{"id":2382,"date":"2022-07-06T09:35:42","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T13:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/?p=2382"},"modified":"2022-07-06T09:36:16","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T13:36:16","slug":"instagram-verification-scams-continue-how-to-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/instagram-verification-scams-continue-how-to-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Instagram verification scams continue. How to protect yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Although social media companies like Instagram downplay the importance of verification, everyone knows it&#8217;s a sign of endorsement and a badge of prestige. Otherwise, it would not be difficult to obtain, and the criteria wouldn&#8217;t be inconsistent and secret. So it&#8217;s no surprise that scammers have taken advantage of users by falsely claiming to be able to verify their accounts in exchange for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The scam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The scam is simple: someone contacts you and says they can help you get verified on Instagram for a fee. They may even show you fake verification badges to convince you they&#8217;re legitimate. The problem is that once you hand over your hard-earned cash, it disappears, and you have nothing to show.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-1536x1024.png 1536w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post-150x100.png 150w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/Scam-Comment-on-IG-Post.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Scam account posted a comment on the image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Worse yet, these scammers are often very clever and convincing, making it difficult to spot them before it&#8217;s too late. So how can you protect yourself from falling victim to an Instagram verification scam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Instagram will never ask you to pay for verification. They&#8217;re lying if someone claims they can verify your account for a fee.<\/li><li>Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue offering to verify your account. Scammers often pose as representatives from Instagram or other social media platforms.<\/li><li>Don&#8217;t click on any links in suspicious emails or messages. These could be phishing attempts designed to steal your personal information.<\/li><li>Never give out your personal information, including your email address, phone number, or credit card number, to anyone you don&#8217;t know or trust.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram verification scams often leave comments on users&#8217; posts in an attempt to appear more legitimate. The words may be, &#8220;Hey, I can help you get verified! Just DM me,&#8221; or &#8220;This is the account I used to get verified. Message me if you want help.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"551\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-551x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-551x1024.jpg 551w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-161x300.jpg 161w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-768x1427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-827x1536.jpg 827w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-1102x2048.jpg 1102w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757-150x279.jpg 150w, https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_7757.jpg 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 551px) 100vw, 551px\" \/><figcaption>A typical scam account<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Please do not block the scam account if you want to be able to see it and grab screenshots for reporting it to Instagram. It&#8217;s important to remember that even if an account is suspended or removed, the scammer may create another one. So be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Meta&#8217;s support team. Instagram is part of Meta and is by far the most discriminating of the social media companies when it comes to verification. Scammers know this and use tactics to trick users into thinking they can buy a verification badge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These scammers also target minorities, and LGBTQ users, who they feel are more likely to be overlooked by Instagram&#8217;s verification process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By being aware of these scams and taking steps to protect yourself, you can help keep your account safe and avoid becoming a victim of fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some scammers will also post fake verification badges as their profile pictures or as a comment on a popular post. These badges usually have the Instagram logo and a blue checkmark. Instagram has recently become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over a billion active users. Additionally, businesses and influencers use Instagram to promote their products and services and share photos and videos. However, with its popularity comes the risk of being scammed. There have been reports of scammers offering to verify users&#8217; accounts for a fee and of fake verification badges being used to trick people into thinking an account is more legitimate than it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be diverse in your presence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not rely solely on Instagram, as there are far more effective ways to reach out to the public and conduct business. Get a domain name and website in your name or your business. Utilize other social media platforms, and don&#8217;t think that the lack of a verification badge is a lack of legitimacy. Many verified accounts on Instagram are outright ridiculous, such as famous infants and celebrity pets, so don&#8217;t use it as a standard by any means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>An Instagram verification scam is when someone contacts you and says they can verify your account for a fee. They may pose as a representative from Instagram or another social media platform. Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue offering to verify your account. Don&#8217;t click on any links in suspicious emails or messages; never give out your personal information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking these steps can help protect yourself and others from becoming victims of social media scams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although social media companies like Instagram downplay the importance of verification, everyone knows it&#8217;s a sign of endorsement and a badge of prestige. Otherwise, it would not be difficult to obtain, and the criteria wouldn&#8217;t be inconsistent and secret. So it&#8217;s no surprise that scammers have taken advantage of users by falsely claiming to be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2381,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-07-06T13:35:51Z","apple_news_api_id":"7e692a6b-484d-489f-ba21-fc19b1668a4d","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-07-06T13:36:20Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Afmkqa0hNSJ-6IfwZsWaKTQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":2381,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"The scam is simple: someone contacts you and says they can help you get verified on Instagram for a fee. Take these steps.","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"GENERAL","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[237,4,1],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[355],"class_list":["post-2382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity","category-entertainment","category-news"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Instagram verification scams continue. How to protect yourself<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The scam is simple: someone contacts you and says they can help you get verified on Instagram for a fee. Take these steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/instagram-verification-scams-continue-how-to-protect-yourself\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Instagram verification scams continue. How to protect yourself\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The scam is simple: someone contacts you and says they can help you get verified on Instagram for a fee. 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How to protect yourself"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/","name":"FTC Publications Newswire","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#organization","name":"FTC Publications News","url":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2014-FTC-TextOnly-Logo-Square.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2014-FTC-TextOnly-Logo-Square.png","width":460,"height":460,"caption":"FTC Publications News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ftcpublications","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/ftc-publications-inc-\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/#\/schema\/person\/f28ef08e22099c437db8c9a372229531","name":"Warith Niallah","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2713-1.jpgf435a3ead3883acb08d0b46d10c88bed","url":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2713-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2713-1.jpg","caption":"Warith Niallah"},"description":"Warith Niallah serves as Managing Editor of FTC Publications Newswire and Chief Executive Officer of FTC Publications, Inc. 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It is hard to imagine life without it. The Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram apps are on the phones of millions of people worldwide. The result is that social media companies like Facebook have access to an enormous amount of information\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/young-happy-african-american-woman-in-earphones-us-2021-08-29-17-04-34-utc-Medium.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/young-happy-african-american-woman-in-earphones-us-2021-08-29-17-04-34-utc-Medium.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/young-happy-african-american-woman-in-earphones-us-2021-08-29-17-04-34-utc-Medium.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/young-happy-african-american-woman-in-earphones-us-2021-08-29-17-04-34-utc-Medium.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/young-happy-african-american-woman-in-earphones-us-2021-08-29-17-04-34-utc-Medium.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7265,"url":"https:\/\/news.ftcpublications.com\/core\/deepfake-voice-scams-surge-pushing-telecoms-and-banks-to-roll-out-real-time-caller-verification\/","url_meta":{"origin":2382,"position":2},"title":"Deepfake voice scams surge, pushing telecoms and banks to roll out real-time caller verification","author":"FTC Publications","date":"October 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Deepfake voice technology, once a futuristic concept, has become shockingly accessible today. 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