The short answer
- 1Real restrictions appear inside the app and never ask for codes or money.
- 2Messages from 'support' accounts, emails or links that do are fakes.
- 3Check yourself: open @SpamBot by searching, and look for a frozen banner.
In this article
How Telegram really tells you
Genuine account restrictions show up in only a few places, and none of them asks you to do anything outside the app:
| Real notice | Where it appears | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| "Sorry, you can only send messages to mutual contacts at the moment." | Only when you try to message someone new | Nothing. You can check with @SpamBot |
| Your account is frozen! "Tap to view details and submit an appeal." | A banner at the top of your chat list, inside the app | An appeal through @SpamBot, from the app itself |
| "This phone number is banned." | On the login screen | An appeal by email with the Help button |
| A notice from Telegram with a blue check | The verified service chat, sometimes named Telegram Notifications | Information only. It never asks you to reply with a code |
Signs of a fake
Scammers copy the language of restrictions because fear makes people act fast. A message is fake if any of these is true:
- It came from an ordinary account called "Telegram Support", "Security Team", "Telegram Admin" or similar, without the verified check, or from an email or SMS.
- It asks for your login code, password or recovery email, or for you to "verify" by logging in through a link.
- It asks for money, Stars, gift cards or crypto to lift the restriction.
- It threatens a deadline measured in minutes or hours, such as "your account will be deleted in 24 hours unless…".
- It sends you to a bot or website other than @SpamBot to "appeal".
Check for yourself
- Ignore the message's links and buttons.
- Open @SpamBot yourself, by searching for it, and check the username letter by letter and the verified check. It tells you whether your account has any limits.
- Look at your chat list for a frozen-account banner. If there is none and messages send normally, your account is fine.
- Check Devices for sessions you do not recognise, in case the fake message was a cover for a login attempt. See checking active sessions.
If you already answered
- You shared a code or password: open Devices and end every session you do not recognise, then turn on or change Two-Step Verification. See spotting a fake login alert.
- You paid: Telegram cannot reverse payments to scammers. Contact your bank or card provider, and report the account.
- You clicked a link but entered nothing: close the page. Nothing changed on your account.
Real restrictions are explained in account limited and a frozen account. Next step: your username doesn't show up in search.
FAQ
Is the 'your Telegram account is restricted' message real?
Only if it appears inside the app, and it never asks for codes, passwords or money. A message from a 'support' account asking for those is fake.
How do I check if my Telegram account is restricted?
Search for @SpamBot yourself, check its username and verified mark, and start it. It tells you whether there is a limit.
Does Telegram support contact users first?
Real notices come from the verified Telegram chat and never ask for your code. Accounts that message you as support and ask for details are scammers.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Real
A send error, a frozen banner, or the verified Telegram chat.
- 2Fake
Codes, passwords, payments, deadlines or outside links.
- 3Check
@SpamBot, the chat list, and Devices.
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