How to Report a Hacked Social Media Account, Spam and Scams
ACTION PLAN: HOW TO REPORT A FACEBOOK HACKED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT, SPAM OR SCAM
If you suspect suspicious social media activity on your personal or professional accounts, you should take action immediately. Whether it is protecting the safety of your own account by implementing two-factor authentication or protecting the ecosystem of the platform by reporting spam, you should do your part to make sure your information is as safe as possible on social media. Keep reading to learn how to report suspicious activity on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn as well.
If your account has been hacked and you still have access, you can learn how to report a Facebook hack on their secure reporting page. You might want to document the unauthorized use with screenshots to help report the issue, but this is not required.
If your account has been hacked and you no longer have access to the account, go to facebook.com and click “Forgot Account.” Visit Facebook’s support page regarding hacked accounts and try their guided help tool.
If you encounter spam or scams on Facebook, the platform asks that you report them using the “Give feedback” or “report” options. You can report multiple types of content including profiles, posts, photos, messages, pages, groups, advertisements, comments and marketplace listings. To access this option you will generally need to click the three-dot symbol in the top right corner. You can find step-by-step instructions for how to report a Facebook hack and all other types of content here. If you cannot see an option on Facebook to report what you are seeing, fill out this form.
If you think your Instagram account has been compromised because you cannot log in, first check your email. Instagram will send you a message if your email address was changed. There might be an option to revert that change and regain control of your account. If you are unable to do so, report the account via the login screen on the mobile application (instructions for iOS and Android). Once you report the account, Instagram will contact you via email to verify your identity.
If someone is impersonating you on Instagram, you can report it to the platform using this form. If you believe someone violated your right to privacy by posting personal information about you on Instagram you can report it here. To report spam or scams you want to click on the three-dot symbol of the post or profile and select the “report” option. Learn how to report misuse of the platform on Instagram’s Privacy and Safety Center.
SNAPCHAT
If your Snapchat account has been hacked you will probably experience issues like constantly having to re-login or find unknown contacts added to your friends' list. Follow these instructions from the social platform to secure your account.
To report spam, harassment or other abuse on Snapchat go directly to the mobile app. To report a story press and hold the content until a flag appears in the bottom left corner and tap on it. You can do the same for an individual Snap sent directly to you. To report an entire account select the gear icon, select report, then follow the steps. Find guided instructions from Snapchat on the reporting process here.
If your account was compromised and you cannot get in, use the Twitter “password reset form” to try and regain access. If that does not work you will need to contact their support team ASAP.
You can report impersonation accounts, spam, fake Twitter emails, private information and other abusive behaviors on Twitter. You can report spam content and profiles directly in the platform with the three-dot or downward arrow symbols, and selecting the report option. Get all the details on how to report different types of abuse on Twitter’s Help Center.
Pinterest will automatically lock you out of your account if they detect suspicious activity. This article explains everything you need to know, including steps to take if the suspicious activity was, in fact, a mistake by you and not from an unknown third party. If you think your account has been comprised and Pinterest did not send you a proactive email, contact their team.
To report inappropriate or spam content you can do so directly on the Pinterest platform in mobile or desktop. Click the three-dot symbol and the option to report. Get step-by-step instructions on how to report pins, comments, messages and photos here.
This career-focused social network reveals a lot of information about your professional history. If your account was hacked report the instance immediately and reset your password. See if your profile was used to contact anybody through this platform. If so, take screenshots of all correspondence for your records.
If you are approached with spam, a scam or fake information you can report it to LinkedIn. Click on the three-dot symbol and select the more option. You will then see the option to report or block the content. For more on the details of this process visit LinkedIn Help.
If you are looking for direct assistance and a personalized plan to remediate your case of social media account takeover, call an expert advisor for no-cost at 888.400.5530 or LiveChat with us.
This information should not be used in lieu of legal advice. Any requests to reproduce this material, other than by individual victims for their own use, should be directed to communications@idtheftcenter.org.
This article originally appeared on www.idtheftcenter.org. Sontiq is a proud supporter of the Identity Theft Resource Center nonprofit.