Facebook Hacked in the UK? Recovery & Reporting Guide

If your Facebook is hacked in the UK, start at facebook.com/hacked and follow Meta's steps to secure the account. If you manage a business, also check your Pages and Meta business portfolio. If the hacker ran ads on your card or tricked your friends into sending money, contact your bank straight away. The FCA says unauthorised payments should normally be refunded by the end of the next business day. Then report to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or Police Scotland on 101.

#How do I recover a hacked Facebook account?

1. Secure your email first. Whoever controls it can reset Facebook (FTC).
2. Go to facebook.com/hacked and follow the prompts. Meta's hacked account help page explains the options.
3. Complete identity checks if asked, such as ID upload or video selfie. Use details that match the account.
4. Don't get stuck in loops. If you're in a checkpoint loop, see Facebook checkpoint loop.

AwareXone guides: Facebook hacked, email and phone changed, locked for unusual activity, video selfie not working.

#What else should UK Facebook users check?

• Marketplace: hackers may post fake listings to take deposits. Delete them and warn anyone who messaged you.
• Messenger: look for messages sent to friends asking for money or codes.
• Pages and business portfolio: if you're an admin, use Meta's business portfolio recovery if the hacker added themselves.
• Ad accounts and payment methods: remove unknown cards and pause ads you didn't create.
• Linked Instagram: if the accounts are linked, secure Instagram too at instagram.com/hacked.

#Can I get my money back for ads a hacker ran?

For unauthorised card payments, the FCA says to tell your bank as soon as you notice and within 13 months. The refund should normally be in your account by the end of the next business day, along with any charges and interest, and banks can refuse only in limited circumstances, such as if you authorised the payment, acted fraudulently, or failed to protect your card details or password in a way that allowed the payment (FCA). Also report the ads to Meta. See Facebook hacked: ads charged to my card and the Business Manager ad-spend guide.

#What if my friends were scammed by the hacker?

They should contact their own bank immediately. The FCA advises scam victims to contact their bank, the police on 101, and Report Fraud (FCA). If they sent a bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, they may be covered by the APP fraud reimbursement rules, which the FCA says can repay eligible victims up to £85,000 (same source). Keep screenshots of what the hacker sent from your account to support their claims.

"A common Facebook pattern is the attacker messaging friends with an urgent money request or a fake 'I need a code' story. What contains the damage is warning contacts on another channel quickly, reporting the scam messages, and regaining the account through facebook.com/hacked so the attacker loses the inbox." - Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder, AwareXone

#Where do I report it in the UK?

• Report Fraud: reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040 (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)
• Police Scotland: 101
• Source: Report Fraud

Report Fraud said stolen sums from email and social media hacking rose to £6.3 million in 2025/26 (same source).

#Is there a Facebook phone number in the UK?

No general one. Meta says it has no general public customer service phone number and warns that numbers claiming to be Meta support are potentially scams (Meta). Meta Verified subscribers get email and chat support, and advertisers can use Meta Business Support (same source).

#What if Facebook disabled the account after the hack?

Appeal through the notice, and say clearly that the account was compromised. Meta's help page for suspended personal profiles gives 180 days to appeal (this can vary by region) (Facebook Help Center). See our appeals guide.

#How do I secure Facebook after recovery?

1. Change your password and log out of all sessions.
2. Turn on two-factor authentication, or a passkey where offered. The NCSC encourages passkeys (Report Fraud).
3. Check your email, phone and trusted contacts. See trusted contacts.
4. Remove unknown apps, Page roles and business portfolio users.
5. Delete any Marketplace listings or posts the hacker made.

#When should I get professional help?

When Pages, Business Manager or ad accounts are involved, appeals have failed, or you've lost email, phone and 2FA. SocialSafe by AwareXone reviews UK cases remotely through official channels: no passwords or OTPs, no promises, UK clients quoted and billed in USD after case review. See the UK recovery hub. See how a case review works on the SocialSafe by AwareXone Facebook account recovery page, or check pricing and the Trust Center.

#What if I'm a Facebook Marketplace seller?

Hacked Marketplace profiles are used to post fake listings and take deposits. Once you're back in, delete listings you didn't create, message anyone who contacted you about them, and keep screenshots. If buyers lost money, they should contact their bank and Report Fraud. See Facebook Marketplace access restricted if Meta limited your Marketplace access after the hack.

#What if my Facebook is linked to Instagram?

Accounts linked in Meta's Accounts Center can be affected together. Secure both: facebook.com/hacked and instagram.com/hacked. Then review which accounts are linked, and remove any you don't recognise. See Instagram hacked in the UK.

#Common Facebook scams targeting UK users after a hack

• Messages to friends asking for an urgent loan or a "verification code"
• Fake Marketplace listings asking for deposits
• Fake "Meta Business Support" messages warning that your Page will be deleted
• Crypto investment posts on your timeline

Warn your contacts, delete scam content, and report it to Meta and Report Fraud.

#What evidence should I keep for Report Fraud and my bank?

• Facebook security emails (from facebookmail.com) showing email, phone or password changes, with dates and times;
• screenshots of posts, Marketplace listings, messages or ads the hacker created;
• bank or card statements showing unauthorised payments, including ad charges;
• messages from friends who were asked for money, with the amounts and payment details;
• a short written timeline: when you last had access, when you noticed, and what you've done since.

Report Fraud and banks both ask for this information, and having it ready shortens the call. The FCA explains your rights for unauthorised payments and authorised push payment scams (FCA).

#Bottom line

Start at facebook.com/hacked, secure linked Pages and ad accounts, contact your bank about unauthorised charges, and report to Report Fraud or Police Scotland.