How I Recovered My Hacked Instagram Account in 24 Hours: A Step-by-Step Guide

Last Updated on August 7, 2023 by Diana

Has your most cherished and popular Instagram account just been hacked? The answer might be yes and that’s why you’re here to recover your Instagram account from hackers. Well, don’t be sad blaming yourself, it might happen to anyone.

You know scams are everywhere and smart ones are really difficult to figure out. And the scenario is not different from messages and links. The most common scams people encounter with – crypto investments, verification badge scams, copyright violations, and many others.

In the hope of helping you to regain access, preliminary steps after being hacked, signs of hacking, and many other tricks follow our guide.

Understanding Hacked Instagram Accounts

A. Different ways Instagram accounts can be hacked (phishing, weak passwords, third-party apps, etc.).

The most common question is: how do hackers hack your Instagram account? Well, hackers have different and unique strategies to hack your Instagram account, including:

• Phishing links: Hackers send giveaways and brand sponsorships from well-known celebrities, Instagram, or impersonate a big brand to build trust. They also provide copyright scams with malicious links that look like legitimate notifications from Instagram.   
• Weak IG passwords: If you use a weak and easy-to-predict password, hackers will be able to get access to your IG account. Try to create a strong and unique password with a combination of at least six numbers, letters, and special characters. Also, recheck your password whenever Instagram asks you to do so.

• Third-party apps or malicious software: When your profile or brand achieves lots of followers to simplify the process, you may use third-party apps. Hackers can create counterfeit tools that demand improved functionality but works as a security threat.

• Reverse-proxy servers: Hackers send you a similar legitimate website like an Instagram login page to hack your personal information. When you enter all login details, hackers get access to your account easily.

B. Significance of hacked accounts: privacy breaches, identity theft, and reputational damage.

There are several reasons behind hacking your Instagram account, such as –

• Steal personal information: As a top brand or popular influencer, you have lots of active fan followers on Instagram. After hacking your account, hackers get access to your profile password, email address, phone number, and other sensitive information. They can use those to commit identity theft or other crimes.
• Spread spam or false news: Sometimes hackers use your Instagram account for sending spam or malware to damage your reputation. Also, it affects your branding when they post offensive or embarrassing content in your profile.
• Get access to business-sensitive information: If your brand achieves lots of active audiences, hackers will hack your account for getting access to your business-related info.    
• Sell the account: Hackers can sell your follower-rich account or can be used for spam, impersonation, or different malicious programs.  

C. Impact on individuals and businesses: personal information exposure, unauthorized access, and potential loss of followers or customers.

Instagram hacking costs serious damage to both individuals and businesses. Here we’ve enlisted some facts below:

• Data theft: Hackers mainly hack IG accounts for getting sensitive personal or business information and use those as spam, commit identity theft, and other malicious activities.
• Financial loss: If you run an online business, hackers may hack your account to get access to financial accounts, transfer money, and so on.
• Damage reputation: When hackers post offensive content to your account, it can damage your reputation and customer trust. In the end, these activities can lose sales and revenues.

Recognizing the Signs of a Hacked Instagram Account

As per Gaffney’s statement, “The most common sign of an Instagram account hacked is your registered email or phone number is changed.” But there are other signs that notify you about hacking so that you can take the necessary steps to recover it.

Let’s check out the top 4 Instagram accounts hacked sings below:

A. Unusual account activity: unfamiliar posts, comments, or messages.

When hackers successfully get access to your IG account, the most common thing they trigger is unusual activity. It can be –

• DMs from suspicious accounts you don’t recognize like cryptocurrency investment scams or notifications from suspicious connections.
• Photos, videos, or posts you didn’t upload on your page.
• Spams or inappropriate messages.
• You will get an unfamiliar device record in your activity log. For finding the report you can check the IG settings page.  

B. Inability to log in or change account settings.

This one is the final sign of a hacked IG account. The first time, you may not notice it but several trials get your attention. After submitting the correct username and password, you will not get access which means hackers gained control and change your credentials.

