Fake Account-Recovery Scams

What it is

Fake account-recovery scams promise to restore a locked or stolen account but instead steal fees, credentials, or recovery material. They impersonate support agents, advertise in search results, or reply to public pleas for help. This differs from financial recovery scams because the sought asset is access to the account itself.

How it works

The supposed helper directs you to a copied recovery page or asks for backup codes and identity documents. These can complete the attacker's own recovery attempt. They may demand repeated fees or ask you to change the recovery email to an address they control, claiming it is a temporary technical step.

How people get tricked

Urgency and frustration make unofficial help appealing. A support-like username, logo, or testimonial can look convincing without any connection to the provider. Someone who knows how recovery works may be using that knowledge to take the account, not return it.

Example scenario

A 'support specialist' responding to your public post asks for a backup code and promises to unlock the account. The code lets them authenticate while you remain locked out.

Warning signs

• Support contacts you through an unsolicited social-media message.
• A stranger asks for backup codes, passwords, or a recovery-email change.
• Access is guaranteed in return for a fee outside the provider's normal process.

If it happens to you

Stop contact and use the official recovery process. If codes or passwords were shared, revoke sessions and regenerate recovery codes after regaining access. Inspect recovery addresses and linked devices. Preserve payment records and notify the provider about the impersonating profile.