Twitter Account Hacked?

Always be wary of entering your online account details into websites.  Spammers and hackers are quick to jump on to the latest trends and Twitter seems to be their latest target.

Twitter accounts are regularly getting hacked - judging from the number of my followers sending me direct messages (DMs) to test my IQ or check out my photo with a tempting link to click on.  When you click on the link it asks for your Twitter Account details.  Of course if you do - they've now got your details.

Check the URL - you might spot something's not quite right - misspelling, seeming to emulate a real URL but with added info e.g. http://www.twitter.com.fake.spam.co.uk

If you find you've been hacked - here's what to do.

http://help.twitter.com/forums/10713/entries/31796

Be wary of third party apps that request your Twitter (or Facebook) account details.  If you're not sure - don't. You can probably survive without the latest widget or app rather than risk having your account details hacked.

Spam emails are now enticing you to update your Facebook, Twitter, Myspace account details.  Same thing applies for the URL - it's usually not what it appears.  Don't fall for it.

1 comment:

Alex Farran said...

No legitimate applications for facebook or twitter need to ask for your password. There are ways to grant limited access to applications without giving them the keys to the house. In twitter look at settings > connections to see what access you've granted to applications.