LinkedIn Account Hacked: What to Do Right Now, and How to Get It Back
By Muhammad Amir, Searcora Digital Ltd · Updated 7 November 2026
A hacked LinkedIn account can send scam messages to your whole network in minutes. Speed matters. This page covers the signs, what to do in the first ten minutes if you can still sign in, how to get the account back if the hacker changed your email or password, and how to make sure it does not happen again.
Signs your LinkedIn account has been hacked
- Messages or posts you did not send, often with links or investment offers.
- A password, email or phone number you did not change.
- Emails from LinkedIn about a sign-in from a new device or country.
- New connections, endorsements or profile changes you did not make.
- Friends telling you they received odd messages from you.
If you can still sign in: the first ten minutes
- 1. Change your password to a new one you use nowhere else.
- 2. Sign out of all other sessions from the sign-in and security settings.
- 3. Check your email and phone on the account; remove anything you did not add.
- 4. Turn on two-step verification and save the backup codes.
- 5. Secure the email account linked to LinkedIn — many LinkedIn hacks start with a hacked inbox.
- 6. Delete posts and warn people who received messages you did not send.
If the hacker changed your password or email
First try Forgot password with every email and phone number you have ever used on the account; LinkedIn may still send a reset to an older confirmed address. If the hacker removed all of your details, use LinkedIn’s help center form for hacked accounts. LinkedIn will usually ask you to verify your identity through Persona with a government ID and a selfie before it returns access. Give the details in one ticket, list the emails and phones you used, and do not open duplicate tickets. The full set of routes is on LinkedIn account recovery.
Beware of fake recovery services
People who post about a hacked account are often contacted by “recovery experts” or fake LinkedIn support profiles asking for payment, your password or a copy of your ID. LinkedIn does not charge for account recovery and does not contact you through personal messages to recover an account. Only enter your ID inside LinkedIn’s own verification flow, and never share your password or two-step codes with anyone. More warning signs are in how to spot fake LinkedIn profiles.
Checklist after you regain access
- Read your sent messages and recent posts, and delete anything you did not write.
- Check your profile name, headline, photo and contact details for changes.
- Review connections added during the hack and remove any you do not know.
- Check which apps and services are connected to your account and remove unfamiliar ones.
- Post a short note telling your network the account was compromised and is secure again.
Check your Premium, Sales Navigator and ads billing
Once you are back in, check your subscriptions and any ad account linked to your profile for changes or charges you did not make. If your Premium or Sales Navigator was activated through Searcora, message us with the dates and we will check the rest of your term with you. Ad spend you did not authorise should be reported to LinkedIn straight away.
How to stop your LinkedIn account being hacked again
- Use a unique, long password and a password manager.
- Keep two-step verification on, ideally with an authenticator app.
- Secure the email account with its own strong password and two-step verification.
- Do not sign in through links in messages; type linkedin.com yourself.
- Review connected apps and remove tools you no longer use.
- Keep your profile name matching your ID, so identity verification works if you ever need it.
Searcora’s LinkedIn account management includes account health checks, and our restricted account help covers what to do if LinkedIn restricts the account after a hack.