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How to contact facebook for account help.

There are multiple ways to get in touch with FB.

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While you can try to contact Facebook directly via phone and email address, it's difficult, if not impossible, to get a response. Tweeting at Facebook could get a response, and you can also visit Facebook's Help Center or complete a support request form.

Facebook trouble? Whether you have an account-related issue , or you want to report a bug or problem, you have a few ways to contact Facebook support. We'll show you what your contact options are.

Related: What to Do if Your Facebook Account Gets "Hacked"

When you think of contacting a company for help, you likely first think of placing a call to talk to a customer service representative. Unfortunately, reaching Facebook support by phone is nearly impossible and not particularly useful in most cases.

Facebook does have a couple of numbers you can call to try getting in touch with the company. However, both phone numbers only play a pre-recorded message. You can't talk to a real human on either number.

If you want to try your luck calling them regardless, Facebook's support phone numbers are:

• +1 650-543-4800
• +1 650-308-7300

As of August 2023, those numbers are still valid and owned by Facebook. They still, alas, simply direct you to visit meta.com/help , Facebook's online help database. As always, be cautious when calling a support number. If you should call either of these numbers in the future and instead of an automated message, there is a person very interested in getting your Facebook login data, financial data, or other personal information, assume the number is no longer used by Facebook and the person on the other end is running a scam.

Facebook doesn't encourage people to contact it via email. However, in the past, Facebook listed a few email addresses that you could use to contact Facebook directly.

You can still try sending an email to one of these email addresses and possibly get a response. There's no guarantee, though. Your chance of getting a response, however, is much higher than calling the automated phone numbers we mentioned above.

• [email protected] : Use this email to get general support.
• [email protected] : Send your press-related queries to this email.
• [email protected] : Use this email for law enforcement concerns.
• [email protected] : Appeal against your blocked content using this email.
• [email protected] : Report content violating Facebook's guidelines via this email address.
• [email protected] : Use this email to ask Facebook what data it has about you.
• [email protected] : For intellectual property-related queries, use this email.
• [email protected] : Report phishing content via this email address.

We'd encourage you only to use the email addresses for their suggested purposes. It's already difficult enough to get an email response from Facebook, and if everyone spams their inquiries across multiple Facebook inboxes, it just creates more noise on the communication channel for people with legitimate abuse reports, intellectual property queries, or other issues.

These days, one of the ways you can contact a company is by tweeting them on Twitter, and Facebook is no exception.

You can send a tweet to one of Facebook's Twitter handles, and possibly get a response. There's no guarantee your query will be looked at, but it's worth trying if your issue doesn't need to be fixed urgently. Or, conversely, if the issue is very pressing and nobody is responding to you a social media shoutout is a time-honored way to get the attention of a large company that has otherwise been ignoring you.

Some of Facebook's official handles are @Meta , @FacebookApp , and @Messenger .

If you didn't get a response from Facebook's phone number, email, or Twitter account, use the platform's "Help & Support" menu to get help on many matters. This menu lets you access the site's Help Center, view responses to your reported items , and even allows you to report a bug or send feedback to Facebook.

An easy way to get help from Facebook is to access the platform's "Help & Support" menu. This menu contains the options to help you access Help Center, view responses to your reported items , and report a bug or send feedback to Facebook.

You can access this menu on both your desktop and your phone.

Related: How to Login to Facebook Without a Code Generator

Get Help From Facebook on Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook

To get help on your desktop computer, launch your preferred web browser and open Facebook . There, sign in to your account.

After signing in, from the Facebook site's top-right corner, select your profile icon.

In the menu that opens, click "Help & Support."

The "Help & Support" menu offers multiple options to get help from Facebook. These options are:

• Help Center : This takes you to Facebook's Help Center website that contains loads of resourceful guides and explainers. You'll find answers to nearly all your queries on this site.
• Support Inbox : You'll find responses for your reported items in this section. You'll also see important messages about your account here.
• Report a Problem : To report a broken feature or give feedback on something, use this option.

When you've chosen an option, Facebook will open a dedicated page allowing you to submit your request. And that's all.

Related: How to Report a Whole Facebook Group

Get Facebook's Help on an iPhone, iPad, or Android Phone

To access the platform's help options on your phone, launch the Facebook app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

If you're on Android, then in the app's top-right corner, tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines). If you're on an iPhone or iPad, then in your screen's bottom-right corner, tap the "Menu" option.

On the "Menu" page that opens, scroll down to the bottom. Then, tap "Help & Support."

In the expanded "Help & Support" menu, select one of the following options:

• Help Center : Tap this option to access Facebook's Help Center where you'll find a guide on nearly any Facebook topic. You'll also get answers to many of your account-related problems in this Help Center.
• Support Inbox : Use this option to see the responses you've received for your reported content. Important messages regarding your account are also found here.
• Report a Problem : To send Facebook a bug report or feedback, select this option.

After tapping an option, follow the on-screen instructions to proceed further.

One more way you can contact Facebook directly is through forms. Facebook makes several forms available that you can use to submit requests or report problems with your account or someone else's. Here are some of the forms that you can use on the site:

• Photo Removal Request : To remove your own, your child, or another adult's photo from the platform, use this form.
• Account Was Disabled : If your account is disabled, use this form to request Facebook to review the account.
• Change Name : Use this form to change your first, middle, and last name in your account.
• Confirm Identity : You can confirm your identity on Facebook by submitting a valid ID card using this form.
• Medically Incapacitated or Deceased Person : To make changes to an account whose account holder can't do it because of medical reasons, use this form.
• Report Violation : To report trademark or copyright violations, utilize this form.
• Email Already in Use : If someone's using your email address in a Facebook account, report it with this form.
• Report Underage Child : If a child below the age of 13 is using Facebook, use this form to report that child's profile to Facebook.
• Child Data Request : Get the data Facebook has on your child with this form.
• Report a Page Unavailable Error : If you encounter a "Page Unavailable" error on Facebook, use this form to let Facebook know about it.

After accessing a form, fill the form and submit it. Facebook will review your request and take appropriate action or get back to you asking for more details.

We understand the pain of not being able to get an important query answered. That's why here at How-To Geek, we've written several guides on how you can use various Facebook features, how to troubleshoot your account problems, and more.

You can check out our Facebook archive to access all the articles we've published about this platform. In our archive, you'll find out how to reset your Facebook password , change your Facebook username , delete your Facebook account , and lots more. And while you're at it, you can take a peek at our broader social media coverage to stay on top of not just Facebook news and issues but other platforms like Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and more.

Related: How to Contact Instagram For Account Help

Does Facebook customer service exist? Yes, and here's how to get in touch

We hate to break the news to you: Facebook does not staff a team of customer service representatives working the phone lines to help you with a likely niche and nuanced problem. Not being able to reach another human for help can be really frustrating, but Facebook does have an extensive Help Center page with dozens of help articles.

Still, the Facebook support apparatus can be difficult to navigate.

Here is how to find the support you need using Facebook's Help Center. If the Help Center doesn’t have the answer to your questions, there are a couple of ways we suggest to get through to Facebook. 

How to access Facebook Customer Service

Log into your Facebook profile on desktop. 

Click the dropdown top in the upper-right corner

Select “Help & Support” from the drop-down menu

The menu will give you three options. 

The first is “Help Center.” 

Clicking this option will direct you to Facebook’s Help Center page, which is a searchable nexus of help articles. 

The second option you will see is “Support Inbox.” Here, you will find updates from Facebook on profiles or posts you’ve reported. 

The third option is “Report a Problem.” 

Here, you will find a couple of forms that allow you to submit feedback to Facebook and report any technical glitches or broken features. 

The forms allow you to attach and submit screenshots and screen recordings of the error. 

New analysis: Americans want to delete this app more than any other, even Facebook

How to use the Facebook Help Center

The Help Center will be your best resource. Here are some tips on navigating it. 

Use the search bar on the main page to type in what you need help with it. Your search will prompt Facebook’s relevant help articles.

In this case, we search for help changing our profile password. 

Select the relevant help article. 

The Help Center organizes its help articles into four different sections, which you will find in the left side column on the Help Center's home page. 

In the "Using Facebook" section you will find help with your Facebook profile page, messaging and Facebook groups. 

The "Managing Account" section offers support with your Facebook login and deactivating or deleting your account. 

You can access help keeping your Facebook account secure in the "Privacy, Safety and Security" section. 

The final "Policies and Reporting" section helps you report Facebook guidelines violations. You can also find help handling a deceased person's account in this section. 

You can also select from the six popular topic pages under the Help Center search bar 

How to access Facebook support for Businesses

If you're looking for business support, Facebook also maintains a Business Help Center page . 

How to get help if you're logged out

The Help Center is accessible even if you're logged out. If you need help logging into your account, you can get help here. 

