Fix: Facebook Account Hacked, Email and Phone Changed

Having your Facebook account hacked, and your email and phone changed can cause a wide range of issues if you use the platform to keep in touch with friends and family.

The steps below can help you recover your hacked Facebook account. Please be aware that this is not a fail-safe method, as many factors will determine the efficiency of the processes.

Pre-requisites

Perform all the steps below on a device that you’ve previously used to access your Facebook account, as there are some benefits:

• Facebook’s security system can recognize devices the platform has used before, which might help you verify your identity.
• A known device may already have a trust factor established with Facebook’s security protocols, making recovery smoother.
• Facebook can use device recognition as part of the security checks, confirming the recovery attempt is legitimate.

Then, visit Facebook’s Report compromised account page, and follow the on-screen instructions to let FB know you’ve lost access to your profile.

Now, with that out of the way, follow the process below:

1. Change Email Password

This should be your first move because you want to make sure that the hacker won’t get access to your email account as well.

I’ll use Gmail for this example, but the settings on your email provider would most likely be similar:

1. Open the Settings of your primary email account (the one used for the Facebook connection).
2. Change your password to one that is strong and includes a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
3. Update your password and log out of all sessions of the respective email provider to apply the change.

2. Perform a Malware Scan

Next, you’ll want to ensure that the hacker doesn’t have a backdoor into your system by performing a virus scan.

I’ll use Malwarebytes for this guide.

1. Download, install, and run your PC’s antivirus.
2. Click the Scan button to initiate it.
3. Wait for the process to check your PC thoroughly.
4. As you can see from the results, Malwarebytes identified 26 elements that might be malware on my PC.
5. Click Quarantine to ensure that these elements are removed from accessing your system files and personal data.

3. Use Email Recovery Link

To perform this step, you must open the email Inbox connected to your Facebook account and check for information regarding a password change or a login from a new device.

You should’ve received one even if the hacker has changed your email because Facebook sends a notification to both the old and new email accounts, as a security measure.

Open the email and find the button that says This wasn’t me or a similar term, like Review login.

After clicking the button, follow Facebook’s steps to validate your identity and recover your account.

4. Identity Verification

Facebook will ask you to verify your identity during the recovery process. You can do this using an accepted government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

You can find more details about the types of IDs that Facebook accepts by exploring the Facebook Help Centre.

Follow Facebook’s step-by-step instructions to upload a photo of your ID. Then, wait for Facebook to confirm your identity and proceed with the recovery.

5. Account Recovery

After verifying your identity, Facebook typically provides you with a temporary password. You can use it to log into your account.

Once you log in, change your password again to something only you know and will remember.

5. Remove Hacker’s Access

After regaining access to your account, follow these steps:

1. Open Facebook’s settings and click Activity Log from the side menu.
2. Open the Where you’re logged in option, and check for devices you don’t recognize.
3. Manage the list of logins, and only keep the ones you can identify.

---

Having your Facebook account hacked, and email and phone changed can be cumbersome, as access to the account will be terminated.

However, the steps above will help you manage the situation, and hopefully recover your account.