How to fix instagram hack
How to Recover a Hacked Instagram Account [2022 Update]
Are You Locked Out of Your Instagram Account? Don’t Panic!
There are few things as panic-inducing as discovering you've been locked out of your Instagram account. And I should know.
Earlier this year, my good friend's Instagram account was hacked. Scammers locked him out, reset his password, and started running crypto scams on his followers. It was a nightmare that took weeks to resolve.
Unfortunately, Instagram hacks have increased every year since 2016. Last year alone, there were more than one million cases of social media account takeovers (ATO) — almost double the amount from the year before [*].
A hacked Instagram account is more than an annoyance. If scammers gain access to your account, they can harvest your personal information to use for identity theft, impersonate you and destroy your online reputation, or scam your friends and family — and that’s not even considering the financial losses that could accrue if your company, influencer, or business account is hacked.
If you can’t log into your account or are seeing signs that it’s been hacked, act fast and follow these steps.
Here’s How To Tell If Your Instagram Account Is Hacked
The most obvious sign that your Instagram account has been hacked is that your login and password no longer work. If this is happening to you, a hacker may have gained access to your account and locked you out. You’ll need to follow the steps below to get your Instagram account back.
Sometimes scammers don’t want you to know that they’ve hacked your account. In these cases, there are some telltale signs indicating that someone else has access to your Instagram account:
You receive a password reset email that you didn’t request
If you receive a password reset email that you didn’t request, it means someone else is trying to get into your account. Even worse, it could mean that they’ve hacked your email account and are using it to gain access to your other accounts.
Don’t ignore these emails. Instead, make sure all of your account passwords are updated and secure, and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) with an authenticator app like Google Authenticator wherever possible.
✅ Take action: If your Instagram account has been hacked, your bank account, email, and other online accounts could also be at risk. Try Aura’s identity theft protection free for 14 days to secure your identity against scammers.
Your account email has changed
If you get an email from Instagram saying that your email has been changed, your account is hacked. At this point, a scammer has already gained access to your account and is trying to prevent you from changing your Instagram password to get back in.
You’ll need to deny the change from the original email account associated with your Instagram account.
Pro tip: Make sure that the email change message isn’t a phishing scam.
All official Instagram emails should come from [email protected]. Any email coming from a different account is a scam.
You get a “suspicious login attempt” alert
If scammers try to log into your account from a different location, Instagram will flag it as a suspicious login attempt. To check if someone else is using your Instagram account, log into the Instagram app, then go to Profile > Settings > Security > Login Activity.
Check your Instagram "Login Activity" to see if anyone else has accessed your account.Your Login Activity will show you the last few locations from which your account was accessed. If you see anything unfamiliar, press “This Wasn’t Me” and Instagram will log out your account from that device.
If you’re using Instagram on your desktop computer, you can check your Login Activity under Profile > Settings > Login Activity.
Friends and followers are getting strange messages from you
One of the reasons scammers don’t want you to know they’ve hacked your Instagram account is that they want to scam your friends.
Instagram hackers will often send messages to your friends with the goal of stealing their login information or getting them to invest in fraudulent crypto schemes.
If your friends reach out and tell you that they’ve received weird messages from you, check your account activity immediately.
Your account is posting and commenting on its own
If you see strange notifications about posts or comments you don’t remember writing, your account is compromised. A scammer is making posts and comments pretending to be you — most likely with the hope of scamming more of your friends and followers.
💡 Related: The Latest Social Media Scams (and How To Avoid Them) →
My Instagram Account Was Hacked! What Should I Do?
If you recognize any of the above warning signs, don’t panic. There are specific steps you can take to recover your account, secure it from hackers, and mitigate the damage done.
But first: If your Instagram account has been hacked, the scammers could use your personal details to log into other services, including your email and online banking.
If you’ve lost access to your Instagram account, make sure to:
- Update passwords on all of your accounts. Use secure and unique passwords for all of your accounts — especially if you have a habit of reusing passwords. Whenever possible, enable 2FA so hackers can’t get into your account, even if they have your passwords.
- Regularly check your credit report and bank statements. Scammers are almost always after your financial accounts. Check for the warning signs of identity theft — such as strange charges on your bank statement or accounts you don’t recognize. An identity theft protection service like Aura can monitor your credit and statements for you and alert you to any signs of fraud.
