Technique

Account Repurposing

Also known as: Page Flipping, Account Flipping, Page Takeover, Handle Hijacking, Verified Account Hijack, Handle Resale, Account Repurposing

MANIPULATION

Buying legitimate social media pages or accounts then repurposing them for fraud while retaining follower trust and engagement metrics.

Common attack flows

How it fits in a scam

This technique shows up duringMANIPULATION

Before

This is often where the scam begins.

After

Defense

How to defend against this

How to spot it

  • Page name or handle recently changed
  • Content style drastically different from historical posts
  • High follower count but low recent engagement
  • Verified badge on account now posting suspicious content
  • Bio and profile inconsistent with current posts
  • Account suddenly promoting crypto investments or double your money schemes
  • Profile photo or name changed but blue checkmark retained
  • Account history shows abrupt gap then completely different content
  • Former followers commenting confusion like is this really you
  • Links in bio point to suspicious external sites

Tools you can use

Further reading