LinkedIn Account Hacked? Here’s How To Minimize The Damage

If your LinkedIn account has been hacked, you need to act quickly to minimize the damage. You should change your password, report the hack to LinkedIn, end all active sessions, and enable two-factor authentication.

You should also reset the passwords for any email addresses associated with your LinkedIn profile and other accounts that share the same password, like bank and credit card accounts.

Keep reading for detailed instructions on what to do if your LinkedIn account is hacked. We’ll also recommend the best password managers to keep your data secure.

How to recover a hacked LinkedIn account

Hack attacks on social media platforms, like LinkedIn, are rising. These attacks usually occur when a hacker gains access to your login credentials or to a device where you’re logged in.

Even though it’s stressful to have your LinkedIn account hacked, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage to your account and personal information. Here’s what you should do to recover your account and help protect it from being hacked again.

Report the hack to LinkedIn

If your account is compromised, immediately complete and submit the Reporting Account Access Issue form to LinkedIn.

You can access the form from the LinkedIn help section and type Reporting Account Access Issue Form in the search field or bookmark the form for quick access. Be sure to fill out your first and last name, email address, and the issues you’re facing with your account.

LinkedIn also allows you to fill out your problem in more detail and add attachments so they know how to best support you.

Change your password

To change your password from your desktop:

1. Go to your LinkedIn page.
2. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
3. Select Settings and Privacy from the dropdown.
4. Under Sign-In & security, click Change password.
5. Enter your current password, type your new password, and then retype your new password to confirm.
6. Select the check box to require all devices to sign in with the new password.
7. Click Save password.

To change your password in iOS or Android:

1. Tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Sign in & security.
4. Tap Change password.
5. Follow the steps to create a new password.
6. Click Save password.

Recover your account

Complete and submit the Reporting Account Access Issue form to LinkedIn if you’re locked out of your account. After receiving the form, LinkedIn will verify it’s your account and help you regain access.

You may be locked out because you can’t recover your password or you no longer have access to the email address or phone number tied to your account. If that’s the case, LinkedIn can verify your identity to help you regain access.

To recover your account:

1. Click on Forgot password on the Sign-in screen.
2. Enter your account email address or phone number and click Next.
3. You’ll be asked to enter a verification code sent to your email.
4. If you don’t have access to that email, click Can’t access this email.
5. If more than one email or phone number is tied to your account, you’ll be prompted to select one to receive the verification code. If you can’t access any of them, click on Don’t have access to any of these.
6. Scan the QR code on your screen.
7. Enter the new email address you want to use for your account.
8. Provide an image of your valid government-issued ID to verify your identity.

LinkedIn will process this information and contact you to help you regain access.

Adjust privacy settings

You can change your privacy preferences to add security to your LinkedIn account. These preferences include setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) and configuring how LinkedIn uses your data.

To set up 2FA:

1. Go to your LinkedIn page.
2. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
3. Select Settings and Privacy from the dropdown.
4. Click Sign-In and Security on the left rail.
5. Click Two-step verification to turn on 2FA.
6. Select your verification method.

For additional privacy and security, you can also adjust how LinkedIn uses your data and who can see your profile.

To review these settings from your desktop:

1. Go to your LinkedIn page.
2. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
3. Select Settings and Privacy from the dropdown.
4. Click Data Privacy to review and change how LinkedIn uses your data.

Review active LinkedIn sessions

By reviewing your active sessions, you can see the locations and devices signed in to your LinkedIn account.

To view your active sessions:

1. Go to your LinkedIn settings.
2. Click Sign-In and Security.
3. Under Account Access, click Where you’re signed in.
4. On the Active Sessions page, review the list of active sessions. End any sessions that aren’t familiar, look suspicious, or have been active for a long time.
5. You can end sessions individually or all at once.
6. End the session and change your password if you don’t recognize a login or device.

How to tell if your LinkedIn account was hacked?

In 2023, data scraped from 500 million LinkedIn accounts was leaked online and placed for sale on a hacker forum, exposing first and last names, email addresses, phone numbers and more.^[1] And in early 2024, 251 million LinkedIn records were compromised as part of a larger data breach that included Twitter and other major platforms.^[2]

Here are some red flags that indicate your account may be hacked:

• You receive an email stating your password has been re-sent or email has changed but you didn’t make the change
• Connection requests or messages you didn’t make or send
• Changes to your profile or profile picture
• You’ve been locked out of your account

How to stay safe from data breaches

Having good security hygiene practices is important to protecting your personal and sensitive information from exposure to hackers in a data breach.

You can stay safe online by:

• Creating strong passwords
• Enabling 2FA for extra security on your accounts
• Avoiding clicking on suspicious emails and links
• Paying attention to suspicious connection requests and messages
• Using a password manager to store, audit and encrypt your passwords

Best password managers to protect against data breaches

Password managers can help protect your account from data breaches. They can assist you in creating strong passwords and will then store them in an encrypted vault for additional security. We recommend the following password managers to keep your data safe:

• NordPass: NordPass offers password-free biometric authentication and multi-factor authentication. Your passwords will be safe and secure with its robust ChaCha20 encryption.

  Get NordPass | Read NordPass Review

• Keeper: Keeper has never been hacked and offers many security features to keep your information secure. We like that it flags weak or reused passwords for your review.

  Get Keeper | Read Keeper Review

• Roboform: Roboform monitors for data breaches and audits passwords for any red flags. It also offers 2FA with all plans for additional security.

  Get Roboform | Read Roboform Review

FAQs

Bottom line

To protect your LinkedIn account from hacks and data breaches, implement best practices like changing your password and making it unique to your LinkedIn account, turning on 2FA, and reviewing your active LinkedIn sessions.

You should also consider using one of the best password managers to organize, protect, and securely store your passwords for additional protection.

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Author Details

Callander Turner

About the Author

Callander Turner is a seasoned writer with more than a decade of writing experience. Holding a B.A. in English from the College of William and Mary, she began her career in tech policy and specializes in topics such as hacking, antivirus software, and password managers.