Having your Facebook account hacked can be a stressful and frustrating experience. Your personal information, photos, conversations and connections are all stored on Facebook, so a hacking can feel like a major invasion of privacy. The good news is there are steps you can take to regain control of your account and secure it for the future.
How to Know if Your Facebook Account is Hacked
Here are some common signs that your Facebook account may be compromised:
- You are locked out of your account or get messages that your password is incorrect
- Your profile information like photo, work history, relationship status etc. has been changed without your knowledge
- You see posts or messages on your timeline that you did not write
- Your friends see messages from your account that you did not send
- New friend requests are sent from your account to people you don’t know
If you notice any suspicious activity like this, your account may be hacked. Take action right away to secure it.
How to Contact Facebook About a Hacked Account
If you believe your account has been compromised, here are the steps to contact Facebook and regain control:
- Go to the Facebook Help Center and search for “hacked accounts.”
- Click on the article titled “What should I do if someone is impersonating me or hacked my account?”
- This will take you to instructions for reporting a hacked account. Click “My Account is Compromised.”
- You will be prompted to enter your email or phone number associated with your Facebook account. Enter it and click “Search.”
- Facebook will send a 6-digit security code to your email or phone to verify your identity. Enter it and click “Submit.”
- You will then be guided through steps to reset your password and secure your account.
- If prompted, provide details about the hacking like when you noticed unusual activity. This can help Facebook identify the issue and restore your account.
Following these steps will submit an official report to Facebook that your account has been compromised. The Facebook security team can then investigate and work to get you back into your account.
Other Ways to Contact Facebook
If you are unable to regain access to your account through the Help Center, here are some other options for contacting Facebook:
- Use the Facebook mobile app: Open the Facebook app on your phone and try to log in. You may see an option to report suspicious activity and receive a code to verify your identity.
- Visit Facebook’s Whitehat program: This allows you to report security bugs and hacked accounts. Provide details and Facebook security engineers will investigate.
- File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau: You can file a complaint with the BBB if you are unable to resolve the issue directly with Facebook.
Information to Provide About the Hacked Account
To help Facebook identify and address the hacking of your account, provide as many details as possible including:
- Your full name and email/phone number on the account
- When you first noticed suspicious activity
- What changes were made without your authorization e.g. new posts, messages, friend requests
- Whether you re-used the same Facebook password elsewhere
- How you originally signed up for Facebook e.g. email, phone number, other info used
- Any other context about how your account was accessed
Providing this information will help Facebook Support understand how the account was compromised and what steps are needed to secure it. However, do not give your current/new password as Facebook will never ask for your password.
Steps to Secure Your Facebook Account
Once you regain access to your account, be sure to take these steps to further protect it:
- Change your password to something completely new that you don’t use on any other sites.
- Turn on login approvals which requires you to enter a special code when logging in from a new device.
- Check the “Active Sessions” page and log out any unknown sessions.
- Review recently added friends and delete any unfamiliar people.
- Scan your profile and posts for any unauthorized changes and revert them.
- Consider turning on Two-Factor Authentication for added security.
Taking precautions like using a strong unique password and enabling login approvals makes it much harder for hackers to access your account in the future.
Protecting Your Facebook Account from Future Hacks
Here are some tips to keep your Facebook account safe from future compromise:
- Be wary of phishing emails/messages asking you to verify your login or reset your password. Facebook will never reach out to request this info.
- Don’t download anything or click unusual links which may install malware.
- Don’t use public Wi-Fi to access Facebook as it is less secure.
- Set your privacy settings to limit who can view your account info.
- Avoid posting upcoming vacation/travel plans publicly on Facebook.
- Turn off the option to allow search engines to link to your Facebook profile.
Staying vigilant against suspicious links/emails and using strong security settings makes it much less likely your account will be targeted and hacked in the future.
Options if You Cannot Regain Access to the Account
If you follow all of the steps to contact Facebook and reset your password, but are still locked out of your account, here are some options:
- Keep trying to use Facebook’s account recovery steps in case it takes some time to fully process.
