Twitter Account Got Hacked – What to Do

Everyone who uses online accounts and surfs the internet is vulnerable to hacking. It can happen when you least expect it. You follow a link or download a file, and all of a sudden, you are locked out of your Twitter account.

Hackers have many different methods of gathering information about a user, breaking their security codes, and taking hold of their private profiles. Keep reading to find out how to tell whether your Twitter account got hacked and what to do if it did.

How to Tell If Your Account Got Hacked

Most hackers like to stay hidden when they hack a Twitter account so they can compromise more accounts further on down the road. We all remember those click-bait messages from a friend inviting you to download a file or click on a link. If you see those, your account could be compromised.

Most of the time, Twitter users find out about weird messages sent from their account from their followers. If you are lucky enough, your online friends will tell you about the problem, so you can get rid of the hacker before the situation gets out of hand. Being hacked may not be that big of a problem for a private profile, but if you’re using a company account, the damage could be massive. That’s why you should take action the moment you get a feeling something is not right.

What to do When Your Account Gets Hacked?

Once you make sure that your Twitter account got hacked, to the first thing you should do is reset the user information.

Reset the Account

If your account got hacked and you can’t log in anymore, ask for a password reset. Click on the link in the email you receive, and if you still can’t log in, submit a support request. Select “hacked account” from the available options and enter the email you use for your Twitter account.

Twitter will send you an email with more instructions and information, and you’ll have to provide your username and the time when you used your account last. Twitter will reset the password, and you should be able to re-log right away. Change your password immediately when you log in and secure your email address. You can also change your email address, to make sure that your account is safe.

Inform Your Fans About the Situation

Use other social media platforms to tell your followers that your Twitter account got hacked. Explain what happened and tell everyone that you are trying to get the situation resolved. At least some of your followers will know not to reply to messages coming from your hacked profile.

Tell Your Customers the Truth

If you’re using Twitter to conduct business, make sure you tell your customers that your account got hacked and that you are doing everything you can to regain control. That’s important in case they got offensive messages or links from your account.

Be One Step Ahead of the Hackers

You should do everything you can to let people know that your account was hacked the moment you realize it. That way, everyone will ignore the requests and messages they get from your hacked account. They will be able to protect themselves, and you can laugh it off together later on when the situation reverts to normal.

What to Do to Protect Your Twitter Account

The best thing you can do about a hacked Twitter account is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Keep your account safe by using a unique, strong password. Here is how to create a password that’s hard to hack:

Password Creating Tips

1. Make your password at least ten characters long.
2. Mix upper case and lower case letters, add some numbers and symbols if possible.
3. Use different passwords for each website.
4. Keep a list of all your passwords in a safe place.

Do not

1. Use birthdays, phone numbers, and other personal information in your passwords.
2. Use common words.
3. Use keyboard sequences like “qwerty” or “1234abcd” and similar patterns.
4. Use the same password on all websites. Make a unique password for your Twitter account.
   

Enable Login Verification

Login verification can significantly increase safety of your Twitter account. It is a type of two-factor authentication. You will need to enable it in your account settings. You’ll also have to provide a verified email address and phone number.

Log into Twitter Safely

Login verification makes it almost impossible for hackers to take control of your Twitter account. You should also consider improving your password if you want to minimize the chances of getting hacked.