You have likely seen social media posts from friends warning that their Instagram account has been hacked.
Unfortunately, this has become increasingly common.

“I’ve been hacked! If you receive a message, don’t open it, it’s not from me!”

How Does This Happen?

Hackers frequently target Instagram users by posing as an Instagram employee account. The target receives a direct message warning them of being in violating of account policies. The target is then instructed to “click this link" to act in resolving the matter.

This scare tactic is highly successful, and when people click on the link to avoid trouble, their log-in information is quickly stolen, and they are locked out of their accounts indefinitely.

Before the target knows it, the hacker changes the account credentials, and the target is blocked from resetting their password and regaining access.

Here is how you can use Two-factor Authentication to prevent hackers from taking over your Instagram account.