How To Help a Relative Recover a Hacked Social Media Account
Step-by-step support for a family member whose social media account has been taken over by a fraudster.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Having a social media account hacked is distressing — it can feel like a very personal violation, especially if the account holds years of memories and contacts. Fraudsters who take over accounts typically use them to scam the account owner's friends, or sell the account on. Acting quickly, calmly, and methodically gives the best chance of recovery. You do not need to be a tech expert to help.
Act immediately to limit the damage
Speed matters — the quicker the account is reported and locked, the less opportunity the fraudster has to exploit it.
- Use the platform's official 'report compromised account' or 'hacked account' recovery flow — do not try to log in repeatedly
- Warn contacts using another channel (text, phone) not to respond to requests for money or personal details from that account
- Change the password on any other account that uses the same password
- If the email linked to the account was also compromised, recover that first
Work through the platform's official recovery process
Each platform has its own recovery pathway. Finding the official help page — not a third-party site — is the first step.
- Search the platform name plus 'account hacked' on the platform's own help centre
- Be prepared to verify identity — this may require submitting a photo ID
- Check the email inbox linked to the account for recovery messages
- If recovery fails, try a trusted friend or family member who is connected to the account to report it
Secure the account once recovered
Once access is restored, take steps to prevent it happening again.
- Change the password to a new unique one and store it in a password manager
- Enable two-factor authentication immediately
- Review which apps and services have access to the account and remove unfamiliar ones
- Check account settings for any email or phone number changes made by the fraudster
Conversation script
“I know this is really upsetting — let us focus on the steps that will get it back. You have not done anything wrong.”
“First, let us warn your contacts so none of them get caught out by whoever has the account right now.”
“Once we get it back, we can set things up so this is much less likely to happen again.”
Frequently asked questions
What if the platform asks for photo ID to recover the account?
This is a legitimate step for major platforms. Submit the ID through the official recovery form only — not to any email or website you found via a third-party search. The platform's support team will not ask for payment.
Can anything be done about messages the fraudster sent from the account?
After recovery, post an update on the account explaining it was compromised, so contacts understand any suspicious messages were not from your relative. Ask any contacts who received money requests to report those messages to the platform.