Hackers STEAL Instagram account of Mumbai woman; Don't let this blackmail happen to YOU

A Mumbai woman received ransom messages from hackers to get her Instagram account back. Learn how to protect yourself from meeting a similar fate

Woman gets blackmailed to retrieve Instagram Account from Hackers. Protect your account this way. (Pexels)

In a scary incident, a Mumbai woman, who is 33 years old, has fallen prey to Instagram hackers. The woman, who is a resident of Khar, received three different WhatsApp threat text messages from international numbers which asked her to pay a ransom of $150 if she wanted to retrieve her Instagram account. She reportedly lost access to the Instagram account of her travel company on March 25. After receiving the text messages, the victim lodged an FIR at the police station. The incident is scary because most of us use Instagram for both personal and professional reasons. With the rise of Instagram hacking incidents, it has become very important for all of us to know how to protect ourselves from a similar situation. Read on to find out.

The Mumbai-based victim has so far not been able to retrieve her Instagram account. She believes that the hackers are either someone who know her and the company well or someone who has been stalking the company for a while. “The hacker seems to know about the account which has got confidential clientele details and the company's working profile which the person threatened to sell to others,” Times of India reported.

In accordance with the FIR, Khar Police have filed the case under IPC section 384 (extortion), 511 (penalty for attempting to commit acts punishable with life imprisonment), and section 43 (A) of the IT Act (compensation for failure to protect data). Keeping all this in mind, everyone should know how to protect their Instagram account in order not to fall victim to hackers ransom demands.

How to protect your Instagram account from hackers

While a site-wide protection can only be provided by Instagram, there are things a user can do to ensure higher security to protect themselves from any cybercriminal. This includes best practices and good cyber hygiene and these tips will be helpful in protecting not only Instagram, but any online account from hackers. Check them out below.

How to keep Instagram account safe

Step 1:

Always make sure to use passwords which are random and not related to you in any way.

Step 2:

Make sure the passwords have an alphanumeric pattern along with special characters to make it harder to guess.

Step 3:

Shorter passwords should be avoided. There should be a minimum of 8 characters in the password.

Step 4:

Keep changing your passwords regularly.

Step 5:

Multi-factor authentication is important. Make sure to add your phone number, email id and any other extra layer you can add to ensure nobody can access your account even if the password is compromised.

Step 6:

Never click a link online that you do not recognize or trust. Be specifically careful if it offers free gifts and rewards which seems too good to be true. 

Step 7:

Never share your password with anyone or write it down under any circumstances.