As originally published in the April 12 issue of The Mountain-Ear newspaper.

Gail Eddy, Nederland.

I read an article recently about how to find out if someone in a different location was logged into your Facebook account. I followed the steps and saw that someone in Dallas was logged into my account! Whoa! I logged out of the devices in those locations pretty quickly.

There are several steps to follow to see if someone has hacked into your Facebook account.

First thing to check on your Facebook account:

The first thing you want to do is to determine if you are logged into your Facebook account from odd locations. To check this, click on

“Settings” and then on “Security and Login.” That screen will tell you all the places (and devices) that you are logged in. If something seems odd, then log out of that location.

Second thing:

Check your birthday and email to make sure they haven’t been changed. If they have been changed, change them back and then immediately change your password.

Also, has anyone told you they received a second friend request from you? Or are there messages that have been sent, but not sent by you? Again, this is a good time to change your password and notify your friends not to open a recent private message from you. You should also notify Facebook that your account may be compromised.

You should also:

Now is a good time to change your password as well. It’s on the same screen as “Security and Login.” Click on “Change Password,” and choose a secure one! Let us know if you need some tips for creating a strong password.

Lastly:

Bump up your security settings. Ask Facebook to send you an alert when someone tries to log into your account. Now is also a good time to set up Two-Factor Authentication. You can access both of those settings from the same “Security and Login” screen.

If this info was helpful, please share it with your friends!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.