How to Tell If Your Facebook Account Has Been Hacked and How to Recover It

 

A hacked Facebook account can create problems very quickly.

Someone who gains access may change your password, replace your email address or phone number, send scam messages to your friends, publish posts you did not create, or try to use information connected to your account.

The sooner you notice suspicious activity and take action, the better your chances of limiting the damage.

This guide explains common signs of a hacked Facebook account, what to do if you can still log in, what to do if you are locked out, and how to secure the account after recovery.

1. Signs Your Facebook Account May Have Been Hacked

One unusual event does not always prove that your account has been hacked. However, investigate immediately if you notice things such as:

• Your Facebook password suddenly stops working.
• Your email address or phone number was changed without your permission.
• Facebook alerts you about a login you do not recognize.
• Messages were sent from Messenger that you did not write.
• Posts, comments, Stories, or Reels appear that you did not create.
• Friend requests were sent to people you do not know.
• Your profile name, photo, birthday, or other information changed.
• Friends tell you they received suspicious links or requests for money from your account.
• You see unfamiliar devices or sessions associated with the account.
• You can no longer access the account at all.

FTC guidance identifies unknown login notifications, unauthorized password or contact-information changes, messages you did not send, and loss of account access as common signs of account compromise.

2. If You Can Still Log In, Act Immediately

If you still have access to Facebook, do not wait to see whether anything else happens.

Start securing the account immediately.

Your priorities should be:

1. Change the password.
2. Review where the account is logged in.
3. Remove unfamiliar sessions.
4. Check your email address and phone number.
5. Turn on two-factor authentication.
6. Review suspicious activity.

Do not continue using a password that may already be known to someone else.

3. Change Your Facebook Password

Create a new password that is strong and unique.

Do not simply add one number to the old password.

More importantly, do not use the same password for Facebook and your email, banking, shopping, or other important accounts.

If the stolen Facebook password was reused elsewhere, change those passwords too.

FTC recommends changing the compromised password and using a strong password after recovering a hacked social-media account.

4. Check Where Your Facebook Account Is Logged In

Review the devices and sessions associated with your Facebook account.

Look for devices, browsers, or locations you do not recognize.

Keep in mind that location information can sometimes be approximate, so do not judge a session only by the city shown.

Look at the complete picture:

• Device
• Browser
• Approximate location
• Time of activity
• Whether you remember the session

If you identify an unauthorized session, sign it out.

FTC recommends signing out of accounts on other devices after recovering control so that unauthorized sessions are removed.

5. Check Your Email Address and Phone Number

Attackers sometimes change account recovery information so they can regain access later.

Review the email addresses and phone numbers associated with your Facebook account.

Make sure:

• Your correct email address is present.
• Your correct phone number is present.
• You recognize all contact information.
• Nothing unfamiliar has been added.

Remove unauthorized recovery information when Facebook allows you to do so safely.

6. Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, adds another layer of protection to your account.

With 2FA enabled, knowing your password alone may not be enough for someone to sign in.

Depending on the options available to your account, Facebook may support authentication methods such as an authenticator app or other verification methods.

FTC recommends enabling 2FA after recovering a compromised social-media account.

7. Review Messages You Did Not Send

Open Messenger and review recent conversations.

Look for:

• Suspicious links
• Requests for money
• Cryptocurrency offers
• Fake investment messages
• Requests for verification codes
• Messages asking friends for urgent help
• Messages containing files you did not send

If your account sent scam messages, assume some contacts may believe they came from you.

8. Warn Your Friends and Family

After you regain control, tell affected contacts that your account was compromised.

Ask them not to:

• Click suspicious links sent from your account.
• Send money based on earlier messages.
• Share verification codes.
• Download files you supposedly sent.
• Trust unusual requests made during the compromise.

FTC specifically recommends notifying contacts after recovering a hacked account so they know to ignore fraudulent messages or requests.

9. Review Posts, Comments, and Profile Changes

Check your recent Facebook activity.

