Kaspersky researchers have been able to observe that this fraud, with which the account of certain users on Instagram is blocked due to false complaints. It is not the isolated or individual work of a single cybercriminal. Cases have been discovered that promote this type of scheme on the network, that is, that offer to block the accounts of certain users in exchange for a sum of money.
“ Many people and organizations rely on social media for income, such as entrepreneurs, artists, and content creators. So what we are witnessing now is basically a new form of digital abuse . ” Comments Anna Larkina, Security Expert at Kaspersky.
“ Fortunately, Instagram is already aware of this scheme and, therefore, we foresee that this problem will lose relevance very quickly,” he concludes.
Apart from the fact that some use platforms such as Instagram for economic income, our profiles on social networks are usually part of our identity since they contain images and personal points of view. Therefore, anything that harms them can affect us. Not only financially but emotionally since losing control of our profile can have a negative impact on our reputation. Cybercriminals know this and that is why these types of schemes are so lucrative. If you are affected by this scam, the expert points out that it is essential to contact the technical support of the social network and never agree with the attackers.
In case your Instagram account is blocked, Kaspersky advises:
1. Stay calm and assess the situation coldly.
2. Collect evidence: take a screenshot of everything that can confirm the attack on Instagram: offers to unblock the account, threats, all messages and notifications, etc.
3. Get in touch with the social network as soon as possible, describing what happened in as much detail as possible and attaching all the evidence.
4. Prevent this, and other types of scams, activating two-factor authentication in this, and in all applications that allow it; thus, if someone tries to log into your account from a different device, the social network will request a one-time code that you will receive via SMS.
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