Red flags
They found you, not the other way round.
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The second loss: recovery scams
After an Instagram ban, scammers offer to restore it. How to spot them, and what genuine help looks like.
Short answer. Anyone who DMs you after a ban offering to restore the account is almost certainly a scammer. Genuine help does not ask for your password, does not claim to work at Meta, and tells you plainly what it cannot do.
If you already paid
Stop paying.
What to do first
Here is the fuller version, step by step.
Red flags
- They found you, not the other way round.
- They ask for your password or login codes.
- They say they have a contact inside Meta.
- They want payment in crypto or gift cards.
If you already paid
Stop paying. Report the account to Instagram, and the payment to your bank. Change your passwords.
What to do first
Here is the fuller version, step by step.
- Take back the email account first. Change its password, sign out other sessions, and check forwarding rules.
- Look for the change-alert email from the platform; many include a link to undo the change.
- Use the platform's hacked page: instagram.com/hacked or facebook.com/hacked for Meta, Report a problem on TikTok, Snapchat Support's hacked form.
- Secure business assets: remove unknown admins, partners and apps, and pause ads.
- Tell friends and followers that recent messages may be fake. Call your bank about any charges.
What to have ready
- The device you normally use.
- The original email and phone on the account.
- Bank statements showing unknown charges.
- Photos or videos of yourself, for a selfie check.
- Change-alert emails with dates.
How to word it
- Say what you have done since: email secured, password changed.
- Give the approximate time it started and what changed (email, phone, name).
Things that slow it down
- Clicking links in messages that claim to be from the platform.
- Paying a hacker who offers to return the account.
- Using 'recovery' services that ask for your password or codes.
After you send it
- Report fraud to the police or your national fraud service if money was taken.
- Change passwords on other accounts that shared the same password.
- Turn on two-factor with an authenticator app or passkey and save backup codes.
- Remove sessions and devices you do not recognise.
When to ask for help
- A Business Portfolio or ad account was taken.
- Both the email and phone were changed.
- The account was disabled after the hacker used it.
What to send
- Your username or profile link.
- A screenshot of the notice or error, with the date visible.
- Which email or phone is on the account (just which one, never a code).
- What happened before it started, in a few lines.
Please do not send passwords, login codes, card numbers or access tokens.
How it works with Ban Help
- Message us on WhatsApp or email with the username and a screenshot of the notice.
- We tell you honestly whether this is something we can help with. Terms are agreed with you before any work starts.
- We prepare the appeal and the supporting details, to go through the platform’s own channels.
- We stay in touch while you wait. The platform makes the final decision, and nobody can promise the outcome.
About Ban Help
Ban Help is an independent account recovery service. We help people and businesses with disabled, suspended, hacked and locked accounts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and Threads, Meta ad accounts and Business Manager, username claims and impersonation reports. Contact: WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or team@unbanz.com. Independent service. Not affiliated with Meta.
QUICK ANSWERS
Good to know.
Is Ban Help any different?
We never ask for passwords, never claim inside contacts, and say plainly when we cannot help. Terms are agreed with you before any work starts.
Should I pay the hacker?
No. Payment rarely returns the account and often leads to more demands.
Should I report it to the police?
Yes if money was taken or you are being threatened.
Can the platform see that I was hacked?
Recovery tools look at the original email, phone and devices. Using those helps.
Is SMS two-factor enough?
An authenticator app or passkey is safer, because SIM swaps can move your number.