How To Protect Yourself From Instagram Scams in 2023

Social media has become a treasure trove of opportunities for con artists and scammers. When you sign up on Instagram, it's like you're opening the doors to all sorts of schemes and scams. 

Scammers are known to target and scam Instagram users, with many instances of this occurring daily. With over 1 billion active monthly users in the world, Instagram is one of the most popular social networking sites today. However, this also makes it a prime target for scammers looking to steal money from you or find out personal information about your account or profile.

Looking to protect yourself from the next Instagram scam in 2023? We've got you covered. Here's everything you need to know about Instagram scams that could be occurring in your feed right now.

How Do Instagram Scams Work?

Instagram scams are not just a trend, they're a growing threat that will continue to impact you and your reputation. With the rise of these scams, it's important to know how they work so that you can avoid becoming a victim. Here are five things you should know about Instagram scams.

Fake Profile Pages

The most common way scammers use social media sites like Instagram is through fake profiles or pages — particularly ones that seem real — which allows them to reach out directly to their target audience with offers/promises or invites for "free" entries into contests or promotions.

Influencer Scams

The influencer industry has grown tremendously over the years due to people wanting access to popular personalities who share their lives with the world through their social media accounts. These influencers are often paid handsomely when they promote products or services in exchange for exposure and credibility among their followers. However, these same influencers may also be targeted by scam artists who want to take advantage of their reach and influence in order to make money via affiliate marketing schemes.

There are many ways that Instagram scammers target these individuals, including:

• Using fake profiles to impersonate famous people and tricking them into believing they have been contacted by someone important
• Using bots/automated accounts to inflate follower numbers and make it seem like there's an influx of new followers from a single account
• Asking followers for money by promising "freebies" or prizes in exchange for promoting a product or service on your Instagram account

Phishing Scams

This type of Instagram scam sees scammers send you a DM claiming your account is in danger and you need to take action. They claim to be from official Instagram customer service and they are here to help you.

The first thing that happens is they ask for your login details, including the password. This is what they will use to gain access to your account and steal your private data.

If you receive an email from Instagram saying that someone has tried to log into your account but failed, it’s likely a phishing scam. The message will look authentic, but if you click on a link in the message, it will redirect you to a fake website where scammers can get access to your login details.

From lucrative investment opportunities to fake job offers, there is no shortage of ways scammers can get your attention on Instagram. How they do it varies, but the key to avoiding them is being vigilant about who you follow and what information you give out when using social media.

Cryptocurrency scams

Crypto scams have become a common occurrence. Scammers have found a way to exploit the hype surrounding cryptocurrencies and the lack of awareness about them.

Crypto scams are one of the most common ways that scammers target their victims. They use social media platforms like Instagram as a platform to propagate their scamming activities as it has become a popular place for influencers and celebrities to showcase their work.

On Instagram, you will receive a DM alleging they can make you rich but first you need to send some fee or worse, your personal information. Desist from replying or clicking on such links as this can easily give scammers access to your Instagram account.

Cryptocurrency scams are becoming more common. Here's how to protect yourself from such scams in 2023:

1) Don't fall for any crypto hype

2) Practice safe browsing

3) Make sure the website is secure

4) Do cold wallet storage of your crypto assets

Other forms of Insta scams include;

• Fake ICO (initial coin offering)
• Investment scams
• Lottery and giveaway scams
• Romance Scams
• Paid subscription scams
• Fake job scams
• Fake product scams

Image source: Pexels.com

How To Protect Yourself From Instagram Scam in 2023

It's not just the usual scams that people experience on Instagram. It's also a chance for scammers to prey on people's vulnerability.

With many scams on Instagram, it can be hard to keep track. But this also emphasizes the need to be vigilant, otherwise, you and your network may be exposed to scammers. 

Here are some tips that can help protect yourself from becoming a victim of scams on Instagram:

Double-check the URL

Instagram will never send you a DM requesting your personal details. They always send official emails to you directly. To weed out any spams or scam messages, you can always check the official email by clicking on settings on your account and then "Emails from Instagram"

Use two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security feature that requires you to provide verification codes in addition to your username and password in order to log in. If you're using a mobile device, two-factor authentication is usually the option where you'll be prompted for a code sent via SMS or automatically generated on your phone once you've entered your password.

If you're not using 2FA on Instagram, now would be a good time to start. It's easy to enable and won't cost you a dime — just head over to the app's settings and turn on the feature by tapping "Two-Factor Authentication."

Double-check the profile picture

Check whether the profile picture matches their account picture or not by making sure that they are using an actual photo instead of a stock photo that looks like them! Also, if you have seen their photos before, try to find out if they have changed them. In an era of deep fakes, you can use Google Lens or similar programs to check if the images are AI-generated.

Check Their Name

If you want to interact with someone on Instagram, make sure to check out their name and profile information first. You can do this by clicking on their username or name in the top left corner of your screen and then clicking on “About”. This will show all the information about that person in addition to any comments they may have written.

Check Out Their Followers

After you have read through their profile and checked out their name and info, it’s time to move on to checking out their followers! Click on “Followers” next to their username so that all of their followers are listed on one screen. Then click through each profile and look at who follows them back and if they have any other accounts set up on Instagram as well as any private profiles they may have set up too (if applicable).

How To Report Instagram Scams

When you come across an Instagram scam, reporting it will help protect another scammer from falling victim. It also helps the Instagram community know that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with. If you have found a scammer on your account, you can report them by following these steps:

You can also click here to check out more information.

Scammers are always trying to find new ways to steal your information. They may send you a link that looks like a legitimate site, or they may offer you a deal that sounds too good to be true.

But before you click that link or agree to anything, make sure you understand what you're getting into. 

Again, before buying anything on Instagram, be sure to do your due diligence which includes checking the pages and the reviews they got.

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