Fake Meta messages: how accounts get stolen
Most hacks start with a message that looks official.
Stuck? Hand it to a recovery team and skip the guesswork.
We'll handle it for youThe usual bait
- "Copyright infringement: appeal within 24 hours or your account is deleted"
- "You've been selected for the blue badge"
- A friend's account asking you to vote, or to send them a code "sent by mistake"
- "Meta Support" page DMing you about a violation
How to check
- Instagram: Settings, Security, Emails from Instagram lists every real email sent recently.
- Real Meta warnings show in Account Status, not in DMs.
- Never type your password on a page you reached from a link.
Clicked one already? Go to the active intruder playbook. UnbanPro also explains the "may have been compromised" email.
Real vs fake
| Real Meta | Fake |
|---|---|
| Warnings in Account Status and Support Inbox | Warnings in DMs |
| Emails listed in Instagram's Emails from Instagram | Emails that aren't listed there |
| Links to instagram.com, facebook.com or meta.com | Lookalike domains |
More recovery guides
- Instagram hacked: the recovery checklist
- Facebook hacked: the recovery checklist
- Disabled, suspended, locked or hacked? How to tell
- No email, no phone: the recovery route
- Someone's in your account right now
- Username changed or account deleted
- Lock it down after recovery
- Two-factor authentication, done right
- Spotting recovery scams
- Warn your followers
- Business assets after a hack
- WhatsApp hijacked: getting it back
- Your account emergency kit
- Prevention checklist
- Recovery FAQ
- Getting past "Confirm you're human"
- Getting the video selfie accepted
- Security code not arriving
- The hacker turned on two-factor
- Hacked, then disabled
- Facebook "Your account has been locked"
- Unknown account in your Accounts Center
- SIM swap: when your number is the weak spot
- Suspicious login alerts
- Recover your email first