A Hacker Took My Instagram!
A Hacker Took My Instagram!
Was the text I received late last night from a Optimize Digital Media client.
In my position as Partner Relationship Manager I've had years of experience with similar messages and scammers attempting to take over business accounts. I immediately started the process of account recovery. You might be wondering what that road to recovery looks like but first let's discuss how to identify a scammer.
How to Spot an Instagram Scammer
The problem with scammers is that they learn how to utilize the same platforms and means of communication that their targets use, and one of the most widely used platforms that gives a scammer direct access to possible victims is Instagram. In the last few years we've seen a lot of different tactics from various Instagram Hackers but there are a few obvious things to look for.
1. Use of Poor Grammar
Typically the process starts through a message, typically an account that you follow or even someone you know to be a friend on Instagram. Most often their account is currently in the hands of a scammer and they are attempting to get into your account by using the disguise of someone you see as a friend.
In this screenshot you can see the scammer attempting to engage with another Instagram account, in an effort to take over the new account.
2. Sending a Phishing Link
Once they begin engaging they send a text message to the new user via their number associated with their Instagram account, this text arrives from a similar number (sometimes even the same number) as the 2 factor authentication codes sent by Facebook and Instagram.
Nature's Symphony
Faces of Humanity
You can see here that the Phishing Links (the messages with ig.me) are mixed in amongst real 2 Factor Authentication attempts from both Facebook and Instagram because it appears to come from the same source. This makes it very difficult to decipher the fake link but you can rest assured that Facebook & Instagram will NOT send a text message with a link to verify your login.
What is the Scammers' Goal?
The goal is simple really, it's often to make money. They utilize a known account, with an established follower base (no matter how small) to attempt to get other Instagram followers to spend money. For example, in this Hacker event the goal was to encourage others to purchase "crypto currency" however we're fairly certain those funds were being delivered directly to the Hacker's wallet. Once they obtain access to your account they start posting things as if they are the account owner because we're used to Influencers promoting products, and when they promote them they typically have significant buy-in from their loyal followers.
All of these posts were posted to the story of Instagram Account @MrJakeBurt after it was hacked by a scammer. They look very convincing, but all images were stolen and used to promote the scam in it's entirety.
I Think a Hacker is Messaging Me!
If you find yourself in the position of being messaged by a Hacker, don't sweat it. Just ignore the messages, and don't click any links. If you aren't sure, always reach out and contact the individual via another source (Phone, Email, Text) before moving forward with clicking any links to confirm that they are the ones sending you the information.
Too Late, I Clicked the Link! Now What Do I Do?
Luckily the process to recover your account is not as difficult as one might think and we recommend you visit this Reddit Thread, by AustinYen56 and follow the steps that are laid out very clearly. We utilized these and were able to remove the Hacker, and secure the account for our client.
We're hopeful our client won't click these links in the future, but we will always be here to help just in case he does!