A Messenger chat message is circulating that claims Meta has detected "unusual activity" on a Facebook user’s account. It warns that failure to open an attached PDF link within 24 hours will result in account disablement.
This message is a scam.
Meta has confirmed awareness of these phishing campaigns and is investigating the fraudulent links. The company does not notify users of account issues via Messenger chat with a countdown. Instead, Facebook informs users about account lockouts or disablements through email or upon login attempts.
The scam typically originates from a Messenger account with a misspelled name like "Meta Verrified" (instead of "Meta Verified"). The message, often starting with phrases like "Meta Alert" or "Special Notice from Meta," uses emojis and lists potential violations such as harassment, impersonation, or copyright infringements. It then urges the user to verify their account by opening a provided PDF or link. File names often mimic legitimate support documents, for example, "Facebook_Acconunt_Support_Center_Help 2026.pdf."
While the exact outcome of clicking the malicious link hasn’t been independently verified, similar scams impersonating Meta and Facebook direct users to phishing websites designed to steal sensitive information and take over accounts. It is highly probable that this PDF link or attachment serves the same deceptive purpose.
Facebook advises users who have fallen victim to account takeover scams to visit facebook.com/hacked and follow security steps, including avoiding suspicious links and enabling two-factor authentication. Meta does not provide a customer service phone number, and users are warned against calling any fake numbers found online.