Other ways to reach Facebook Support

If the Help Center proves unhelpful, you can try your luck at reaching Facebook through other means. But keep in mind that these are long shots, and you might be redirected to Help Center page anyway.  

You can try tweeting or direct messaging the various Facebook Twitter accounts.

The Meta (Facebook’s freshly renamed parent company) Twitter account, the Facebook app Twitter account and the Facebook Messenger Twitter account are just a few Twitter accounts Facebook runs.

Some users have had luck getting a reply, though they were often redirected to the Help Center. 

You can also try emailing the general Facebook support email: [email protected]. Though users on Reddit have reported scant success in hearing back. 

Facebook support number

Facebook operates two phone numbers with Palo Alto, California, area codes: 650-543-4800 and 650-308-7300. But dialing these numbers will prompt a pre-recorded message directing you to Facebook's online support. 

"Unfortunately, we do not offer phone support at this time," the prerecorded message said when USA TODAY dialed the number. "Answers to most user inquiries can be found at the Help Center." 

More Facebook tips from USA TODAY

• New name?: How to change your name on Facebook if your profile needs an update
• Need help from Facebook?: How to access support on Facebook: A step-by-step guide
• Someone tried prying into your Facebook?: Here is how to change your password on any device
• Deactivating Facebook?: Here is how to download your videos from Facebook
• Friends again?: How to unblock someone on Facebook: Step-by-step guide to let someone back in
• How to delete Facebook: Take these steps to permanently delete or deactivate your account
• 'Delete Facebook group' button?: There isn't one, but here is how.

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Facebook: How to contact customer service

F acebook is one of the most popular social apps . The app is used by over a billion users. Despite this massive popularity, Facebook isn't without its share of hiccups. While you can troubleshoot common Facebook problems , some issues require human assistance.

You can get help and support from Facebook through the Help Center, or by email, chat, or phone. However, the process isn't straightforward. This guide shows you how to reach Facebook customer service, whether you use a smartphone, a handy Android tablet , or a computer.

Contact Facebook through call or email

Phone calls and emails are often the quickest ways to get online support, but not with Facebook. The company makes it hard to contact a human, either over the phone or via email. A few phone numbers are available, but those don't lead to human assistance. Instead, callers receive a recorded message directing them to the website www.meta.com/help .

It's difficult to contact Facebook by phone. If you want to try for yourself, the phone numbers are +1 650-543-4800 and +1 650-308-7300 .

Instead of calling Facebook support, send them an email. The company has designated email addresses for different purposes. You're more likely to get a response if you send an email to the address that matches your issue. If you're a press person, drop an email at [email protected] . Do you have legal worries, or are you with law enforcement? email at [email protected] or [email protected] .

Here are more Facebook emails with a description of what they handle:

• [email protected] : Recover deactivated and hacked accounts, reset passwords, and unlock pages.
• [email protected] : Appeal blocked or removed content.
• [email protected] : Report abuse or harassment.
• [email protected] : Report issues concerning your data.
• [email protected] : Reach out with advertising-related concerns.
• [email protected] : Ask intellectual property-related queries.
• [email protected] : Report phishing messages and posts.

Sending emails to the addresses listed above may not guarantee a response, but it's your best bet for getting help from Facebook.

Contact Facebook as a business owner

If you have a business profile on Facebook, you're more likely to get help from a person when you need it. You can chat with someone or send an email. If you choose email, you'll hear back from Facebook within 24 hours.

You can contact Facebook through the Commerce Manager. Here's how:

• Open your Facebook Business account.
• Go to Commerce Manager and select your shop.
• Select Contact support under the Education tab.
• Write your query and select Chat or email as your preferred contact method .
• Select Send and wait to get a response from Facebook.

Facebook says the live chat feature is being rolled out gradually, so some users may have access to it before others.

Use the Facebook Help & support menu to get support

You can also get help through the Help & support menu. This menu offers options to access your support inbox, report a problem, and explore the Help Center. The Help Center is an extensive database of articles and guides on how to use Facebook and answers to common questions.

You can access the Help & support menu through your desktop or smartphone. Below are detailed steps for both.

Access the Facebook Help & support menu on a desktop

• Open your browser and go to the Facebook website.
• Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
• Select Help & support.
• Click Report a problem to report an issue.
• Select Support Inbox to see Facebook's response to your previous reports.
• Click Help Center to go through the troubleshooting guides and other resources.

Access the Facebook Help & support menu on a smartphone

• Open the Facebook app on your phone.
• Go to the homepage and tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines icon) in the upper-right corner.
• Select Help & support . Close
• Tap Report a problem to report an issue you're currently facing.
• Tap Support Inbox to see Facebook's response to your previously reported issues.
• Select Help Center to find troubleshooting tips and guides. Close

Contact Facebook through other social media platforms

If the above methods don't work, reach out to Facebook on other social media platforms. Create a new post on X (formerly Twitter) and tag Facebook's official handle, @Facebook . You can also tag Facebook in the comments section of a post, in your story, or in a new post on Instagram. You can also send a direct message to @Facebook on Instagram.

Your chances of getting a reply from Facebook customer support might be better if your social media post gets likes and attention from other users.

Troubleshoot your Facebook problems with ease

Facebook is a great place to connect with friends and family and find good items to buy. Like anywhere online, you must be careful. When using Facebook Marketplace, look out for these common scams . Then, use Facebook Privacy Checkup to keep your account secure.

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How to Report a Problem on Facebook

Last Updated: April 25, 2018

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If you’ve encountered a bug, issue, or problem while using Facebook, you can report it so that it can be resolved as soon as possible. Problems you should report range from something not working, abusive content, or just general feedback. Whatever the case, you can easily report it to Facebook using your computer or the Facebook mobile app.

Using a Computer

• Use “General Feedback” for general comments or notes for Facebook. Click on the link for your choice.
• Use “Something Isn’t Working” if there’s a bug or issue with a Facebook feature or functionality.
• Use “Abusive Content” if you’ve found any content that can be harmful, spam, or a policy violation.

Using the Facebook Mobile App

• Use “Something Isn’t Working” if there’s a bug or issue with a Facebook feature or tool.
• Use “Abusive Content” if you’ve found any content that is harmful, spam, or a policy violation.
• Use “General Feedback” for general comments or notes for Facebook.

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How to Contact Facebook

Need to resolve a problem? One of these methods should get you results

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In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Use Facebook Help Center
• Contact FB Help Community
• Report a Problem to FB
• Contact FB With Messenger

Facebook has become an integral part of our digital lives, and it can be frustrating when features don't work or you have a problem or concern. While the company doesn't have a handy toll-free number to call for immediate assistance, you can still get answers and report issues.

Use the Facebook Help Center

The Facebook Help Center is a searchable collection of articles designed to answer any conceivable question a Facebook user may have, from password resets to controlling your newsfeed . Here's how to access the Help Center from Facebook on the desktop or Facebook's mobile app:

Access the Help Center Using Facebook on the Desktop

If you're using Facebook on your computer in a web browser, here's how to get to the Help Center:

Navigate to Facebook.com and access your home page or profile page. Select Account (upside-down triangle) from the top-right.

Select Help & Support .

Select Help Center .

At the Facebook Help Center, browse through categorized articles or search by keyword to try to find an answer to your issue.

Access the Help Center Using the Facebook App

The Facebook app for iOS or Android also offers ways to access the Help Center.

Open the Facebook app and tap Menu (three lines) from the bottom right. (For Android users, Menu is on the top right.)

Scroll down and tap Help Center .

Browse through frequently asked questions and categorized articles, or search by keyword to try to find an answer to your issue.

Contact the Facebook Help Community

If you're experiencing a glitch, missing a feature, or want some human input on your question, the Facebook Help Community is a great place to find answers.

Access the Help Community Using Facebook on the Desktop

Here's how to get to the Facebook Help Community using Facebook on a desktop.

Select Help Community .

Browse questions by Most Recent , Top Questions , or Unanswered , or select Ask a Question to submit your own query.

To ask a question, enter a topic, subtopic (optional), type your question, and then select Next .

The Help Center will first display conversations and threads that may answer your question. If you don't see what you're looking for, select My Question Is New .

Add more details about your question, attach an image if you like, accept the Help Community terms and conditions, and then select Post . You'll be able to monitor answers and interact with the Help community.

Access the Help Community Using the Facebook App

Here's how to get to the Facebook Help Community using Facebook's mobile app for iOS and Android.

Tap Help Community .

Browse questions and answers or tap Ask a Question .

Type your questions, choose a subject, and select Post .

Report a Problem to Facebook

If you're trying to report some kind of issue to Facebook, such as problems with payment, a feature not working, bullying, or inappropriate posts , the Report a Problem interface is an easy and effective way to let Facebook know about it.

