How to Recover Your Instagram Account after being Hacked. The message “Hey I lost my contacts; can I have your phone number again?” was not from me!
People warning their Instagram friends about their accounts being hacked is becoming more of a common sight.
“I didn’t ask for your number” or “I didn’t send that promotional link” are the most common warnings.
It seems that their Instagram account was hacked and their friends were receiving different messages from them.
How to Recover Your Instagram Account after being Hacked
With the growing social media user population, account hacking is becoming more common. But some social media platforms are more vulnerable towards hacking, than others.
According to the stats given by the Atlas VPN team, 84% of the total account hack victims were Instagram users.
Instagram is the 4th most popular social media platform. It is accessed by over 2 billion monthly users around the world. This makes Instagram a big target for hackers and safety measures are advised.
How do Instagram Accounts get Hacked?
Instagram gets hacked in different ways. Many socially planned attempts are made to control users whose accounts are vulnerable to attacks.
Malicious Software:
Hackers try to affect digital devices with keylogging software. Everything which users of the infected digital device types, is being recorded.
This way unsanctioned groups get your Instagram login details. Clicking on dubious links, downloading dangerous attachments and signing up to access accounts on different deceitful websites are some reasons why this software gets downloaded.
Weak Passwords:
Sometimes people use the same password for different online platforms. If one of these platforms’ details gets leaked, the other one automatically will be at risk.
The same goes for Instagram’s users. Also, if your password is too simple, the more it will be easy for hackers to guess.
Third-Party Apps:
Instagram hacks also happen indirectly. People use different third-party platforms to access Instagram. If that third-party platform gets taken over by cybercriminals, your Instagram account details also get compromised.
Other Methods:
Instagram can also be hacked by In-app scams and even without any cybersecurity information.
There are numerous ways how your Instagram account can be hacked. It’s important to know how you can avoid danger and what can you do.
How to Avoid Getting IG Account Hacked:
There are some steps you can take to protect your Instagram account. These are
Pick a Strong Password:
A weak password is one of the biggest concerns in Instagram security. Security researchers suggest using auto-generated passwords for better protection.
It’s also better to use unique passwords for different accounts so that one leak doesn’t affect others.
Once you finalize a potential password, use “How Secure Is My Password” for one last check.
Make Sure your Email Account is Secure:
Almost every social media account is linked to your email account. If someone gets access to your email, he/she gets access to all of your accounts. For this reason, a strong email with better security is recommended.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication:
Two-factor authentication consists of different steps. With two-factor authentication enabled, users are required to prove their identity using a security code.
If you try to access Instagram by an unacknowledged device, you will be asked to enter the security code. This reduces the chances of being hacked.
Remove Doubtful Third-party Applications:
Accessing Instagram via various third-party apps like games & photo-editing applications is very common.
It’s necessary to know that these apps will have your information regardless of how long you haven’t used them.
If a database of any of these apps is attacked, your login details might get into the wrong hands. It’s very important to get rid of doubtful third-party apps for better safety.
But what if you were careless and couldn’t counter these threats in time? Your account gets hacked. Now, what to do?
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How to Recover your Instagram Account:
Keeping in mind the severity of the situation, Instagram introduced Instagram.com/ hacked.
Victims now have a way to crawl back to their hacked accounts. Instagram users can simply inform about the hack and ask for recovery.
Impersonation accounts can be reported and you can also contact them if you have forgotten your passwords.
In case of an account is being hacked, go to Instagram.com/hacked. Pick that you have been hacked or any other relevant reason, like forgot password, losing way in two-factor authentication or your account is incapacitated.
Instagram then responds by asking a series of questions. Upon fulfilling the requirements, you’d get your access back.
Another method of recovery is selecting two of your Instagram friends who can vouch for you and prove your identity.
If both of your friends approve of you upon receiving Instagram’s request, you can get your account back just by creating a new password.
Conclusion:
Due to the growing number of Instagram users, the number of malicious activities is also increasing. Precautionary measures are advised and Instagram is also helping now in case of stolen accounts.