C. Unexpected email notifications from Instagram regarding account changes.

You may receive an email from Instagram Support mentioning there was a suspicious login attempt or a change you didn’t make. When hackers hack your account, their main task is to change the account details.  So, if you get any message or warning that your credentials have been changed then definitely you are hacked.

D. Increased number of followers or engagement without any legitimate cause.

Another common sign of hacking is random or niche unfamiliar followers increase or engagement. The sudden change may trigger you that something unusual has happened to your account. Also, you may receive spam or phishing messages from those unfamiliar accounts.

Recovering a Hacked Instagram Account

If your account has been hacked, you can attempt several recovery steps depending on your account type. For more details, let’s check out below:

A. Immediate actions to take upon discovering the account has been hacked.

1. Changing passwords

If you can get access to your hacked account or notice an attempt of hacking, you’re still able to change your password or send yourself a password reset email. By taking these steps, you can instantly secure your account from being hacked.

2. Logging out of all devices

If you notice any suspicious actions, after changing passwords, log out from all sessions. For this, you need to check out your IG profile settings and go to “Security and login”. Here, you can get all logged device lists.

3. Contacting Instagram support

You can request a security code or contact Instagram support if you’re unable to recover your account with the IG sent link. For this, you need to enter a secure and correct email address that only you can access. After submitting, you get an email from Instagram with further steps.

B. Step-by-step guide for recovering a hacked account.

1. Reporting the issue

If you want to report Instagram ensure to prepare a draft of your experience, including:

• Your IG username or other handles,
• Original email address or mobile number attached to your account,
• Time and date to lose your IG account access.
• Which device did you last use for logging into?

How you can report? You can ask your friend or family member to go to your IG profile and request them to report by following the instructions.

2. Providing necessary information

You can provide your username, phone number, email address, and other personal information which you use to create an Instagram account. After that, you can report to IG about your account hacking. The additional information you can send to get back your account from hackers, such as –

• Your IG account created date.
• Your first few Instagram posts examples,
• Provide your close friends or family members who follow you,
• The devices you always use to log in to your account and IP address too.

However, if you don’t have this data simply provide as much as you can because it helps Instagram to verify you in the shortest time.

3. Verifying ownership

If you submit a support request without your photos, Instagram will send you an auto-response email from the “Meta Support Team”. They will ask you to provide your email address or phone number and device type (iPhone, Android, iPad, etc.) to confirm your identity.

But if you submit a request with photos, Instagram will ask to provide a video selfie of you to confirm your identity. It may take 24-48 business hours or less for Instagram.

C. Additional tips to expedite recovery.

1. Documenting evidence

This will indicate screenshots of any unauthorized or suspicious login attempts, your IG settings changes, or irrelevant messages. If you want to take other precautions, try to save any emails or links you received from Instagram.

2. Being patient

Hacked account recovery takes time to investigate all your given information. Also, recovery timing depends on how much information changed or lost from your account after hacking. So, be patient and don’t give up to get back your beloved Instagram account.

3. Following up with Instagram support

If you haven’t got any notification from Instagram after reporting for a couple of weeks or a few days, you can follow up to check the status of your case. For this, you can email the same or submit a new support ticket.

Preventive Measures to Safeguard Your Instagram Account

If your Instagram account’s ultimate goal is to make sales and generate leads, hacking leads you to a heavy loss. You might be wondering thinking: how you can protect your Instagram account from Instagram hackers. Or, which necessary steps do you take to prevent or avoid Instagram hacking?

We’re sharing the top 4 ways to protect your long-cherished IG account from hacking below:

A. Creating a strong and unique password: tips for selecting complex passwords and using password managers.

The number one culprit behind Instagram account hacking is weak passwords that can be identified easily. So, to avoid hacking you need to set unique and strong passwords that are hard to crack. For creating a strong password, you can follow Google guidelines, like –

• Include at least 12 characters (letters, numbers, and special ones).
• Don’t add personal information, like date of birth that can be easily guessed.
• Use random words and phrases or a poem line if you want.

