Instagram scammers are allegedly charging hack victims thousands of dollars to restore their accounts, according to reports from dozens of users on X and Meta's help forum. The victims claim their Instagram or Facebook profiles were banned 'for no reason,' often blaming Meta's AI-powered moderation system.
Scammers Target Suspended Users
Suspended users have reported receiving messages from so-called 'digital asset recovery experts' who demand fees to recover their accounts. Metro uncovered Telegram con artists claiming to have connections within Meta, referred to as 'reps,' who can restore accounts. Some use AI-generated videos of success stories to build trust with victims.
One user claimed on Monday to have recovered 160 accounts in the past week, charging up to $4,000 to 'afford chicken masala.' They wrote, 'Yo [Instagram] can you let the Ai disable some accounts by mistake again please ok ? Thanks <3 ❤️'
Victim Stories
Among those affected is Heisenberg, whose eight-year-old Instagram account was locked in May. He denies any wrongdoing and expressed frustration: 'The most frustrating part was not being given a clear explanation or a meaningful way to appeal the decision. It often felt like I was receiving copy-pasted responses rather than having my case individually reviewed.'
While posting about his situation on X, a user messaged him claiming to be 'partnered with Meta' and offered to reboot his account for $5,000, including 'five-year insurance' against future bans. When pressed for proof, the scammer sent a voice note saying he had 'no badge' but boasted of being a 'secret weapon' for influencers, able to add them to a 'white list.' Heisenberg declined and later regained his account through official channels.
Sanjana Bandara's nine-year-old account was locked on June 5 after Meta AI flagged it. He has struggled with the appeals process, and each post on X attracts near-identical scam offers. 'Suspended users appear to be actively targeted by scammers almost immediately after posting publicly about their cases. I believe there is an established underground industry dedicated to scamming people whose accounts have been suspended,' he said.
Expert Warnings
Social Media Experts LTD received 1,500 enquiries related to Instagram account issues in May, a 40% increase from March. A spokesperson noted, 'The difficult part for users is that they often get very little detail from Meta, and the appeal process can be quite limited.'
Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN, said scammers exploit victims at their most vulnerable. Most 'tech support scams' follow a pattern: pay upfront, the scammer disappears, then demands more money while collecting personal information. 'If any third party is claiming they can influence account recovery from the inside, that is not a legitimate customer service route. This would be a serious abuse of trust and should be reported to Meta,' Briedis said.
Pieter Arntz of Malwarebytes warned that these third parties might be responsible for the bans in the first place, using bot-driven mass-report campaigns to force Instagram's automated systems to suspend accounts. 'It's very feasible that scammers would specifically contact a banned victim or throw out a wider web to lure victims into tech support scam operations,' he added.
Metro saw a Telegram page share a video in April showing an 'ig ban exploit' that could falsely ban an account within minutes. By June, the user was offering to unban accounts for $400.
What to Do if Your Account Is Disabled
Experts recommend the following steps:
- Appeal through Instagram's in-app or help centre recovery path immediately.
- Ensure you are communicating only with Instagram or Meta, not third parties.
- Document everything: screenshots of the disabled notice, usernames, timestamps, and suspicious messages.
- If possible, secure the account by changing the password, enabling two-factor authentication, and reviewing login activity.
- Do not pay anyone or give them access to your device. If you paid, contact your bank and report the scam; credit card payments may be recoverable.
Meta's AI Enforcement
Meta began testing AI-powered content enforcement last year, with early changes proving 'positive.' In March, the company announced a more advanced AI model to be rolled out over the coming years. The software aims to remove content related to terrorism, child exploitation, drugs, fraud, and scams while reducing over-enforcement mistakes.
However, Aras Nazarovas, a senior information security researcher at Cybernews, expressed concern about over-reliance on AI. 'In this rush to introduce new AI capabilities, security testing can sometimes be overlooked, which can allow attackers to exploit weaknesses that should have been identified before launch,' he said.
Meta and X have been approached for comment.
