If you use Facebook and especially Facebook messenger then you have probably been exposed to a virus hackers use on Facebook platform. We all have that sister, cousin or coworker that sends us everything shared to them.
Unbeknownst to our gullible cousin, those animated memes and silly games often lead to a site that will attempt to break into your account, steal data, or display adware on your system. The very best rule of thumb is this. If you receive anything on messenger that looks in any way suspicious, just don’t click on it. That is the worst thing you can do. Just ask that person if they sent the link you and if they don’t respond or say that they don’t know what you are talking about, you need to ignore it and tell your friend their account may have been compromised.
Now If you think your account has been compromised, there are several things you should do immediately such as change your password immediately and be sure that you create a new, strong password.
Next, go to Facebook.com, log in and click the down arrow on the right of the toolbar. Choose Settings, then Apps and websites. Carefully review all the apps and websites that are linked to your Facebook and delete any that you no longer want or recognize by clicking Remove.
Take advantage of two-factor authentication for your social media accounts. It adds an extra step by requiring you to confirm your identity, usually by typing in a code received by SMS, when you log in to Facebook but it gives an added level of security and protects your account from anyone trying to hack your password and take control of it. Just go to your Settings, then Security and login and choose Two Factor Authentication.
And according to MacPaw.com if you think you’ve got a virus from Facebook
“1. Change your password
2. Post a status update telling your friends you think your account may have been compromised
3. Log out of all the apps and services you use that are linked to your Facebook account
4. Scan your computer for malware. You can do this using an antivirus tool.”
There are several available for both Mac and PC that will scan your computer for free. Some will also remove malware at no cost, while others require that you pay for a full version of the application. If you use a Mac, you can also scan it using the malware utility in CleanMyMac X
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