Scam warnings
FinalOut never asks for your password. It never contacts any company for you. It never charges to recover an account.
People who have lost an account are a target for scammers. Here is what we know.
Never pay a "recovery" service
- Report Fraud says people reported £6.3 million stolen through email and social media hacking in 2025/26. In 2024/25 it was £1.2 million. That is a rise of 417%. This only counts reports made to Report Fraud. (Source: Report Fraud. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Report Fraud says this type of hacking "remains the most reported form of cyber crime in the UK". It advises passkeys and 2-step verification. (Source: Report Fraud. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Metro reported in June 2026 that one so-called recovery seller claimed to charge up to $4,000. This is a news report of one seller's own claim. (Source: Metro. Checked 25 October 2026.)
What the platforms say
- Instagram "will never send you direct messages about your account in the Instagram app". Official emails from the last 14 days are listed in settings. (Source: Instagram Help Centre. Checked 25 October 2026.)
Official video from Instagram (2024)
Identity and prevent phishing
It is about fake messages that try to get your password or security codes.
If you are signed in to YouTube, the video may show in your YouTube history.
- Scammers send phishing emails "claiming to come from Meta" asking you to click a link urgently. (Source: Instagram Help Centre. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Instagram's three rules: slow down, spot check, don't send. "No reputable organisation will demand payment on the spot." (Source: Instagram Help Centre. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Snapchat: "A Snapchat representative will never ask you for" your password or My Eyes Only passcode. (Source: Snapchat Support. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Facebook has a help page on how to check if a call or email from a "Meta representative" is real. (Source: Facebook Help Centre. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- The Cyber Helpline warns that people pretend to be it. As a charity, it never asks for money for its service. (Source: The Cyber Helpline. Checked 25 October 2026.)
Been scammed?
- Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): 0300 123 2040. (Source: Report Fraud. Checked 25 October 2026.)
- Scotland: Police Scotland on 101. (Source: GOV.UK. Checked 25 October 2026.)