If you suspect that your Facebook account has been compromised, you must change your password immediately. If you use Facebook as a login for apps like Spotify or Instagram then you should change your logins. This will stop the hacker from accessing these third-party apps through your compromised Facebook account.

A compromised Facebook account can provide hackers with access to a wealth of personal information. Hackers can use the information to carry out malicious purposes such as spamming people or sending fake credit card offers. Hackers may also use hacked accounts to send spam messages or even post on your timeline (as the case were you who was responsible).

One of the most popular ways hackers can gain access to an account is to exploit an error in Facebook’s application code. For example, a bug in the iOS Facebook app allowed hackers to steal cookies and get the iPhone user’s “access token.” These tokens are digital keys that allow them complete control over the user’s Facebook account and thanks to Single Sign-On, other websites the person connects to using their Facebook credentials.

Hackers may also gain access to accounts by using brute-force attacks. This method involves figuring out a password, often the most popular ones, such as 123456789 and 1234567890. Hackers can also gain access to accounts through scanning compromised credentials. There are several free tools https://www.app-ink.net/how-to-use-pool-host-to-create-multiple-hosts to scan for stolen information, including the well-known website HaveIBeenPwned.