The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) released a 2024 survey in which 85% of reported hacks involved Instagram accounts(1). Losing your Instagram account is a devastating reality for many people. Not only are many victims never able to get their account back but they can also use the information on the account to blackmail the original owner.
With the bag of tricks that scammers have today, you have to be a savvy internet user to outsmart them. Luckily, we’re about to break down all of the ways you can protect your Instagram account from any hacker and stop Instagram blackmail before it happens.
Understanding Instagram Security Risks
You may be wondering why a hacker would be interested in your Instagram account. Hackers can have many different motivations. They can be looking to re-route the account’s revenue to themselves, use the account to send phishing links to their followers, gain access to sensitive information, etc. Everyone who is on Instagram is at risk of an account takeover. Here are a few more ways that hackers can use your account.
- Stalking and Harassment: There are cases where Instagram hackers target a user for personal reasons like to damage the account owner’s reputation or gain access to private information. Typically, these are stalkers, former partners, or a disgruntled person.
- Sell The Account on the Black Market: Even if your account has low followers, it has value because it is authentic which means the platform is less likely to remove the profile.
- Identity Theft: Depending on what information was exposed, your financial information could be at risk during an Instagram account hacking. Make sure to update your passwords if your account has been breached.
- Scamming your followers: Cryptocurrency is a common scam used when a hacker gets access to an account. They encourage their followers to invest in crypto but this is only a ploy to get more personal information.
Blackmail and Sextortion
According to a 2025 report from Digital Forensics Corp., Instagram is one of the leading platforms where sextortion runs rampant(2). Preventing Instagram blackmail is an initiative that Meta has worked on for years.
Through users reporting Instagram blackmail and machine learning, Meta was able to remove sixty-three thousand accounts that engaged in sextortion in 2024(3). However, blackmail on Instagram continues to be an issue and education seems to be the best way to stop Instagram blackmail.
Blackmail is a form of extortion where a criminal demands payment in return for not revealing damaging information about them. Once the hackers get into an account, they get access to a lot of information that they will then use to blackmail the account owner.
In some cases, this can lead to sextortion. This type of blackmail occurs when a criminal creates a social media impersonation to lure unsuspecting victims into sending intimate content and the blackmailer then threatens to release the content unless they are paid.
If you are a victim of Instagram blackmail, just know that you are not alone. Thousands of people have gone through a similar experience and there are experts that specialize in handling cases like yours. Digital Forensics Corp. has many specialists that will work to stop the Instagram blackmail and protect your Instagram account if it was breached.
How Instagram Hackers Gain Access
Hackers have gotten more clever in their ways to deceive targets. They know what scams the public is commonly aware of and disguise themselves to be more effective. That’s why many blackmailers use social media impersonations to trick their targets. To outsmart Instagram hackers and prevent Instagram blackmail, you need to know the methods they use to perform account takeovers.
- Phishing Scams: These are fraudulent schemes designed to trick targets into giving criminals personal information. On Instagram, this is often through a suspicious link sent to your DMs. Phishing scams account for a large amount of Instagram account hackings.
- Data Leaks: If your login credentials have been exposed elsewhere, hackers will use that information and try it on different websites. Many people use the same password for multiple accounts but this can be dangerous in certain circumstances.
- Account Hacking: Sometimes hackers go for the direct option. A brute force attack is when a hacker uses trial and error to figure out your password and it is effective on weak passcodes.
Secure Your Instagram Account
The more secure your Instagram account is, the harder it will be for hackers to break in. The good news is that Instagram has various ways to lock down your Instagram account. The first and simplest way is by strengthening your password.
Create a Strong Password
Your password is the key to locking down your Instagram account. Once a hacker has your password, they can change anything they want in the account. The password should also be unique to Instagram in case of data leaks. There are three things that create a strong password: it needs at least 12 characters, upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special symbols.
Always Use Two-Factor Authentication
Nowadays, you should always use two-factor authentication (2FA) to lock down your Instagram account. 2FA is a sign-in process where users are required to confirm their identity in two separate ways. You can typically use your e-mail, phone number, messaging app, and more. Instagram allows only two options for (2FA): either use Duo Mobile or your phone number. Using WhatsApp with your phone number also works.
Review Login Activity
Instagram will send you an email when there is a suspicious sign-in on your account. This typically means that the device used was not affiliated with the profile. If you get this notification, you need to immediately secure your Instagram account. Change your password and make sure the option to log out of all devices afterward is checked.
