Reddit account hacked? Here’s what to do
Move fast and in the right order: reclaim the account through Reddit’s official flow, kick the attacker out of every session, then close the door they came through — usually a password that leaked in a breach and was reused.
If your Reddit account was hacked: start recovery at the official page (support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205240005), change the password to a unique one, sign out all other sessions, and re-check the recovery email and phone on the account. Then find out how the attacker got in — check whether your password appears in known breach data — and turn on two-factor authentication so it can’t happen again.
Recover your Reddit account, step by step
These steps follow Reddit’s official process. Official links only: account recovery · password reset.
Reset the password via reddit.com/password using your verified email.
If the email was changed, file the compromised-account report on the official help page with your username and any past verification details.
Back inside: revoke unknown app authorizations, check your email is yours, and review recent posts/comments for content that could get the account banned.
Enable two-factor authentication (Settings → Safety & Privacy) and store the backup codes.
What trips people up with Reddit
- A Reddit account with no verified email is nearly unrecoverable after takeover — the attacker verifies THEIR email and ownership flips. If you still have access and no verified email, fix that today.
- Check reddit.com/settings → connected apps: takeovers via third-party app tokens survive password changes until you revoke them.
Still logged in? Lock the account down now
If you can still get in, you're racing the attacker. In this order: change the password to a long, unique one; sign out all other sessions/devices (the setting exists in Reddit's security settings); confirm the recovery email and phone number are yours (attackers quietly add their own so they can "recover" the account later); remove unfamiliar linked apps or API access; and turn on two-factor authentication. Only then deal with anything the attacker posted, sent or bought.
Locked out of Reddit — email or phone was changed
This is the worst-case scenario and the most common complaint: the attacker changed the account email, phone number or password so the normal reset flow emails them, not you. Do NOT keep triggering password resets — they go to the hacker. Go straight to Reddit's dedicated recovery flow (link above), which is built for exactly this case: it verifies you by your original signup details, previous passwords, linked devices or a government ID / selfie check, bypassing the stolen email. Watch for the security notice Reddit sent to your OLD email when the address was changed — it usually contains a "revert this change" link that works for a limited time and is the fastest way back in.
Got a "new login" alert from Reddit?
Treat it as real but verify it the safe way: never tap the link in the message itself (fake login alerts are a top phishing template for Reddit). Open the app or type the address yourself, check the active-sessions list in security settings, and if you see a device or location you don't recognize, sign it out and change your password immediately. If the alert was genuine, that password is burned — assume it's circulating and change it everywhere else you reused it.
Reddit banned or disabled the account after the hack
Very common: the attacker used your account for spam, scams or rule-breaking, and Reddit's automated systems suspended it before you got it back. Don't create a replacement account — that can itself violate the terms and complicate reinstatement. Instead, appeal through the official process and state clearly that the account was compromised, when you lost access, and that the violating activity wasn't yours. Appeals that mention a documented hack (password-change emails, login alerts — keep the timestamps) are routinely overturned, but it can take days to weeks.
Why this happened — and how to make sure it can’t again
About a third of account takeovers are credential stuffing: a password you used on Reddit (or the email behind it) leaked in some other company’s breach, and attackers replayed it here automatically. The FBI’s IC3 logged over 5,100 account-takeover complaints with $262M in losses in 2025 alone (IC3). Even when Reddit itself was never breached, your reused password from another site opens it.
So after recovery, check what’s already out there: our free scanner shows which known breaches and dark-web dumps include your email — and whether passwords were exposed with it.
Check my exposure — free →After you recover: three doors to close
- Unique password + 2FA. A password manager plus app-based two-factor stops both stuffing and phishing replays.
- Reset everywhere you reused that password — email first (it’s the master key), then bank, then the rest.
- Shrink your public footprint. Attackers research targets on data-broker sites (your address, phone, relatives — enough to social-engineer support lines). Our free opt-out guide covers 190 of them, step by step.
Hacked Reddit account, answered
How did my Reddit account get hacked?
The most common cause isn't a hack of Reddit itself — it's credential stuffing: a password you used on Reddit leaked from some other site's breach, and attackers tried it here automatically. Roughly a third of account takeovers happen this way, with phishing (fake Reddit login pages and alerts) close behind. That's why the first fix is a unique password, not just a new one.
Can I get my Reddit account back?
Usually yes. Use the official recovery flow (https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205240005) — it can verify you even when the attacker changed the email and password. Be patient and respond quickly to follow-ups so the case stays open.
Should I just make a new Reddit account instead?
Not until you've tried recovery. The old account keeps your history and contacts — and while the attacker controls it, it will be used to scam people who trust you. Recover it, or at minimum report it as compromised so Reddit can lock it, before you start over.
The hacker is posting and messaging as me on Reddit — what do I tell people?
Warn your contacts through another channel not to click links or send money to "you", and report the account as compromised to Reddit even before recovery finishes. Most platforms freeze visibly abusive accounts fast, which cuts the damage while your recovery case is processed.
How do I stop my Reddit account being hacked again?
Three things close most of the doors: a unique password (a manager makes this painless), app-based two-factor authentication, and shrinking your exposed footprint — checking your email against known breach databases and removing your personal data from data-broker sites that attackers use to research targets.