If an account slides into your DMs saying you’ve won a competition or that you should check out a way to make money quickly, or is offering some kind of promotional collaboration, then it’s probably too good to be true. (You should delete the messages and report the scam.)
“When it comes to spotting a scam on Instagram, people should look out for messages asking you to click on a link, even if they appear to come from a friend, a trusted brand, or Instagram itself,” Barker adds. Scam messages often include typos, poor English, or want you to click on a link taking you away from the app. They often also come from recently created accounts.
Scammers have been spotted using Instagram’s logo and branding to send tech, verification, or security support messages to people via DMs. These are all fakes. Instagram says it will never send you direct messages about your account. (You can see official emails from Instagram in the app’s settings.) “Look out for posts about giveaways, gift cards, and investment schemes, as these are common tactics for criminals,” Barker says. If a brand is contacting you from an unverified account, you should be very cautious about replying.
Scams also come through Instagram Stories. “Fraudsters abuse the Instagram Stories feature, posting scams there that autodelete after 24 hours,” says Chris Boyd, lead malware intelligence analyst at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes. “The scam is hidden behind their profile picture; you won’t see it…
