How to Recover a Hacked Telegram Account?
Telegram still poses its users with risks of cyberattacks regarding identity theft, fake account signs up or drinking of destructive messages despite having more than seven hundred active users across the world. Regardless of whether you once felt as if somebody else logged in your account, you woke up to find your account logged out or your settings modified in some way against your wish, it is time to act. In this one-stop shop guide you are going to learn how to recover from the hacked Telegram account and what measures to take to prevent a repeat of the episode.
Recognizing the Signs of a Hacked Telegram Account
Before taking action, it’s important to confirm that your Telegram account has indeed been hacked. Here are some common signs to watch out for:
Unusual Activity:
This is sometimes where you can receive notifications for message that you never sent yourself, connections that you never friended or groups that you never joined.
Login Alerts:
After login from another device, mention you on Telegram. If you receive such alerts but you did not login yourself then there is something wrong with the account.
Account Access Issues:
Only one condition may remain and that is if you have been logged out of Telegram and you have tried so much to log back in with the right username and password, it simply means your account has been hacked.
Unauthorized Changes:
This is why, for instance, if you find yourself, I logged into another account or the picture, Bio or the security settings have been changed and you did not do it, then maybe your account has been hacked.
Friends and Family Receiving Strange Messages:
If your contacts accuse you of sending them some suspicious messages, a link to a phishing site, or if such a message arrived at their in-box as you allegedly need the money for some urgent situation in your account, then you must be certain that you are dealing with the scammers.
Immediate Steps to Take When Your Telegram Account is Hacked
If you suspect that your Telegram account has been hacked, it’s crucial to act swiftly. Follow these steps to regain control of your account:
1. Log Out of All Devices
Sometimes, a user might login to a social account and may find out that their account has been hacked and, in this case, all other active sessions should be terminated excluding the one you are using right now.
How to Log Out of All Devices: To begin, launch the Telegram application on your device, then click the settings followed by Devices and then finally Terminate All Other Sessions. This shall help to log out all the devices apart from the one that is in use at the time.
2. Re-Verify Your Account
Log into your account, then navigate to the options and settings where it is possible to re-verifying your account will log out other users.
Re-Verification Process: Launch the application, which is called Telegram, and type in your telephone number. You will have to enter your phone number and you’ll receive verification code in your SMS. The code has been provided so that the account holder can enter it to regain access to his/her account.
3. Enable Two-Step Verification
If you are lucky to reclaim your lost account then ensure you turn on the two-factor authentication to enhance security.
How to Enable Two-Step Verification: Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Two-Step Verification. Set up a strong password and add a recovery email.
4. Notify Your Contacts
Dropping a word to your contacts about being hacked is very crucial in the management of your account. Tell them not to click at any suspicious link or reply any weird request they think originated from your account.
How to Recover a Hacked Telegram Account?
Once you’ve taken immediate action, follow these steps to fully recover your Telegram account:
1. Re-install Telegram
If a hacker has control on your account, then deleting and reinstalling Telegram might be helpful in removing any hackers’ access.
- Uninstall Telegram: Uninstall the Telegram application on your device.
- Reinstall Telegram: Open iTunes (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) and uninstall Telegram and then go download it again.
- Verify Your Phone Number: Launch the app, provide your Phone number and correctly key in the code sent to you through the SMS.
2. Reset Two-Step Verification Password
The other option is to reset the password if the hacker has enabled the two-step verification and you don’t know the password.
- Reset Two-Step Verification: In the login section on the Telegram, go to the phone number input. If it is asked to enter the two-step verification password then click on the option of Forgot password. Once you reset a link will be sent to the mailbox as a recovery email.
3. Contact Telegram Support
In case you have not be able to reset your account by following the above procedures, then reaching out to the Telegram support center is inevitable.
- Email Telegram Support: To get back your account you should send an email to the following address: [email protected] from the email address that you use every time you sign in to the company’s website. Give your phone number in international format and state you’d like to report that your account has been hacked.
Use Telegram’s In-App Support: If you can still access your account, go to Settings > Help > Ask a Question. Describe your issue and attach screenshots if necessary.
4. Report the Account as Hacked
If you believe your account is being used for malicious purposes, you can report it as hacked.
- In-App Reporting: Check out this article where a friend can tell your account from within the app, Telegram. This can be done by going to the profile of the user, clicking on the three little dots at the top right-hand corner of the screen, then choosing the option ‘Report’.
Preventing Future Hacks
When you get back the control of the hacked account, there are measures you have to take so that it does not happen again. Here’s how you can secure your Telegram account:
Change Your Passwords
If you are in the habit of using the same password in most of your accounts, then you have to change it right now.
