How to know if you’ve been hacked?
Being hacked is a scary thing and a great violation of your privacy. However, if you want to determine whether you have been hacked, there will be tell-tale signs that will give you a suspicion that your account is hacked.
One sign that could be an indicator that you have been hacked is that you notice that your app is performing unusually. Unusual in the sense that you have been receiving a lot of alerts about password changes or any authentication requests when you know that you did not change anything on your app.
Another sign is that you notice new contacts that have been added to your list without your knowledge. For Whatsapp, it will add contacts once you sign in to a new device so if you have contacts that are unknown to you, there is a possibility that you have been hacked.
You can also check the messages that you have sent. If you see any message that you are sure you did not send, then there is a possibility your Whatsapp account is hacked.
What should I do if my WhatsApp account has been hacked?
After checking your contacts, and messages, and getting a lot of notifications from Whatsapp, you are then sure that your Whatsapp account is hacked. We will share with you the next steps that you should do if you have been hacked.
Option 1: Reset Your Password
Make sure that as soon as you figure out that you have been hacked, immediately change the password to your Whatsapp. This will at least give you the security that they will not be able to access your account.
Option 2: Do Not Log Out and Log Back In
Hackers try to access your account by sending you verification codes so you can get locked out of your account. So when you receive the notification about the verification codes, it will be best to just ignore them and not log out at all.
Option 3: Inform your contacts
Once you have determined that you have been hacked, inform your contacts about it as hackers will try to reach out to your contacts and ask for the verification code for their accounts which will also lead to them being hacked. Let them know to not entertain any messages from you asking about any code.
Tips to prevent your WhatsApp from getting hacked
Once you have determined that you have been or have not been hacked, you should do the needful to prevent any hacking incident to happen to you in the future. There are ways how you can prevent your Whatsapp account from being hacked. We will share them with you so you can be more careful when using your mobile.
Tip# 1: Do not open any unsuspicious links or messages from contacts that you do not know of.
Tip# 2: Avoid using public networks if possible as they are deemed unsafe to use.
Tip# 3: Change your password more frequently if you can.
Tip# 4: Enable the Two-Factor Authentication on your Whatsapp account for additional security of your account.
Tip# 5: Do not leave your phone unattended especially if you are out or in a public space.