- Consider signing up for identity theft protection. Aura’s top-rated identity theft protection monitors all of your most sensitive personal information, online accounts, and finances for signs of fraud.
If an Instagram scammer tries to access your accounts or finances, Aura can help you take action before it’s too late. Try Aura’s 14-day free trial for immediate protection while you’re most vulnerable.
Now, here’s what to do if your Instagram account was hacked — whether you still have access to it or if a hacker has locked you out.
How to secure a hacked instagram account that you still have access to
If you still have access to your Instagram account, you can usually flush out your attacker if you move fast.
Here are the essential steps to take:
- Check the phone number and email address listed in your account settings. These are the key points of entry that will allow you to reset your password and recover your account. Before you try to change your passwords, go to Settings > Account > Personal information and make sure that a scammer hasn’t changed your email address or phone number.
- Log out of all active Instagram sessions. Go to your Instagram Login Activity, and close all active sessions by selecting the three dots beside each session and choosing “Log out.” Repeat for each listed login session. This means that you’ll have to log back into Instagram on your phone, iPad/tablet, and computer — but it’s a small price to pay to boot hackers out of your account.
- Change your Instagram password. Next, you’ll want to reset your Instagram password under Profile > Settings > Security > Password. Choose a unique and strong password that is at least eight characters long and includes a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA is an additional security measure that requires a special one-time-use code along with your password in order to log into your account. This means that even if hackers have your password, they can’t get into your account.
For added security, use an authenticator app for 2FA rather than SMS — as scammers can hack or steal your phone and bypass this extra security measure.
- Check your Accounts Center. This is a Facebook setting that allows you to see all your accounts associated with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. If you see a linked account or other suspicious activity that you don’t recognize, remove it.
- Remove any third-party apps. Hackers may have been able to access your account via third-party apps. Look over the linked third-party apps under Settings > Security > Apps and websites, and remove any apps that you don’t recognize or use.
How to regain access to a hacked instagram account
If a hacker has locked you out of your Instagram account, it’s a much harder issue to resolve.
But there are still ways that you can regain access.
Here’s what to do if you’ve been locked out of your Instagram account:
Check your email for a message from Instagram
Instagram will email you if a scammer (or anyone) changes your password or email. If you didn’t ask for these changes, you can revert to your old password by clicking “revert this change” in the email.
Search for any email sent from [email protected]. Be sure to check your junk and spam folders.
Request a login link
A login link helps verify that you’re the account owner. It is a special link that is sent to your email or phone number. Here’s how to request a login link from Instagram:
- On Android: Open Instagram and select “Get help logging in” and then follow the prompts.
- On iOS: Open Instagram and select “Forgot password?” and then follow the prompts.
If the email associated with your account has been changed, you’ll want to send the login link to your phone. If both your email and phone number have been changed, you’ll have to follow one of the next steps instead.
Request more support or a security link
If you’re locked out of your account, you’ll have to make a special support request to Meta (the parent company of Instagram and Facebook).
Choose "Need more help" to request an Instagram security link.Here’s how to request support from Instagram’s login page:
On Android:
- Tap “Get help logging in.”
- Enter your username, email address, or phone number.
- Tap “Need more help?” and then follow the on-screen instructions.
- Select your preferred contact method, and then tap “Send security code.
” - If you don’t receive the code, you’ll need to tap “I can’t access this email or phone number.”
On iOS:
- Tap “Need more help?”
- Select your preferred contact method, and then tap “Send security code.”
- If you don’t receive the code, you’ll need to tap “I can’t access this email or phone number.”
Once you submit your request, you should receive an email from Instagram detailing the next steps to take.
Pro tip: Make sure that you’re using a secure email account to receive login information. If your email account has been hacked, scammers can bypass all of these measures and retain access to your account.
Verify your identity with Instagram
Eventually, you’ll need to verify that you are who you say you are. There are two ways that you can verify your identity to get your hacked Instagram account back.
- If your account doesn’t have photos of you: Instagram will ask for details such as the email address, phone number, and device type (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) that you used when signing up for your account.
- If your account does have photos of you: Instagram will ask you to send a video selfie (in which you turn your head at different angles) to confirm you’re a real person. Instagram claims the video is only for verification purposes and will be deleted from their servers within 30 days.