- Submit a request asking Facebook to delete the account if you cannot regain access, to prevent further misuse.
- File a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and your local police station.
- Contact friends/family associated with the account to warn them about the hack.
- Deactivate other accounts using the same email/password until they are secured.
- Be patient and persistent with Facebook Support to resolve the issue.
While extremely frustrating, most hacked Facebook accounts can be recovered with some persistence. Keep contacting Facebook through all available channels until the situation is resolved.
Should I Just Make a New Facebook Account?
If your Facebook account was severely compromised or you cannot regain access after an exhaustive process, you may need to start fresh with a new account. However, this should be a last resort. Try the following first before giving up on your existing account:
- Spend several days continually contacting Facebook Support through all methods like Help Center, emails, Whitehat program, BBB complaint, etc.
- Ask friends/family to report your account as hacked to prompt Facebook action.
- Check databases like HaveIBeenPwned to see if your account info appears compromised elsewhere.
- Change the password to an uncompromised email associated with your Facebook account.
- If hackers changed your email on file, recover that email account and force password resets.
After exploring all options to salvage your current account, you can create a new one and gradually transition friends/contacts over. But be sure to use all new secure details not associated with the hacked account.
Should I Contact Law Enforcement About My Hacked Facebook?
In most cases, contacting law enforcement about a hacked Facebook account is not necessary. Facebook will work with you directly to investigate and restore access. However, consider filing a police report in these instances:
- Sensitive private content was stolen like financial information or identity documents.
- The hack seems tied to serious crimes like stalking, threats, or extortion.
- You suspect the hack was part of a widespread security breach at Facebook.
- Your contacts were targeted with malicious links, requests for money, or other scams.
For serious instances of hacking, identity theft or compromised personal safety, police involvement may help in the investigation, documentation for claims, and prevention of future incidents.
Should I Sue Facebook for Not Protecting My Account?
Generally, suing Facebook over a hacked account is difficult and will likely not be worthwhile. However, consult a lawyer if:
- Facebook refuses to help restore your access after an exhaustive process.
- You have clear proof Facebook improperly exposed user data that led to the hack.
- You suffered major verifiable financial losses because of the hacking.
- A class action lawsuit already exists for the specific security breach.
Otherwise, focus your efforts on pressing Facebook to resolve your hacked account using their own support channels. A lawsuit should be a last resort for extreme cases.
Key Takeaways for Contacting Facebook About Your Hacked Account
- Use Facebook’s Help Center to report the hacked account and initiate support.
- Provide detailed information to Facebook about how/when you were hacked.
- Be persistent through all channels like emails, Whitehat program, BBB in contacting Facebook.
- Reset your password, review sessions/friends and enable login approvals to secure account.
- Involve law enforcement only if serious crimes, threats or identity theft occurred.
Remember, while extremely annoying, most Facebook hacking issues can be resolved by working closely and persistently with their support teams. Share all details to help them investigate and restore your access so you can use Facebook securely again.
Table Summarizing Options for Contacting Facebook
| Contact Method | When to Use | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Help Center | Initial report of hacked account | Search for “hacked account” and follow steps to report hacking |
| Facebook mobile app | If you cannot login online | Use app login flow which may prompt hack reporting |
| Whitehat program | Detailed hack reporting for investigation | Submit form detailing the account compromise |
| BBB complaint | Unresolved issue after contacting Facebook | File a complaint that Facebook has not addressed your hacking claim |
| Emails to support | Follow up and provide additional details | Send to [email protected] or [email protected] emails |
Conclusion
Having your Facebook account hacked can be incredibly stressful but in most cases, it can be resolved by promptly contacting Facebook Support through all available channels. Provide as many details as possible about the unauthorized access and be patient but persistent in following up until your account is restored. Enable security precautions like login approvals once you regain access to keep your account locked down. And if all else fails, consider creating a new account with fresh secure credentials. With vigilance and cooperation with Facebook’s security teams, you can recover from a hacked account and continue connecting securely.