My Facebook got hacked, my password and email changed. Here is how I got it back | #hacker

There are few things in life that can humble you instantly. One is trying to open a jar of pickles in front of guests. The other is realising your Facebook account has been hacked and the hacker has not only changed your password but also your email, as if they’ve moved into your house and changed the locks.

This was me. One fine morning, coffee in hand, ready to scroll mindlessly, I was instead greeted with an ‘Incorrect password.’ Excuse me? I am the password.

I tried again. And again. Then came the cold realisation that this was not a typo situation. This was a someone-has-entered-my-digital-home-and-rearranged-the-furniture situation.

Phase 1 was panic (highly productive, obviously).

First, I did what any rational adult does, I panicked. Briefly considered abandoning all social media and moving to the mountains. But then I remembered I don’t like insects or bad WiFi.

So I took a deep breath and did the sensible thing, which was that I went straight to Facebook’s hacked account recovery page.

Phase 2 was detective mode activated.

I clicked on ‘My account is compromised’ and started entering every identity version of myself, old email, phone number, full name, even my profile URL like some digital bloodhound.

To my surprise, Facebook still recognised me. Which felt oddly comforting, like running into an old friend who still remembers your embarrassing school nickname.

Then I remembered something crucial. I had received an email earlier saying my email had been changed. At that time, I ignored it, thinking it was spam (because adulthood is just ignoring important emails with confidence). Turns out, that email had a magical ‘reverse this change’ link.

I clicked it faster than we click ‘Skip Intro’ on a Netflix show.

Phase 3 was an identity crisis (but official).

Now came the part where Facebook needed to confirm I was indeed me. Fair enough. I uploaded my ID, tried not to look like a criminal in the selfie verification, and answered whatever questions they threw at me.

Pro tip was to do this from a device you’ve used before. Apparently, your laptop remembers you better than some relatives do.

Phase 4 was the sweet taste of victory.

After what felt like waiting for exam results, I got access back. And oh, what a sight it was.

Random posts I never wrote. Messages I definitely didn’t send. New ‘friends’ I wouldn’t trust to water my plants. It was like someone had thrown a very weird party in my absence.

So I went into full clean-up mode:

• Changed my password (something strong enough to scare hackers away)
• Enabled two-factor authentication (because clearly one layer of security was not enough for my dramatic life)
• Logged out of all devices (goodbye, mystery guest)
• Removed shady apps and suspicious activity

Basically, I Marie Kondo-ed my Facebook account. If it didn’t spark trust, it got deleted.

Phase 5 was finally wisdom (earned the hard way).

Here’s what I learnt:

• If Facebook emails you saying something changed, don’t ignore it. It’s not being dramatic, it’s being helpful.
• Never trust ‘recovery agents’ who ask for money. If they sound like a scam, they are.
• Set up security before something goes wrong. Not after. (Yes, I see the irony.)

Getting hacked is annoying, stressful, and slightly insulting, like someone breaking into your house and deciding your taste in furniture isn’t good enough.

But recovery is possible. You just need patience, a bit of persistence, and the ability not to throw your phone across the room.

And now? My account is back. Stronger. Safer. Slightly wiser.

Also, I now treat suspicious emails like my mother treats unknown callers, with deep suspicion and zero engagement.

Lesson learnt, phew…

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU?

If your Facebook gets hacked and everything, email, password, dignity, feels stolen, don’t spiral. Do this instead:

• Visit facebook.com/hacked and select “My account is compromised.”
• Try your old email, phone number, full name, or profile link.
• Even if the hacker changed them, Facebook may still recognise your account.
• Search for any email from Facebook about changes.
• If you find one, click the “This wasn’t me” or reversal link ASAP, it’s the fastest fix.
• Then choose “No longer have access to these” and follow the steps.
• Upload your ID, do the selfie/video check, yes, it’s annoying, but it works.
• Try logging in from your usual phone/laptop or home WiFi.
• It increases your chances of faster recovery.
• Once you get your account back, it’s very important that you change your password immediately and turn off two factoe authentication
• Now, log out of all devices
• Clean your account of anything suspicious
• Don’t pay anyone claiming they can recover your account. They can’t. They just want your money.
• Act fast, the longer you wait, the messier it gets.
• Stick to official Facebook pages only.

Think of it like locking your house after a break-in, fix the door, change the locks, and maybe install a better alarm system this time.

You’ve got this.

– Ends