In this article, I’m going to show you how you can know if or when my Telegram account is hacked, and what you can do about it if it is.
Are you a Telegram user and you’re worried that your account might be compromised in one way or another?
Telegram, like any other messaging app, is liable to hacking. It might not be as secure as we would imagine it should be even with its end-to-end encryption.
While there is really no direct way you can detect if your Telegram account is hacked or compromised, there are several signs you can look out for to be able to diagnose a hack, and take the necessary action as soon as possible before any more damage is done to your account.
But first, I’m going to discuss with you a few tricks hackers might use to gain unauthorised access to your Telegram account.
List Of Contents
How can My Telegram Account be Hacked
Knowing how an unauthorized person can get into your Telegram account is just as important as knowing the signs of a hack and what to do about it, maybe even a little bit more important because this way, at least you will know how to protect your account as best as you can from intruders.
There are multiple ways hackers or intruders can gain access to your Telegram account, let’s look at the most common ways below:
Telegram Public Hacks
One way your Telegram might be compromised is through Public hacks. In instances where the Telegram company gets hacked, users’ accounts may be compromised as well. These kinds of hacks usually affect a large number of people in an untargeted way.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do to prevent these kinds of attacks because the security is down to the main companies. But the company usually advises its users on what to do in these kinds of situations.
Spy Apps
A more targeted way of hacking someone’s Telegram account is through Spy Apps. For this type of hacking, the intruder/hacker needs access to your device to install spy software on it. This makes it more likely that the hacker who will use this technique will be someone close to you.
Spy apps are extremely powerful, making this kind of hack very effective because everything you do on your phone will most likely be compromised. So, beware!
Phishing
Hackers and scammers may try to gain access to your account by sending you fake messages posing as Telegram. You may receive messages like: “Your account has been temporarily blocked, to confirm your identity click the link below.”
These are just Phishing messages trying to trick you into resetting your account or giving out your confirmation codes for them to access your account.
Furthermore, It’s quite common for a hacker or scammer to impersonate a Telegram user by using a username that’s only slightly different from the original. For example, an attacker may try to impersonate this user; Jm0ss2 by creating the username jmoss2, you can hardly tell the difference!
Signs That My Telegram Account is Hacked
Now that you’ve acquainted yourself with the different ways an intruder may gain unauthorized access to your Telegram account, below are the signs you should look out for to know if your account has been hacked.
- If your telegram app sends unsolicited texts, images, and videos to your contacts, that could be a sign that you have an intruder on your account. You might receive complaints from your contacts about messages from you they don’t understand. You can also check your chat history for any sent messages you don’t remember sending yourself.
- If all of a sudden you’re not able to access your Telegram account, or your telegram app prompts you to sign in every time you want to use it.
- If Telegram often asks you to re-verify your contact details (re-enter your phone and email every single time you open your account)
- If you receive a notification that your Telegram account is being logged in from a different location and you’re sure it isn’t you.
However, when you receive a notification like this, make sure you verify that it is from Telegram because hackers could use this very trick to gain access to your account.
Also read: How To Know if Your Facebook is Hacked and How To Fix it
Via your Telegram Settings, you can manually check how many devices are logged into your account.
- Check your profile and contacts to see if you have any unrecognized changes to your profile or any new contacts that you didn’t add yourself.
What To Do If My Telegram is Hacked
If your Telegram account has been hacked, you might want to act fast and take the necessary precautions to minimize the damage to your data and that of your contacts.
Here’s how you can do that:
Terminate Unknown Active Sessions/Devices
Since Telegram supports multi-device connections, you can have the same Telegram account open on various devices at the same time. This makes you vulnerable because it is possible that at some point you may forget that you are logged in to one or another device, and if an intruder gets their hands on it, it can be misused.
The good news is that Telegram also gives you the option to use your current device to end any/all other active sessions, so it’s pretty easy to put a stop to a hacker if they got access this way.
To do this:
Go to Settings > Devices > Privacy and Security > Active Sessions
Here, you can see all devices that have access to your account.
If you see any unknown device(s) or device with suspicious IP, simply click and then terminate it.
Now you can change your password and check active sessions a few days later.
Alternatively, you can just use the Terminate all other sessions option, which will log you out of all other devices except the one you are currently using.
Set Passcode Lock
Passcode Lock is another Telegram feature that you can use to protect your data. When you turn this on, you’ll be required to enter that code every time you open your Telegram.
Follow the steps below to create a passcode:
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Passcode Lock
Enter your 4 Digit password then re-enter it for confirmation (make sure it’s a strong password).
