Meta urged by U.S. states to combat Facebook, Instagram account hijackings

Forty U.S. states and Washington, D.C. called on Meta to crack down on scammers who hijack Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Forty U.S. states and Washington, D.C. called on Meta Platforms to crack down on scammers who hijack Facebook and Instagram accounts, to address a "dramatic" surge in account takeovers.

In a letter to Meta's chief lawyer, states led by New York Attorney General Letitia James said fraudsters are "winning the war and running rampant on Meta," after the company in November 2022 announced thousands of job cuts focused on security and privacy.

The states said New York has since 2019 received a 1,000% increase in complaints about scammers who access accounts and change passwords, enabling them to read private messages and pose as actual users to deceive contacts and the public.

Four of the states - Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Vermont - reported increases in complaints exceeding 250% in the last year alone.

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"Social media is how millions of Americans connect," James said in a statement. "Having your social media account taken over by a scammer can feel like having someone sneak into your home and change all of the locks."

The states urged Meta to spend more money to prevent account takeovers, including through increased staffing, and to work more closely with people whose accounts are hacked.