Look for:

• Posts you did not publish
• Comments you did not write
• Unknown Stories or Reels
• Changed profile information
• New friends you do not recognize
• Groups or Pages you did not intentionally interact with

Remove unauthorized content where appropriate.

Also consider whether any activity may have violated Facebook policies while the attacker controlled the account.

10. What If You Cannot Log In?

If your password no longer works or the attacker changed your account information, use Facebook's official hacked-account recovery process.

Avoid random “Facebook recovery” services advertised through comments, messages, or unofficial websites.

Use Facebook's official recovery tools instead.

Meta maintains a dedicated hacked-account recovery route:

Facebook hacked-account recovery

When possible, try the recovery process from a device and browser you have previously used with Facebook.

11. What If the Hacker Changed Your Email or Phone Number?

Check your email inbox for security notifications from Facebook.

An unauthorized change to your account information may generate a notification or recovery opportunity.

Do not automatically trust emails just because they contain a Facebook logo.

Check the sender and destination carefully, and avoid entering credentials into a suspicious website.

When uncertain, open Facebook independently instead of following an unexpected message.

12. Secure Your Email Account Too

Your Facebook account and email account are closely connected.

If you use Gmail, you can also review the signs of a hacked Gmail account and how to secure it.

If someone controls your email, they may be able to request password resets for Facebook and other services.

Therefore, if there is any possibility your email was compromised:

• Change the email password.
• Review recent sign-ins.
• Remove unknown devices.
• Check recovery information.
• Turn on 2FA.
• Look for suspicious forwarding or account changes.

FTC emphasizes that protecting email is especially important because attackers can use a compromised inbox to reset passwords for other accounts.

13. Do Not Give Anyone a Facebook Verification Code

A scammer may contact you pretending to be:

• Facebook support
• A friend
• A business
• A buyer or seller
• Someone helping recover your account

They may then ask for a code sent to your phone or email.

Do not give them the code.

A verification code may be part of an attempt to sign in to or take control of your account.

If you already shared a password or verification code with a scammer, follow our emergency recovery guide.

14. Watch for Fake Facebook Support

One of the biggest risks after an account problem is falling for a second scam.

Someone may claim:

“I can recover your Facebook account.”

They may ask for:

• Money
• Your password
• A verification code
• Remote access to your computer
• Cryptocurrency
• Your identification documents

Be extremely cautious.

Use Facebook's official recovery process rather than paying strangers who contact you.

15. Beware of Recovery Scams

People who have already experienced a scam can become targets for “recovery” scams.

A scammer may promise to recover an account or money in exchange for an upfront payment or sensitive information.

FTC warns that legitimate organizations do not require upfront payments to recover money lost to scams; unexpected recovery offers demanding payment or financial information are a major warning sign.

16. Check Whether Your Facebook Page or Business Assets Were Affected

If you manage a Facebook Page or use Meta business tools, review them too.

Look for:

• Unknown administrators
• Unexpected role changes
• Ads you did not create
• Payment activity you do not recognize
• Changed business information
• Unauthorized campaigns

A compromised personal account can potentially affect assets that account is authorized to manage.

If money or advertising charges are involved, document what you see and use Meta's official support and payment-dispute channels where applicable.

17. Check Your Payment Activity

If you have ever used payment information with Facebook or Meta services, review relevant transactions.

If you find unauthorized charges, contact the appropriate financial institution or payment provider promptly.

Use official contact information rather than phone numbers or links supplied in suspicious messages.

18. Scan Your Device if the Hack Started With a Suspicious Link or File

Sometimes an account takeover begins after someone clicks a phishing link, installs malicious software, or opens a dangerous attachment.

Learn how to recognize phishing emails and messages before clicking suspicious links.

If that may have happened, scan the device with reputable, up-to-date security software.

FTC recommends updating security software and scanning devices when compromise may involve malicious software.

19. Change Reused Passwords

Suppose your Facebook password was:

ExamplePassword123

and you also used it for your email, shopping account, or another social network.

