Facebook Ad Account Hacked or Unauthorized Charges: What to Do
Quick fix
Facebook ad account hacked unauthorized charges can have an innocent explanation, so check first. Open Payment activity in Billing & payments, click each Transaction ID and read the Billing reason, then check Ad account roles for people you don't know. If you still believe it was hacked, report it to Meta, and contact your bank about disputed charges.
- Open
Payment activityinBilling & paymentsand click eachTransaction ID. - Read the
Billing reasonon each receipt. - Check
Ad account rolesfor people you do not recognise. - Report it to Meta if the activity still looks unauthorised.
- Secure your Facebook profile at facebook.com/hacked from your usual device.
Can't fix it yourself? Send me the details
What this error means
Charges you don't recognise can come from normal billing, a colleague running ads, a budget you forgot, or a hack. It's normal to be charged several times a month, even after ads stop. If Meta saw suspicious activity, it may already have removed admins, paused ads or changed payment methods to recover the account.
Why it happens
1Normal billing timing
You're charged when you reach your payment threshold and on your monthly bill date, which can be after ads stop.
How to tell if this is you: The receipt Billing reason names the payment threshold or monthly bill date.
2Someone else with access
Someone you share the payment method or ad account with ran separate ads.
How to tell if this is you: Ad account roles lists people who could have created those ads.
3A hacked account
Someone got into your profile or ad account. Signs include a changed email or password.
How to tell if this is you: You see changes to your login details, or ads and admins you didn't add.
How to fix it
Trace each charge
- Open Billing & payments and go to Payment activity.
Billing & paymentsthenPayment activity - Click the
Transaction IDof the charge to see what you paid, when and for which ads. - Check daily and lifetime budgets on active campaigns.
Check who has access
- Go to Account settings and look under
Ad account roles. - Ask anyone listed whether they ran the ads.
Report a hack
For: A hacked account
- Secure your profile at facebook.com/hacked, starting on the device you usually use.
- Let Meta know if you still believe someone hacked the ad account.
- For a charge you did not authorise, contact Meta support first, then your bank or card issuer about disputing it.
How long it takes
Meta doesn't publish a timeline for this.
How to stop it happening again
- Review Ad account roles regularly and remove people who no longer need access.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for everyone with access.
- Check receipts and Billing reasons each month.
From my desk
Often the cause is something ordinary, like an old team member's card still on file, a second ad account nobody remembers, or a boosted post run from the Page. I go through the billing transactions and account activity before assuming a breach. If charges look truly unauthorised, I secure the logins and report it through Meta's own support.
Muhammed Abdul Kalam
When to get help
- You've lost admin access and can't see the ad account at all.
- The charges are large and Meta hasn't responded to your report.
- Several clients or business portfolios share access and you need to find where the breach came from.
Stuck on this? Send me the details.Tell me what the platform shows and what you've tried so far.
Send me the detailsFAQs
Why am I charged by Facebook when my ads aren't running?
It's normal to be charged several times a month and even after ads stop, because you're charged as ads run and when you reach your threshold or bill date.
How do I see what a Facebook ad charge was for?
Go to Payment activity in Billing & payments and click the Transaction ID. The receipt shows the amount, date, payment method and which ads it paid for.
Did Meta change my payment method?
Possibly. If Meta saw suspicious activity, it may have removed admins, paused ads or changed payment methods to recover the account.
Should I dispute the charge with my bank?
Report it to Meta first. A disputed payment is one of the things Meta lists as a reason to restrict an account, so contact your bank only for charges that are genuinely unauthorised.
How do I know if my account was hacked?
Signs include a changed email or password, a changed name or birthday, friend requests to strangers, or messages and posts you didn't create.