Hacked or locked out of an account? Help in Prague, in English.
Email sending spam you didn't write, a social account someone else has taken over, or two-factor codes going to a number you no longer have. Recovered through the official routes where that's possible, then locked down so it doesn't happen again.
Do this first
- From a device you trust, change the password of your main email account. Whoever controls your email can reset almost everything else.
- Sign out all other sessions. Google, Microsoft, Apple and Meta all list the devices signed in to your account, with an option to sign them out.
- Check the recovery email address and phone number on the account. Attackers often swap them for their own.
- Look for email forwarding rules or filters you didn't create. They're a common way for someone to keep receiving your password-reset emails after you've changed the password.
- Don't pay anyone who messages you offering to "recover" or "hack back" the account. These offers are almost always scams aimed at people in exactly this situation.
What I can help with
- Official recovery: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp each have their own recovery process. The forms are fussy about details, and knowing what they ask for improves the odds.
- Two-factor on an old number: common after switching to a Czech SIM. Codes get moved to an authenticator app and backup codes saved, so a number change never locks you out again. More on the phone setup page.
- Finding out how they got in: a password reused from an old breach, a phishing link, or malware on the device. If it's malware, that's a virus removal job first, or the new password leaks the same way.
- Lock-down: a password manager, unique passwords for the accounts that matter, two-factor through an app, and backup codes stored somewhere you'll find them.
What nobody can promise
Platforms decide who gets an account back, not the person helping you. If the attacker has changed both the recovery email and the phone number, and the platform's recovery form doesn't accept your evidence, there's no legitimate way around it. Anyone claiming otherwise, especially in your Instagram messages, is after your money.
What can still be done in that case: secure everything else the attacker might reach through that account, warn your contacts, and report the account to the platform so it gets taken down.
Locked out right now?
Message me on WhatsApp or from another email account. If it can't wait until morning, evenings and weekends are possible with the priority fee.
What account help costs
Frequently asked
Can you get my hacked Instagram or Facebook account back?
Often, through Meta's own recovery process, especially if the email address or phone number on the account is still yours. If the attacker changed both, the options narrow, and nobody outside Meta can override its decision.
My email is sending spam I didn't write. What should I do?
Change the password from a device you trust, sign out all other sessions, check for forwarding rules or filters you didn't set up, and check the device you normally use for malware. Then tell your contacts to ignore the spam.
I changed my phone number and can't get two-factor codes. Can I still get in?
Often, yes: through backup codes, an authenticator app if you set one up, or the platform's account recovery process. Before your next number change, move two-factor to an authenticator app so this doesn't happen again.
Someone offered to recover my account for a fee. Is that legit?
Almost certainly not. Unsolicited recovery offers, especially on Instagram and Telegram, are a well-known scam targeting people who've just been hacked. Stick to the platform's official recovery process.