How do Instagram accounts get hacked? Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps, so of course, it is a big target for cybercriminals who want to hack into accounts.
According to Notch’s data, an Instagram creator account gets hacked every 10 minutes on average – meaning over 50,000 creator accounts get hacked every year. The hacking figure for all accounts, not just creator accounts, is much higher. Every year, cybercriminals generate over $3 billion in revenue from social media attacks alone and hacking constitutes a large portion of these malicious incidents.
Instagram hacking happens in several ways. Many attempts involve social engineering, which manipulates users whose accounts are susceptible to attacks. So how can your Instagram account get hacked? What are the consequences of this happening? And what can you do to secure your Instagram account?
How do Instagram accounts get hacked?
There are default security features on Instagram, like 2-factor authentication, so how can hackers overcome these? The general answer to that question is, in most cases, some form of social engineering.
In this context, social engineering refers to the act of manipulating and deceiving Instagram users into willingly providing confidential information.
Illegitimate suspicious activity alerts
Hackers that employ social engineering attacks leverage every piece of information they have at their disposal. For example, they sometimes design suspicious activity alerts that look like legitimate notifications from Instagram but actually contain malicious links.
According to the Meta-owned social platform, emails from Instagram only come from “@mail.instagram.com” or “@facebookmail.com” addresses. Here’s an example of what a legitimate security email from Instagram looks like:
This security message is for a new login from a device that the user didn’t commonly sign in through. Note how the email address is from a trusted source and how all of the design elements are aligned properly.
Even if the emails you receive look legitimate, we advise that you go to your Instagram account and verify that the security email was sent through there.
Counterfeit social media tools
Managing a social media profile can take a huge amount of time, especially if you have a large base of followers. Many tools can simplify the process, but you also have to evaluate each platform to make sure it comes from a legitimate developer. Just as with malicious web extensions, hackers can create counterfeit tools that are supposed to improve functionality but actually pose a security threat.
These tools usually look and feel legitimate, but bring you very little in terms of functionality and practical value. This type of scheme is not as common because it requires a significant amount of resources, but it’s still used by cybercriminals looking for bigger, more valuable targets.
When this type of attack is successful, target users integrate the counterfeit tool into their social media accounts. This fake tool can be used to set up man-in-the-middle attacks, intercept all data, and extract login details, among other data.
It’s normal to watch your budget, especially in the early stages of your Instagram account. But, working with lesser-known, low-cost tools increases the chances of being targeted by scammers. To avoid this, you should opt for established tools that come from renowned providers or platforms that have been recommended by trusted peers.
Deceitful verified badge offers
Verified badges are the blue pins at the top of Instagram profiles that the social network has authenticated. While valuable, this account feature is also at the center of another social engineering that hackers use to break into Instagram.
In this scenario, hackers send a private message or email that offers a chance to add a verified badge, linking to a deceitful website that collects your login information. They may request that you don’t change your profile data, like username or password, until the change takes effect to gain enough time to break into your account.
There are a few tell-tell discrepancies here to help you avoid falling for such a scam. For starters, grammar mistakes like excessive capitalization should serve as a warning. Not only this, but the profile the message is being sent from does not belong to an official account nor does it have a verified account. It has the word “Instagram” in the name, but it doesn’t give any indication of being official.
Finally, note how the “contact us” text on the blue button is not centered properly, so it’s not consistent with other Instagram content.
Fraudulent giveaways and brand sponsorships
Fraudulent giveaways are especially troublesome because they exist in an ecosystem that is packed with legitimate promotional freebies. This form of social engineering can take two different shapes.
In its most traditional version, this type of hack operates like a false verified badge attack. The difference is that the hacker impersonates a big brand, exciting start-up, or similar renowned company that’s offering a big giveaway to specific social media influencers.
Some scammers even have legitimate-looking accounts that have been active for a while and have thousands of followers. The first message usually includes at least one spoofed link leading to a false Instagram login that’s designed to extract the username and password submitted.
A more complex form of fraudulent giveaways and sponsorships can occur when hackers have collected information about you, but still need a few more details to successfully breach your account. Instead of sending you a link to a spoofed login page, hackers may ask you to fill in a survey that asks for personal information, like your date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and other answers to common security questions.
The solution is to never rush or feel pressured into clicking links. Take time to investigate if the email looks legitimate: for instance, check for spelling mistakes and hover over the hyperlink to see if the URL leads to a familiar or safe website.
To be extra safe, you could even Google the company supposedly sending the email, and contact them to check if they really did send you an email.
False copyright infringement messages
Instagram clearly states that you can only share original content that doesn’t violate copyright infringement laws. That said, you can commit a copyright violation unintentionally, in which case Instagram would take action and reach out to correct the problem.
This has led to many cybercriminals actually impersonating Instagram representatives pretending to address copyright infringement issues. In these cases, a hacker sends a link to your email or through a private message on Instagram and asks you to log in to address the issue.
The link leads to a fake page that, even though it mimics Instagram’s login page, is actually designed to collect your username and password details. The only difference between the real page and the fake is a small variation in the URL, which is hard to detect.
To avoid raising suspicion, cybercriminals usually redirect you to one of Instagram’s legitimate FAQ pages that discusses the topic of copyright infringement.
