Instagram is one of the first places to go when sharing beautiful and creative photos with a large community. As with all accounts, Instagram also runs the risk of hacking the account.
Learn how to determine if the Instagram account has been hacked and what to do if the account is lost.
Infos about the Instagram hack in August 2018
Several hundred, sometimes follower-strong Instagram accounts were obviously hacked. The users found out that their username, the profile picture and above all the e-mail address were changed – to a Russian address.
Instagram has responded relatively quickly to the messages and put together an (English) manual on how to respond .
The key messages of the manual:
- If you got an email from Instagram that the email address of the account has changed, you should undo this change by clicking on the link in the mail.
- On this page you will get instructions on how to reclaim a hacked page.
- Resolves all connections between Instagram and other apps. If you allow any app to access Instagram, this permission will be withdrawn in the Instagram app or website as soon as you have access.
- Enables two-factor authentication .
Also Read: How to send direct message on Instagram from computer
Has my Instagram account been hacked?
Clear signs that your own account has been hijacked are images or comments that are posted without your knowledge. Even if you suddenly follow people you do not even know, you should become skeptical. If you notice unusual activity in your account, do the following:
- Log in to your Instagram account immediately .
- Change your password via the user management.
- If you do not remember your password, we have an illustrated guide on how to reset your Instagram password elsewhere .
- When choosing the new password you should not take a simple password that can easily be cracked again. For this we have prepared some tips for secure passwords for you.
- Not only should the password for Instagram be changed. Especially if you use the password for other services as well, it may be that the hacker wants to gain access to more of your profiles .
- In addition to setting a new password, you should also revoke third-party application access to your account. You can also do this via the account management in the settings.
- Most accounts on Instagram are hacked over just those third-party apps . These often promise extra features, but in the background they unwittingly post messages in your name or make other unwanted changes.
- So before you give an application access to the Instagram account, you should first check thoroughly whether it is also serious. Often tools also peek your password out, which actually promise you to be able to hack other Instagram accounts or offer free followers .
Hacked an Instagram account: That’s how you get your profile back
Under certain circumstances, you may not have access to your profile after a hack because the malefactor has already changed the password. In such cases, you will need to contact Instagram support directly . This works via the corresponding contact form. You can also look for help on the official Instagram site on Twitter .
Basically, you should always be on the PC with a firewall and an antivirus program. On the smartphone should not be installed apps from unknown sources. Most viruses get to the mobile device in this simple way. In addition, with every click you make on the net, you should think twice about whether the goal behind it is really serious. For this, read in our antivirus test which virus scanner is most suitable.