Instagram User Scams
I am sure you've all heard about Instagram, Facebook or email hoaxes or scams.
Typically they are messages that are sent to unsuspecting users alarming them about something or other and telling them that if they don't take some sort of specific action like 'click the link below to verify your account' it's going to be disabled or deleted or something worse.
I never thought I'd get one as a direct message on Instagram, but about two weeks ago I did. I received a message addressing me as 'Hello User' saying that the owner of a post I'd shared had complained about a copyright breach and if I didn't take the necessary action to confirm my account by replying to the message with "Hello" to be sent a link, my account was going to be deactivated in 24 hours. It looked legitimate with the Meta address and a case number at the bottom.
After the initial shock I realised that I hadn't ever shared someone else's posts on my account, so I decided to do some investigation. I did a Google search using the words 'Instagram hoaxes Hello User account will be deactivated' and found that it was indeed a scam and had been doing the rounds for a while.
Next, I went back to the message, found the username and looked that up through my Mount Shots IG account and found that it had no profile pic or bio, 0 posts, 10 followers and was following 135, definitely a hacker.
On this account, where I'd received the message, I reported the account as a scam or fraud, blocked the user and then deleted the message. I did the same on my Mount Shots account, reporting and blocking the user.
My advice is if you ever receive anything like this from an Instagram user, please don't do what they say. Do a Google search which I am sure will tell you it's a scam or hoax and then simply report and block the account and delete the message.
Too many innocent IG users are scared into doing something that then gives the hackers control of their accounts.
So, first breath, then Google, then report and block!!
🤗
#igorganiszer #igorganiszer4thewin #beconsistent #adaptable #beorganized #igtips #instagramming #techtips #igaccount #getorganized #getorganised #googlesearch