With over 1. 2 billion active users, Instagram has become hub for con artists who are eager to take advantage of ignorant users. From fake giveaways to phishing activities, there has been an influx of scams on Instagram, a figure that stands at 49.19% of reported incidences in the year 2023 only.
In this article, we will describe the 10 most significant threats that one may face in the year 2024 and learn fundamental ways of protecting themselves while using Instagram.
Is Instagram safe for kids?
Ironically, Instagram, that home to cute photographs and flawless lives, can also be a hub for online evil tricks.
Given the millions of users and the emphasis on multimedia content, scammers have been able to target both adults and children successfully.
While Instagram may be a colorful and inventive application, it comes with unique risks that parents must mitigate.
Here are some risks:
- Exposure to inappropriate content: Children are exposed to unsuitable items while using Instagram, and its content moderation policy does not detect explicit or mature content.
- Cyberbullying: Since it is in the public domain, children can easily be bullied on Instagram, harassed, or even receive negative comments from friends or other users.
- Privacy concerns: There are risks associated with Children posting excess info, which could result in cases such as stalking or identity theft.
As a response to these concerns, Instagram has introduced the following safety measures:
- Age restrictions: Instagram sign-up policy has an age limit of 13 years, but there is usually no strict manner in which age is checked.
- Privacy settings: On Instagram, users can make profiles private, influence how other people interact with account holders and block others.
- Comment filtering: Parents can allow or block comments to keep the undesirable comments out or block specific words/images/messages.
Various safety measures are being enacted on Instagram, but parents need to monitor their children’s activities and encourage free discussion to make the experience safer.
10 typical scams on Instagram to watch out for
Thanks to the millions of active users, Instagram has seen a rise in fake accounts that want to steal your money, your identity, or your Instagram account.
And knowing how to detect these scams is your best armor of protection. Well then, here we go – The list of 10 most common Instagram scams you will likely come across!
Influencer scams
These scams capitalize on the trends of Instagram influencers. They mimic genuine influencers by creating fake accounts with fake followers and likes on Instagram. They might:
- Promise free products or discounts: They will say they are collaborating with a brand and will give you a free item or promo code in exchange for a follow or a click. However, the link could contain a virus that steals your information, or the free product could be a way to get your credit card details.
- Promote fake investment opportunities: These fake influencers might promote what they claim to be rich and profitable investment opportunities. But these are just pyramid schemes or ways to steal your money.
Fake brand sponsorship
Hackers open false accounts, imitating the accounts of existing and genuine brands on social media platforms. They’ll reach out to users with seemingly attractive offers:
- Sponsorship opportunities: They may tell you that your content will be displayed on their brand page in exchange for money or the opportunity to follow them. But the brand has no idea about this offer, and you will lose your money.
- “We want to use your photo!”: They might say they want to use your photo in exchange for monetary or other incentives. This is usually a way to rip you off your copyrighted material or use it differently than you did not authorize.
Fake lottery or giveaways
Let’s face the reality – nobody doesn’t like giveaways! But scammers take advantage of this by creating fake contests or lotteries:
- “You’ve won!” message: Sometimes, you will get a message that you have won a premium item. But to claim it, you may need to click a link, submit your details, or pay a processing fee. It’s not a prize but a means to defraud people of their details or cash.
- “Follow and like to enter”: Instead of actual giveaways, there are fake ones that require users to follow several accounts and like several posts to join in. This makes the scammer’s account numbers large and more credible to anyone who may come across them.
Phishing links&texts
Phishing is one of the oldest tricks where attackers attempt to lure you into divulging confidential information. On Instagram, this can look like:
- Suspicious DMs: You may receive a notification that seems to be from Instagram, a brand, or even a friend whose account could have been compromised. In most cases, the message will contain the phishing link.
- Urgent messages: The message may attempt to alarm you by stating that your account is under threat or that you need to confirm your details. Don’t be pressured!
Romance scams
They will spend much time with you initially, create an online friendship, and even courtship to take advantage of you. Eventually, they’ll:
- Ask for money: They might use stories of an emergency or a sad incident to get you to part with your hard-earned money.
- Request gifts or personal information: They might demand costly items or attempt to lure you into revealing information that might be used against you.
Fake jobs
If you are looking for a new opportunity, avoid job offers that are too appealing or contain phrases that most people consider fake.
- “Get rich quick!”: Such scams want you to believe they will pay you well just to do a few tasks, usually about monetary transactions or investments.
- “Advance fee” scam: The advertised job might have you pay an upfront fee for “training materials” or other reasons. As soon as they receive the money, the scammer takes off.
Investment scams (Crypto scams)
Investment scams are a significant risk on Instagram due to the promise that people can make money quickly. Scammers exploit the hype around cryptocurrencies to lure victims:
- “Double your money!”: They give very high returns on the trading of cryptocurrencies. Such are pyramidal structures or Ponzi schemes in which a single person or a company earns at your expense.
- “Celebrity endorsement”: They can use fake endorsement by celebrities or influencers to push their “investment opportunity.” This should serve as a warning sign if an opportunity seems far too good to be true.
Paid subscription scams
These scams deceive users into providing consent to unwanted subscriptions or other hidden charges.