Report a Problem Through Facebook on the Desktop

Let Facebook know about an issue when you're using Facebook via a web browser.

Select Report a Problem .

Select Something Went Wrong to report your issue.

Alternatively, select Help Us Improve the New Facebook if you want to give some input.

Choose an area, add details and a screenshot, and select Submit .

To follow up on your query, access your Support Inbox by going to Account > Help & Support > Support Inbox . Here you'll get updates about any issues you've submitted.

Report a Problem Through the Facebook Mobile App

If you encounter a problem while using the Facebook mobile app, you don't have to go anywhere special to report the issue.

Shake your phone, and then a problem-reporting box will pop up. Tap Report a Problem , type what went wrong, add a screenshot, and then tap Send .

If you prefer not to use Shake to Report, go to Help & Support > Report a Problem > Continue to Report .

Contact Facebook With Messenger

Some Facebook departments or areas can be reached via Messenger, where you can start a chat with an automated customer service attendant that will try to direct you to the right answer.

From your Facebook home page or profile page, tap Messenger from the top right.

In the Search Messenger box, type Facebook to see what departments come up.

Browse through the available options, keeping in mind that the blue checkmark is a sign of legitimacy. Choose a department you want to contact to bring up a chat box, and select Get Started to start a chat.

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Top 8 Ways to Contact Facebook for Help or Support

Believe it or not, there is help

Are you trying to contact Facebook for help or support? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. With over 2 billion users worldwide, chances are there are countless other people with the same issue as yours and sometimes it can be tricky to know exactly how to get in touch with the Facebook Support Team.

The platform has an extensive Help Center page filled with articles that address the most common problems such as recovering your hacked Facebook account . Although helpful, it’s very frustrating and difficult to navigate the Help Center. And sometimes it doesn’t even have the answer to your particular problem.

That said, here are the best ways you can get help and support from Facebook, through Help Center, email, chat, or phone. Also, make sure to check our articles on other common issues like being unable to leave comments on Facebook posts or failing to send your Facebook messages .

What Is Facebook Support?

Facebook Support is a system put in place by the platform, to help you manage your Facebook account, be it personal or business. It’s filled with useful information and assistance with things such as security, privacy, groups, business pages, marketplace, and more.

But Facebook Support also offers services such as account monitoring, where all the activity on your page gets logged so you can review it at any time. It also offers the assistance of experts, and help if you run into a problem. Helping customers makes a great part of Facebook Support. Continue reading to learn about all the ways you can contact Facebook for help.

1. Facebook Help Center

Facebook Help Center isn’t exactly a way to contact Facebook, but it is a place where you can find answers to most of the questions and problems you might encounter. Accessing it is easy:

• Log into your Facebook account.
• Click your profile image in the upper right corner of the page.
• Select Help & Support from a drop-down menu.

• The next menu will offer you three options. Select Help Center .

• You’ll be redirected to Facebook’s Help Center page where you can search for the answer to the issue you are experiencing.

• Navigating the Help Center can be difficult as there are thousands of helpful articles in there. This is really the best place to search for the fix to your problem. You can use the search bar on the top of the Help Center’s page and type in what you need help with.

• Or you can browse through the popular topics and see if you can find the solution there.

If you look at the sidebar of the Help Center page, you’ll see Facebook grouped articles into four sections: Using Facebook; Managing Your Account; Privacy, Safety, and Security; and finally Policies and Reporting. You can click on any of these and manually search for helpful articles in the right category.

2. Report a Problem

If you go back to the Help & Support menu, you’ll see Support Inbox and Report a Problem options too. If you don’t find the answer on Facebook’s Help Center page, you can try reporting the problem.

But first, let’s clarify what the Support Inbox is. This is a place where you can find updates from Facebook on profiles and posts that you previously reported.

The Report a Problem option will offer you a couple of forms to fill out and submit as feedback to Facebook. You should use Report a Problem if you encounter any broken features of Facebook or some technical glitches.

These forms give you the option to attach screenshots or screen recordings to prove the glitch or an error you are experiencing.

Unfortunately, you must be logged in to use Report a Problem . That means if you lose access to your account, this option won’t be available to you.

3. Business Support via Chat or Email

If you run a business Facebook profile or a page that uses the Facebook Checkout services, you’ll have the option to contact Facebook through chat or email.

• Open your Commerce Manager .
• Go to the Education tab.
• Select Contact Support . Follow the instructions and you should get a response from Facebook via email or chat.

With a business account, you’ll have the option to send a message to Meta for Business. Just go to their main page and click the send message button at the top of the page.

4. Meta Business Help Center

If you encounter problems with Ads, head to the Meta Business Help Center . Here you’ll find all the information about advertising on Facebook. If you need help, go to the Get Support button in the top right corner of the page.

If you don’t find an answer there, don’t worry. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find the Contact advertising support button. Click on it and get help directly from Facebook staff.

Fill in the form carefully. You’ll also have the option to explain the issue, as well as upload screenshots or other files that can help your case. Once you are done, hit the Start Chat button at the lower right corner and wait to be contacted by Facebook staff. It should take only a few minutes.

5. Get Help for Your Advertising Strategy

Finally, if you need help with your advertising strategy, go here to fill out the form, and soon you’ll be hearing from one of Facebook’s marketing experts.

6. Use Direct Email Addresses

Facebook doesn’t have a main email address for Facebook Support. That inbox would be pure chaos. Instead, Facebook offers different addresses for specific problems and you can feel free to write them an email. Here’s a complete list:

• [email protected] – recovering disabled or hacked accounts, resetting passwords, and getting access to locked pages.
• [email protected] – get help for your suspended account or appeal blocked or removed content.
• [email protected] – contact Facebook regarding any financial concerns related to your account.
• [email protected] – report anything that doesn’t meet the Facebook Community Standards.
• [email protected] or [email protected] – contact Facebook Law Enforcement Support Team.
• [email protected] – resolve issues concerning your data.
• [email protected] – contact Facebook regarding their press or PR services and activities.
• [email protected] – resolve issues about advertising on Facebook.
• [email protected] – contact Facebook regarding matters of intellectual property.
• [email protected] – report messages and posts that may be phishing for information.

6. Use Facebook’s Phone Number

Facebook doesn’t have a customer support phone line, and reaching out to a real human is very hard. Meta has a registered phone number that includes Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus. You can call 650-543-4800, but all you’ll hear is a recorded message that Facebook has no phone support.

However, if you need help with your business or advertising, or you are a developer or law enforcement officer, the phone menu for support will be available to you. You’ll get a separate phone menu for marketing, press, and employment verification for Facebook’s employees.

7. Use Facebook Official Pages and Direct Contact Forms

You might think there is nothing as direct as an email, but getting a response to an email can take quite some time. Instead, opt for using direct contact forms to reach out to Facebook. You’ll get an answer much faster. The contact forms are linked directly to Facebook’s official support pages, and the process is already automated.

Here is a list of the official pages where you can fill out the direct contact forms to contact Facebook for help:

• Accessing your disabled personal account .
• Accessing your disabled advertising account .
• If you have an issue accessing your Facebook Page .
• Contact payment support .
• If you noticed lost content after reactivation of your account.
• Report a user deceased or medically incapacitated .
• Request information from a deceased user’s account .
• Give Facebook feedback about their features .
• Report an underaged person using Facebook.
• Report a sex offender on Facebook.
• Report a privacy violation .
• Report copyright infringement .
• Report trademark infringement .
• Report a bug (for developers).
• Report a Page Unavailable error .
• Report an unavailable group or event.
• Report your videos disappearing .

8. Offline Facebook Support

If you fail to resolve your issues with Facebook through online means, you can always try writing them an old-school letter to the following address:

Facebook Headquarters 1 Hacker Way Menlo Park, CA 94025 The United States of America

There’s no guarantee you’ll receive an answer, but it might be worth a try.

Summing it all up, Facebook has many avenues you can use to get help and support. The choices may seem overwhelming, but if you take some time to understand the various options and the advantages of each one, you’ll be able to get the kind of help you need quickly and easily.

While none of these are foolproof ways to get a hold of Facebook’s customer support team, they should provide you with some much-needed guidance on how to contact them for any issues that arise.

Nicolae is a Jack of all trades technology writer with a focus on hardware, programming languages, and AI image-processing software. Over the last five years, he has ghostwritten numerous tech how-to guides and books on a variety of topics ranging from Linux to C# programming and game development. Nicolae loves everything that has to do with technology and his goal is to share his knowledge and experience with others. Read Nicolae's Full Bio

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Your Facebook Account Was Hacked. Getting Help May Take Weeks — Or $299

Shannon Bond

After her Facebook account was hacked, Angela McNamara of Hamilton, Ontario, struggled to get help from the social network. Using its automated process to recover her account failed to work for her, says McNamara. Jalani Morgan for NPR hide caption

After her Facebook account was hacked, Angela McNamara of Hamilton, Ontario, struggled to get help from the social network. Using its automated process to recover her account failed to work for her, says McNamara.

