Ashley just got off work for the day. She opened her phone and clicked on her favorite social media app. She was eager to see what her friends and family were up to. But when the app opened, she had been logged out. She was locked out of her account. Desperate to regain access, she turned to the internet for help. She searched “how to recover my social media account” and came across a recovery company that promised to assist her for a fee. Ashley decided to give it a try and paid the requested fee.
As time went on, Ashley waited for her account to be recovered. She reached out to the company, and they asked for more personal information and an additional fee. Eventually, Ashley realized that the account recovery company was not going to be able to recover her account and that it was likely a scam. Ashley was correct. The company was fake. It was run by scammers posing as experts to gain access to user’s personal information and money.
Did you spot the red flags?
- Ashley should have researched the company first before paying the fee for their services.
- After the company requested more personal information and money, Ashley should have reported the company and the charges.
- Ashley should have reached out to the social media company directly instead of finding a third-party service.
What you should know about this scam
Set up a second verification method like a recovery email or phone number so you can easily recover your account in this situation.
Never pay for social media account recovery services. The platform’s actual customer support channels will offer help for free.
These scams come in many forms. Scammers may reach out directly and claim your account has been hacked or that someone is making purchases on your account. Avoid third-party services offering recovery and go directly to the company website or customer service number.