Ask Arthur: I’m a hacking victim and nothing works

After the recent guidelines on protecting your Facebook account from being hacked, a reader asks what to do after a hack. ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK spells it out.

Q: You’ve said a lot about protecting Facebook accounts from hacks. Well it’s too late for me, and Facebook isn’t helping, What can I do?

A: If your Facebook account is hacked, there are a few standard steps you should take immediately, if it is feasible:

• Go to the Facebook login page, click on “Forgot Password,” and follow the instructions to reset your password. Choose a strong, unique password.
• Report the hack to Facebook through their official help center.
• If you can’t access your account, visit the “Help with a hacked account page” at https://www.facebook.com/help/1306725409382822 and follow the instructions. It also offers a guide to helping a friend recover their account,
• If the hacker had access to your email account, change its password and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security.
• If you can access your Facebook’s settings, under “Security and Login,” review the list of devices logged into your account and log out of any unfamiliar devices.
• Scan your device for malware or viruses that may have allowed the hackers in.
• Inform your friends about the hack to prevent them from falling victim to spam or phishing attempts from your account.
• Keep an eye on your other online accounts and change passwords if you’ve used the same password elsewhere.
• If the hack involves cybercrime or identity theft, you can report it to the police.

If you’ve tried to contact Facebook and they haven’t been responsive or helpful, try these steps:

• Sometimes, reaching out to Facebook’s support multiple times can get different results. Make sure you’ve followed their guidelines and provided all the necessary information.
• Visit the official Facebook Help Center (https://www.facebook.com/help) and explore the various topics and articles related to account security, privacy, and reporting issues.
• While Facebook doesn’t provide a direct email address for support, you can try sending an email to support@facebook.com and abuse@facebook.com with a detailed description of your issue. Response not guaranteed.
• If your account was disabled, you can use the “My Personal Facebook Account is Disabled” form (https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/260749603972907) to appeal the decision.

The bad news is that Facebook prioritises traffic over well-being of users, so its procedures are still clunky and often unworkable. That is the price one pays for using a free platform.