Angela McNamara's first hint that her Facebook account had been hacked was an early-morning email warning that someone was trying to log into her account.

"If this is not you, don't worry, we're keeping your account safe," she recalls the email from Facebook saying. But her relief only lasted a minute, when another email arrived, saying her password had been changed. Then another, notifying her that a two-factor authentication — an extra layer of security — had been set up for her account.

"And then from there I'm just like, 'OK, it is gone,' " said McNamara, who lives outside Toronto. She tried Facebook's automated process to recover her account: getting a backup code, resetting her password. But nothing worked.

Your Technology Is Tracking You. Take These Steps For Better Online Privacy

This has been happening to a lot of people lately, and the experience has left many users nearly as frustrated with the social network as they are with the hackers. In July, NPR received 19 emails from listeners complaining that their Facebook accounts had been hacked or disabled. People share similar tales of woe on Reddit forums and Twitter every day.

Some became so desperate that they shelled out hundreds of dollars to buy a virtual reality headset in an attempt to get Facebook to restore their accounts.

When she tried to reach Facebook, "Nobody got back to me, not once"

Before going to extremes, many hacking victims try the usual routes to get customer service but quickly find out it seems impossible to reach someone at Facebook to help fix the problem.

"Facebook didn't have a phone number to call. There was no email to email," said Jessie Marsala, who lives outside Chicago and emailed NPR in early July about her situation.

After Data Breach Exposes 530 Million, Facebook Says It Will Not Notify Users

When Marsala got hacked, she tried dialing Facebook's headquarters in Silicon Valley. But that number yields a recording that says, "Unfortunately, we do not offer phone support at this time."

Instead, Facebook tells users to report hacked accounts through its website . The site instructs them to upload a copy of a driver's license or passport to prove their identities. But the people NPR spoke with said they had trouble with every step of this automated process and wish Facebook would offer a way to reach a real person.

"I sent these forms in morning, noon and night, multiple times a day," Marsala said. "Nobody got back to me, not once."

Victoria Floriani of Jersey City, N.J., only got Facebook's system to accept her driver's license after she covered up everything but her name and photo with a Post-it note — a tip she came across on Reddit. After two weeks of trying, it was the breakthrough she needed to get her account back.

All Tech Considered

Searching for 'facebook customer service' can lead to a scam.

Facebook said that because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has fewer people available to review IDs. It uses artificial intelligence, too, but its help center warns that reviews "may take longer than usual."

Facebook spokesperson Gabby Curtis told NPR in a statement that the company's help center is available 24 hours a day to assist people with problems and report issues. But Curtis acknowledged, "We also know that we need to keep improving in this area and plan to invest more in the future."

McNamara finally got her Facebook account back after buying a virtual reality headset from Oculus, a company Facebook owns. Jalani Morgan for NPR hide caption

McNamara finally got her Facebook account back after buying a virtual reality headset from Oculus, a company Facebook owns.

A solution for those willing to pay $299

Brandon Sherman of Nevada City, Calif., followed a tip he found on Reddit to get his hacked account back.

"I ultimately broke down and bought a $300 Oculus Quest 2," he said. Oculus is a virtual reality company owned by Facebook but with its own customer support system.

Sherman contacted Oculus with his headset's serial number and heard back right away. He plans to return the unopened device, and while he's glad the strategy worked, he doesn't think it's fair.

"The only way you can get any customer service is if you prove that you've actually purchased something from them," he said.

When McNamara, the Facebook user in Canada, first heard about the Oculus trick, she thought it was a joke. But she said, "Once I started thinking about it, all my memories, I really realized that I wanted to do whatever possible to get it back."

So she, too, ordered an expensive gadget she never planned to use and returned it as soon as she got back into her Facebook account.

(A warning to anyone thinking about trying this — other Reddit users have said they tried contacting Oculus support but were unable to get their Facebook accounts restored. Also, last week, Facebook said it was temporarily halting sales of the Oculus Quest 2, which retails starting at $299, because its foam lining caused skin irritation for some customers.)

Hacking victims fear losing money and memories

Losing Facebook may seem like a minor thing, but it can have real consequences .

"The very first concern, after realizing that I was getting hacked, is that these folks might be able to gain access to my business's bank account," said Ben Coleman in Fall River, Mass. "That would be a disaster."

Coleman's day job is teaching math and technology to kindergarteners through 12th-graders, but he also films videos with drone cameras and writes books about how to fold origami bonsai trees. For both ventures, he relies on Facebook to reach customers.

Coleman managed to lock his Facebook account before the hackers could gain control. But he wasn't able to unlock it — so he lost access to everything.

Building, And Losing, A Career On Facebook

For Jon Morgan in Shepherd, Mich., it got worse. Hackers used his Facebook account to vandalize the page he helps manage for his town's maple syrup festival. Facebook disabled Morgan's account — so now he has lost access to a lot of family photos, including of his son who passed away this year.

Morgan said the episode has made him realize just how embedded Facebook is in his life.

"We think of it as a kind of like a plaything or something for fun, but people share news on it, people get their news from it, it's a photo album," he said. "I think what I've kind of learned from my experience is, I really need to think about how I'm using it ... and what it means to me to lose it."

After NPR got in touch with Facebook, it sent Coleman and Marsala links to unlock their accounts and is giving Morgan another chance to appeal the disabling of his account.

What's fueling hacking? Financial gain — and even disinformation campaigns

Facebook said it has not seen a recent uptick in hacking, and it's not clear who is behind the hacks people contacted NPR about.

U.S. Suffers Over 7 Ransomware Attacks An Hour. It's Now A National Security Risk

Many attempts to hack social media accounts are financially motivated, said Jon Clay, vice president of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Trend Micro.

A hacker may try to scam the user's friends and contacts to give them money, he said, or sell accounts on the black market.

Clay said other hackers want to steal Facebook accounts to spread disinformation , about topics such as the 2020 election or COVID-19.

"The fact that social media is now a big part of everybody's lives [means] it is a major target," he said.

Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.

• customer service
• social media

How Do I Contact Facebook Support When I Need Help?

I know…I know. You probably are having a terrible time getting in contact with Facebook support and you just want answers. Unfortunately, this isn’t an easy one and there are no easy answers. Facebook purposefully makes it difficult to get in touch with their customer support team. They DON’T want to dedicate resources to helping you. 

I know…that sucks, but it just is reality. I’ve experienced it for myself and on behalf of my clients. The key is to formulate a plan and then just go hard. Try everything you can.

This post is more than five years in the making and is an ongoing work in progress, and I have been diligently updating it whenever I receive comments about people trying to contact Facebook directly. The latest update is in May 2023 , where I removed some options that don’t work anymore, so rest assured that this isn’t some out-of-date post giving you garbage advice.

Just read the comments and you’ll see how many people have contributed to the tips and steps for contacting Facebook. It’s become kind of a community post and I’m appreciative of everyone who has contributed.

IF you are absolutely stuck and cannot contact Facebook customer support, then the updates at the bottom of the post and in the comments are the best place to start since they have some of the more unconventional ways to contact Facebook.

Si deseas leer esta publicación en español, haz click aquí .

Below is just one example of the types of questions that I receive. This one came from someone based on another post about contacting Instagram support . Hopefully, my experience trying to get help from Facebook support will help others in need.

Hey Sean, I saw your article about contacting Instagram, but I actually need help contacting Facebook customer service to get my password reset and regain control of my account. How do I contact Facebook support? Any inside ideas on good ways to actually get Facebook help? Is there an email address for Facebook? Or maybe a Facebook phone number to call? Even a Facebook support live chat would be helpful. Thanks! Davis

Just as with most of the big social networks, it’s pretty tough to get someone at Facebook to help you resolve an issue. Whether you are like Davis and have been locked out of your account or you have another reason for needing assistance, it can be rough going. Not everyone has a Facebook contact they can reach out to for support.

What’s worse is the fact that Facebook is supposed to be a communication channel. Just Because Facebook Is A Communication Channel Doesn’t Mean They Know How To Communicate

They operate one of the largest social networks on the planet, run Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, two powerhouse communication channels, yet that cannot seem to even fathom how to answer customer support emails.

I get it. I feel your pain.

I know what it’s like to have a Facebook account locked and not be able to complete the steps to get it unlocked. I know that you are likely reading this article because you are frustrated and want answers.

Your account is locked, your Facebook has been copied or replicated by a hacker, or maybe you forgot your password. Whatever the issue is, you just need help. I hear you and I created this post as a journey through all the ways to potentially contact Facebook.