Unfortunately, this entire process can take days, weeks, and sometimes even months. Much of it is automated, meaning you can’t directly contact Instagram if you’re hitting a snag. However, it’s still the best process by which to recover your hacked Instagram account.
So even if it takes time, following these steps is far better than letting a hacker have total control over your account.
✅ Take action: If scammers gain access to your Instagram account, they could break into your online bank account. Try an identity theft protection service to monitor your finances and alert you to fraud.
How Hackers Hack Your Instagram Account (And How To Stop Them)
Once you’ve regained access to your hacked Instagram account, you want to make sure that scammers can’t get back in.
So, how did they hack you in the first place? Here are the most common ways that scammers gain access to your Instagram account:
Phishing attacks that steal your login information
Phishing is a type of attack in which scammers impersonate a known or trusted organization (or person) and entice victims to click on dangerous links or download malicious attachments full of malware.
Scammers may even pose as Instagram and send an email asking you to change your password, or log in to become verified (this is a popular scam).
Their website, however, is completely fake and set up to steal your login information for an account takeover.
Beware of common Instagram phishing scams, such as:
- Bitcoin investment “advice” and special crypto exchanges.
- Fake Instagram “support” accounts.
- Accounts that claim they can help your account get “verified.”
Related: The 10 Biggest Instagram Scams Happening Right Now →
Using leaked passwords from data breaches
Data breaches have leaked billions of usernames and passwords. Instagram, in particular, has had its users’ passwords leaked.
Once a site like Instagram has been hacked, those emails and passwords end up for sale on the Dark Web, where the average price of a hacked Instagram account is just $45 [*].
Hackers don’t even need your Instagram password to get into your account. Because 65% of people reuse passwords [*], hackers will take leaked username/password combinations and try them on different accounts, including your Instagram account.
Pro tip: Sign up for identity theft protection with Dark Web scanning. Aura constantly monitors the Dark Web for your personal information, including logins, passwords, or even your Social Security number (SSN). If any of your accounts are compromised or if your personal information is leaked, you’ll be alerted so that you can shut down scammers before they can do too much damage.
Malware that steals your username and password
If you click on a link in a spam email or scam text message, there’s a good chance that your device will get infected with malware.
This malicious software has a range of abilities — from stealing your personal data to scanning your device for passwords to even spying on every word you type. If your phone has been hacked, scammers can get into your Instagram account.
Related: How Do Hackers Get Passwords? (And How To Stop Them) →
Through third-party apps
Over the years, you may have connected multiple third-party apps with your Instagram profile or Facebook account — and then forgotten about them. Unfortunately, each third-party app poses a potential risk. If hackers attack a third-party app that has weak security, they can get into your Instagram account.
Related: How To Know if Your Phone Is Hacked →
Through a Wi-Fi attack or on public devices
Hackers can intercept your Wi-Fi via a “Man In the Middle Attack” (MitM), which allows them to access details and information from your connected device.
They may also be able to discover your password or access your account directly, compromising your Instagram account. This is particularly risky if you’re using public Wi-Fi in a café or airport.
You should also be cautious of logging into Instagram on unfamiliar devices. If you use a public computer or a friend’s phone — and forget to log out — someone else could change your account settings and lock you out.
Related: What Is Cyber Hygiene? 10 Easy Habits That Will Protect Your Online Accounts →
Here's What To Do If Your Instagram Account Gets Hacked
- Update and upgrade your passwords. Change any outdated or reused passwords. Consider using a password manager that helps you create and store unique and complex passwords so that you don’t have to remember them.
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). This can help stop hackers from accessing your account even if they know your password.
Any login attempt will need a second form of authentication, such as through your phone or email. - Never give up your login or account details. Be wary if you get a direct message about an investment opportunity, a way to get verified, or tech support. Instagram will never ask you for your login information.
- Be cautious of “verification scams.” Hackers will pretend to be one of your friends who can’t access their account, and ask to send a 2FA code to your phone. But in reality, they’re trying to hack into your account. Never give out a 2FA code — no matter what the circumstances.
- Don’t click on suspicious links. Many Instagram scams and hacks start via private or direct messaging. A good rule of thumb is to never click on a DM link unless you’re certain it’s safe.
- Use antivirus software to protect against malware.
If hackers trick you into downloading malware, they can spy on everything you type — including your Instagram password. - Scan and remove third-party apps and other accounts. Removing third-party apps and accounts tied to your account limits the number of access points to your account.
