Accounts and assets · Unusual activity
Why did Meta restrict my account for unusual activity?
When Meta notices unusual activity, or suspects a business portfolio, ad account, Page or profile has been hacked, it may temporarily limit spending, payment features or adding people while it investigates. Secure every login first, undo any changes you don’t recognise, then follow the steps Meta lists in Business Support Home.
Signs of unusual activity
- Signs that a profile was taken over: a changed password, email or phone number, a login alert you didn’t trigger, or a device you don’t recognise.“An email from Facebook saying your password was changed, and it wasn’t you.”
- Someone took control of a Page or business portfolio, by hacking an admin’s profile or by tricking an admin into handing over access.“A message posing as Meta support asks an admin to ‘verify’ the Page through a link.”
- Ad charges or spend nobody on the team recognises.“Overnight campaigns in an unfamiliar language on a client’s ad account.”
- Unusual payment or account activity, including high rates of failed or disputed payments.“A run of declined cards and a chargeback in the same week.”
- Missing two-factor authentication where Meta requires it, which leaves the portfolio easier to break into.“An older business portfolio where half the people never set up two-factor.”
How to secure and recover the account
- Secure each personal profile first. Go to facebook.com/hacked on a device you have logged in on before. If your email was changed, use the link Meta sends to the old address to reverse it, and log out devices you don’t recognise.
- If you lost access to a Page, submit Meta’s Page recovery form while logged in. Meta aims to reply within a day, and can only act if it confirms the Page was compromised.
- Undo changes you didn’t make. Check people and partners in the business portfolio and the Ad account roles in Ads Manager settings, and remove anyone you don’t recognise.
- Check money. In Billing & payments, open Payment activity and click the Transaction ID of any unfamiliar charge to see which ads it paid for. Confirm with anyone who shares the account or card before assuming a hack.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for everyone, and require it for the business portfolio in Meta Business Suite settings. Meta also offers Security Checkup and Advanced Protection.
- Then open Business Support Home, select the restricted account and complete the What you can do steps, such as Secure your account or Confirm your identity.
What to expect next
- Expect some changes from Meta’s side. To recover an account it may have removed admins, paused ads or changed payment methods, so check these before relaunching.
- If you still don’t recognise the activity and believe the ad account was hacked, contact Meta through the link on its unrecognised activity help page.
- Treat any ‘Meta’ message about the restriction with care. Meta only emails from its own domains, such as facebook.com, meta.com and facebookmail.com, never asks for your password or payment details, and shows real account issues in Business Support Home. Report phishing to phish@fb.com.
- Do not open new ad accounts or a new business portfolio to get round the limits. Restore the existing accounts; Meta can restrict assets used to evade its enforcement or review processes.
- Keep records: dates, what you saw, which people you removed, the charges you queried and the steps you completed.
Check your next ad before you upload it
Paste the copy and add the image or video. The free checker scores the rejection risk, points to the exact words at fault and the Meta policy behind each one, and suggests a safer version. It estimates risk; it isn't a decision from Meta.
Likely to be rejected. Fix the flagged lines before you upload.
This supplement ad combines a personal-attribute callout, a specific weight-loss result, guaranteed results, clickbait and a URL shortener, so it is very likely to be rejected.
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
https://bit.ly/slim-offer
6 issues found · tap a highlight to jump to it
“Are you struggling with belly fat?” · primary text
The ad asserts a personal characteristic about the viewer by addressing them directly about a body condition.
Fix: Our gummies are designed to support a healthy metabolism.
“helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!!” · primary text
A specific weight-loss amount within a short timeframe is an exaggerated, unrealistic result, and supplement ads must target 18+.
Fix: Remove the specific result; use a general statement such as 'Part of a balanced routine for healthy weight management.'
“GUARANTEED RESULTS” · headline
Guaranteed results are a prohibited claim for health and weight-loss products.
Fix: Use 'Start your wellness routine today' or remove the claim entirely.
“Doctors hate this one trick.” · primary text
This is classic clickbait, and the triple exclamation marks add to the sensational tone.
Fix: Replace with 'Learn how our gummies fit into a healthy routine.'
“See the before and after pics.” · primary text
Before-and-after comparisons for weight loss are high risk and draw rejection.
Fix: Remove the before-and-after reference and focus on the product's ingredients.
“https://bit.ly/slim-offer” · landing page
URL shorteners hide the true destination and are high risk, and can lead to account-level enforcement.
Fix: Use the full, direct landing page URL on the brand's own domain.
Safer version
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
Meet our gummies, designed to support a healthy metabolism. Easy to add to your day and made to fit into a balanced routine for healthy weight management. Learn how they fit into a healthy routine.
Start your wellness routine today
Also change: Link: replace the bit.ly shortener with the full, direct URL on your own brand domain, and make sure the landing page has no before-and-after photos, guaranteed-result claims or specific weight-loss numbers. Creative: remove any before-and-after images and any overlay text about kilos lost. Show the product or lifestyle shots instead, with overlay text like "Support your healthy routine". Set ad targeting to 18+.
Questions
What can Meta limit after unusual activity?
Meta lists limited ad spending or a lower payment threshold, loss of some payment features, and losing the ability to add admins, partners or users or to create new ad accounts. These are temporary while it investigates.
Why was I removed as an admin or my ads paused?
If Meta saw suspicious activity, it may have acted to recover the account by removing admins, pausing ads or changing payment methods. Check Business Support Home and contact Meta if you still don’t recognise what happened.
I was charged after I stopped my ads. Was I hacked?
Not necessarily. Meta says it is normal to be charged several times a month, and even after ads stop, because you are billed when you reach your payment threshold or your monthly bill date.
Do I really need two-factor authentication?
Meta requires it for some business portfolios more than 90 days old and for advertisers targeting certain regions. Without it, Meta may restrict or remove people’s access to advertising.
How do I know a Meta email is real?
Check the sender’s domain against Meta’s list, which includes fb.com, facebook.com, facebookmail.com, meta.com and metamail.com. You can also confirm any real issue in Business Support Home.
Meta's official pages
- About advertising restrictions (Meta Business Help Center)
- Troubleshoot unrecognized activity on your ad account (Meta Business Help Center)
- Recover your Facebook account if you were hacked (Facebook Help Center)
- Recover a hacked Facebook Page you manage (Facebook Help Center)
- Verify if a call or email from a Meta representative is real (Meta Business Help Center)
Ad Account Shield is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta.
Related guides
- Business portfolio restrictedA restricted business portfolio can’t advertise, and that reaches every asset it owns.
- Ad account disabled (payment)A failed payment pauses your ads and disables the account until the balance is paid.
- Profile restrictedYour own profile can’t advertise, and ad accounts where you’re the only user can go down too.