Along the way, the readers of this post have contributed a lot of different ideas and experiences. Hopefully, one of these approaches helps you. If it does (or even if it doesn’t), be sure to add your comment to the bottom so we can track what is and isn’t working.

NOTE: Facebook and Instagram are now owned by the same company, called Meta. Keep in mind, though, that just because they are owned by the same company, doesn’t mean they have the same customer support process. For those who are trying to get in touch with Meta customer support in order to unlock their Instagram account, there are tips on how to contact Instagram support in this article .

Some Of The Common Facebook Issues I Have Encountered

Over my many years working in digital marketing and social media , I have had plenty of reasons for contacting Facebook customer support. Whether it was for myself or helping on behalf of one of my clients, I have had several reasons for contacting Facebook in the past. These include situations like:

• I have another blog where I discuss the wonderful world of decorating with live and artificial plants and flowers and I was locked out of the Facebook page for that blog.
• I had a client who forgot the password for their personal Facebook account and no longer had access to the email address associated with their account.
• I had Facebook ads that were rejected and some that were discontinued after they had already been approved
• One of my clients was being harassed on their Facebook page and needed assistance
• Another client had their Facebook account hacked, which gave the hacker full access to their company Facebook page
• I actually had a situation where a scammer was replicating my Facebook posts and pretending they were me.
• A friend of mine had a relative die and needed help getting access to the deceased’s Facebook account.
• I had a friend who was being impersonated on Facebook and he wanted the impersonator’s account blocked.

As you can imagine, these issues required a bit more assistance than the Facebook forums offered. In each of these situations, though, I was able to determine a way to get someone at Facebook support to respond and get the issue resolved.

A lot of clients I work with ask “how can I talk with a live person at Facebook” and it’s a good question. The answer, however, is usually no. Unless they have a business account, chat support is operational for their account, and chat is online (more about that later) it just isn’t possible to talk directly to a live person at Facebook.

Facebook Customer Service Just Isn’t Very Good

On top of the challenge with getting hold of a real human at Facebook, Facebook has a notoriously bad customer service system and there isn’t one “right” or “best” way to get a response. There isn’t a magic Facebook customer service phone number that anyone can just dial up and speak with the customer service representative.

Also, while there are several different Facebook customer support email addresses out there, they generally aren’t the most effective way to get assistance (more on that later).

This means you might have to try multiple different was to get in touch with them.

To help, here are several different ways that I have used to get in contact with Facebook. Hopefully, you won’ t have to try all of them.

PLEASE NOTE: I try to keep these contact methods updated as frequently as possible. Facebook occasionally disables email addresses or changes them. If you get a bounced email from one of the contact methods below, let me know via my contact form or in a comment and I’ll try to find an alternate. Also, if you have an additional contact method that you think would help others, be sure to share it.

Believe It Or Not, For Most Users, Contacting Facebook Is Relatively Easy

For most users, getting support from Facebook or contacting Facebook help is as simple as logging in to the Facebook app or desktop site and clicking your profile photo and then scrolling down to find the “Help & Support” option. From there, you can access many of the Facebook support features and get help.

The first step to take is the most logical. Facebook has built out a pretty robust help system, so try using it and see if some of their automated tools can help you out. Believe it or not, using Facebook’s Help Center to send your messages to the company can be a reliable way to connect with Facebook for some of the easier-to-resolve issues.

In many cases, Facebook has built communication bots to reply to the most common issues and respond with the steps to fix the problem. Facebook’s help center can help you address issues concerning:

• Account access
• Issues with Facebook ads
• Concerns regarding Copyright and Trademark infringement on Facebook
• General feedback about the Facebook platform
• Privacy concerns and issues relating to the violation or infringement of personal rights
• Email issues
• Login issues or problems
• Issues relating to names and/or usernames
• Questions or concerns about photos and videos
• Situations where death and/or disability might be causing issues

To use the help center, simply log into the desktop version of Facebook and navigate to the Facebook Help Center webpage. To do this, click the big question mark icon in the upper-right corner and click the link that says “Help Center”.

Once you have access to the Help Center, simply review the options toolbar to determine which category your issue falls into.

The toolbar is located at the top of the screen just beneath the search bar. You will have to drag the mouse cursor over every option to view their subsections.

You can also check out the “Popular Topics” or “Questions You May Have” sections on the webpage. These two sections cover a good number of complaints and issues.

The Facebook Help Center website has both these sections on its main page. You can then select the relevant section.

For instance, if your Facebook account has been hacked, go to the “Privacy and Safety” sections and click on “Hacked and Fake Accounts”. You will see a number of suggestions pop up in the drop-down menu beneath the search bar, just choose the one that fits best.

QUICK TIP: You can expedite this process by clicking on the search bar on top of the Help Center page and typing  in a few words related to your query. The Help Center will then try to get you to the correct help section as quickly as possible.

Facebook has more than 100 contact forms for just about any problems you may run into while using the platform. You can also try sending your message via the “General Feedback” link. However, Facebook does make it clear that you may not ever get a reply.

The company states that they cannot review and respond to every Feedback submission adding that they use the feedback to improve the Facebook experience for all users. This avenue can be very frustrating, but it won’t hurt to give it a try.

Note: Be prepared to wait. Facebook is notoriously slow in their responses to customer support inquiries. Sometimes you can get a response in a day. Other times I have heard reports of people’s accounts being unlocked after as long as a month of waiting.

For those who can’t login to their Facebook account, have had your Facebook hacked or you just cannot get Facebook to work, try some of the methods like the Facebook portal option below.

Note: There really aren’t any good Facebook contact email addresses, so that attempting to email Facebook support probably shouldn’t be high on your list.

If you are using the mobile app and that is where you’re experiencing issues, one of the best steps you can take to resolve a lot of issues is to  fully uninstall the Facebook app and then reinstall it. BE AWARE, though, that uninstalling the app will remove all data from your mobile device, which means you will need to know the email address and password associated with your account. If you do not know or think you might not remember your Facebook password, then  DO NOT uninstall the app. 

One additional word to the wise for those who have 2-Factor Authentication installed (aka 2FA). 2FA will require that a text message be sent to the phone number associated with your Facebook account. If you have 2FA enabled, but no longer have access to that mobile number, then either go into your Facebook settings and update your phone number to something you have access to or temporarily disable 2FA. 

If you are a business Facebook user, meaning that you have a Facebook page AND you pay for a Facebook advertising campaign, there is even a way to get in contact with a Facebook live agent using the Facebook chat feature. It’s only available for businesses and there appear to be some times that Facebook disables the feature, so it comes and goes. There’s more on that in the Facebook chat section below.

For Those Who Can’t Contact Facebook Using The Easy Ways It Can Be Tough Going

Unfortunately, the traditional Facebook contact methods don’t always work. If you’re stuck and you can’t, reach Facebook,  keep on reading or use the jump links in the Table of Contents widget above to find some of the traditional ways to get in touch with Facebook, as well as some “outside the box” way that have been recommended by other readers.

I probably get 5 emails every day from folks who are frustrated and can’t get anyone at Facebook to help them. Not only can they not get access to the Facebook support email inbox, but some folks are even doubting that Facebook support chat is still a thing (it is…see below for details).

Be aware, though, that navigating the Facebook support process can be a long, infuriating one and there is no guarantee that Facebook will every respond to your email and there is no timeline as to how long it will take for Facebook to respond.

Use Facebook Live Chat For Support

Facebook offers live chat as a means of getting help through their agents. Unfortunately, Facebook Live Chat is only available for business accounts . This is usually the best way to contact Facebook business support. They do not help with standard user accounts, which leaves the vast majority of their user population without a chat option.

If you do have a business, the live chat starting point is https://www.facebook.com/business/help/support .

NOTE: Some users have commented that they don’t see the Live Chat anymore and it appears that sometime in 2021, Facebook started rolling back this feature. I just tried this for one of my business clients in February of 2022 and I was able to initiate a live chat, so the feature DOES still exist FOR BUSINESS ACCOUNTS . If you are an individual and don’t have an authentic Facebook page for a business, you cannot use the Live Chat feature.

Don’t believe me? Here’s a screen capture of the latest look and feel of the live chat, complete with the new Meta branding

Millions of customers use it to forward their queries to the company. The department that operates the chat windows handles issues including:

• Recovering hacked Facebook business accounts
• Recovering disabled Facebook accounts
• Resetting passwords
• Assisting when a business user can’t receive code to reset requests
• Problem with a Facebook business page

Be aware that Facebook live chat is not always available 24/7. If you don’t see the indicator as to the duration of the wait, then Facebook chat might not be available.

The department (located in the call centers in Greensboro, NC, and Belize) is open from 9 am to 5 pm from Monday through to Friday. The average wait time of Facebook Live Chat is about 3 minutes.

