{"id":14691,"date":"2023-11-17T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/tech\/?p=14691"},"modified":"2023-11-17T11:17:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T11:17:40","slug":"how-do-instagram-accounts-get-hacked-what-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessyield.com\/tech\/cyber-security\/how-do-instagram-accounts-get-hacked-what-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Instagram Accounts Get Hacked & What to Do?","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do Instagram accounts get hacked?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, social engineering refers to the act of manipulating and deceiving Instagram users into willingly providing confidential information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illegitimate suspicious activity alerts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Meta-owned social platform, emails from Instagram only come from \u201c@mail.instagram.com\u201d or \u201c@facebookmail.com\u201d addresses. Here\u2019s an example of what a legitimate security email from Instagram looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This security message is for a new login from a device that the user didn\u2019t commonly sign in through. Note how the email address is from a trusted source and how all of the design elements are aligned properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Counterfeit social media tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0 Just as with malicious web extensions, hackers can create counterfeit tools that are supposed to improve functionality but actually pose a security threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s still used by cybercriminals looking for bigger, more valuable targets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deceitful verified badge offers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t change your profile data, like username or password, until the change takes effect to gain enough time to break into your account.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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 \u201cInstagram\u201d in the name, but it doesn\u2019t give any indication of being official. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, note how the \u201ccontact us\u201d text on the blue button is not centered properly, so it\u2019s not consistent with other Instagram content.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraudulent giveaways and brand sponsorships<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s offering a big giveaway to specific social media influencers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s designed to extract the username and password submitted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s maiden name, and other answers to common security questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n