← All situations Urgent — act now
My account was hacked or locked. What do I do?
First, breathe. Most accounts can be recovered, especially if you act fast. The key is the order: recover your main email account first, then the other accounts. Take them one at a time, not all at once.
First steps, right now
- Try "Forgot password?" now, on the official app or website. If you still have access to the email address or phone number linked to the account, you can often recover it in a few minutes.
- If you get in, change the password to a new one used only there, and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA).
- In the settings, check the active sessions ("Where you're logged in") and log out any device you don't recognise. Also check whether the recovery email or phone number was changed.
- If it's your main email account, recover that one first — from it, all your other accounts can be reset.
- Tell your friends/family that your account was hacked, so they don't fall for "lend me some money" messages sent in your name.
What NOT to do
- Don't pay any "fast recovery service" from Facebook or TikTok — they are almost always a scam too.
- Don't reuse the old password and don't use the same password on multiple accounts.
- Don't ignore it if the recovery email was changed — it's the sign that someone else controls the account.
- Don't send anyone a code received by SMS, even if "a friend" says it reached your number by mistake — that's how you hand over the key to your account.
How to spot it next time
- You got an email saying "Your password was changed" or "New login from a new location" that wasn't you.
- Friends tell you that you've been sending them strange messages or requests for money.
- It usually starts with a fake link where you typed in your password — see the playbook about fake links too.
- A "friend" asks you on chat for a code received by SMS, or for urgent money to an IBAN/Revolut — their account has probably been hacked; it's not them writing to you.
This guide is meant to help you act fast. It does not replace official instructions from your bank, the police or the authorities. When in doubt, call the numbers above.