Having a platform suspend your new account because “you’re impersonating yourself” while the hacked original account stays active with verification is the kind of Kafkaesque situation that can only happen at the worst possible time. Azumi Asakura, a seiyuu known for voicing Yukiho Hagiwara in The IdolM@ster, is going through exactly that, and has been unable to resolve it for weeks.

Asakura’s original account was accessed by unauthorized third parties, who changed the associated email and password, leaving her with no way to log in, regain access, or delete it herself. She contacted the platform’s support team multiple times, but was told that without sufficient proof of ownership they couldn’t help her and that she should create a new account.

That’s when the second problem began. When creating a replacement account using her real name, the platform suspended it for violating anti-impersonation rules, apparently because the compromised original account still has the active verification badge. Asakura submitted identification documents and appealed the decision, but as of the report, the situation remained unresolved. She also hasn’t been able to delete the suspended new account. Adding to her frustration: she had paid for an annual premium subscription on that account before it was suspended.

Seiyuu Asami Shimoda, who voices Ami and Mami in the same franchise, publicly asked fans to spread information about the hack to raise awareness. Shimoda confirmed that reports had been sent through official channels, but warned that mass-reporting the original account could make things worse, potentially leading to that account’s suspension as well.

About Azumi Asakura and The IdolM@ster

Azumi Asakura is a seiyuu with a long career in the The IdolM@ster franchise, voicing Yukiho Hagiwara since the game’s earliest releases. She has participated in numerous franchise adaptations over the years, including games, anime, and live events. The IdolM@ster is one of Japan’s longest-running idol franchises, with an active fanbase that closely follows updates from its voice actors, making the blockage of her social media communication directly impact how she can connect with her audience during this situation.

Have you ever had a similar issue with social media account recovery, or do you know someone who has?