The solution
There are different methods you can use to verify the messages you receive from Instagram. First, urgent Instagram notifications are usually delivered directly through the account interface or via email. If you receive a DM about your account, it won’t be legitimate – even if it’s from a profile that has the name “Instagram” in the username.
Second, Instagram now allows you to see a record of all security and login emails through your account. If you receive a suspicious email directly to your inbox, you should check this part of your Instagram account before opening the message.
From your profile, go to Security>Emails from Instagram. If you don’t see a record of the email, you should delete it right away.
Reverse proxy attacks
Other social engineering hacking techniques above require hackers to manually create fake apps and website pages to collect details from their targets. With reverse proxy attacks, hackers don’t need to create a spoof website or app – instead, they can automate the theft of credentials.
A reverse proxy attack is a type of man-in-the-middle approach – hackers direct victims to a domain that sits in between the user and the legitimate website. The URL will be very similar to the legitimate page, and the overall appearance in the malicious domain mirrors the legitimate page.
When applied to the Instagram context, you could receive a convincing email from a hacker that directs you to Instagram’s login page. What you don’t realize is that you’ve been sent to do this via a proxy server – so when you enter your credentials and log into Instagram, your information – including 2FA – is being intercepted in real-time.
The solution is to be extremely cautious when clicking on links from your email inbox. Always verify an email claiming to be from Instagram by checking your Instagram account. From your profile, go to Security>Emails – if the email doesn’t appear there, it’s likely a scam.
What do hackers do after hacking Instagram accounts?
Now that we’ve answered the question “How do hackers steal Instagram accounts?” let’s see why these criminals may want to target your profile.
Like other types of criminals, hackers and other malicious actors flock to the most popular platforms because these present the biggest financial opportunities. Today, you can generate a significant amount of revenue from a large base of followers and hackers are eager to benefit from this.
Some of the common things a hacker may do once your account is breached include:
- Demand a ransom
- Scam your friends, family members, and customers. Investment, Bitcoin, and Romance scams are some of the most common.
- Sell your account on the dark web
- Use your account to run a fraudulent operation
- Make various types of illegal requests, like requesting lewd photos
Signs that your Instagram account has been hacked
If you’ve been hacked, report it to Instagram immediately. Signs of hacking are usually pretty clear if you pay attention to unusual account activity. Here are some common signs your Instagram account has been hacked:
- You can’t log in to your account with your personal credentials.
- New followers you don’t know or direct messages you don’t recognize start pouring in.
- Posts or likes start appearing from your account that you didn’t create.
- Your personal account information has changed without your knowledge.
- Unknown devices show up in your activity log.
How to recover your hacked Instagram account
If you still have access to your Instagram account, you can protect it from hackers before they lock you out, or before your account gets deleted altogether.
Monitor your login activity
First, monitor your login activity for suspicious logins on devices you don’t own or use, or from time zones you don’t live in. Here’s how to check your login activity on Instagram:
- Go to your profile and tap the Menu icon (three lines) at the top-right of the screen.
- Select Settings > Security.
- Select Login Activity. If you see devices that aren’t yours, or devices in a different location, your Instagram may have been hacked. If that’s the case, log out of Instagram on all other devices listed.
Check your account details
Make sure your account details are correct to help you recover access if you get locked out of your Instagram account. If there are any fraudulent account details there, someone may attempt to regain access to your account without your knowledge.
Here’s how to check your Instagram account details:
- Open your profile Settings and go to Account > Personal information.
- Ensure the personal information is either filled with your correct information or left blank. If you see inaccurate information, update it immediately. For phone and email information, Instagram will send you a verification message to confirm your identity.
Change your password
If you think your Instagram account has been hacked and you still have access to your account, change your password immediately. Changing your password logs you out of other devices automatically, which locks the hacker out of your account too.
After changing your password, use two-factor authentication for extra security.
Here’s how to change your password on Instagram:
- Open your profile Settings and go to Security > Password.
- Enter your current password, then enter a new password. Make sure your new password is strong and unique.
You can also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your Instagram account from hackers. In Password settings, choose an authentication app or a text message as the second factor.
Revoke access to your account
After checking your account details and login activity, check the third-party apps that have access to your Instagram. If any third-party apps seem suspicious, revoke access.
Here’s how to remove access to your Instagram for third-party apps:
- Open your profile Settings and go to Security > Apps and Websites.
- Here, review your active apps. If you see an app that you don’t want to have access to your Instagram account, tap it and choose Remove. The app will move to the Removed column and will no longer have access.
Report Instagram account hack
If you don’t have access to your email or phone number because that was how your Instagram was hacked in the first place (due to phishing, for example), you can still request support. You can contact Instagram if your Instagram account was deleted.
- Report account deactivation via Instagram’s contact form. You should get an email from Instagram with instructions to verify your identity.
- You may be asked to take a photo or video of yourself to verify that the Instagram account is yours. Instagram will send you a link to reset your password after your identity is verified — usually after 24 to 48 hours.
- Reset your Instagram password. Then, once you’ve recovered your Instagram account, follow the steps above to further secure your account.
If your Instagram account hack was the result of identity theft, make sure to secure all your accounts and report the theft to the relevant authorities.
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