What steps can you take if your account is compromised or hacked?

Account compromise on Reddit most commonly manifests as receiving an email notification that your account email address or password has been changed — notifications you did not initiate — or noticing posts, comments, or messages in your account history that you did not create. The moment you detect any of these signs, the response window is critical, because the longer an attacker has access, the more damage they can do and the more difficult recovery becomes. The first step is to attempt a password reset using Reddit's "Forgot Password" feature, which sends a reset link to the email address currently associated with the account. If the attacker has changed the email address, Reddit sends a notification to your original email explaining how to reverse the change. Entering your original email address on the account recovery screen and following the instructions can restore access even after an email change, provided you still have access to the original inbox. Act quickly — these recovery windows are time-limited. Once you have regained access, immediately change your password to a strong, unique one not used elsewhere. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) using an authenticator app rather than SMS if possible, since SIM-swapping attacks can compromise SMS-based 2FA. Review your account for unauthorized activity — check your post and comment history, direct messages, and any connected applications — and remove anything posted by the attacker. If you cannot regain access through password reset, submit a support request through Reddit's Help Center at reddit.com/support. Select the option for account access problems and provide your username, the email you believe was originally associated with the account, and any evidence you have that the account is yours. Reddit's account recovery process for fully compromised accounts requires this support pathway. After recovery, audit the password and 2FA status of any other services where you used the same email and password combination, since credential attacks frequently exploit reuse across platforms.