It starts with a weird notification. Maybe an email saying your password was changed at 3:00 AM from a device in a city you've never visited. Or maybe you just try to log in to check a marketplace listing and—poof—your credentials don’t work. Your stomach drops. You realize your digital life, your photos, and your private messages are in someone else's hands. My Facebook has been hacked what do i do is usually the first thing people scream into a search engine when the panic sets in. It’s a mess. Honestly, it’s more than a mess; it’s a violation of privacy that feels incredibly personal.
First, take a breath. Panic makes you click on "account recovery" scams that actually make the situation worse.
The reality of Facebook security in 2026 is that hackers aren't just looking for your "likes." They want your ad account. They want to scam your grandmother by pretending you're in jail and need bail money. They want to use your identity to pivot into your Instagram or your bank account. Because Meta connects everything, one crack in the wall can bring the whole house down.
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Spotting the damage before you move
You need to know exactly what you're dealing with. If you can still get into your account, you're in the "lucky" group. Go straight to your Settings & Privacy, then hit Accounts Center. Look at the Logged In devices. If you see a Linux desktop in Eastern Europe and you live in Ohio, that's your smoking gun.
Sometimes the signs are subtler. You might see posts you didn't write. Or maybe friends are messaging you asking why you’re sending them links to "crypto opportunities." If you’ve been completely locked out—meaning your email and password no longer work—the hacker has likely performed a "takeover." This is where they change the primary email address associated with the account so you can't even trigger a password reset.
The immediate "If my Facebook has been hacked what do i do" checklist
The very first stop is facebook.com/hacked. This is Meta's dedicated portal for compromised accounts. Do not go to random third-party sites claiming they can "unlock" your account for a fee. Those are almost always scams.
The Identity Verification Gauntlet
Meta is going to ask you for a lot of proof. They might ask for a photo of your ID. They might ask you to identify friends in photos. It’s tedious. It’s frustrating. But it’s the only official way. If the hacker changed your email, look for an email fromsecurity@facebookmail.com. This email often contains a special link that says "Secure your account" or "I didn't do this." Clicking that can sometimes roll back the email change if you do it quickly enough.The Trusted Contacts Route
If you set up "Trusted Contacts" years ago, now is the time to use them. Facebook lets you reach out to these friends to get a recovery code. If you didn't set this up? Well, that door is likely closed.Check Your Email Security
This is the part everyone forgets. How did they get into your Facebook? Often, it’s because they got into your email first. If your Gmail or Outlook is compromised, the hacker can just keep resetting your Facebook password as fast as you change it. Check your email's "Sent" folder. Check for filters that might be auto-deleting emails from Facebook. Change your email password immediately and enable 2FA there before you even touch Facebook.
Why hackers want your account anyway
It’s rarely about you personally. Hackers use automated bots to "credential stuff"—meaning they take usernames and passwords leaked from other site breaches and try them on Facebook.
Once they’re in, they look for Meta Business Suite access. If you have a credit card linked for ads, they will run thousands of dollars in fraudulent "Weight Loss" or "Gambling" ads within minutes. They also use your account to join groups and spam links, because a post from a "real" account is less likely to be flagged by Facebook’s AI than a brand-new bot account.
I've talked to people who lost ten years of family photos because they used the password Password123 for a decade. It’s heartbreaking. But the technical reality is that Facebook's support is largely automated. You aren't going to get a human on the phone. You have to work through their digital workflows.
Dealing with the "Locked Account" nightmare
Sometimes Facebook detects the hack before you do and locks the account to "protect" you. Now you're stuck in a loop. You try to upload your ID, but the system rejects it.
Here is a pro tip: try doing the recovery from a device you have used to log in many times before. Facebook tracks the MAC address and IP history of your devices. If you try to recover your account from a brand-new laptop, their security systems think you are the hacker. Use your old phone. Use your home Wi-Fi. It gives the algorithm more "confidence" that you are the rightful owner.
What if you can't get it back?
It happens. Sometimes the hacker changes the info so thoroughly that Meta’s automated systems can’t verify you. If you have a Meta Quest VR headset, some users have found success getting support through the Quest hardware channel, though Meta has been closing this loophole lately.
If the account is gone, you need to minimize the fallout.
- Tell your bank to cancel any cards linked to Facebook Ads.
- Put a fraud alert on your credit if you had sensitive info in your "About" section.
- Report your own profile from a friend's account as "Fake" or "Hacked" to get it taken down.
Preventing the "Round Two" attack
Once you get back in—or if you're starting fresh—you have to change your habits. Basically, if you aren't using a password manager, you're asking for trouble. Use something like Bitwarden or 1Password.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is non-negotiable. But don't use SMS/Text codes. Hackers can "SIM swap" your phone number. Use an app like Google Authenticator or a physical security key like a YubiKey. These are much harder to bypass.
Also, check your "Apps and Websites" settings. We all use "Log in with Facebook" for random quizzes or shopping sites. Each one of those is a potential back door. Revoke access to anything you don't recognize or use anymore.
Actionable steps to take right now
If you are currently looking at a "Password Incorrect" screen, do these three things in this exact order:
- Scan your computer for malware. Use a tool like Malwarebytes. If you have a "keylogger" on your machine, changing your password won't do anything because the hacker will see the new one instantly.
- Go to facebook.com/hacked and follow the prompts. Do not deviate. Do not try to find a "Facebook Support Phone Number" on Google—those are 100% scams.
- Secure your connected Instagram account. Usually, if one goes, the other follows. Check the Accounts Center to see if a random Instagram account has been linked to your Facebook profile. If you see one, remove it immediately.
The process is a grind. It might take days or even weeks of uploading documents and waiting for emails. Stay persistent. The system is designed to be difficult to prevent hackers from "re-hacking" their way back into accounts, but that same difficulty makes it a nightmare for the actual owners.
Keep your recovery codes in a physical place, not just on your computer. If you get back in, go to your security settings and generate the "Recovery Codes." Print them out. Put them in a drawer. If you ever lose your phone and your password, those codes are your "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
The digital world is hostile. Treating your Facebook login with the same seriousness as your bank login is the only way to stay safe in 2026.