- “Free trial!”: They promise free trials for music streaming services or fitness programs. However, the fine print states that the service can automatically charge users a steep fee once the trial period is over.
- “Exclusive content!”: They may claim that members will get certain site content after paying a monthly fee when, in fact, the content isn’t valuable or can easily be found elsewhere.
Shopping scams
Many people browse and buy products on Instagram, but some scammers are also users.
- “Too-good-to-be-true” deals: Products advertised at absurdly low prices are most likely fakes. Real sellers cannot sell at such low prices.
- Fake online stores: They may sound like legitimate stores, but they have copied the product images and descriptions. They are scammers, and they will collect your cash without even supplying the products.
Blackmail scams
These scams take advantage of people’s fear and their desire to keep certain things private to get money from them or obtain personal information.
- “I have compromising photos/videos of you”: Criminals out there might demand that they publish some wrongdoing photos or videos they have of you.
- “Hacked account”: The scammer may try convincing you that he has hacked your account and intends to share your private messages or photos with your followers. They will ask for cash in order not to disclose some information.
What do scam accounts on Instagram look like?
Some fake Instagram accounts for scams are easy to spot when you know what to look for. Hence, here are signs you should watch out for.
- Few and low-quality posts
Fraudulent accounts normally have little activity and are generally characterized by low-quality, spam, or plagiarized content. Thus, the absence of unique and high-quality content is one of the most evident signs of a fake account.
- Suspicious links in bio
Do not follow accounts with suspicious links in their description or accounts offering unrealistic profits or job positions. These links may directe to a phishing site or any other con in which the aim is to steal your identity or money.
- Unusual activity
Fake accounts can also have atypical activity, such as following and/or unfollowing thousands of profiles at a time or posting comments or hashtags that do not relate to the account’s content.
Warning signs: How do I know if I am talking to a scammer?
Here are warning signs and red flags to look out for when interacting with potential scammers on Instagram:
- Unsolicited DMs with links – Con artists frequently send unsolicited direct messages containing links or offers that may be dangerous. Do not click on links from strangers.
- Urgent pleas – They have tricks such as creating a sense of urgency or applying pressure to convince you to take action immediately without any second thought.
- Promises of easy money or unrealistic opportunities – Do not trust accounts that provide fast money, easy money, or opportunities that are unbelievable to be true.
- Requests for remote access – Do not allow individuals to connect to your device or give out login information. This will put your device at risk of being stolen or your accounts hacked.
- Trust your instincts – It is always safer to refuse if something feels wrong. Note that too good an opportunity to be true.
It is almost always true that if something sounds too good to be true, then it most undoubtedly is.
What to do when being scammed on Instagram?
If you think that you are already a victim of those Instagram scams, there are other steps that you can take to avoid more losses and report the scam.
1. Stop engaging with the scammer:
There should be no reply to any other messages they send to you or any other requests made by these fraudsters. Maybe interactions with them offer them another chance to harm you or hack into your account.
2. Report the account:
A good practice is always to report scams to Instagram immediately so the development team can double-check and ban the fake INS accounts.
- Return to the conversation with the scammer or move straight to the scammer’s page.
- Next, click the three dots (. . . ) at the top right part of the page to move to the next step.
- Go to the main menu and select the “Report” button.
- Choose the type of report they want, like “Spam” or “Scam or fraud. ”
- The next screen will help you accomplish the rest of the reporting process.
3. Block the scammer:
This limits the chances of the scammer being able to communicate with you again within the app.
- To do this, navigate to the scammer’s profile.
- You will find three dots in the right corner and at the top corner of the screen.
- Select the option that has the label “Block.”
- Finally, you must confirm to block the account.
4. Secure your account:
- Change your password: Choose a powerful and simple-to-remember password for the Instagram account and all the others.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 2FA enhances security since if someone wants to log in, the account will verify their identity twice by a code, in addition to entering only a password.
How can protect kids from scammers on Instagram?
One of the things that parents most worry about when it comes to their children’s participation on Instagram is the possibility of scammers.
- Private account: If your kid is active on Instagram, it will be better to set his or her account to private. Thus, only the users who have that specific permission can track the account and, consequently, view the updates and content that those people post.
- Turn off location sharing: In some circumstances, the location must be turned off to avoid showing the user where the child is. Go to the child’s account and disable location mode on the device.
- Educate kids: Teach your children the consequences of identity theft cases and similar incidents that are common on the internet. Tell them not to open links from unfamiliar people or share their information with people they have no reason to trust.
- Parental monitoring: A reliable parental control app like FlashGet Kids would be a good option. It allows you to track your child’s online activities, including but not limited to Instagram, set screen time limits on your kid’s phone, block toxic apps and games, and sync their notifications. More powerful features are waiting for you to unlock.
- Limit time spent on Instagram: The less time spent on Instagram, the less likelihood of addiction and being scammed.
These steps will largely enhance children’s safety on Instagram and minimize the number of threats on the internet.
Final words
When you recognize the signs early enough and immediately begin implementing tighter security measures, your likelihood of falling prey to Instagram scams will decrease significantly.
Moreover, it is important to increase children’s knowledge of the dangers they may face on the Internet and their awareness of proper behavior in social networks.
So, let us make it a point to adopt a positive outlook towards cyber security, and the Internet will be a more secure place for everyone.
