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Hackers Hijack Arizona Woman's Social Media to Defraud Friends

Hackers Hijack Arizona Woman's Social Media to Defraud Friends

First seen 12 Nov 2026, 17:19 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •November 12, 2026 at 17:20 UTC
  • •Hackers took over Melissa Stombaugh's social media account to scam her friends.
  • •Victims were misled into sending money for non-existent items.
  • •Stombaugh was locked out of her account and could not recover it.

An Arizona woman, Melissa Stombaugh, reported that hackers hijacked her social media account, using it to scam her friends out of thousands of dollars. The attackers posed as her, claiming she needed to sell items to fund her father's assisted living expenses. Friends sent money for items like a truck and a Peloton, believing they were helping her. However, the items did not exist, and the funds were redirected to the hackers' Venmo account. Stombaugh was locked out of her account after the hackers changed the email and device settings. Despite reporting the scam to the platform, the post remained active as it did not violate any standards. Stombaugh learned about two-factor authentication too late and has since secured her other accounts. She expressed frustration over the situation, stating she would delete her social media if she could.

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Timeline

2026-11-12
Melissa Stombaugh reports account hijacking
Stombaugh discovered her social media account had been hijacked, leading to scams targeting her friends.
Wbay
2026-11-12
Friends report being scammed
Stombaugh's friends began arriving to pick up items they believed they had purchased, only to find they were scammed.
Wbay

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Common questions

How did the hackers gain access?
The articles do not specify how the hackers initially gained access to Stombaugh's account.
What should I do if my account is hacked?
Immediately report the incident to the platform, secure your account with two-factor authentication, and inform your contacts.
Are there any tools to prevent such hijacking?
Using two-factor authentication and regularly updating passwords can help prevent account hijacking.