[FAQ]

Help everyone!

I think my Facebook account has been compromised, and I’m really panicking. I’m either seeing posts and messages that I didn’t make (hacked), or a friend told me there’s another profile with my exact name and photos sending out friend requests (cloned).

What are the immediate, step-by-step actions I should take right now in 2025 to handle this? How do I report it properly to Facebook, and how should I warn my friends about it? I’m so worried about my personal information.

Any quick help is really needed. Thanks so much!

[Jeff Bullas]

Realising your Facebook account has been compromised, either by being hacked or cloned, can be very stressful. It is important to act quickly and methodically. The immediate steps are slightly different for each situation.

First, it is important to distinguish between the two. A hacked account means someone has gained unauthorised access to your actual account. A cloned account means someone has copied your public information, like your name and photos, to create a new, fake profile.

If you believe your account has been hacked, meaning someone else has control of it, you must act to secure it. First, if you can still log in, go immediately to your “Settings & Privacy,” then “Accounts Centre,” and then “Password and security.” Change your password straight away. While you are there, use the “Where you’re logged in” feature to review all active sessions and choose the option to “Log out of all other sessions.”

Second, if the hacker has already changed your password and locked you out, you must go directly to Facebook’s dedicated account recovery page, which is facebook.com/hacked. Follow the on-screen prompts to report that your account has been compromised. Facebook will guide you through a process to verify your identity and reclaim your account.

Third, once you regain access, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) if you have not already. This is one of the most effective measures to prevent future unauthorised access. You should also review all recent account activity, including posts, messages, and ads, for anything suspicious. Finally, it is wise to post on your own timeline to let your friends know you were hacked and to disregard any strange messages they may have received from your account.

If your account has been cloned, which means a fake profile is impersonating you, the process is different. First, you need to go to the fake, cloned profile page. Do not send it a friend request.

Second, on the cloned profile, find the three dots (…) menu, which is usually near the cover photo. Click it and select “Find support or report profile.”

Third, follow the prompts. You should choose the option for “Pretending to be someone” and then select “Me” to report that the account is impersonating you.

Fourth, it is very important to ask your friends to also report the cloned profile. The more reports an impersonating account receives, the more quickly Facebook’s team is likely to review and remove it. You can do this by creating a post on your own, real timeline. In that post, it is helpful to include a link to the fake profile and clearly instruct your friends not to accept any requests from it and to report it for impersonation.

In either situation, acting quickly is key. For a hack, the priority is regaining control and securing your account. For a clone, the priority is reporting the fake profile to get it removed.

Cheers,

Jeff

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