- Be careful when entering your login details. Scammers will try and phish you by impersonating Instagram officials over email or DM, or linking to fake login sites. Before responding, always make sure any email comes from an official “Instagram.com” email address.
- Call or video chat with someone who is contacting you via DM. If you suspect that someone is reaching out to you from a hacked account, initiate a video call to see if it’s really them. You can also reach out to them directly via other communication channels like text, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
- Don’t trust account recovery services.
If you’ve publicly posted about your Instagram account being hacked, bots can use that against you. They’ll reach out about a recovery service that will help you “reclaim” your account. Don’t fall for it. - Sign up for identity theft protection. Your Instagram account can be the gateway to identity theft or even financial fraud. Aura’s all-in-one identity theft and digital security solution keeps your accounts, credit, and finances safe from scammers. And if the worst should happen, you’re covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy for eligible losses due to identity theft.
✅ Take action: Protect yourself from the risks of identity theft and fraud with Aura’s $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance. Try Aura free for 14 days to see if it’s right for you.
The Bottom Line: Keep Instagram Scammers Out of Your Account
Instagram accounts are in high demand, and scammers are targeting the social media service at an increasing rate.
Many of the cybersecurity steps we recommend to protect yourself can help protect more than just your Instagram account. Practicing online hygiene and basic security steps can help secure your data and prevent dangerous and damaging attacks. If you think you might be at risk, consider signing up for Aura.
Stop scammers in their tracks. Try Aura for free for 14 days.
Instagram Hacked? Here’s How to Recover Your Account
Instagram is crucial for designers, serving as a marketing and networking tool that’s key to landing new clients. So what should you do if you’ve had your Instagram hacked? First, don’t panic—you’re not alone. “I’d say it’s common for the average user to get hacked to some degree in their life,” says Matthew Krull, a social media strategist at design-focused communications agency Novità. “I hear more often than not from my friends and colleagues that they’ve experienced some suspicious activity on their account.” But if you’ve had your Instagram account hacked, it’s important to recover it as quickly as possible.
Here are the steps for how to get your Instagram account back, as well as measures you can take to bolster your cybersecurity.
Can you get your Instagram back if it’s been hacked?
The short answer: It depends.
If you’ve had your Instagram hacked, it is possible to get it back, but you need to move fast, so that the hacker can’t compromise your account further. If you act quickly, you might be able to kick out the hacker while they’re in your account and before they’ve changed your info, deleted your photos, or posted to your profile. That way you can save yourself the trouble of having to recover your Instagram account through a Meta support request.
But if the hacker has already gone beyond logging in and potentially changing your password, Instagram account recovery becomes a lot more difficult. Depending on how much damage they’ve done, Instagram may be able to help you recover your account. But brace yourself: If your account has been deleted by a hacker, there might be nothing the Instagram support team can do to recover your account.
How do I get my Instagram account back?
There are two different levels of hacking: One that only changes your password, and another that changes your password and contact info. Here’s how to report a hacked Instagram account, and how to recover your Instagram account as soon as possible.
What to do if a hacker has changed your Instagram password
If you’ve found that your password no longer works, simply follow the steps for setting a new one, as prompted by the login page on the Instagram app. Hopefully, the login link will be sent to your email account or phone number, and you can use a security code to log back in to your account and change your password. This would be the best case scenario, as you can solve the problem yourself without having to contact Instagram. (That said, it’s not a bad idea to contact Instagram customer service anyway and let them know that your Instagram account has been hacked—the company may point out some helpful security tips to keep your account safe in the future.
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You’ve had your Instagram hacked, and the hacker changed your password and contact information. Now what?
Hitting a brick wall at the login screen? Yikes. If you’re locked out of your social media account, and you don’t receive a password reset link when you request one via the Forgot password button, a hacker may have changed your email and phone number. This is a more common type of hacking, as scammers know you will try to reset your password yourself, and they will want to keep control of the account for themselves. They may even hold your Instagram account for ransom, and request bitcoin or other plunder for you to get it back. If that’s the case, you’ll need to report the activity to Instagram by following the instructions here. They will ask you to verify your identity—you might even have to take a video selfie to prove you are who you say you are. This process likely won’t give you immediate access; it could take days or even weeks to recover your Instagram account.
Can you recover your Instagram account if it has been deleted?
