It happens in emails and now it also happens on social media. Accounts get hacked and send out spammy, phishing messages to your friends and followers. I've seen a few recently.
Here's how to avoid your Twitter account being hacked or compromised.
Check who you follow - once you follow someone they can send you Direct Messages (DMs) and could be a route for twitter 'spam'. (A good reason not to auto-follow as you don't know who you're really following).
Don't give 3rd party Apps access to your twitter account unless you can trust them. Many valid apps use your Twitter Account to access information and share it on other profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn etc). However some may then use these details to either hack your account or send you spam - especially those that claim to show you information about your Twitter profile in some way.
Dummy or fake webpages could mislead you into thinking it's a valid site. Check the URL - most phishing sites will contain a shadow of the real site.
Never click on any link from someone you don't know. While most Twitter 'hacks' are phishing for your account details - some may contain viruses. They may look tempting or intriguing by be careful.
Even the smartest of your friends can be caught out, so if you see anything along the lines of "Hey is this you " .... "Have you tried this quiz " .... "I made $xxx ..." - you know the sort of thing - something that seems out of the 'norm', don't click the link - just ignore or delete it.
Let them know. Send them a polite message (DM) advising them that their Twitter account may have been hacked.
So what do I do?
Change your password immediately and remove any connection to 3rd Party Apps that you recently connected to that might be suspect (see Twitter.com). One reason not to connect to all those 'fun' sites.
Use a browser or virus software that will warn you if you access a phishing site.
Never enter your account details or other personal information unless you know it's a valid site.
Has your account ever been compromised and what did you do to get round it?
1 comment:
The latest and most popular seems to be relating to alleged pics of you - sent via DM with messages such as "Is this you ... or ... have you seen this pic .... someone is spreading rumours about you ... have you seen what they're saying about you ... "
Yes, just another excuse to get your Twitter account details.
Don't click the link and warn the person who sent you the message.
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