The Facebook Forums Can Be A Good Place To Get Help From Other Facebook Users

For those who don’t operate a business account, another way of getting help with Facebook queries is to connect with other users in the Facebook Community Forum.

To access the forums, log into Facebook and, from any page, click the question mark located at the top right corner of the web page. A drop-down menu will pop up, and at the top, you will see the “Help Center”. You can also just use t his direct link to the Facebook Help Center .

Click and then scroll all the way down the page. Near the bottom of the page and to the left, click on “Visit Help Community”. This link will take you directly to the forums. If you want to bookmark a directly link to the forums, the URL is https://www.facebook.com/help/community/ .

In the Facebook help forums, you can browse queries by category/topic or utilize the search box on top of the web page. At the top right of any forum page, you will see a gray tab with the words “Ask a Question”. Click on the link and select the appropriate top or sub-topic on the next page.

Type in the question you need help with and be patient as you might have to wait a while for others to respond.

To monitor your question, you can review your “Support Inbox” by clicking on the question mark icon in the upper-right of any page and choosing “Support Inbox”.

Here you can see if an actual Facebook staff member or useful member of the Facebook community replied to the problem.

Use The Facebook Support Email Addresses That Are Published

Another more reliable and convenient way of contacting Facebook is through a number of email addresses. The customer service agents usually reply on a first-come, first-serve basis. The departments are open 24/7.

However, if you send an email late in the night, don’t expect to get a reply until the following day. In fact, the customer service agents often take 24 hours or more to reply with the most likely time of response being around 3 pm.

The email addresses you can use to contact Facebook via email include:

[email protected] – You can use this email address to inquire about recovering disabled accounts, recover hacked accounts, resetting a password, receiving code to reset, and problems with the page. You can also try using this form if your personal Facebook account was disabled.

[email protected] – Use this for inquires about appeals if your content has been blocked or if your account has been suspended. You can also try using this form to appeal your personal Facebook account being suspended.

[email protected] – This is a very basis support email and you should be very, very detailed about your issue if you use this general email address.

[email protected] – This email address is specifically for financial issues that are related to your Facebook activities.

[email protected] – This email is monitored pretty closely, but don’t try to use it for situations other than reporting abuse.

Note that to increase your chances of getting a non-generic reply or getting a reply faster, ensure that your email is brief, concise, and straight to the point. Be descriptive and keep to the primary concern talking points.

If You Have A Business Account, Contact Your Facebook Ad Representative

In order for you to reach the Facebook Ads Support, you must have an active Ad account. The account also needs to have an Ad spend billed to the account.

If you have one, log into your account and navigate to the Ads Help Center. You can use this link – https://www.facebook.com/business/help . Scroll down and click on the “Still Need Help” section. Go to where it says “Contact Our Support Team”.

From there, you can click on the Chat button.

There are a number of questions that you can ask Facebook Ads support. The categories are broken down as follows:

• Policy and Account Security
• Billing and Payments
• Business pages
• Ad management tools
• Measure and Improve Results

Even if your query does not fall into the above categories, you can choose the closes one, and the Facebook Ads support representatives will steer you in the proper direction (generally). This method is among the most reliable since Facebook knows you are a paying user.

You get access to features and tools you couldn’t before once you advertise with Facebook. Therefore, if you have a question regarding something that you deem essential, spending those extra dollars on an Ad can be your way through to Facebook support.

Note: Your Facebook ad spend doesn’t have to be a lot to get access to these tools. Once you run an ad, even with a total budget of $10, you are now a paid Facebook advertiser and have access to tools.

Use Your LinkedIn Network To Find Facebook Staffers Who Could Help

If you really need to contact Facebook, think outside the box.

You can use other social networking platforms to try to contact Facebook. One of the best platforms that can help with this is LinkedIn. You simply have to find someone in your network who works at or was a previous Facebook employee. Who knows, maybe they can help or at least point you in the right direction.

To find someone in your LinkedIn network who works at Facebook, follow these steps:

• Log into your LinkedIn account and search for Facebook on the search bar at the top of the page. It will display the corporate LinkedIn for Facebook.
• Near the top, you will see the option to view the more than 60,000 employees who work at Facebook. Click this link to get to a page displaying all users who have listed Facebook as current or past working experience in their profiles.
• You can narrow your search results through the “filter connections” tab on the filter bar. Choose the option to only display the first and second level connections.

Once the filter is in place, you will see the users in your network who are first and second level connections. Contact these people to determine if they can be of help.

NOTE: Don’t pester your contacts who work at Facebook with small issues like password resets or questions like how to show the Most Recent view of your Facebook feed instead of the Top Stories view . Save these types of contact for those issues where your business is locked out of their account or other critical issues

Contact Facebook Via Twitter And Try To Get Them To Respond There

I know…it sounds kinda crazy to try to contact @Facebook via Twitter , but sometimes asking a question in a wide-open forum like Twitter can get a lot of attention.

If you aren’t getting the answers you need using the standard Facebook help channels, try screaming it to the world on Facebook.  Either post your issue in a tweet and mention Facebook or try following them You may send a direct message to Facebook via Twitter.

Who knows, if your post happens to get sufficient attention, Facebook might pay attention to it.

Pro Tip – If you are experiencing an issue on Facebook, try doing some searches on Twitter to see if others are experiencing the issue. If there are others and some of them are famous, craft a tweet that mentions the problem and mention Facebook and the celebrities who are also experiencing the issue. By doing that, you potentially leverage their social following if they retweet your post.

Ask The Official Facebook Pages That Are Built For Certain Groups

Facebook has a number of official pages. Some of these pages not only post regular updates but also reply to comment from the Facebook community.

You can have some luck here. Ensure that you stay connected with the Facebook pages below and jump into the conversations whenever there is a post related to a topic you have questions about:

• Facebook – General Facebook page, not much support offered here.
• Facebook for Business – Offers information concerning business goals
• Facebook and Privacy – Explores how media companies are using the social media platform
• Facebook Media – Highlights the content strategists, designers and researchers that shape the Facebook experience
• Facebook Design – Focuses on building and growing apps with Facebook
• Facebook Engineers – Highlights the developers and site engineers

Send Facebook A Letter Via US Postal Mail

If you just can’t seem to get any traction and you are totally stuck….the last ditch effort might be to send Facebook a letter explaining your situation and seeking assistance. Here is the main address that you can try to reach Facebook via snail mail.

Facebook, Inc 1601 S. California Ave Palo Alto, CA 94304

The Oculus Approach – When You Have Exhausted ALL Other Options

Okay, this one is for those who just can’t get Facebook to respond to you and you have tried everything else. The tip actually comes from one of my commenters who indicated that she went to Wal-Mart and took a picture of the serial number of an Oculus VR headset and then called Facebook support posing as an Oculus owner.

Honestly, I don’t recommend the Oculus method.

But…there is a more legitimate alternative so keep reading.

Keep in mind that Facebook owns Oculus. Oculus VR headsets are expensive. The Oculus Quest is about $400 on Amazon , so I don’t recommend running out and buying one just so you can call support.

If you DO choose to go the Oculus route, please pay close attention to this comment that was left by a reader who went that route:

Again, buying an Oculus is an expensive way to get customer support, but there is a less-expensive alternative.

The Facebook Mini Approach – An Alternative To The Oculus Approach

The less expensive option is to buy a Facebook Portal Mini for $80 . By buying the Facebook Portal Mini, you now have a product that Facebook has a call center for support. In fact, the Facebook Portal Website even has a link to email the Portal team directly for support AND it has a chat bot that you can start a support chat.

Because you purchased their product, they’re going to do their best to get you set up and connected to your Facebook account. If your account is locked, they might be able to reach out to the Facebook account team to get it unlocked.

Best case scenario – You have a nice new portal device and your Facebook account is unlocked. If you don’t like the Portal device you can always return it under the return policy for the store where you bought it.

Worst case scenario – They don’t help you, your account is still locked, and you return the device.

Hopefully, it can provide another couple of ways to get hold of Facebook.

NOT AN OPTION – Contacting Facebook Support Via Phone

I hope you’ve made it this far in the post because this one is really important . I mentioned it above in a pro-tip, but it’s really worth repeating in its own section.

Facebook does not provide customer support via the phone. Again, there is no Facebook customer support number or a Facebook business support number.

What that means is that any phone number you see for “Facebook Support” is likely a scam. Don’t believe me? Check the image below out. This is an image of the Google snippet that shows when you Google “how can I talk to someone on the phone at Facebook”.

This snippet gives a phone number, which I have blurred out, as well as a link to a blog post that contains that phone number. It says it’s a toll-free number and makes it sound like it’s  an easy way to call someone on the phone at Facebook support.

It’s NOT.