In some cases, hackers might delete all your posts, or they might delete your account entirely. If they’ve deleted some but not all of your account, you might be able to retrieve posts by going into the Your Activity section of your Instagram account and selecting Recently deleted. There, you’ll find posts from the last 30 days as well as stories from the last 24 hours. You can then restore those images or videos.
But if your account has been totally deleted, you might be out of luck. Instagram itself says, “When you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will be permanently removed.” You can create a new account with the same email address you used before, but you may not be able to get the same username.
That said, there is a window in which you can recover your Instagram account. “If someone has deleted your account, you technically have 30 days to contact Instagram to explain that you have been hacked and [ask them] to put your account back up.
Instagram claims it stores your data for that long,” says digital marketer Jonathan Simon, director of marketing and communications at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. “However, this is a long shot. Once your account is deleted, it is likely gone.”
Interior designer Kristen McGinnis, for instance, was not one of the lucky ones. Back in 2020, she found that she was logged out of her Instagram account due to suspicious activity—even though her two-factor authentication was enabled. “Instagram’s account retrieval process includes going through identity confirmation. I submitted this well over a dozen times within a month and received zero response,” McGinnis says. “Sadly, I never received any help, only headache and heartache.”
After a month, McGinnis gave up. She started a new Instagram account and used her inaugural post to explain what had happened to her former handle. She then started the arduous process of re-following her former connections, hoping they’d follow her back.
Although many of them did, she needed to message others to reintroduce herself. The small silver lining was that her photos were auto-saved to her phone. Still, the mishap had a cost. “I lost a few thousand followers, many of whom I will never get back because I don’t know who to reach out to,” McGinnis says.
Even though no method of account protection is completely fail-safe, staying on top of security best practices can hopefully prevent you from having to rebuild your following. You can also download your data periodically in order to keep a record of your posts, your followers, and even your comments—that way, if you have your Instagram hacked and eventually need to rebuild your account, you have a head start.
What should you do if you’re locked out of your Instagram account?
For starters, remain calm. Sometimes getting locked out—especially for business accounts—is simply due to an oversight. “For instance, let’s say a social media manager moves on from the company,” says New York– and London-based digital content consultant Charlene C.
Lam. “If a transition plan isn’t in place, it may be a while before the remaining team members realize they don’t know the Instagram password.”
To mitigate that risk, keep your Instagram account recovery codes stored in a secure place. These recovery codes will be used to reset two-factor authentication, which will help you get your Instagram account back. They can be found on the Security page of the Instagram app.
Unfortunately, there may be an instance where you’ve been locked out because you were genuinely been hacked by a scammer.
What should you do if you suspect someone is trying to hack your Instagram?
There are a few red flags that may indicate that someone may be trying to hack your Instagram account (or already has). Three big ones: receiving a changed-password email from Instagram that you didn’t trigger yourself, receiving an unprompted email-change request from [email protected], and seeing posts you didn’t make. Here’s how to get help.
What to do if Instagram noticed suspicious activity on your account
If someone attempts to reset your password, Instagram will send you an email informing you of the change. “I take immediate action as soon as I get a notification or email from Instagram letting me know there was suspicious activity on any of the accounts I manage,” Matthew Krull says.
If you receive an email that someone has requested to change your password, and it wasn’t you, someone may be trying to hack your Instagram account. Report the situation to Instagram via the link in that email, then immediately change your password.
If you received an email from [email protected] asking about changing the email address associated with your Instagram account, but didn’t make that request yourself, click the link in the message that says Secure My Account. If you are unable to get through the login page, the scammer may have changed your password. Don’t lose hope yet—you can still get help by requesting a login link or a security code.
But remain attentive when it comes to these Instagram emails: Some messages that appear to be from Instagram could be phishing attempts or scams from hackers. The good news is that Meta has developed a function to help protect you. If you enter the security section of the Instagram app, you can see what emails Instagram has sent you within the last two weeks. Reviewing that data should help you verify an email’s authenticity.
Keep in mind that other messages, like Instagram DMs and WhatsApp chats, can also contain phishing scams. Stay alert!
What to do if you noticed suspicious activity on your account
If you notice photos or stories you didn’t post yourself appearing on your page, but you’re still logged in, you’ve probably been hacked on Instagram. You should change your password immediately, as doing so will kick the hacker out of your account. You should also manually log out of any suspicious devices via your login activity page, as well as revoke access from any third-party apps that might have had a security breach and exposed your login information.
