Worried that your Telegram account might get hacked? You are not alone and yes it is in fact possible. Telegram is not as secure as some might have you believe!
Telegram is a well-known messaging app that has been around for a few years. It is known for its security and privacy features, which is why it has become popular among users who are looking to keep their communications private.
However, Telegram is not infallible and can be hacked if the right steps are taken. In this article, we will be going over different ways to tell if Telegram has been hacked.
I’ll cover how Telegram can get hacked, share some signs to look out for to know if your Telegram has been hacked. Finally I show you what to do if you have been hacked.
Can Telegram Can Be Hacked?
Yes, there are a few ways your Telegram account can get hacked. The first problem comes from what are known as Public hacks. This is where your account password can be compromised when the main company (Telegram) gets hacked. Hacks like this usually affect large numbers of people in an untargeted way.
Unfortunately there is not much we can do to prevent these kind of attacks as the security is down to the main companies. In past cases like this the company usually issues advice on what to do – usually resetting logins for a start.
Another way the Telegram app can be hacked is through mobile spy apps. This type of spy software is designed to track and record all the user’s activities on their mobile device, including their conversations in Telegram.
If you are concerned that someone may be spying on your Telegram account, I cover some things you can do later in this article. You should also take a look at my article on how to hack Telegram to learn more about how hacking really works.
Spy apps are a more targeted way of hacking someone’s Telegram Account. Normally the spy software needs to be installed on the target phone so the hacker needs access to your device. This makes it more likely that the hacker will be someone close to you.
The biggest problem of being targeted by a spy app is that your phone is effectively hacked. This means everything you do on your phone is compromised. Spy apps are incredibly powerful and can lead to all your information being exposed.
Take a closer look at some of my main spy software reviews to see how they work and what they can monitor.
I cover a range of security related articles on this site. Finding out if certain social and messenger apps have been hacked often follows the same sort of process. Make sure to check out my articles on How to Tell if Your Snapchat is Hacked and How to Tell if Skype is Hacked for more details.
Signs Your Telegram Account Has Been Hacked
Now that you know how your Telegram app can be hacked, let’s take a look at some signs that your account itself may have been compromised.
The first and most obvious sign is if you notice any changes to your account. This could include new contacts added that you don’t know, messages being sent from your account without your knowledge, or changes to your profile information.
If you notice any of these changes happening on your account, check the security settings within Telegram. Make sure they are set to the highest level and see if there are any other options you can enable or change.
I’ll cover some extra security measures later in this article that can help prevent being hacked again.
You should also take a look at some of your messages for any strange activity. If you notice messages being received or sent on Telegram that shouldn’t be there, this is another sign of hacking. This could include messages with strange content, lots of pictures or videos being received, and more.
The final main sign to look out for is if you get an email or notification from Telegram about your account activity. Telegram will send you an email if there are any suspicious account changes made to your profile. If you notice these emails, take a closer look at what has changed on your account and where the login was completed from.
This section is dealing with signs within your Telegram account that might suggest you have been hacked in some way. As I mentioned, if your phone has been hacked there are other things to look out for.
Signs Your Phone is Hacked Including Telegram
There are some signs that can show that your phone might have been hacked by spy apps in particular. I cover these in detail in my article on Ways to Find Spyware on Your Phone. I also have an article covering How to Tell if Your Phone is Hacked by Any Means. Use these to get a lot more detail.
- Some of the main signs you are likely to see include:
- Unusually fast battery drain
- Hot phone handset even when not in use
- Random shut down or restarting
- Strange background noise during voice calls
- Frequent password change notifications
If your phone has been hacked you might notice there are some unusual activities taking place on your device. This includes changes to the apps installed, strange messages being sent, and other things like this.
If you are seeing any of these signs take a closer look at your phone and see if there are any apps you don’t remember installing. If there are, it is likely that the app is spy software designed to track your Telegram activities.
The last thing to look out for is any sudden changes to your device settings. This could include a change in the wallpaper, a new name added to your phone’s contacts, or other changes that you didn’t make.
Other Ways Telegram Can Be Hacked
Apart from Public Data Hacks and Spy apps it is possible to have your Telegram hacked in other ways. Most involve hacking of your phone or computer. Just be aware that these kinds of hacks are quite rare for ordinary people.
They are usually quite sophisticated and expensive to setup. They are not likely to be aimed at specific individuals in most cases. I do have some articles explaining these methods in depth – it is good to be aware of the threats they pose.
Some methods include:
Phishing – where a web site or email is used to try and trick people into giving up their login credentials. Variations of this include Vishing where they use voice calls to try to get you to reveal your login details and Smishing where they use SMS Texts to scam you.
Browser Redirects – where the attacker tricks you into visiting a website that changes your devices settings so they can track all of your activity
Drive-by Downloads – where an app automatically installs on your device without any prompts from the downloads folder. It is usually hiding in a legitimate looking file.
Some cyber criminals will try and trick Telegram users into installing fake apps from their website or another third-party location. These are designed to steal your login details, private messages, and more.
Unfortunately hackers are very resourceful and they keep developing new ways to gain access to peoples personal data. But don’t worry – there are things you can do.
What To Do If Your Telegram Is Hacked
So you think your Telegram Account has been hacked – what can you do?
The first thing you should do is change your password. This will help to prevent the hacker from continuing to access your account.
Another thing you can do is check your login history. This will show you all of the devices that have been used to login to your Telegram account. If you see anything strange then it is possible that these devices could be hacked as well.
You should also go and check to see if you can find any suspicious logs of activity on your device. To do this, look at your messages history and make sure all of those messages are actually from you!
If there are any unusual messages in your chat log then you should delete them right away.
Check your Telegram account settings and look for anything that has changed recently. If your contact list has been updated with strangers – this could be a sign that the hacker is trying to spread malware or send spam messages.
If you think that your account has been hacked then you might want to delete it and start again. While this won’t solve the problem, it will help if you just want a fresh start. If your phone is still connected to the internet then whoever is controlling it could track all of your activities.
What to Do If Your Phone is Hacked
If your phone has been hacked, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the problem. Depending on how your phone was hacked there are options. I have a detailed guide on how to remove a hacker from your device – covering how to stop most hacks.
If you think you have been a victim of spy apps then look at my guide on removing spy software from your mobile device for full instructions.
If you are really worried about all this I have a Premium Security Guide aimed at identifying and removing spy software – plus staying safe going forward. Have a look and see if you need this help:
Staying Safe
You might need to step up your online security to avoid hacking attacks going forward. Even some basic steps can help stay secure:
- Make sure you have good anti-virus and malware protection on your mobile devices
- Use strong unique passwords and keep them safe
- Always securely lock your phone itself
- Avoid downloading unverified apps
- Keep your devices updated with the latest security patches
- Be aware of potential scams – like fake websites or emails and only enter your login credentials on trusted websites
If you follow these tips, you’ll be less likely to fall victim to a hacking attack in the future. Remember that prevention is always better than cure so make sure you follow these tips to help keep your account safe!
I cover loads of security related articles on this site. You might like – how to tell if your Gmail account is hacked or how to tell if your Tinder has been hacked. Yes these are all vulnerable too!
Conclusion
So that’s it. I’ve covered how to tell if your Telegram account is hacked. Now you know how this is possible and what you can do if you have been hacked.
Remember the basic fact that your weakest point is likely to be your phone. If your phone gets hacked you can assume everything on it is hacked. So make sure you have good security in place.
Make sure you have a good look around the Security section of this site – I have a lot of tips and advice on staying safe and secure online. Thanks for reading and good luck.
