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If your Hulu or Netflix account is as near and dear to you as most of your friends, you can just imagine how hurt and violated I felt when my Hulu account was hacked recently.
But it led me to do some research on how to know if your account is hacked and how to get back control. Here's what you need to know.
Uh, new profile. Who dis?
The biggest red flag that your account is being used by someone else is when a new profile pops up. The new profile that appeared on Hulu all of a sudden was named 'TF.' TF is right! Who the F was on my account?!
Before you get all paranoid, make sure the new profile wasn't made by your BFF or some other person you told your password to.
After harassing my friends and family I discovered that no one had made the suspicious account. At least they didn't admit to it...
I also noticed that my home device information kept getting changed. I had to keep switching it back. Hmm.
Another sign is new shows popping up in your list that you'd never watch. 'Tokyo Ghoul' and 'Attack on Titan'? I'm more of an 'Archer' and 'Family Guy' fan when it comes to animation.
Do some sleuthing
Now that you're good and riled up, check your devices to see if anyone's logging in from somewhere strange. If you're on Hulu, go to Account and tap on Manage Devices. On Netflix, go to Account and click on Manage Download Devices.
Look for any devices that don't belong. When you find one, delete that sucker! I found a login from Apple TV and another by someone called Trinicracker. I don't have an Apple TV and neither do any of my friends. I also don't know anyone by that name. Umm... bye.
Then, for good measure, go back to the account settings and click on Sign Out of All Devices on Netflix. On Hulu, go to your accounts page, click Protect Your Account and click on Log Me Out of Other Computers.
Secure your account
Next, change your password ASAP, before the trickster tries to log back in. Make sure your password is something, good, too. '123456' isn't going to cut it. Sharon Profis has a great article on how to choose a good password, in case you need help.
You may also want to change the email address you use to log in. It may be circulating around the internet: You can check on Have I Been Pwned to see if your email has been compromised in a major security breach.
A security breach is when your email, password, account name, credit card information or any other data stored on a website is illegally accessed by hackers and released to the public. Sure enough, my email address (and several of my passwords) had been linked to seven different security breaches. Eep!
Finally, get some closure by deleting the new profile. On Hulu, go to Account > Profile, then click on the offender. Take a long, satisfying gulp of wine (or your preferred beverage) and click Delete at the bottom of the screen. Choose Delete again and then OK. With Netflix, go to Account > Manage Profiles, click on the offending profile and choose Delete Profile > Delete Profile > Done.
If you do find out it was a friend or loved one that was using your account, these tips put an end to their freeloading ways, too.
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Apple recommends that you use only one Apple ID to access iTunes, iCloud, and other Apple services. If you don't remember if you have an Apple ID, we can help you find it.
If you don't have an Apple ID, you can create an Apple ID without a payment method.
You can also remove payment methods that you previously added to your Apple ID.
If you already have an Apple ID
You can remove payment methods from your existing Apple ID after you sign in to the App Store, iTunes Store, or Apple Books. You won't be asked for a payment method again until you make a purchase. Learn what to do if you can't remove your last payment method from your Apple ID.
If you're the family organizer for a Family Sharing group and want to share purchases with your family, you're required to have at least one payment method on file. A payment method is also required to set up accounts for children. Learn more about Family Sharing and Apple IDs for kids.
If you don't have an Apple ID
You can create an Apple ID without adding a payment method in the App Store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or on a Mac or PC.
On an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Open the App Store app and find a free app.
- Tap the Get button.
- When you're asked to sign in with an Apple ID, tap Create New Apple ID.
- Follow the onscreen instructions. When you're asked for payment information, choose None. See what to do if None isn't showing or you can't select it.
- After you enter your information, you'll be asked to verify a trusted phone number if you're eligible to use two-factor authentication. Otherwise, you'll be asked to verify your Apple ID by email. You must verify your Apple ID before you can begin using it.
On a Mac
- Open the App Store and find a free app.
- Click the Get button, then click Install.
- When you're asked to sign in with an Apple ID, click Create Apple ID. If you don't see an option to create a new Apple ID, you are signed in to the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books, or iCloud with an existing Apple ID.
- Follow the onscreen instructions. When you're asked for payment information, choose None as the payment type. See what to do if None isn't showing or you can't select it.
- After you enter your information, you'll be asked to verify a trusted phone number if you're eligible to use two-factor authentication. Otherwise, you'll be asked to verify your Apple ID by email. You must verify your Apple ID before you can begin using it.
On a PC
If you have a PC, find a free item in the iTunes Store, try to download it, then follow the prompts to create a new Apple ID.
If you can't find a free item, use an iOS device to create a new Apple ID.