However, you can use password managers or password generator tools like LastPass to take your security to an advanced level. These tools allow you to set different passwords based on the devices and browsers.

B. Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security.

For protecting your account privacy and hacking, 2FA adds an additional security support to your IG account. How do you enable two-factor authentication? First, you need to verify your identity via a security code.

If you want to turn 2FA head to your Instagram Settings and tap “Accounts Center.” After that, tap “Password and Security” and then select “Two-factor Authentication.” Here you need to select your account or choose one from multiple.

You need to re-enter your password and select from two options (a) Authentication App (recommended) and (b) Text Message.

C. Exercising caution with third-party apps and permissions: reviewing access and revoking unnecessary privileges.

Third-party apps are tempting to grow followers, likes, comments, and others. But this will happen when you use authorized brand apps like GetFollowerUp. That’s why Instagram suggests you think and research properly before using any third-party app.

 However, if you want to manage or check your used app details, you can open your IG profile on your desktop and click the settings button. After that click on “Apps and Website.” If you want to remove any suspicious apps, you can click the “Revoke Access” or “View and Edit” button.

D. Regularly updating the Instagram app and using trusted security software.

Last but one of the most important hacks to prevent hacking is to be up-to-date with Instagram security updates. By doing so, you can fix vulnerabilities or unusual activities. Also, ensure that you’re using the latest version of the Instagram app or operating with the updated system.

Bonus note: Recheck your email account for securing your IG account

If you linked with different IG accounts to one email account, hackers can easily get access to all of them after hacking. So, it’s a good idea to set up two-factor authentication or email encryption to secure your email address.

Tips to Enhance Instagram Account Security

Instagram has released updates, resources, and tools to secure your account. From advanced security to top tips and tricks, Instagram helps you to secure your community. Let’s check out proven tips to maintain your IG account security.

A. Educating oneself about common hacking techniques and scams.

Hackers can easily get access to weak passwords. So, try to make your password unique and strong. For this, you can follow IG tactics or password manager. Also, don’t share your personal information like phone number, full name, email address, etc with people. If you want you can make your account private by giving access who can see your posts.

B. Practicing safe browsing habits and avoiding suspicious links or emails.

Be careful to click or get access links and emails from unknown brands or people. Sometimes, hackers send similar IG survey pages, DMs, or recognized brands link to you. Through these links, they can easily track your account’s sensitive information and many others.

C. Monitoring account activity and reviewing login sessions regularly.

Always keep an eye on your account activity to identify suspicious logins, posts, or others. Activity checking helps you to know different device logins to your account. In this way, you can instantly track hacking attempts and report them to Instagram.

D. Utilizing security features like login alerts and security checks.

Enable 2FA for login alerts and security checks. Whenever hackers try to get access to your account, they need to enter a code that is sent to your phone. Also, if you sign in to different devices or browsers two -factor verification notifies you about login activity.

In this way, you can easily secure your account. However, always pay attention to URLs send from suspicious accounts and remember IG rules to prevent hacking.

Conclusion

We hope after going through the article: A Step-by-step Guide to recover your Instagram Account in 24 Hours, you get all the necessary information to avoid hacking. Unfortunately, if this happens, you can follow all steps and try tips, including:

• Use a strong password,
• Avoid sharing personal information with others,
• Enable 2FA,
• Avoid clicking suspicious URLs or IG emails,
• Don’t use unauthorized software or apps,
• Check login activity daily, and so on.

As you notice how many hassles you face to recover your account, it’s ideal to take proactive steps to save and secure your accounts. So, implement the provided preventive measures and remain vigilant against hacking attempts.

Do you have any suggestions or tips to prevent Instagram account hacking or any other hacks? Feel free to share with us.

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