Hacked Friend Scams on Facebook
Scammers hijack or clone Facebook profiles to message friends with urgent money requests, fake grants, or links, exploiting established trust.
Part of: Hacked Friend Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
On Facebook a hacked friend scam trades on years of established connection. A Messenger note from someone you know — about an emergency, a grant they 'received', or a link you 'must see' — slips past the scepticism a stranger would face, because the request appears to come from a trusted face.
Scammers achieve this by compromising a real account through phishing or by cloning a profile with copied photos and a similar name. Either route turns your relationship into the lever that pries loose money or your own login.
How this scam works on Facebook
A message from a friend's account describes an urgent need — help with a bill, a stranded situation, a 'great grant' you should also claim — and pushes you to send money or click a link. Clone profiles send friend requests first, then launch the same pitch.
Links may lead to phishing pages that steal your login, while money requests route to the scammer. The hijacked or cloned account then spreads the scam to that friend's network, multiplying the reach.
The emotional, time-pressured framing is designed to stop you from calling the friend, which would immediately reveal the deception.
Common red flags
- A friend's account messages you with an urgent money request
- You are told about a grant or deal the friend supposedly received
- A link is pushed with urgency to 'see' or 'claim' something
- You receive a friend request from someone already in your friends list
- The writing or details feel off for that person
- Payment is requested via transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency
How to protect yourself
- Contact the friend through another channel to confirm before acting
- Be alert to duplicate friend requests, a sign of a cloned profile
- Do not click links or send money on the strength of a Messenger request
- Never enter your login on a page reached from a Messenger link
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Facebook account
- Report the compromised or cloned account and warn the real friend
How to report it
- Use Facebook's 'Report' tool on the profile or Messenger conversation
- Warn the real friend so they can recover and secure their account
- File a report with your national fraud or cybercrime reporting centre
Frequently asked questions
I got a friend request from someone already on my list — what is it?
This often signals a cloned profile: a scammer copied your friend's photos and name to message their contacts. Verify with your friend through another channel and report the duplicate account rather than accepting it.