A DM claiming you filed or received a false report pressures you into sharing your login code
A stranger DMs you on Reddit or Discord claiming either that you accidentally reported their account or that someone reported yours. Fake official-looking correspondence with a ticket number and 12-hour countdown then pressures you to share your verification code — handing over your account.
Also known as: Reddit false report scam, Discord false report account theft, social platform verification code scam, fake moderator DM scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Never share a verification code or 2FA code with anyone — not even someone claiming to be platform staff
- 2 Report the message as spam/phishing inside Reddit or Discord and block the sender
- 3 Real Reddit and Discord staff never contact you through DMs to ask for a verification code
- 4 If your account was taken over, use the platform's official account recovery process at reddit.com/password or discord.com/safety
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ A stranger messages you claiming you accidentally reported their account or that someone reported you
- ⚠ The person is oddly calm and says 'it was probably a mistake' — this is social engineering to keep you engaged
- ⚠ They then send a screenshot or 'forwarded email' that looks like official Reddit or Discord correspondence with a ticket number and a countdown to account ban
- ⚠ The end goal is always a login code, verification code, or two-factor authentication code — no platform staff ever needs this from you
- ⚠ Real platform moderation happens automatically or through official support channels, never through user DMs
- ⚠ The 'official' message may include legal-sounding language or references to a 'formal investigation'