Have you ever been the victim of unauthorized messaging access? You know, the ones where a person’s ex hacks into your friend’s messaging account, takes screen shots of your PRIVATE conversation, and publishes it for others to see, WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT? (I’ve always been vigilant over my online accounts and when leaks occur, it is always a friend’s account that is compromised, not mine.)
Culprits are not difficult to identify; they are almost always scorned exes of friends. The goal is typically to humiliate participants in the conversation, exposing screenshots of private messages. Illegal acts, by the way.
Case in point: Married Madame (MM) lent her phone to Naive Boy (NB) saying he could use it to access his Facebook account while together. NB returned MM’s android phone when the relationship ended but NB unfortunately forgot to log out of his Facebook/Messenger account on MM’s phone. Not long after that, NB flung himself into the dating pool and initiated private conversations with several women on Facebook. Apparently jealous, MM went on a rampage, publishing dozens of screenshots of private conversations involving NB and his female friends. In a livid moment, MM told one of NB’s female friends “Stop chatting my bf” (sic), forgetting that she was using NB’s account. Minutes after she realized her mistake, MM removed her angry message but alas, NB’s friend had already taken a screenshot of her breach. This event was followed by more breaches and published screenshots of various conversations and private photos on NB’s Facebook account that was obviously hacked. MM only ceased when warned of criminal prosecution for her reckless actions. Needless to say, MM is still the same (what’s that saying about old dogs and new tricks?), scheming and trying all sorts of ways to gain unauthorized access to private calls and messages of men she dates. But if you ask me, I think men should generally avoid dating legally married women such as MM.
Another case of unauthorized access: Philandering Husband (PH) met Social Climber (SC) and the two instantly connect over milk tea, the genZ beverage of choice then. Over time, the two became secret lovers unbeknownst to Hardworking Wife (HW). As the illicit relationship between PH and SC flourished behind closed doors, PH gradually alienated HW at home which ultimately led to the breakdown of their marriage. When HW decided to move on with her life minus PH, PH decided to turn the tables on HW by charging her with having an illicit relationship while married. Desperate for evidence, PH illegally took possession of HW’s iPhone, accessed her private messages and showed them to SC. Feeling a weird sense of triumph and thrill over accessing her rival’s private messages, SC took numerous screenshots of private conversations and proudly shared these photos in a group conversation which SC organized for the purpose of humiliating one of the participants in the hacked conversation. This is a developing story, with a criminal complaint in the works.
If you or someone close to you have been a victim of similar violations, you do have remedies against these perps. First, secure your online account by changing your password immediately, adopting two-step verification, and logging out of all devices linked to your account. Do not delete the conversations where your private messages were exposed. Do not leave the conversation as well, until you have reported the intrusion and the violation on the social media platform’s security system. Block the culprit/s after reporting them. Consult a lawyer to determine your next steps. While we understand how hurt feelings of scorned lovers are to blame for the messaging breach, taking action against those who have shown no remorse for their wrongful actions can deter future violations.