Guide
Hacked social media account: regain access and check what was done
Use the network’s official recovery procedure first. Once access is restored, close unknown sessions, change the recovery methods, turn on two-factor authentication and check the messages, posts, ads or payments made from the account.
Practical guide · ~5 min read · we will never ask for your codes.
The first ten minutes
Three reflexes before anything else: secure what can still be secured and stop it spreading.
- Start the official recovery of the account (the platform’s “forgot password” or “hacked account” option), never a paid third-party service.
- Change the password of the email address linked to the account, from a clean device.
- Warn the people close to you that the account has been compromised: don’t click on links, don’t pay, don’t reply to requests for money.
Act fast, but in the right order
Six stages, from the most urgent to the most considered. We always separate what is observed from what is assumed.
Recover the account, platform by platform
Each network has an official recovery procedure. Use it rather than a paid third-party “service”.
Instagram / Facebook
Use “Hacked account” (facebook.com/hacked) or the recovery option in the app. Check the linked email and phone number, which the hacker may have changed.
Snapchat
Go through “Forgot password”, then the support form if the email or phone number has been changed.
WhatsApp / Telegram
Reinstall and re-verify your number by text; then turn on the PIN (two-step verification).
TikTok / X
Recovery by email or phone; report the account as compromised if access is locked.
Regaining access is not enough
Once access is restored, change the password, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA), then check everything the hacker may have changed.
- Backup email and phone: check that no unknown address or number has been added for recovery.
- Sessions and devices: sign out of all devices, then sign back in on your own only.
- Connected apps: remove any authorised third-party apps you don’t recognise.
- Posts and messages: delete content posted by the hacker and warn the people contacted in your name.
Never do this
Some knee-jerk reactions make the situation worse or destroy evidence. Keep them in mind.
- Never pay a “ransom” to get the account back: nothing guarantees it will be returned, and paying encourages the scammer to do it again.
- Don’t rush to create a new account before trying the official recovery.
- Don’t enter your login details on a link received in a message: that is often the scam itself.
- Don’t delete suspicious messages or emails: they serve as evidence for your formal steps.
Your questions
Should I pay to get my account back?
No. No ransom guarantees the account will be returned, and paying encourages the scammer to do it again. Always use the platform’s official recovery procedure, which is free.
The hacker changed my email and my number: what should I do?
Platforms offer a specific form when the recovery details have been changed (often with identity verification or a video selfie). It takes longer, but it is the reliable route.
People close to me received messages in my name: am I responsible?
No: these messages were sent by the hacker, not by you. Warn them quickly, keep the screenshots, and ask anyone who paid or clicked to take action on their side (card block, report).
Once everything is secured, should I report it?
Yes, it helps: report it on cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, and file a police report if you have suffered a loss (impersonation, extortion, scams targeting people close to you).
Unsure what to do next?
The free pre-diagnosis assesses your situation, identifies the useful evidence and tells you whether you need a technical intervention, a report or simply some support. Galyct Perso informs and supports you, but does not replace your bank, the police or a lawyer, and guarantees no result: neither recovery of the account nor identification of the culprit. Commitments, not promises. We will never ask for your codes, and your data stays in France.
Official sources: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr · Facebook, Hacked account.
More guides to go further
Depending on what was affected, these guides complete the work of regaining control and securing your accounts.
Hacked email account
Your email is the key to all your accounts: take back control, remove hidden forwarding rules and unknown sessions.
Open the guide →Fake support / AnyDesk
After someone has taken remote control: cut off access, check the computer, the accounts opened and the payments.
Open the guide →Preserving evidence
Before cleaning up or deleting: what to capture and keep so you don’t weaken your case.
Open the guide →Filing a police report & reporting
Police report, Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr, PHAROS: what each official service is for and in what order to use them.
Open the guide →Not sure? Start with the free diagnosis.
In a few minutes, you’ll know what to do, and then you decide whether you want an expert’s help.