- Users receive a fake message warning of the expiration of their Telegram account.
- The scam uses a verified account that is not official.
- Telegram confirms that it is a scam and explains how to identify its real accounts.
If you've received a message on Telegram warning that your account is about to expire and asking you to verify your information within 24 hours, don't fall for it: it's a scam . The messaging platform has confirmed that it's a phishing attempt, a technique cybercriminals use to impersonate a company in order to steal your personal information.
The message, which has reached numerous users, claims that your account is about to expire and urges you to complete a verification and reactivation process. To lend it credibility, the profile sending it displays Telegram's verification badge, but it is not an official account . In fact, the platform itself has warned that it is a scam.
That's how the trap works.
The exact text reads: “Dear Telegram user: Your account is about to expire…” and offers a link to “verify” the account. But that link doesn’t lead to any legitimate site; instead, it takes you to a page controlled by the attackers. The goal is to steal your credentials or personal information.
The most striking thing is that the profile sending the message has a verification badge, which might lead many users to trust it. However, that badge only indicates that the account has demonstrated a certain level of 'notoriety,' not that it's official. In fact, the profile information specifies that it's not an official account.
The fake account
According to Maldita.es, the profile uses a photo that doesn't match the one used for Telegram notifications. Furthermore, the chat log shows that the user updated their name and photo on August 17, 2026, at 17:52 PM, and that they registered in May 2025 with a US phone number. Everything suggests that this is an account created specifically for this scam.
What Telegram says
Telegram has confirmed to Maldita.es that the account in question is a scam. The company explains that Telegram service accounts use the app's logo as their profile picture and do not display the last seen time. Instead, they are explicitly labeled as "service notifications." Therefore, any message from a profile that does not meet these criteria should be treated with suspicion.
The important thing is that, when faced with any suspicious message, it's best not to click on it and to verify the information through other means. Telegram never asks you to verify your account urgently via messages. If you have any doubts, contact the platform through its official channels or report the message. Caution is your best defense.