- Create a Strong Password: Apply both lower case and upper-case letters, numbers and special characters such as ‘@’, ‘&’, ‘%’ etc.
- Password Managers: One should use a password manager to come up with other complex passwords that are safe to use when storing them.
Enable Two-Step Verification
As it was mentioned before, allowing two-step verification increases its security level significantly.
- How It Works: Further to the mobile money code, the customer will be required to provide a password while login from another device.
Update Security Settings
Securing your account is usually done by updating your security settings.
Privacy Settings: Go to Settings > Privacy and Security. Determine the visibility of your phone number, last seen, and profile photo to others.
Review Linked Devices Regularly
Surveillance of the linked devices is done to your account to spot any unauthorized access.
How to Review Linked Devices: The first step to accessing your active sessions is to go to Settings. Then, choose Devices to view and manage active sessions.
Be Cautious of Phishing Scams
One of the most ordinary perpetrators’ techniques with phishers is trying to trick users into using their accounts.
Recognize Phishing Attacks:
Get the message, though, that unsolicited messages try to get personal information or ask you to click on a link that is dubious.
Enable the Two-Step Verification:
This will be an additional security policy and it will be tough for hackers to access your document even if they obtain your password.
Keep Your Software Updated
Old software can turn into the weakness that hackers will take advantage of. The software of your devices and the Telegram app is recommended to be always updated to the latest version.
Automatic Updates:
Automatic updates will ensure that you have the latest version of Telegram running on your device.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Sensitive Transactions
Wi-Fi networks for public use are usually not very secure, which is the reason why they become the main targets for hackers.
Use a VPN:
In case you must browse the internet using public Wi-Fi, make sure to connect via a VPN that will encrypt your traffic and keep your personal data safe.
How iProVPN Can Help Secure Your Telegram Account
Strengthening security over the internet through iProVPN can guarantee that the chances of your Telegram account falling into the wrong hands are very low. This is how iProVPN emboldens you:
Encrypt Your Internet Connection
Using AES-256-bit encryption, iProVPN safeguards your online communication and, as a result, it is very difficult for the hackers to read your data.
Hide Your IP Address
One way in which iProVPN enhances the privacy of your internet connection is through IP masking. By masking your IP address, hackers will find it harder to keep track of your activities or determine your exact location. The traffic is rerouted through a network of proxies that are located far away from the user’s actual location.
Protect Against Phishing Attacks
iProVPN lets you use DNS leak protection as a means to pass hack attacks by redirecting the DNS requests through the VPN only not exposing them, hence no phish will be able to reach you.
Bypass Geo-Restrictions
iProVPN allows you to bypass all sorts of regional limitations, hence, you can have a full, freely available use of Telegram and other apps without worrying about your location.
Secure Multiple Devices
iProVPN is compatible with a variety of operating systems such as iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, thus, you can have your safe Telegram everywhere no matter the device.
Conclusion
Having a hacked Telegram account is a hard thing to go through. However, with the right steps, you can regain control and stop more breaches. Moving fast by acting according to the steps in this guide and taking extra measures can securing your account. Using a VPN like iProVPN also brings the plus of making your online moves undisclosed and safe from prying eyes.
FAQs
- How do I know if my Telegram account has been hacked?
Look for signs like unusual activity (messages you didn’t send), login alerts from unfamiliar devices, unauthorized changes to your profile, and strange messages sent to your contacts.
- What should I do immediately after discovering my account is hacked?
Log out of all devices, re-verify your account, enable two-step verification, and notify your contacts about the breach.
- How can I recover a hacked Telegram account?
Reinstall Telegram, reset the two-step verification password if needed, and contact Telegram support if you cannot regain access.
- What steps can I take to prevent future hacks?
Change your passwords, enable two-step verification, update your security settings, review linked devices, be cautious of phishing scams, keep your software updated, and avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions.
- How can iProVPN help secure my Telegram account?
iProVPN encrypts your internet connection, hides your IP address, protects against phishing attacks, bypasses geo-restrictions, and secures multiple devices, enhancing your overall online security.
- What should I do if I notice suspicious activity on my Telegram account?
Immediately log out of all devices, re-verify your account, enable two-step verification, and notify your contacts about the potential breach.
- How can I log out of other devices remotely?
Open the Telegram app, go to Settings > Devices, and select “Terminate All Other Sessions” to log out from devices other than the one you’re using.
- What steps should I follow to recover my Telegram account if it's hacked?
Reinstall the Telegram app, reset your two-step verification password, if necessary, contact Telegram Support if you can’t regain access, and report your account as hacked if it’s being misused.