Manage Your Third-Party Apps
Many people use third-party applications when using Instagram. However, third-party apps also pose a huge danger when it comes to securing your Instagram account. If the third-party apps have bad security, hackers can use the application to access the login credentials of its users. Make sure you are using trusted apps when connecting a third-parties like Hootsuite, Later, and Canva.
Lock Down Your Instagram Account
When it comes to locking down your Instagram account, you should start with making your account private. Being public opens you up to everybody on the platform which includes the good and the bad. Making your account private protects your Instagram account and prevents Instagram blackmail. Simply go into the settings and click on “Account Privacy”, then switch your account to private. You can also go to “Messages and Story Replies” to make sure that only your followers can message you and view your stories.
Protecting Your Instagram Account Data
Now that you’ve secured your Instagram account, you need to keep your information out of the hacker’s hands. They will try to trick you into sharing your information using clever methods. Once you know their tactics, you will be able to completely lock down your Instagram account.
Be Cautious of Direct Messages (DMs)
Hackers that use phishing scams want you to click their link. That is their main objective and they will use social media impersonations to get it. On Instagram, they will pose as popular brands, influencer, friends, or even Instagram itself. For example, scammers often send users or businesses with messages as “Instagram” about “suspicious activity”. Then after you click on the link, your device becomes infected with malware. Another type of phishing scam sends you to a fake Instagram login website that was designed to capture the information you enter into the login section.
You should always be cautious when clicking on a link. Even if you lock down your Instagram account, a phishing link can still come from someone you follow. Hackers will often use an account that they took over to send phishing links to their followers.
Report Suspicious Behavior on Instagram
Instagram has a built-in reporting system for suspicious behavior including social media impersonation, scammers, and blackmailers. Reporting scammers on Instagram is an effective way to remove them from the platform. Instagram takes reports of hackers and blackmail seriously. Here’s how to report blackmail on Instagram.
- Reporting Instagram Blackmail: In cases of blackmail, the platform encourages users to report Instagram blackmail so that they can remove the users. However, there is no “Report Instagram Blackmail” option but you can report the user for “Bullying or Harassment”, “Pretending to be Someone Else”.
- Reporting Sextortion: In cases of sextortion, you can report the user for “Nudity or Sexual Activity” and then choose the option that best fits your circumstance.
Responding to a Compromised Account
If you’ve responded and clicked on a link from a compromised account, you should stay calm. There are immediate actions you need to take to secure your Instagram account before there is an account takeover.
- Change your password immediately: Update your password and make sure to check the “log out on all devices” option. Lock down your Instagram account with 2FA at the ready.
- Report the Instagram profile that is compromised. There is no “account hacking” report option but you can report them for “Scam, Fraud, or Spam”.
- Contact Digital Forensic Corp. if you have lost access to your profile. We can recover and secure your Instagram account.
- Notify family and friends that your account is compromised and to ignore any messages from you. If you want the account removed, you can ask them to report your old account.
Recovering Your Account
Instagram has an entire process created to protect your Instagram account even after you get hacked. The solution was designed to help those that are completely locked out of their account and should restore your access. Here is a step-by-step guide on how it works.
- Visit Instagram.com/hacked.
- Select “My account was hacked”.
- Enter the username, phone number, or email associated with the account.
- Check your email for next steps.
- Request a login link from IG which will be sent to your email or phone.
- If that doesn’t work, you can request support from Instagram.
- You will have to verify your identity by providing the email or phone number you originally signed up with and the device you used at the time(4).
Get Help From Digital Forensics Corp.
Your social media accounts are important for keeping up with close connections and is a place where people store private information. If you have suffered an account hacking, Digital Forensic Corp. can help. We regularly track the digital footprint of hackers and discover their true identity. Our experts also use the latest technology to free your device from malware and work to secure your Instagram account. Contact Digital Forensics Corp. today if you are a victim of Instagram account hacking.
Sources:
- https://www.idtheftcenter.org/publication/2024-data-breach-report/
- https://www.digitalforensics.com/blog/news/sextortion-report-press-release/
- https://about.fb.com/news/2024/07/combating-financial-sextortion-scams-from-nigeria/
- https://help.instagram.com/368191326593075/?helpref=hc_fnav
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL FORENSICS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
