Facebook Account Hacked: What to Do Right Now

Signs your Facebook account may be hacked

• Facebook emails or texts you about a changed password, email address or phone number that you did not request.
• Your password no longer works, or the login page does not recognise your details.
• Posts, friend requests, messages or Marketplace listings you did not make, often spam or scam links.
• Your name, birthday, profile photo or contact details changed.
• Logins from places or devices you do not recognise in your security settings.
• Ads or charges you did not create on a linked ad account or payment method.

Not every odd event is a hack. A cloned profile made by a scammer copying your photos is a different problem: report the fake profile and warn your friends. A sudden drop in reach is usually not a hack either. If Facebook disabled your account after odd activity, see the Facebook account disabled guide.

What to do, in order

1. Check your email and phone. Look for messages from Facebook about changes to your account. If one offers a way to undo a change or secure the account, use it, but only if the link goes to an official facebook.com address. When in doubt, open the app or type the address yourself.
2. Try to log in. If your password still works, change it straight away to a long, unique one. If it does not, use "Forgot password" and ask for a reset to the email or phone on the account.
3. Use the official hacked-account route. If you cannot get in, open the Facebook Help Center, find the article for a hacked or compromised account and follow the recovery steps it offers, which may include identity checks inside Facebook.
4. Log out of other sessions. Once in, open Security and login settings, review where you are logged in and log out of every device you do not recognise.
5. Turn on two-factor authentication. An authenticator app is generally safer than SMS.
6. Review apps, Pages and ads. Remove third-party apps you do not use, check who has roles on your Pages and ad accounts, and look at recent ad spend and saved payment methods.
7. Warn your friends. Post from your recovered account, or ask a friend to, that messages sent during the incident were not from you.

Facebook's own Help Center has the current steps for a hacked account and may differ slightly from the above.

Secure the email account too

Many takeovers happen through the email address or phone number on the account. If that email has a weak password or no two-factor protection, an attacker can reset Facebook again. Fix the email account first or at the same time, and check it for forwarding rules you did not set.

Do not fall for recovery scams

• Anyone who offers to "recover" a hacked Facebook account for a fee is a scammer, and some are the hackers themselves. Facebook does not sell recovery and there is no paid backdoor.
• Do not send your password, a login code or an ID photo to anyone who contacted you first, including accounts that look like Meta support.
• Be careful with messages about "policy violations", "your Page will be deleted" or "verification" that link to a login page. Check the address in your browser before typing anything.
• If a friend's hacked account asks you for money, gift cards or a login code, do not send it. Contact that friend another way.

If you run a Page or ads

Check Page roles, your Business Manager or ad account access and any saved payment method. Remove admins you do not know. If money was taken or a card was used, contact your bank or card provider as well as Facebook, and report the unauthorised charges through the official channels.

After you get it back

• Keep two-factor authentication on and use a password manager so that every account has a unique password.
• Do not log in through links in messages or emails. Open the app or type the address yourself.
• If the hacker posted spam, expect reach to be uneven for a while. Normal, original posting usually settles things.
• Treat the incident as a warning for your other accounts that share the same password or email. Our Instagram hacked account guide and TikTok hacked account guide cover the same habits.

This guide is general information based on platform help pages and user reports, not an official statement from the platform. Rules and timings change, so check the platform's own notice and Help Center. Never pay anyone who promises to unban an account, and never share passwords, codes or ID with them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Facebook was hacked or just glitching?

Strong signs are messages about a changed password, email or phone that you did not request, or logins from unknown devices. A single odd post or a drop in reach on its own is more often a bug, a connected app or a cloned profile.

Can Facebook recover a hacked account?

Often yes, if you can show the account is yours using the official options, but there is no guarantee. Results depend on what contact details are still attached and what Facebook can verify.

Should I pay someone to get my account back?

No. Offers to recover a hacked account for money are scams. Only Facebook can restore access, and it does not charge for this.

The hacker changed my email and phone. What now?

Look for a notice at your old email or phone with a way to undo the change. If there is none, use the official hacked-account recovery in the Help Center and follow the identity options it gives you.

Is a fake profile with my photos the same as being hacked?

No. A cloned profile is a separate account. Report it as impersonation and tell your friends. Your own account is still secure unless you see the signs above.