How to protect your Instagram account
Hacking isn’t limited to high-profile Instagrammers. “Any account can be a target, because if the hackers are successful, they can use the hacked account to try to get important information like credit card numbers, addresses, and PINs from other unsuspecting users,” Jonathan Simon says.
A strong password is an obvious place to start—and yes, those strings of letters and numbers suggested by Apple’s iOS are pretty safe. (If you’re concerned about remembering all of your logins, a digital password manager can help.) Still, there are a few additional steps you should take to thwart a potential hacking.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication requires users to enter a security code from an authentication app or your cell phone via text message (SMS) every time they log in to a new device—and it’s a solid deterrent to scammers. Meta offers this service, and you can set it up via the security page in the app.
Check your login activity
Keep an eye on your login activity, which can also be found under the security section of the app. There, you’ll see all the devices that your Instagram account is currently logged into, plus their geographic locations. If you see suspicious activity here, you can log out of those devices from your current one.
Check which third-party apps have access to your Instagram account
Granting third-party apps access to your account is an easy way to share content across different platforms, but it does come with some level of risk: Hackers can break into those apps and steal your Instagram login info. Head to your security settings, then click Apps and Websites to see what other apps have access to your Instagram account. Keep an eye out for any big data breaches that might affect those apps—if one happens, you’ll want to change your password immediately.
Enable auto-save
Though this measure won’t necessarily protect your account from hackers, it does give you a chance to save all your photos to your phone in the event you have your Instagram hacked and deleted.
In the app, click on Settings, then Account, then Original Photos (iPhone) or Original Posts (Android), and make sure that Save is toggled on.
how to restore an account and return the page
Today, social networks are the best way to reflect how we would like to appear before the whole world, and from the thought that you can lose your “presence” on the pages of social networks - and at the same time, kilometers of correspondence , subscribers and likes - terrifies. At the same time, hackers hack into thousands of Instagram accounts every day. How not to become a victim of modern technology and what to do if your Instagram was hacked this time - we analyze below. nine0003
How do you know if your Instagram has been hacked?
At the moment in Kazakhstan, the situation is such that interruptions in the work of social networks are a fairly common problem. Realizing that your account is not working not because you are in the Internet blocking zone, but because someone really hacked you, you should act immediately.
What are the signs of hacking?
- The password has changed, you cannot log in to the social network.
- There are publications that were not made by you. nine0010
- Some correspondence has disappeared.
- Strange places or gadgets found in the activity history.
- The account has been deleted or disabled.
If you see one of the situations described above, change the password immediately if it is still possible.
Who needs it?
Who hacked your Instagram is another question that might interest you. If you have several tens of thousands of subscribers, hackers can demand money for the account or resell it. Do not fall for provocations and immediately contact the support of the social network. nine0003
Another potential reason for hacking could be jealousy or distrust on the part of a loved one. That is why all passwords should be kept strictly secret, do not share them with anyone!
Instagram was hacked. What to do?
So, your Instagram has been hacked.
What should be your first steps if you are the victim of a scammer?
Try to solve the problem yourself
Most likely, when hacking, hackers will change your profile name and password. In this case, your actions should be as follows:
- Click on the "Help" section.
- Enter a nickname or email address.
- If your nickname has been changed, there is a function to send a screenshot.
- Wait for the arrow to activate.
- Click on the line with additional help.
Next, you should write down the reason (hacking), then send a request. After some time, you will receive a response - most likely, you will be asked for additional information, asked to take a photo with a code or send personal documents. If everything is in order, the profile will be restored in a few days. nine0003
Hacked Instagram + e-mail
Often scammers change the password not only on your page, but also in the e-mail to which it is attached (which is why it is especially important that the passwords are different everywhere).
Here you can try to restore access through a phone number or Facebook. If this did not work out, try turning to the so-called ethical hackers, which we talk about in the next part of the article.
Contact a specialist
If you cannot solve the problem yourself, you should contact a specialist. Anton Zodiak, an ethical hacker who helped restore the accounts of Kazakhstani celebrities Dinara Rakhimbayeva, Ramine Taipova, Asel Askar, Karina Syzdykova and Alina Martin, answered the most frequently asked questions especially for us. nine0003
Why it is important to contact specialists
Often the cause of hacking is human carelessness. Most people are not technically literate. Accordingly, methods of hacking pages and methods of struggle are being improved every day. In order to get their account back quickly and without loss of content, people are looking for a person who will help them. In some cases, the pages are hidden so that they are almost impossible to find.
