Beware of Snapchat Scams and Hacks: How to Keep Your Account Secure،
Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms, used to send photos or videos to friends. Like other social media apps, Snapchat also has some loopholes that could allow an attacker to hack Snapchat accounts. Finding out that someone has hacked your Snapchat account is a violation and can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. So it is important to know how the account can be hacked and how you can protect your account from being compromised. We’ve also explained how you can try to recover your account if it’s been hacked.
Indicators/Reasons Behind Hacking Snapchat Account
1. If your Snapchat account password is very common and can be easily guessed by hackers, then they will be able to hack your Snapchat account and do whatever they want with it. When this happens, user privacy will be lost because the hacker will have access to all your photos and videos. So, you should always select a strong password with a combination of numbers, symbols, and lower and upper case letters.
Some users use the same password for multiple social media accounts. It may be dangerous. Always try to keep your passwords different for different accounts, as this will reduce the risk of your account being compromised.
2. When an attacker has cracked your password and accessed your account, they can access the settings and change the email to their own. If they do so, you will not be able to access your account as the email ID and phone number associated with it will change. You will receive a notification that the mobile number/email ID linked to your account has been changed, which means your account has been hacked. If the hacker enables 2-factor authentication, the original user will never be able to access their account.
3. Your Snapchat account may have been compromised if you receive a notification that someone from another device and another state/country has logged into your account.
4. If you notice that you are asked to log into your account every time, it may mean that your account is hacked. This is because Snapchat accounts can only be used on one account and hence the user does not need to log into their account again and again. However, if this happens, someone else is using your Snapchat account on another device.
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Ways Snapchat Accounts Get Hacked
Hackers continue to look for existing backdoors or weaknesses that developers may have missed to exploit to hack unwitting user accounts. Snapchat accounts can be hacked in several ways.
1. Guessing simple passwords is one of the most common ways to hack a Snapchat account. Hackers try multiple passwords until they hack the targeted account.
2. Hackers can easily access public WiFi and exploit unsuspecting victims on public networks. If you use public WiFi, always use a VPN that encrypts your online activity. This will prevent hackers from accessing your information.
3. Phishing occurs when hackers send messages to individuals in an attempt to trick them into clicking on a link, sending information, or even sending money. In terms of Snapchat, a phishing attempt will be someone you don’t know messaging you on another social media channel and asking for a Snapchat username. Someone can send a message on Snapchat with a link or file they want you to click.
4. One of the most common ways to get hacked is to unknowingly download malware or spyware. Hackers can use many ways to infect your devices with spyware, including phishing attempts or using public Wi-Fi. Spyware apps are mostly hidden on your computer or hacked phone, so you won’t even realize you have one. If the spyware app is installed on your device, the hacker will be able to see when you open your Snapchat account and record the messages, photos and videos you send to your friends.
5. Third-party data leaks have happened in the past and also on Snapchat. Third-party data leaks often result in user passwords and associated usernames, phone numbers, and emails being leaked. The information becomes available online and anyone can use it to access your account.
6. Keylogger apps downloaded to a device are also a way to violate one’s privacy. A keylogger is a tool that tracks every keystroke made by the user. Using a keylogger, you can record the text you type with your keyboard. Hackers install keyloggers on your devices and obtain your account ID and password if you don’t use a password manager.
7. A brute force attack is a common hacking method in which an attacker bombards a login page with thousands of different passwords until they find the right one and log you in. Easy-to-guess passwords like abcd123 or 123456 are among the first to be detected. be tested so that they can be decoded in seconds.
Ways to Protect Your Snapchat Account
1. Using anti-spyware software can detect when your devices have unknowingly downloaded spyware or malware.
2. Verify your phone number and email ID on your Snapchat account, as this will allow the platform to send you an email or SMS if any changes are made to your account.
3. Don’t show up after making your account popular at all costs. Add people as friends only if you know and trust them. This is because when you add someone to your Snapchat friends list, they access your username and can send you messages that could lead to a hack if the person is fake.
4. Keep your privacy settings up to date.
5. Change your Snapchat password regularly to keep your account secure. Whenever you suspect your account has been hacked, change the password immediately if you can. Make sure you choose a strong password that is difficult for hackers to crack.
6. If someone has accessed your account and you can no longer log in, try using the “Forgotten Password” option. The hacker may have guessed your password, but he probably doesn’t have access to your phone or email. If you can use Forgotten Password, you can reset it and kick out the hacker.
7. Enable 2-factor authentication to restrict your account.
8. Keep your devices updated. If hackers jailbreak your device to install spyware, an operating system update could remove these apps because they are mostly unauthorized.
9. Protect your devices. Don’t leave this to people you don’t trust. Use biometric security to ensure it’s harder for criminals to access your devices.
10. Operate online with caution. Do not click on any unknown links and while using a web browser, hover over links before clicking on them.
Recover a Hacked Snapchat Account
The first thing to try when you realize your account has been hacked is to reset your password. It’s the quickest and easiest way to get rid of your unwanted visitors. Request a reset link via SMS or email. If you succeed, focus on password security and updating privacy settings.
However, if you are unable to change your password, here is what you will need to do:
- Search Google for “Snapchat Support” and you will be redirected to the platform’s official support page.
- Choose the “I think my account has been hacked” option.
- Enter your username, email, phone number, and details of why you think your account was hacked. Click “Send”.
- A Snapchat team member will contact you with further instructions and help resolve the issue.
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