any external services you’ve linked to your Facebook become vulnerable through a hack.
Your Private Content is at Risk
Facebook contains a trove of private content – private messages, intimate photos, personal videos, confidential information, secret groups/events, and more. All of this stands to be exposed through a hack.
Hackers can publicly share your private messages, photos, videos, and posts. This can be reputationally and emotionally damaging if you have sensitive, controversial, or explicit content on your account.
Additionally, any private or confidential information transmitted through Facebook is exposed. This could include:
- Tax returns
- Passport/ID docs
- Bank statements
- Legal documents
- Medical records
- Contracts
- Internal communications
Your Account Can Be Used for Illegal Activity
Once in control of your account, hackers can use it to conduct illegal activity – and make it appear as if you are the one doing it.
Your Facebook account could be used for:
- Spreading malware, viruses, and worms
- Pirating or illegally sharing copyrighted material
- Selling or buying illegal items like drugs
- Coordinating criminal operations
- Sex trafficking
- Harassment and cyberbullying
- Spreading illegal or dangerous misinformation
This activity appears to come from your account and could likely be traced back to you. You could be held legally responsible for these criminal actions.
Your Credit Card is at Risk if Linked
If you have your credit card information saved on your Facebook account for purchases or advertising, this sensitive data is at risk in a hack.
Hackers can:
- Make unauthorized purchases through Facebook
- Use your saved payment info on other sites
- Charge your card outside of Facebook
- Steal your credit card number, security code, and expiration date
You’ll want to immediately remove any saved payment information, alert your credit card company, and watch closely for fraudulent charges.
Your Computer is at Risk
When hackers gain access to your Facebook account, they also gain a foothold into your computer or mobile device. Through your hacked Facebook account, they can:
- Install malware, keyloggers, and other viruses
- Access your files, photos, videos and documents
- Activate your webcam or microphone
- Monitor your activities and capture screenshots
- Steal passwords and login information
In essence, your device becomes entirely compromised through a Facebook hack. Hackers can spy on you, steal your data, and gain control of your computer or phone.
Your Other Online Accounts are at Risk
Hackers love to use compromised accounts to gain access to additional accounts through account linking, password reuse, or social engineering.
A hacked Facebook account could allow them to also gain access to your:
- Email accounts
- Other social media accounts
- Online shopping accounts
- Mobile phone account
- Loyalty program accounts
- Gaming accounts
- And more…
Any accounts using the same login credentials as Facebook or that can be reset through Facebook are prime targets following a hack.
You May Lose Access to Your Account
Once hackers gain entry, they can lock you out of your own Facebook account by changing the password, modifying account recovery options, enabling two-factor authentication, or linking the account to a new email address or phone number.
Regaining access to your lost Facebook account can be very challenging, especially if hackers have altered the account recovery settings. You may find yourself permanently locked out of your own account and profile.
You Could Be Implicated in Crimes
As mentioned earlier, your Facebook account could be used to conduct serious illegal activities after being hacked – activities that appear to be done by you.
You could potentially be implicated in:
- Fraud
- Identity theft
- Cyberbullying and harassment
- Distribution of illegal materials
- Terrorist threats or communications
- Sex trafficking
- Child exploitation
Since these criminal actions originate from your account, you may have to prove your innocence if you are implicated in any crimes.
You May Be Blackmailed or Extorted
Once hackers have access to your private content and personal information, you become vulnerable to blackmail and extortion.
Hackers may threaten to publicly release inappropriate or embarrassing photos, conversations, information, or posts from your account – unless you meet their demands. This could involve paying a ransom fee or further compromising your information security.
The potential release of your private Facebook activity is very damaging, so blackmail can be quite effective following a hack.
Recovering Your Account Can Be Difficult
Getting your hacked Facebook account back under your control is often an uphill battle:
- You must detect and report the hack quickly
- You have to verify your identity to Facebook
- Account recovery steps can be complex and lengthy
- Hackers may have changed recovery email/phone or enabled two-factor authentication
- Facebook’s account recovery process is notoriously difficult
- The damage may already be done by the time you recover your account
Do not take for granted your ability to recover a lost account – many users find themselves permanently locked out after being hacked.
You May Lose Data, Connections, and History
If you cannot recover your hacked Facebook account, the loss can be devastating:
- You lose all connections and have to start over
- Years of photos, videos, posts, and memories are gone
- Private messages and conversations are lost
- You lose access to any linked or connected accounts
- Important personal, business, or financial data is gone
This level of damage motivates many to pay ransoms or accede to blackmail after being hacked – the loss is too great.
| Risk | Impact |
|---|---|
| Personal Info Theft | Identity theft, fraud, account compromise |
| Friends/Family at Risk | Scams, hacks, theft targeting your network |
| Account Security Lost | Full account access and control by hackers |
| Connected Apps Compromised | Additional account hacks, content posting, information theft |
| Private Content Exposed | Reputational damage, blackmail |
| Illegal Activity | Legal liability for criminal actions |
| Credit Card Theft | Fraudulent charges, card cancellation |
| Device Compromise | Spying, theft of data/files, malware infection |
| Other Account Hacks | Cascading account compromises across platforms |
| Account Lockout | Permanent loss of account and all data |
| Blackmail | Extortion through threats of exposing private info |
Conclusion
Being hacked on Facebook exposes you and your data to numerous risks. Your personal information, account security, friends and family, computer, finances, and legal standing are all vulnerable after a hack.
Make sure to use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and be vigilant about suspicious activity to protect your account. If you are hacked, act quickly to report it, stop the bleeding, and recover your account.
The threats of hacking are real – be proactive about Facebook account security to avoid the significant damages that can result from a hack.
Summary of Potential Damages from a Facebook Hack:
- Identity theft
- Scams targeting you and your friends/family
- Account lockout
- Posting of private/embarrassing content
- Malware, viruses, and spyware
- Financial fraud or credit card theft
- Loss of data and account history
- Stolen login credentials
- Legal liability for criminal actions
- Blackmail and extortion
- Compromised connected accounts across other platforms
- Permanent loss of account access and control
- Reputational harm
Stay vigilant, enable security features, monitor your account, and be prepared to act quickly in the event of a hack. Your privacy, data, finances, and reputation depend on Facebook account security.