A competent specialist knows all the hacking and return methods that exist today, so he can return the account in a short time. nine0003
How long to wait
How long it takes to recover a page after a hack depends on the complexity of the problem. This may take a few minutes or several days.
What to do if scammers have hacked Instagram and demand money
If your Instagram has been hacked, never send money to scammers. Once paid, they always either ask for more or stop communicating. When capturing an account, many immediately delete it forever, then ask for money and return the password. But the page has been removed. nine0003
How can you prevent yourself from being hacked?
It seems that no one is immune from a burglary situation. However, in many cases it can indeed be avoided. You just have to follow a few simple rules.
Complex password
Sounds like an obvious thing, but your password really needs to be complex. Use uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation, but never create a password from your date of birth or the name of a loved one! nine0003
Passwords must be different for different social networks and services.
Smartphones have special applications that will help you remember all the passwords, but you should be extremely careful with them: they do not guarantee anything. Come up with several options for a complex password with minimal variations, so that if something happens, you can pick it up. And keep it in a closed, safe place.
Two-factor identification
This feature appeared in Instagram quite a while ago, but, unfortunately, few people use it. Turn it on and you'll have to enter a special code every time you visit the page on a new device. This will make your account harder to hack. nine0003
Phishing
Ethical hacker Anton Zodiak believes that human inattention is the most popular "culprit" of hacking. “Always check who the letter came from. Fraudsters send phishing messages purporting to be from Instagram, he says. - People click on the sent link, which gives hackers access to their personal data. It is very easy to identify a phishing email: when you click on the link, look at which site you have landed on.
If it doesn't say Instagram.com, then it's a hack." nine0003
Link a phone number to Instagram and Facebook
This precaution will give you additional loopholes when you try to recover your account.
Stories of real people whose Instagram was hacked in Kazakhstan
We share with you two real stories that we found useful.
My Instagram was hacked. Story #1
On August 22, 2019, blogger Assel Zoi shared her story on her Facebook page.
“Over the past few days, several of my friends' Instagram accounts have been hacked at once. And they turned to me,” she shared. “Usually the attack of hackers goes to the regions: so hold on…”. Asel advises not to fall for phishing, enable two-factor authentication, and immediately contact technical support. “But keep in mind, Facebook and Instagram support is very slow and reluctant to respond,” she added.
Asel Zoi “In parallel, contact as many friends as possible with a request that they send requests from their Instagram accounts to hack your account.
The more requests IG receives, the higher the chance that tech support will respond to your problem. nine0003
“It is not always possible to restore the account name, because usually renamed. And twice in the IG you can not be called by the same name. Therefore, in advance, come up with an alternative option that will be hooked.
“And finally, stay away from all social networks, banks, etc. The issue of cybersecurity is coming to the fore in our time. I recommend changing/verifying your keys every month and additionally storing them in printed form.”
My Instagram was hacked. Story #2
“The Instagram account of my store was hacked three times,” says Baktybala Torgautova, founder of the Instagram store @matays_kz_.
“The first time it was hackers from Russia. My page was hacked and they immediately wrote on WhatsApp that they have my account and they demand to transfer about 50,000 tenge. I did not know how to do this, because my bank cards did not involve international transactions.
As a result, the hackers asked to use the Yandex.Money service. When that didn’t work either, I sent the amount through a Qiwi wallet. I got my account back." nine0003 via @matays_kz_
“The second case was a little different: I bought an account with subscribers, paid for it, but after some time I was blocked from accessing it, as it turned out that the account was someone else's and did not belong to the seller. With this situation, I went to the police department at the place of registration. All in all, I spent about four hours there. First I told four different people my story, they listened to me, but did not know how to help. The fifth policeman received me, listened to me and said that a protocol should be drawn up. I described the situation in detail, he wrote everything down and summed up that most likely they would not consider my case, since the fraud occurred in cyberspace, so they do not know how to help me. “Most likely, it will not go further than [drawing up the protocol,” he said.
