Official Account Recovery vs Fake Recovery Services
After an account is hacked, "recovery experts" appear in comments and messages offering to get it back for a fee. Why they are almost always scams, and how official recovery actually works.
You post that your account was hacked, and within minutes the replies arrive: "Contact @recovery_expert_ they got my account back in 2 hours!" "DM me, I'm a certified ethical hacker." It feels like help. It is almost always a second scam, aimed at people who are stressed and desperate to get their account back.
How fake recovery services work
- They find you through your public posts about being hacked, or through search adverts.
- They build trust with fake testimonials, often from other fake accounts.
- They ask for a fee, usually in crypto or gift cards, sometimes "half upfront".
- They ask for details: your email, phone, passwords or codes.
- They disappear, ask for more money, or use your details to take over more accounts.
Nobody can hack an account back for you. Only the platform can restore it, and it does not charge for recovery.
Official recovery vs fake recovery
| Official recovery | Fake recovery service |
|---|---|
| Through the platform's own app or website | Through DMs, comments, WhatsApp or Telegram |
| Free | Fees, often in crypto or gift cards |
| May ask for ID or a video selfie inside the app | Asks for your passwords and codes |
| Can take time | Promises results in hours |
Where to start instead
- Recovering a hacked Instagram account
- Recovering a hacked Facebook account
- Recovering a hacked TikTok or X account
- Recovering a hacked email account
If you already paid
- Stop paying and stop contact.
- If you shared passwords or codes, change them and turn on two-step verification.
- Contact your bank or the exchange you used.
- Report the accounts to the platform and the scam to your national service.
The same trick is used after money scams; see recovery scams.
Got a recovery offer? Paste it into CyberWatch AI Scan for a free check.
For the full process, see how to recover a taken-over account in our complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a hacker recover my account for me?
No legitimate service can bypass a platform's security to return your account. People offering this either take your money and vanish, or use the details you give them to take more accounts.
Why do these offers appear under my posts?
Scammers watch for people posting about hacked accounts and reply with fake testimonials and contact details.
What is the only reliable way to recover an account?
The platform's official recovery process, reached through its app or by typing its website address.
Sources
- How To Recover Your Hacked Email or Social Media Account, US Federal Trade Commission
- Refund and Recovery Scams, US Federal Trade Commission
- Recovering a hacked account, UK National Cyber Security Centre
