Account recovery scams: how to spot and avoid them

This guide helps you tell a genuine service from a fraud. Apply these rules to anyone who offers you help, including us.

Warning signs

• They message you first, right after you mention your problem in public.
• They claim to be “ethical hackers” or to have a contact inside Meta.
• They ask for your password, verification codes or to install an app.
• They demand payment in crypto, gift cards or transfers to someone else’s name.
• They guarantee 100% recovery or a fixed number of hours.
• They show screenshots and testimonials that can’t be checked.
• Once you pay, a “last problem” appears that needs another payment.

What you should know

Instagram and Facebook’s official recovery processes are free and done from your own device. Meta doesn’t send direct messages offering to recover your account, and no employee can “unlock” it for money. Any legitimate service can only help you use those processes better.

How to check whether a service is genuine

• It has its own website with a legal notice, privacy policy and clear contact details.
• It explains what it does and doesn’t do, without absolute promises.
• It works with official routes and leaves you in control: you make the submissions from your device.
• It never asks for passwords or codes.
• It tells you the price in writing before starting.
• It explains how it verifies the reviews it publishes.

If you have already been scammed

• Stop paying and replying, even if they threaten you or promise a refund.
• If you shared the password to your email or other accounts, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
• Keep screenshots of the conversations, profiles and payment receipts.
• File a police report with your local police or cybercrime unit.
• If you paid by card, contact your bank as soon as possible.
• Report the scammer’s profile on the platform itself.