Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.
Remove the front bezel by pulling it straight off - carefull not to break those @#$%^&* plastic clips at the 4 corners, or you're pwned. I've had good luck grabbing the entire bezel at the top and bottom (not the sides), but I cringe each time I go near it. Once that's off, you should see the filter cage locks into the front of the chassis with some L-tabs [look inside the case to see if yours face up or down]. Slide the filter cage to disengage the L-tabs, and it comes right off.
The filter element is open cell foam - you can wash it with plain water under the tap and blot it dry between 2 layers of a towel by pressing against a table or counter. Wave it a few times to give it a final air dry, and put it all back together.