Changing only Facebook's password is not enough.

An attacker may try the stolen password on other websites.

Use a unique password for every important account.

20. Consider Using a Password Manager

Remembering many unique passwords can be difficult.

A reputable password manager can help generate and store strong, unique passwords.

This makes password reuse less necessary and reduces the damage if one website's credentials are exposed.

21. Check Your Other Social Media Accounts

If you reused credentials or entered them into a phishing page, review other accounts too.

Pay particular attention to:

• Instagram
• Email
• Google account
• Microsoft account
• Other social networks

Look for unfamiliar logins and security changes.

22. What If Your Friends Received Scam Messages?

After securing your account, send a simple warning through a trusted communication channel.

Tell them:

• Your Facebook account was compromised.
• Ignore suspicious messages sent earlier.
• Do not send money.
• Do not share verification codes.
• Do not click links from the compromised period.

This can prevent the attacker from turning one hacked account into several victims.

23. What If the Hacker Asked People for Money?

Tell affected contacts as soon as possible.

Anyone who already sent money should contact their bank, card issuer, payment app, or other payment provider promptly and explain that the transaction was connected to a scam.

They should not pay someone else who promises guaranteed recovery for an upfront fee.

24. Do Not Create Another Account Too Quickly

If your original account may still be recoverable, first try Facebook's official recovery process.

Creating several duplicate accounts can make the situation more confusing for you and your contacts.

Focus first on recovering and securing the original account.

25. Keep Your Devices Updated

Account security is not only about passwords.

Keep your:

• Operating system
• Browser
• Facebook app
• Security software

up to date.

Updates can fix known security vulnerabilities and improve protection against malicious activity. FTC recommends keeping security software, operating systems, browsers, and apps updated.

26. Never Approve a Login You Did Not Start

If you receive an unexpected authentication prompt, do not approve it.

Someone may already have your password and be waiting for you to approve the second step.

Only approve login requests you personally initiated.

27. Save Recovery Information Safely

Make sure your recovery email and phone number remain current.

If you change your phone number or lose access to an old email address, update your account information.

Outdated recovery information can make a genuine account-recovery attempt much harder.

28. Quick Facebook Hacked Account Checklist

If you think your Facebook account was hacked:

• Change your Facebook password.
• Sign out unfamiliar sessions.
• Review email addresses and phone numbers.
• Turn on two-factor authentication.
• Check Messenger for messages you did not send.
• Review posts and profile changes.
• Warn friends about suspicious messages.
• Secure your email account.
• Change reused passwords.
• Review Facebook Pages or business assets you manage.
• Check payment activity.
• Scan your device if suspicious links/files were involved.
• Use Facebook's official hacked-account recovery process if locked out.
• Ignore people demanding payment to recover the account.

29. How to Reduce the Risk of Another Facebook Hack

Going forward:

• Use a unique Facebook password.
• Enable 2FA.
• Protect your email account.
• Be suspicious of unexpected login links.
• Never share verification codes.
• Review login alerts.
• Keep your browser and Facebook app updated.
• Avoid unknown “account recovery” services.

The goal is not only to recover the account, but to make another takeover harder.

Final Verdict

If your Facebook account shows unfamiliar logins, unauthorized messages, changed recovery information, unexpected posts, or you suddenly cannot sign in, treat the situation seriously.

If you still have access, change the password, remove unfamiliar sessions, check recovery information, and enable two-factor authentication.

If you are locked out, use Facebook's official hacked-account recovery process rather than paying strangers who claim they can recover the account.

After recovery, secure your email account, change reused passwords, review messages and account activity, and warn friends who may have received scam messages.

Most importantly, never give a password or verification code to someone who unexpectedly claims they can “fix” or recover your Facebook account.

Guide note: Facebook's menus, security settings, and recovery procedures can change. This guide reflects Meta/FTC recovery and security guidance available in August 2026. Always use Facebook's current official recovery tools when account-specific options differ.