In fact, if you Google that phone number, the results are a TON of reports of people’s credit cards being charged for the call. Not once, but over and over again. The scam effectively asks for your card in order to provide “support validation” and then fraudulently charges you.

So…again. IF you are asking yourself Does Facebook have a support phone number

Facebook does not provide customer support via the phone. Stay safe….don’t get scammed.

Another Potential Option – Having Someone Else Reach Out To Facebook On Your Behalf.

This was another great example of an email that I receive and I thought it was worth adding the response to this post so maybe someone might benefit from it.

Hi Sean, I am also in Marketing and receive your newsletters. I have one question for you. I think from what I read before that you are familiar with this Facebook thing. Last year they disabled my account by mistake, they thought I was underage, I am actually older that Facebook employees! I did send my ID a few times over the last year, no response. I built up a following for many years and did a lot of posting for years. Is there someone I can contact, some V.P or Manager, that you know of in your vast contacts, that I can contact to see if they can reinstate me with all my data after so many years of using FP faithfully? Do you have a phone number to help me fast track this? Appreciate any efforts.

and this was my response. It was a situation that I had faced previously, so I thought others might benefit from it.

I wish I could give you a contact that would fix it for you easily. Facebook can be so frustrating in the slow rate at which they undo their mistakes.   The best piece of advice I can give you will only work if your account was an administrator of a business page AND there is another active Facebook user who is also an admin of that page. What you can do is ask the other user to go to the Facebook business center and initiate a chat. Have that user indicate that another administrator on the page was incorrectly disabled and they have submitted their account information but haven’t received any notification back. Have them explain that they need the other administrator account to be reviewed and re-enabled.   https://www. facebook .com/ business/help   By having an active account that manages a Facebook page request help through the business chat, it adds some legitimacy to the request to re-enable the other account. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It kind of depends on how helpful the chat agent is feeling.

In other words, if you can get someone else to reach out to Facebook on your behalf, especially via business chat, it might get you past the Facebook automation process and onto the radar of an actual Facebook employee who might be able to help.

In Summary…

Reaching out to Facebook directly for assistance can be difficult. When you have a problem concerning your Facebook account, I would suggest taking several different avenues to get a solution. I have listed out nine different options, but don’t limit yourself to one. Try as many different approaches as it takes to get your problem solved.

If you submit the right contact form on Facebook, ask the Facebook Help Center community, start a relevant discussion on an official Facebook page post, and ask other Facebook users on various platforms, you are likely to get the support that you require. A good practice is to leverage the resources outside Facebook.

If you have a better way of getting in contact with Facebook support, I’d be really interested to hear it in the comments or via my contact form.

Also, let me know if you have had a nightmare experience with Facebook support. Maybe we can help each other solve some challenges getting in contact with the fine folks at Facebook.

–Sean

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting.

Saturday 25th of November 2023

I recently received an email notification informing me that someone attempted to reset my password. I immediately tried to regain control of my account by following the recommended account recovery procedures. Despite my prompt actions and the urgency of the situation, my account was disabled without any explanation, leaving me locked out of my own account and unable to access all services. The worst part, I am not able to access my business account. No idea what happened with my running Ads . All attempts to contact Facebook through their various available email addresses failed. I wrote and sent a letter to their headquarters in California, no response. I just don't know what else to do. I have no Facebook access since September. My business is put on hold. I really need help!

Friday 5th of January 2024

@Rachid, curious if you’ve had any luck?

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

This, while informative is way to long and full of fluff. That said at what point in human history has a business or conglomeration of those got away with so many offenses against it's customer base? The new censorship is shadow banning. The ongoing practice at our friend FB is to just not publish your comments at all or the responses of those who are in a discussion with you. If the issue is a mainstream woke issue especially. Like they are afraid a good logical debate will swing thinking back to rational. It is very unlikely that I will find myself within the borders of California at any time,ever. That state really is so Anti-American it should be kicked out of the union. Though if I was there near the scumbag operational center of FB it would be so hard to keep away from there as a protester against that communist entity. I know there are millions that think the same way. Facebook has crazy enemies and so many it leaves us to beg the question. How does Zuckerberg live? Theories abound. My favorite is he has body doubles take the risks.

Thursday 14th of September 2023

My husband is trying to reset his Facebook password because he forgot his current password. He goes through all the steps to get a link or code emailed to him and never receives it. We have tried so many options to contact Facebook except the one of sending a snail mail letter. The odd part of this whole fiasco is that daily. He gets notifications to his email as well as text messages. So Facebook is contacting him, but not sending him the link with a code to reset his password. This has been going on for literally 2+ months and we have never gotten a response from Facebook.

Maggie sajez

Tuesday 22nd of August 2023

I can't get into my fb account it was hacked.

Tuesday 31st of October 2023

@Dan, My Facebook was also hacked on October 28, 2023. I tried all the suggestions from the Facebook help center, I emailed the support link and the disabled link and I've received no response. I recently wrote a letter and mailed it via snail mail. I'm hoping that I'll get a response and b e able to recover my Facebook, but I'm not optimistic that I'll hear from anyone from Facebook or recover my Facebook account. Facebook should provide online chat for everyone not just the businesses, but then the businesses pay for their Facebook so it's all about the money to Facebook and the hell with all the people that have a regular Facebook account. Shame on Facebook!

Saturday 23rd of September 2023

@Maggie sajez, same here. A second profile i had was accessed and changed. Email is not an option to reset and the hell system only helps so much. Need live support but cant get it anywhere for over 3 weeks now

Thursday 17th of August 2023

@Kelly My account was hacked and my two factor email address was changed, so I'm not even getting the code. And every link I've tried is associated with this new email address so I can't even ask for help because the "help" goes straight to the hacker. So very frustrating. But I'm in this because I've this account nearly 20 years and I'll be damned if some low life ruins that for me. They don't want anything I have anyway, trust me, I'm a broke single mother. They're only gaining MY memories, which are worthless to them and will be discarded without a second thought when they realize. I'll try to keep everyone posted of how this goes, if I ever get my account restored. If no one is willing to or able to help me, I will not be creating a new account.

Real quick, before you go…

I hope this post helped you out! If you would like to get more helpful social media posts, be sure to add your email to my mailing list. No spam, no junk…I promise!

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AT&T Resets Millions of Passcodes After Customer Records Are Leaked

Nearly eight million customers and 65.4 million former account holders were affected by the data breach, the company said.

By Aimee Ortiz

The telecommunications giant AT&T announced on Saturday that it had reset the passcodes of 7.6 million customers after it determined that compromised customer data was “released on the dark web.”

“Our internal teams are working with external cybersecurity experts to analyze the situation,” AT&T said . “To the best of our knowledge, the compromised data appears to be from 2019 or earlier and does not contain personal financial information or call history.”

The company said that “information varied by customer and account,” but that it may have included a person’s full name, email address, mailing address, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth, AT&T account number and passcode.

In addition to those 7.6 million customers, 65.4 million former account holders were also affected.

The company said it would be “reaching out to individuals with compromised sensitive personal information separately and offering complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services.”

AT&T said it reset the passcodes for those affected and directed customers to a site with details about how to reset them. It also said that it was starting a “robust investigation supported by internal and external cybersecurity experts.”

A company representative did not address specific questions about how the breach happened or why it went unnoticed for so long.

TechCrunch, which first reported on the passcode reset , said it informed AT&T on Monday that “the leaked data contained encrypted passcodes that could be used to access AT&T customer accounts.”

TechCrunch said it delayed publishing its article until the company “could begin resetting customer account passcodes.”

In its report, TechCrunch said that “this is the first time that AT&T has acknowledged that the leaked data belongs to its customers, some three years after a hacker claimed the theft of 73 million AT&T customer records.”

AT&T had previously denied a breach of its systems but how the leak happened was unclear, TechCrunch reported.

AT&T said that it did not know whether the leaked data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors” and that it “does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in theft of the data set.”

The episode comes after AT&T customers experienced a widespread outage last month that temporarily cut off connections for users across the United States for several hours. The Feb. 22 outage affected customer in cities including Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York.

At its peak, there were around 70,000 reports of disrupted service for the wireless carrier, according to Downdetector.com , which tracks user reports of telecommunication and internet disruptions.

A few days later, AT&T offered customers affected by the outage a $5 credit in an effort to “make it right.”

Aimee Ortiz covers breaking news and other topics. More about Aimee Ortiz

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AT&T says a data breach leaked millions of customers’ information online. Were you affected?

FILE - The sign in front of an AT&T retail store is seen in Miami, July 18, 2019. The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said Saturday, March 30, 2024. In an announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the dark web contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said this weekend.

In a Saturday announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

Whether the data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors” is still unknown, the Dallas-based company noted — adding that it had launched an investigation into the incident. AT&T has also begun notifying customers whose personal information was compromised.

