Account takeover
Account takeover is when someone gains control of a social, email or business account through a password, session cookie or phone number.
Common routes
Fake copyright or verification pages, reused leaked passwords, malware stealing session cookies and SIM swaps.
First steps
Secure your email, start the platform's hacked account flow, warn followers elsewhere, revoke connected apps and sessions. Guide: Instagram account hacked.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover it if the hacker changed email and phone?
Usually yes; platforms have ID and video-selfie recovery flows.