Many Instagram users receive direct messages that supposedly come from the platform itself and indicate a copyright violation.
These direct messages are usually part of a scam used by fraudsters to take over the account addressed.
When do I have to pay attention?
Anyone who receives such a direct message is usually asked to follow a link, log in with their Instagram access data and comment on the alleged copyright infringement. Instagram itself would usually not issue such a reminder via direct message, but rather through more official channels. If it is not an official Instagram account or the link provided does not lead to Instagram.com, you should pay attention anyway - even if the landing pages have often been recreated very well. Another indication of an attempted fraud is the wording of the message: If it appears to be automatically translated, it usually has no serious background.
Up to €15,000 per month for stolen accounts
If you follow the link in the direct message and enter your access data there, they are in the possession of the fraudsters and the account can be taken over by them. According to information from t-online, which comes from a conversation with such a fraudster, these accounts can be sold on the dark web. The prices for this depend on the activity of the channel, number of followers, verification and other factors. Profiles with a blue tick are particularly attractive, but other active accounts are also popular targets for cybercriminals. With the help of this scam, it is possible to take over at least three to four accounts every day and to earn around €4,000 to €5,000 per month from the subsequent sale. For larger accounts, sums of up to €15,000 per month are realistic.
How can I protect myself?
As soon as you are asked to click on a link or to reveal your access data in a direct message, this should be a warning. In principle, it makes sense to secure your online accounts with two-factor authentication where possible.
Source: t-online.de
Image by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay
Also interesting:
WhatsApp announces new functions to protect the privacy of its users. In the future, it will be possible to have WhatsApp messages automatically deleted after reading them once or after a certain period of time.
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