Cybercriminals can get to your account when you least expect it, and if you are not prepared, you could fall for one of their scams on Instagram.
Fortunately, Instagram has designed options that help us easily identify these fake profiles and keep our data private.
Some of those tips are:
1. Name history check
From the history you will be able to evaluate if that user has changed the name of his account and the date of its creation. Scammers have a habit of changing names to continue scamming. To verify it you will only have to:
- Select the 3 dots icon
- Click information about this account
- List previous usernames
2. Links to networks or website
A real account should not be afraid to show reference of its presence on the Internet. On the other hand, this is something that scammers will not want to show us. If they are posing as big brands or online businesses, just check the links in their profile and evaluate if they are true or false.
3. See customer reviews
There is no better way to check the authenticity of an Instagram profile than through reviews. It is important to verify that the people who leave the comments are real. Take some time to detail the profile of the user who is reviewing and identify if they are bots or real profiles.
4. Comments removed
When an account has comments blocked or it is verified that some have been deleted, it is time to be alert, because it could be a scammer. You should only evaluate the comments and detail if there is any negative or where a complaint is left.
Another sign that the person on the other side is not someone with good intentions. They are very suspicious traits and they expose scammers. So, if you come across an account full of links and “#”, don’t be suspicious.
6. Avoid clicking links in messages
Being able to access your account is one of the goals of scammers. One of their most used tactics is to send messages with links to “login” with your account.
Avoid doing this and only try to log in with official links or from the applications downloaded on your device.
7. Suspicious messages
There are scammers pretending to be the Instagram security team and sending messages claiming to need your personal data to perform a verification.
They can use the argument that your account has broken some privacy policies and needs to be restored. Do not send personal information because it is a scam.
We hope that with these tips you can protect your account a little more and stay alert to any fraud attempt. Remember that scammers never rest and will take any opportunity to achieve their scam goal.
Use your Instagram with caution and don’t fall for the tricks of scammers!
