The Unimaginable Happened: Our Client’s Business Facebook Page Got Hacked

Lemon Pip Digital
Oct 22
2 min read

You never think it’ll happen to you - until it does.

One of our clients, a recruitment agency based in Cheshire, Manchester, recently experienced something that’s becoming all too common: their Business Facebook account was hacked.

And not just by chance, this was a calculated, organised scam that’s currently affecting small businesses across the UK.

What Happened?

Out of nowhere, the company’s CEO found their Facebook access revoked. Strange, right?

When the only team member with remaining access checked the Page Access History, things got even stranger. Hidden behind the scenes, unknown individuals from Vietnam had been quietly adding and removing page managers, effectively taking control of the business’s Facebook Page and Ad Account.

They’d even attached the page to a Business Portfolio that nobody recognised, a clear sign the hackers were preparing to use the account to run ads in Vietnam, funded by our client’s money.

This is part of the latest Facebook scam targeting small businesses: hackers gain admin control of legitimate accounts, then run foreign ad campaigns using your budget, often promoting fake products, cryptocurrency schemes, or other fraudulent ads.

Thankfully, the credit card linked to the ad account was out of date, so no funds were actually stolen. But it took hours of investigation, verification, and back-and-forth communication with Facebook to remove the unauthorised users and regain full control.

How Did They Get In?

The weak link wasn’t the business account itself; it was a personal Facebook account connected to it.

Remember, every Facebook Page is managed through personal profiles. That means if one employee’s account is compromised, hackers can gain direct access to your business assets.

In this case, one of the team’s personal accounts was hacked, quietly, without them even realising. From there, the attackers gained entry to the company’s Business Manager and took over.

This is exactly how the current wave of Facebook Business hacks works: scammers target individual user logins rather than the business directly.

Lessons Learned & How to Protect Your Business

If your business uses Facebook for marketing, hiring, or brand awareness, take this as a serious warning. These scams are spreading fast, and small businesses are often the easiest targets.

Here’s how to protect yourself:

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on every team member’s Facebook account.
Review Page Access and Roles regularly. Remove anyone who no longer needs access.
Monitor Ad Accounts regularly for unusual spending or campaigns.
Educate your team, as one compromised account can expose your entire business.
Keep your payment methods up to date and secure - ironically, in this case, an expired card saved the day.