Is it safe to pay someone to recover your Instagram or Facebook account?

Paying a stranger who contacts you offering to recover your account is almost never safe. These "recovery hackers" take the money and disappear, or ask for more. A genuine service won't ask for your password or a login code by message, never promises a result, works through Meta's own process, and can tell you exactly who they are. Meta's own appeal route is free.

As soon as you post that your account is gone, the messages start: comments and DMs from accounts promising to "get it back in 24 hours". People who are desperate, locked out and getting no answers from Meta are exactly who these scammers look for.

We hear the results. One person paid an overseas "fixer" thousands of dollars, twice, and was ghosted both times. Others tell us, "We have been scammed out of a lot of money, hence the hesitation." That caution is healthy, including towards us.

How do recovery scams work?

The pattern is nearly always the same:

1. They find you. A comment under your post, a DM, a Telegram or WhatsApp message, or a "Meta support" account. You didn't contact them.
2. They promise speed and certainty. "Guaranteed", "100% success", "back today".
3. They ask for money up front, often by crypto, gift card or a payment app that is hard to reverse.
4. They ask for your login details, or for a code sent to your phone.
5. They ask for more. A "software fee", a "server fee", a "final step". Then they vanish.

Some go further and use the access you give them to take over your email or other accounts.

How can I tell a genuine service from a scam?

Ask these questions of anyone you are thinking of paying, including us.

• Did they contact you first? Genuine services don't cold-message people about their accounts. Meta doesn't offer recovery by DM either.
• Do they want your password or a login code by message? Never send them to someone you haven't checked out. A code sent to your phone is exactly what a scammer needs to take the account, and your email, for themselves.
• Do they guarantee the result? Meta makes the final decision on every account. Nobody honest can guarantee it.
• Do they work through Meta's own process? The legitimate route is Meta's appeal and its account support. "Hacking back in" is not a service, it is a crime, and it usually isn't real.
• Can you check who they are? Look for a real business name, an Australian Business Number you can check on the ABN Lookup site, a phone number and a physical location, and a refund policy you can read before paying.
• How do they take payment? A normal checkout with a receipt is a good sign. Crypto, gift cards or a personal bank transfer is not.

What if someone is demanding money to give my account back?

If the person who took your account is asking for money, don't pay and don't reply. Paying is no guarantee you get it back, and people who pay are often asked for more. Screenshot the messages, block the sender, and report it to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.

If anyone threatens to share intimate images of you, that is sextortion. Don't pay. Report it to eSafety at esafety.gov.au, and call 000 if you feel unsafe.

I've already paid. What now?

1. Stop all contact and don't send anything else, however urgent they make it sound.
2. Call your bank or payment provider straight away and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
3. Change your passwords if you gave them any login details, starting with your email, and turn on two-factor authentication.
4. Report it at cyber.gov.au.

Then go back to the real process: what to do when your account is disabled.

Is it ever worth paying for help?

It can be, if the help is genuine. The free route is Meta's own appeal, and you should try it first. When that has failed, what people usually pay for is time and know-how: someone who knows how Meta's support process works, what to say, and how to keep going after a "no".

That is what we do. SafetyNet is an independent Brisbane cyber security company with an ABN, a phone number and a real team. We work for you, not for Meta, and we have featured in 7NEWS and Yahoo Finance coverage of hacked accounts and the recovery scams that follow them. We don't promise results, because Meta decides.

When the Recovery Kit helps

If your account was disabled, including after a hack, and you would rather do it yourself, the Recovery Kit is the method our technicians use, set out one step at a time on your phone. You stay in control the whole way: the Kit never needs your password or a login code. A specialist on our team reads your first appeal before you send it.

It is A$79, one-time, through a normal checkout, with 12 months of access and written terms you can read first. You need to be 18 or over, because the method uses Meta Verified.

If your account is still active but someone else controls it, the Kit isn't the right fit. Talk to our team instead.

Start the Recovery Kit

Frequently asked questions

Is it a scam if someone DMs me offering to recover my account?

Almost certainly. Genuine services don't cold-message people about their accounts, and Meta doesn't offer recovery by DM. Don't reply, don't pay, and never send a password or login code.

Can anyone guarantee to recover a disabled Instagram account?

No. Meta makes the final decision on every account, so no honest service can promise a result.

What should I do if I paid a recovery scammer?

Stop contact, call your bank or payment provider straight away to try to stop or reverse the payment, change any passwords you shared, and report it at cyber.gov.au.