If your phone has “Fingerprint” ability, you may also enable the Unlock with Fingerprint option, this will help you to enter faster and more secure.
Warning: If you forget your passcode you will not be able to access your account. You will have to delete and reinstall the app and all secret chats will be deleted.
Reset Your Email Password
Once an attacker has access to the email you used to set up your Telegram app, then they’re halfway into your account because all the authentication codes are sent to your email.
So, the moment you realize that your Telegram account has been hacked, make sure you reset your passwords including that of your email ID. Please don’t use a password that you use elsewhere. Alternatively, consider using a password management tool to easily generate secure passwords and save them.
If none of the above seems to work for you, contact the Telegram security team for assistance; https://telegram.org/support
Telegram Hacked Account Recovery (How To Secure My Telegram Account)
Enable two-step verification
By default, your Telegram app only requires you to input your phone number, enter the OTP received via SMS and you are logged in. In a case where an intruder gains access to your phone and this OTP, then your account is a goner!
To keep this from happening, you can use this Telegram feature; the two-step verification, where you can create a strong password and use it to log in. This way, hackers wouldn’t easily gain access to your account.
To do this:
Open your Telegram app and sign in to your account.
Tap the Menu (≡) in the top-left corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Two-Step Verification
Create a strong password and re-enter it for confirmation.
You can create a hint for the password if you want to (it will show in public).
Enter your email address, a verification email will be sent to this address
Go to your inbox, open the email, and click the “confirmation link”, or you can just enter the confirmation code.
Monitor Active Sessions/Devices
Active sessions is a very useful feature that enables you to view all the devices that are connected to your Telegram account. To protect yourself from intruders, make sure you regularly check this option and terminate any sessions or devices that you’re not using at the moment.
Refer to the What To Do About Your Hacked Telegram Account section of this article for details on how to do this.
Ignore Phishing Messages
As we already established earlier, intruders can send you fake messages posing as Telegram to try and get into your account.
To avoid all this, just ignore these messages and do not click the link they provide. Remember that Telegram never asks you to confirm your identity, also, if you examine these messages closely you will notice that the link is not that of the Telegram website, just similar to it!
Additionally, try to make sure you know who you’re communicating with on your Telegram account.
Avoid opening .exe files from other users
Rather than attacking any features intrinsic to Telegram itself, some hackers use Telegram as a means to communicate with their potential victims. For example, some hackers have channels that purport to provide interested users with hacking software.
However, these files (.exe) once opened by the victim, this ‘hacking software’ infects their computer with malware which they may use to steal your information and misuse your account.
Another way you can protect your Telegram account from intruders is by limiting the information you share on your Telegram profile. You don’t need to share unnecessary details with all 700 million Telegram users, so make sure you configure your profile’s privacy settings appropriately.
Under Telegram’s Privacy settings, configure your account to share less info, here’s some guidance for you:
Phone Number: Who can see my phone number — Nobody.
Data and Storage: Auto-Download Media → Toggle off
Phone Number: Who can find me by my number — My Contacts.
Last Seen & Online: Who can see my timestamp — Nobody.
Profile photo: Who can see my profile photo — My Contacts.
Calls: Who can call me — My Contacts (or Nobody, if you prefer).
Calls: Peer-to-peer — My contacts (or Nobody, if you prefer not to share your IP address with chat partners).
Forwarded Messages: Who can add a link to my account when forwarding my messages — My Contacts.
Groups & Channels: Who can add me — My Contacts.
Do Not Use Jailbroken or Rooted Devices
Using jailbroken or rooted devices makes it easier for a potential attacker to gain full administrative control over your device; also known as having root access.
A user with root access can easily bypass security features built into the operating system. Once an attacker has root access, any efforts to mitigate threats become futile.
No matter how strong the encryption is, no application can be called safe under these circumstances.
Also read: How To Tell When Your WhatsApp Is Hacked And How To Fix It
In Conclusion
I hope the information above has made you realize that it is very possible for your Telegram account to be hacked. And if your account had been hacked already, I hope you’ve got some pointers on how to fix it.
In any case, if you implement the above recommendations, you’ll be many steps closer to securing your Telegram account and keeping it from intruders.
Note: Much as Telegram provides end-to-end encryption, these messages stay on their servers so you can access them from multiple devices, so a breach on Telegram’s servers could possibly lead to your messages being exposed.
It’s also worth noting that the Telegram end-to-end encryption is not by default. Only secret chats are end-to-end encrypted.
