When you find your Business Manager hacked, the intruder has usually given themselves full control, removed you, or edited the business details. Meta now calls Business Manager a business portfolio, and the way back runs through its own tools: secure the admins’ profiles, then remove the attacker or ask Meta to return full control.
Signs Your Business Portfolio Was Taken Over
- An unknown name has full control under People (Meta’s newer pages say full access), or a strange business appears under Partners.
- You can’t see People in Settings. Meta says this can mean you no longer have full control.
- Business details changed, and nobody on your team did it.
- An ad account shows ads, charges or payment methods you don’t recognize.
- An admin’s email or password changed, or their two-factor codes stopped working.
Not every change is the attacker’s: Meta says it may remove admins, pause ads or change payment methods after suspicious ad account activity. Check Business Support Home for notices first.
Step 1: Secure the Admins’ Personal Profiles and Emails
People reach a portfolio through their own Facebook profiles, and Meta’s takeover example starts with a stolen personal password. Fix that first.
- For a hacked profile, Meta recommends facebook.com/hacked on a device used to log in before. See our guide to recovering a hacked Facebook account.
- If the email was swapped, Meta sends the previous address a link that reverses the change. See when a hacker changed your Facebook email and password.
- Secure the inbox itself, log out unknown devices under Where you’re logged in, and repeat for every full-control admin.
If You Still Have Full Control: Remove the Attacker
From a secured profile with full control, open Settings in Meta Business Suite:
- Save the record. On the People tab, choose Export, then Business history, pick a date range and click Create export file. Meta says this log shows people added, roles changed and partners given access.
- Remove the intruder. Click People, select the person, click Remove and confirm. This ends their access to the portfolio and its assets; any required second approval waits under Requests.
- Remove unknown partners. Click Partners, then Options, Remove from business portfolio and Remove partner. Review system users too; Meta says an admin system user carries the most permissions.
- Require two-factor authentication. In Business portfolio info, under Business options, set Two-factor authentication to Everyone.
- Restore business details. Under Business info, click Edit in Business details. On a verified business, Meta says changing the name, country, phone, website or tax ID means verifying again.
- Report it. Meta asks you to contact support through Business Support Home about unauthorized activity.
If You Were Removed: Ask Meta for Full Control
Meta first suggests asking whoever has full control for it. A trusted colleague who still has it can remove the intruder and re-add you; otherwise, use Meta’s request process.
Meta lists cases where you may qualify, such as no one having full control. A hack isn’t named, so say clearly that the current holder was added without your permission, with dates.
- Log in with the Facebook profile associated with the portfolio.
- Go to Business Support Home and open contact support.
- Start a chat and choose the issue Business Manager admin dispute.
- Upload the required documents.
If approved, you get full control, but Meta notes existing people are not removed, so run the removal steps above. A hijacked Page has its own form, covered in our guide to recovering a hacked Facebook Page.
What Meta Asks For
Three unaltered files in a non-editable format such as PDF, JPEG or PNG:
- ID of the requester, such as a passport or driver’s license, matching the signer’s name.
- Proof of business ownership, such as a business license, DBA document, tax certificate or bank statement, or the amounts of 3 past invoices from a portfolio ad account with the linked card’s last 4 digits and expiration date.
- A signed attestation letter on letterhead with the business name, address, phone and logo, stating your role in the business, the portfolio ID, your Facebook profile URL, user ID and email, why you need full control, the current holder if known, and a truth declaration.
The portfolio ID appears under Business portfolio info, below the portfolio name.
| Situation | Official path | What Meta asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Admin’s profile hacked | facebook.com/hacked | Ideally a device used to log in before |
| Intruder added, you keep full control | Settings, People or Partners, Remove | Full control on a secured profile |
| Removed, trusted admin remains | That admin removes the intruder and re-adds you | Nothing from Meta |
| No trusted full-control holder | Business Support Home chat: Business Manager admin dispute | ID, ownership proof, signed attestation letter |
| Facebook Page taken | Meta’s Page recovery form | A recent loss of access Meta can confirm |
Protect Ad Accounts, Pages and Pixels
- Ad accounts: Check charges under Payment activity in Billing & payments, and access under Ad account roles in Account settings. If the attacker’s ads got the account disabled, see our disabled ads account guide.
- Credit lines: Remove shared credit lines with suspicious activity, and consider peer approval for new ads.
- Pages and Instagram: In Accounts, check who is assigned to each asset; click Manage to remove access.
- Pixels: Review Datasets & pixels and shared audiences under Data sources.
- Old ad accounts: Meta says attackers favor accounts with no ads in the past year. Close the ones you don’t need.
Prevent the Next Takeover
- Keep two trusted full-control admins, ideally no more than 10. Meta calls this second admin approval: sensitive changes need a second sign-off.
- Require two-factor authentication for everyone, using an authenticator app plus saved recovery codes.
- Export People and permissions regularly and remove people inactive for 90 days or without two-factor authentication. Read the business history for changes nobody made.
What Not to Do
- Don’t share passwords or login codes. Meta says its representatives never ask for them.
- Don’t pay self-described “recovery hackers.”
- Don’t edit or crop documents; Meta says files must not be altered.
- Don’t click links in unexpected “Meta” messages. Report phishing emails to phish@fb.com.
When to Get Professional Help
If no trusted admin is left or your documents don’t match neatly, a well-organized request matters. The AccRevert team reviews the case, organizes your ownership evidence and prepares a documented request submitted through Meta’s official channels.
Only Meta decides the outcome, so no result is promised, and we never ask for your password or login codes. Pricing: a flat $299 case-preparation fee opens a case; a success fee of $599 for personal accounts, $999 for business accounts or $1,199 for Business Manager and ad accounts applies only if access is restored. Payment is by PayPal only. See our Business Manager Appeal service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Meta remove the hacker from my business portfolio?
Not automatically. Meta says that if your full control request is approved, existing people are not removed from the portfolio. Once you are back in, open Settings, click People, select the intruder and click Remove, then check Partners and system users for other additions.
What if nobody in my company has full control anymore?
Use Meta’s full control request. Log in with the profile associated with the portfolio, open contact support in Business Support Home and start a chat with the issue Business Manager admin dispute. Upload your ID, proof that you own the business and a signed attestation letter.
Will requiring two-factor authentication lock my team out?
No. Meta says the requirement takes effect immediately, and anyone without two-factor authentication is prompted to set it up the next time they open the portfolio. People using private browsing may need a code at every login, because Meta can’t remember their device.
My portfolio is restricted, not hacked. Is this the same process?
No. A restriction is an enforcement decision, and Business Support Home shows it along with the actions you can take; the admin dispute chat is for ownership. If your people and partners look normal, start with our guide to a restricted Meta business portfolio.
Final Checklist
- Secure every full-control admin’s profile and email.
- Export business history before changing anything.
- Remove unknown people, partners and system users.
- No trusted admin left? Start a Business Manager admin dispute chat.
- Prepare ID, ownership proof and a signed attestation letter.
- Require two-factor authentication and keep two trusted admins.
Still locked out of your business portfolio? Open your recovery case with AccRevert: a flat $299 case-preparation fee starts the work, and the success fee ($599 personal, $999 business, $1,199 Business Manager or ad account) applies only if access is restored.
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