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“For the third time, both my account and email were hacked. The hackers hid the page so well that we still haven’t found it,” the girl says. And he adds that most often hackers "steal" accounts at night, when everyone is sleeping, because at this time of day it is more likely that you will not respond to an e-mail in which you need to confirm the login from a new device.
Still have questions?
Then watch a video instruction on a painful topic. Be careful and don't lose access to your pages! nine0003
Author. Zhanna Mustafina. A photo. Shutterstock, Instagram.
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Instagram was hacked. What to do?
“Hacked” means that the attacker received your username and password and entered your page.
He did it either fraudulently or with the help of a malicious program on your phone, computer. Your task is to restore access and take measures to prevent this from happening again. We need to act quickly.
Check your mail first
An attacker may be trying to change the email address associated with your Instagram. If you received an email about this, it will contain a link to cancel the operation. Do not forget to check the Spam or Junk folder in your mail - the letter could have ended up there.
Restore access via SMS or mail
The main and fastest ways to restore access to Instagram are by the linked phone number or email address. If the number has changed and the old one is no more, we recommend restoring the SIM card if possible. If there is no access to mail, then restore it. Use the option that is faster in your particular case, otherwise you risk losing your account forever. nine0003
All methods in this manual:
- Recovering access, forgotten password on Instagram
If both the number and mail are lost (or the attacker managed to change the mail), then there is a longer and more complicated way - contacting the security service (see ibid, link above).
Attention: do not register a new account! You need to restore access, not register.
After regaining access, see the section below "What to do when you have regained access so that you won't be hacked again?" nine0003
What should I do if I have been hacked, but I still have access?
If someone else has access to your Instagram, do the following immediately:
- Change your password (in your account settings) or order an email or SMS to reset your password (see above).
- Make sure that your valid phone number is linked to your account in the settings.
- Disable access to all third-party applications that you may have given access to. This is done in the "Apps & Sites" settings section. nine0010
- Optional but recommended: Enable two-factor authentication if it is not enabled in the "Two-factor authentication" settings section. To enter Instagram, you will need to enter not only the password, but also the code that is sent to you via SMS.
What to do if Instagram is hacked and blackmailed?
Use all the ways to restore access described above. As for blackmail, you need to contact law enforcement agencies. This is their job. Instagram cannot and will not investigate the crime, look for the blackmailer and punish him. nine0003
What should I do when I have regained access so that I won't be hacked again?
- Figure out exactly how the attacker got the login and password from your account, and don't let that happen again. Below in the instructions will be given basic information about this.
- Make sure your new password is complex enough to not be easily guessed.
- Make sure that your devices - phone, computer, tablet - do not have viruses, SMS interceptors, tracking programs. If necessary, invite a specialist to provide protection. nine0010
- Make sure that your valid phone number is linked to your account in the settings. If you change your number, you need to change the linked number to a new one.
- Make sure that your valid email is linked to your account, you have access to it and you know how to restore it if necessary.
- Disable access to all third-party applications that you may have given access to. This is done in the "Apps & Sites" settings section.
- Optional but recommended: enable two-factor authentication, if it is not enabled, in the "Two-factor authentication" settings section. To enter Instagram, you will need to enter not only the password, but also the code that is sent to you via SMS.
- If someone sends you some links, do not rush to click on them, let alone enter your data there. Even if the link came from a friend, it could be an attacker who hijacked their page.
How was my Instagram hacked?
All "hacks" of social networks and Instagram are similar to each other - usually you are lured to some link that leads to a site that asks you for a login and password. But this is not Instagram. It's just a site similar to Instagram.
You yourself give your login and password to the attacker. nine0003
One of the well-known ways that scammers hijack accounts: a person receives a letter supposedly from an advertiser. He offers cooperation and gives a link to his profile. Of course, many Instagram account holders dream of making money, so they fall for it. The link leads to a fake site that looks exactly like Instagram. Without suspecting anything yet, a person enters his login, password and thus gives them to unknown persons. The attacker enters the page, changes the password and email, and uses it at his own discretion - sends spam or extorts money. nine0003
In principle, the content of a letter or message from an attacker can be anything, the goal is the same - to interest the victim and lure her login and password from her account. You can't fall for it.
How to protect your account from hacking and theft, we talk here:
- How to protect your Instagram account from hacking
Methods of deceiving users and stealing accounts are similar to each other in all social networks.