Here’s what you need to know.

WHAT INFORMATION WAS COMPROMISED IN THIS BREACH?

Although varying by each customer and account, AT&T says that information involved in this breach included Social Security numbers and passcodes — which, unlike passwords, are numerical PINS that are typically four digits long.

Full names, email addresses, mailing address, phone numbers, dates of birth and AT&T account numbers may have also been compromised. The impacted data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history, the company said.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I WAS AFFECTED?

Consumers impacted by this breach should be receiving an email or letter directly from AT&T about the incident. The email notices began going out on Saturday, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press.

WHAT ACTION HAS AT&T TAKEN?

Beyond these notifications, AT&T said that it had already reset the passcodes of current users. The company added that it would pay for credit monitoring services where applicable.

AT&T also said that it “launched a robust investigation” with internal and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the situation further.

HAS AT&T SEEN DATA BREACHES LIKE THIS BEFORE?

AT&T has seen several data breaches that range in size and impact over the years .

While the company says the data in this latest breach surfaced on a hacking forum nearly two weeks ago, it closely resembles a similar breach that surfaced in 2021 but which AT&T never acknowledged, cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt told the AP Saturday.

“If they assess this and they made the wrong call on it, and we’ve had a course of years pass without them being able to notify impacted customers,” then it’s likely the company will soon face class action lawsuits, said Hunt, founder of an Australia-based website that warns people when their personal information has been exposed.

A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment further when asked about these similarities Sunday.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF GOING FORWARD?

Avoiding data breaches entirely can be tricky in our ever-digitized world, but consumers can take some steps to help protect themselves going forward.

The basics include creating hard-to-guess passwords and using multifactor authentication when possible. If you receive a notice about a breach, it’s good idea to change your password and monitor account activity for any suspicious transactions. You’ll also want to visit a company’s official website for reliable contact information — as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news like data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike phishing emails or phone calls.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission notes that nationwide credit bureaus — such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — offer free credit freezes and fraud alerts that consumers can set up to help protect themselves from identity theft and other malicious activity.

AP Reporter Matt O’Brien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island.

Watch CBS News

What customers should know about AT&T's massive data breach

By Khristopher J. Brooks

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: April 2, 2024 / 5:38 PM EDT / CBS News

Millions of current and former AT&T customers learned over the weekend that hackers have likely stolen their personal information and are sharing it on the dark web . 

AT&T on Saturday said it doesn't know if the massive data breach "originated from AT&T or one of its vendors," but that it has "launched a robust investigation" into what caused the incident. The data breach is the latest cyberattack AT&T has experienced since a leak in January of 2023 , that affected 9 million users. By contrast, Saturday's much larger breach impacts 73 million current and former AT&T account holders. AT&T has seen several data breaches  over  the years that range in size and impact. 

The data breach prompted an Ohio man to file a class-action lawsuit against AT&T, accusing the telecommunications giant of negligence and breach of contract. Lawyers representing Alex Petroski of Summit County, Ohio, argued that the cyberattack could have been avoided and that AT&T's security failed to protect customer data. 

Until more details of AT&T's investigation arise, here's what customers should know about the most recent data breach.

How many people were impacted by the AT&T data breach?

AT&T said the breach on Saturday affects about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former AT&T customers. 

What type of information was taken from AT&T?

AT&T said Saturday that a dataset found on the  dark web contains information such as Social Security and passcodes. Unlike passwords, passcodes are numerical PINS that are typically four-digits long. Full names, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and AT&T account numbers may have also been compromised, the company said. The impacted data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history, it added.

Was my information affected by the AT&T data breach?

Consumers impacted by this breach should be receiving an email or letter directly from AT&T about the incident. The email notices began going out on Saturday, an AT&T spokesperson  confirmed .

What has AT&T done so far to help customers?

Beyond notifying customers, AT&T said that it had already reset the passcodes of current users. The company also said it would pay for credit-monitoring services where applicable.

What's the latest with AT&T's investigation into the breach?

AT&T hasn't disclosed details about its investigation into the data breach, but it is likely to be time-consuming and costly, according to Kevin Powers, the founding director of the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance Programs at Boston College.

The company will most likely bring in outside computer forensics specialists who will work with its on-site IT staff to determine exactly when and how the hackers got into the customer account information system, Powers said. But identifying the hackers' path of entry will be a big challenge for such a large company.

"You don't know where it came in from," Powers told CBS MoneyWatch, referring to the source of the breach. "It potentially could be from a customer or it could have been done from one of their outside contractors or someone else along their supply chain."

In addition, AT&T will have to scrub any malware out of the software that runs its customer account system, while also keeping the system running for customers who weren't impacted, he said. All these steps will have to be shared with lawyers, the outside consultants, and likely officials from the Federal Trade Commission. 

What's the best way to protect my personal information? 

Start by freezing your credit reports at all three major agencies — Equifax, Experience and TransUnion. Then sign up for 24-7 credit monitoring and enable two-factor authentication on your AT&T account, said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou, a former senior director at Capital One.

If you receive a notice about a breach, it's a good idea to change your password and monitor your account activity for any suspicious transactions. The Federal Trade Commission offers free credit freezes and fraud alerts that consumers can set up to help protect themselves from identity theft and other malicious activity.

—The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. He previously worked as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, Newsday and the Florida Times-Union. His reporting primarily focuses on the U.S. housing market, the business of sports and bankruptcy.

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AT&T resets account passcodes after millions of customer records leak online

Us telco giant takes action after 2019 data spill.

Phone giant AT&T has reset millions of customer account passcodes after a huge cache of data containing AT&T customer records was dumped online earlier this month, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.

The U.S. telco giant initiated the passcode mass-reset after TechCrunch informed AT&T on Monday that the leaked data contained encrypted passcodes that could be used to access AT&T customer accounts.

A security researcher who analyzed the leaked data told TechCrunch that the encrypted account passcodes are easy to decipher. TechCrunch alerted AT&T to the security researcher’s findings.

In a statement provided Saturday, AT&T said: “AT&T has launched a robust investigation supported by internal and external cybersecurity experts. Based on our preliminary analysis, the data set appears to be from 2019 or earlier, impacting approximately 7.6 million current AT&T account holders and approximately 65.4 million former account holders.”

“AT&T does not have evidence of unauthorized access to its systems resulting in exfiltration of the data set,” the statement also said.

TechCrunch held the publication of this story until AT&T could begin resetting customer account passcodes. AT&T also has a post on what customers can do to keep their accounts secure .

AT&T customer account passcodes are typically four-digit numbers that are used as an additional layer of security when accessing a customer’s account, such as calling AT&T customer service, in retail stores, and online.

This is the first time that AT&T has acknowledged that the leaked data belongs to its customers, some three years after a hacker claimed the theft of 73 million AT&T customer records. AT&T had denied a breach of its systems , but the source of the leak remains inconclusive.

AT&T said Saturday that “it is not yet known whether the data in those fields originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.”

In 2021, the hacker claiming the AT&T breach posted only a small sample of records, making it difficult to check if the data was authentic. Earlier in March, a data seller published the full 73 million alleged AT&T records online on a known cybercrime forum, allowing for a more detailed analysis of the leaked records. AT&T customers have since confirmed that their leaked account data is accurate .

The leaked data includes AT&T customer names, home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and Social Security numbers.

Security researcher Sam “Chick3nman” Croley told TechCrunch that each record in the leaked data also contains the AT&T customer’s account passcode in an encrypted format. Croley double-checked his findings by looking up records in the leaked data against AT&T account passcodes known only to him.

Croley said it was not necessary to crack the encryption cipher to unscramble the passcode data.

Croley took all of the encrypted passcodes from the 73 million dataset and removed every duplicate. The result amounted to about 10,000 unique encrypted values, which correlates to each four-digit passcode permutation ranging from 0000 to 9999, with a few outliers for the small number of AT&T customers with account passcodes longer than four digits.

According to Croley, the insufficient randomness of the encrypted data means it’s possible to guess the customer’s four-digit account passcode based on surrounding information in the leaked dataset.

It’s not uncommon for people to set passcodes — particularly if limited to four digits — that mean something to them. That might be the last four digits of a Social Security number or the person’s phone number, the year of someone’s birth, or even the four digits of a house number. All of this surrounding data is found in almost every record in the leaked dataset.

By correlating encrypted account passcodes to surrounding account data — such as customer dates of birth, house numbers, and partial Social Security numbers and phone numbers — Croley was able to reverse-engineer which encrypted values matched which plaintext passcode.

AT&T said it will contact all of the 7.6 million existing customers whose passcodes it reset, as well as current and former customers whose personal information was compromised.

AT&T won’t say how its customers’ data spilled online

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