DES MOINES—Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today joined a bipartisan coalition of 41-States in a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc., urging immediate action to address the rise in user account takeovers and lockouts on the company’s platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has seen a drastic increase in account-takeover complaints this year.
Account takeovers happen when scammers gain unauthorized access to a user’s account, often by hacking the account’s password. Once in control, criminals can steal personal information, read private messages, scam contacts, post graphic content, and commit financial fraud. Many Iowans rely on Facebook to run their small businesses or conduct transactions through Facebook Marketplace. Hackers can exploit stolen accounts to make unauthorized charges, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars, on stored credit cards.
The coalition urges Meta to:
- Increase security measures to prevent account takeovers
- Improve user support to help users regain access to compromised accounts
- Work with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute scammers for account takeover
“Social media should be a safe place for Iowans to share their memories, build businesses, and connect with loved ones,” said Attorney General Bird. “But instead, we have to be on the lookout for hackers who seek to wreak havoc on our personal lives and finances. Make no mistake, scammers are out to lie, cheat, and steal. They invade our private messages and impersonate Iowans to cause destruction. My office is demanding that Facebook and Instagram increase their security measures, improve user support, and work with law enforcement to stop the scammers.”
Iowans who believe they have been hacked on social media should contact the Iowa Attorney General’s office at 888-777-4590. They may also file a complaint online at: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers/file-a-consumer-complaint
Iowa joined 40 states, led by Florida, Illinois, New York, and Tennessee, in the letter.
Read the full letter here.
