Instagram account HACKED!

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Hi guys, I've had a few queries about this so thought I'd better post here too.

It's been renamed a few times now and is currently 'heuerstevep1564'
My new legitimate IG account is simply 'heuercamaro'. Feel free to follow me! 😀

Be careful out there all.
Steve
 
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Thanks, unfollowed heuerstevep1564. Was already following heuercamaro.
 
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What's the point?

The account shared some of those ubiquitous "Make billions from cryptocurrency using this one fun trick! Click www.scam.com for details!" soon after
 
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What's the point?
Well so far he has been messaging various contacts/friends asking for money, asking for favours/screenshots etc. and generally spamming. It looks a lot more legitimate to my contacts coming from 'me' than someone random.....
 
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Heads up, this seems to be going around. A lot of watch accounts have been attacked by the same group. Old Watch Lady, Lobotime, and a few vintage rolex accounts have also been hit.
 
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Yes it does seem to be snowballing sadly. 🙁
 
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Received this message today
 
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Thanks Mark. Looks like you're a sharper pencil than me! Following you back now. 👍
Steve
 
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Folks should add the two factor authentication optoin to their Instagram accounts.
 
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Received this message today
I feel like an idiot, but…

Could someone please briefly make sense of that exchange for me (I’m not using IG)? Tks!
 
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I feel like an idiot, but…

Could someone please briefly make sense of that exchange for me (I’m not using IG)? Tks!
The hacker hoped I would click a link which - most likely - would lead to me giving him my login details
 
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Folks should add the two factor authentication optoin to their Instagram accounts.
Just did that ;-)
 
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Guys it's not even clicking on a link. He asked me for a screenshot of it, nothing else. I sent him a screenshot only, nothing else.

I lost my account.
 
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Incidentally @Calibre11 @Hubert I posted this on the TH forum side too as it will inevitably affect people who don't come down 'this end' (and I know it has) but on one of the accounts I saw the 'new account owner' advertising a TH Carrera for sale, just so you're aware.....

The situation is spreading like wildfire, I had around 12 reports of contact from 'me' and I know of 2 further accounts that were lost yesterday...and it'll continue...(as long as IG keep ignoring it at least.)
 
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Guys it's not even clicking on a link. He asked me for a screenshot of it, nothing else. I sent him a screenshot only, nothing else.

I lost my account.
Scary stuff Steve, again sorry for your trouble. 🙁

But what did you send him a screenshot of? Trying to understand how someone can hack an IG account by the owner sending just a screenshot pic.
 
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Scary stuff Steve, again sorry for your trouble. 🙁

But what did you send him a screenshot of? Trying to understand how someone can hack an IG account by the owner sending just a screenshot pic.
Thanks.

I honestly believed it was some clever bit of virus software that somehow embedded data from your phone into the screenshot and sent it back to the 'friend'. But because you asked, I thought I should actually look into it. I've posted this on IG now too-

"Having seen a number of Instagram accounts fall victim to this latest scam and having been contacted by so many others after further attempts, I have looked into the workings behind this scam and it’s really not as complicated as initially thought-

  • You receive a chat message from a ‘friend/contact’ asking you to forward them a screenshot of a link they will send you on SMS, normally asking to help them unlock their own account. As it’s from a ‘friend’, you don’t necessarily suspect they wouldn’t have your mobile/cell number)
  • You then receive an SMS. (this is the important part!) THIS IS ACTUALLY A LEGITIMATE PASSWORD RESET LINK REQUESTED BY THE SCAMMER TO BE SENT TO YOU
  • If you then screenshot and send this back to them, they use it to reset your password and take control of your account. Years of posts/conversations are LOST!
PLEASE FORWARD/SHARE SO OTHERS ARE AWARE. INSTAGRAM ARE DOING VERY LITTLE TO HELP IN THESE CASES.

Thanks."

Scary stuff indeed.🙁