LinkedIn Hacked and Ads Are Running in My Name: What to Do

Your LinkedIn behaved strangely, then someone told you they saw a sponsored post under your name promoting a company you have never worked with. When you look, there is a Campaign Manager ad account you did not create, or one you were added to, running ads you never approved. Maybe a card you do not recognise is paying for them. It is an unsettling mix of a hacked account, a business tool and money. This guide explains why it happens, what to protect first, and what makes it hard to sort out alone. Some steps are hard to undo, so it helps to know the order before you start.

Last checked: 14 November 2026.

#Quick Answer

If your LinkedIn was hacked and ads are running in your name, treat it as three problems: get your account back through LinkedIn's compromised account form, stop the campaigns in Campaign Manager, and check who holds which role on the ad account. If a card was charged, the card owner should also contact their bank.

#Why Hackers Run Ads From a Hijacked LinkedIn

A LinkedIn profile with a real name, job history and connections makes an ad look credible. In early November 2026, a LinkedIn user posted publicly that her hacked account had been used to run a sponsored ad for another company. We are not naming her or linking her post. The pattern is simple: the attacker gets into the account, uses Campaign Manager, and the ads carry the trust you built.

LinkedIn's compromised account page says accounts are typically compromised when someone gets your login details or a device you are signed into, for example through a shared device you did not sign out of, an outdated email or number on the account, or a reused password caught in phishing elsewhere.

#Three Separate Problems

#Why the Ads Keep Running

LinkedIn's page on charges after a promotion ends says: "Campaign Manager does not automatically stop your ad campaigns from running." It says the account continues to accrue charges unless you end an ad campaign. So even after you change your password, ads set up by the attacker can keep going until someone with the right role ends them.

LinkedIn's user roles page says each ad account must have a billing admin and that the person who creates the ad account is automatically assigned as billing admin. Account managers can manage user access. If the attacker created the ad account, they may hold the billing admin role, which affects who can change billing details.

#Campaign Manager Clean-up Checklist

Once you are back in your account, these are the things to look at. This is a checklist, not a full walkthrough, as menus change and your role on the ad account decides what you can do.

• List every ad account you appear on in Campaign Manager, including ones you do not recognise.
• Note your role on each one, and the other people listed with access.
• End or pause any campaign you did not set up, if your role allows it.
• Remove users you do not know, if you are an account manager or billing admin.
• Note the company Page the ads promoted and keep the ad links, so you can explain it to LinkedIn.
• Check your posts and activity from the time you lost control, as LinkedIn suggests on its compromised account page.

#If a Card Was Charged

LinkedIn's unrecognised charges page suggests comparing purchase history with the charges and checking whether someone else used the payment method, and notes that you can only see receipts for purchases made on your own account. If the card is yours and you did not authorise the charges, contact your bank. In Malaysia, a police report can help if your bank asks for one. Keep the billing question separate from the account report, so each one goes to the team that handles it.

#What Your Connections Saw

People who saw the ads may think you endorsed the company. A short post from your own account once you are back in, or a message from a colleague if you are still locked out, can help. Adapt this:

My LinkedIn account was compromised around [date] and was used to run ads I did not create or approve, including ads for [company or topic]. Please ignore them and do not click their links. I have reported it to LinkedIn.

#What Makes This Hard to Fix Alone

• If you are locked out, you cannot see or end the campaigns until LinkedIn verifies you.
• Ad account roles may sit with the attacker, so your access may not be enough to change billing.
• Account security, advertising and billing are handled by different LinkedIn help areas, and mixing them in one message can slow things down.
• Fake LinkedIn emails about invoices and suspensions are common. LinkedIn's billing page warns to accept invoices only from the linkedin.com domain.

#What LinkedIn Decides

LinkedIn decides how to verify you and restore access, and how to handle the ad account and billing. Some cases take time, and the outcome is LinkedIn's call. If the attacker holds the billing admin role, LinkedIn's billing and ads teams are the ones who can resolve it.

#How AwareXone Handles This Kind of Case

When we help with a hijacked LinkedIn that is running ads, we keep the three problems apart. We help you report the account takeover through LinkedIn's official form, list every ad account and role so nothing is missed, and prepare a clear, factual summary for LinkedIn's advertising and billing help. We never ask for your password or codes and we never log in for you. LinkedIn makes the final decision.

#When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help

If ads are still running under your name, or you cannot tell which ad accounts and roles are involved, this can become hard to untangle on your own. If you are stuck with this, we can handle it for you. You can read about our account security help and how we work on our trust page, then use Apply for Case Review below when you are ready. Reply within 60 seconds, 24 hours a day, every day.

Related reading: LinkedIn hacked and the email changed, a hacked LinkedIn sending recruiter messages and a fake LinkedIn profile impersonating you.

#Frequently Asked Questions