It’s called “Profile Hijacking” and the FTC says it’s on the rise.
“I was totally hacked,” said victim Tiffany Jones.
Jones was flying from Los Angeles to Miami when hackers hacked into her Instagram account.
“That’s the most frustrating thing, because it’s not me,” Jones said.
She is horrified because more than 30,000 followers of her non-profit page, Pink Chose Me, are being hit hard with money while she is totally locked into her own account.
“This morning I got another DM,” she said. “Nobody donated money, but they’re in conversation acting like me, asking people to donate to bitcoin. And that’s my foundation. That’s Pink Thing Me. That’s not what we do. We’re women. It’s a cancer foundation.”
A three-time breast cancer survivor, Jones shared her journey on “Love in the City,” a reality series that aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network.
“When I was first diagnosed, the first oncologist told me I had six months, six months to live,” Jones said.
She founded Pink Chose Me to emphasize early detection and empower other survivors.
But now those inspired by her are succumbing to strange enticements — like the latest post asking DM subscribers to cash their app tags quickly to win a $1,000 giveaway.
Worse still, the hacker also stole her email address and phone number, followed by text messages. A friend participated in the fake contest.
“If I could find these scammers, I would slap them first,” she said.
She tried for weeks to get Instagram to help her get her page back on her own before connecting with 7 On Your Side.
We have our contacts on Facebook on the case.
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“Oh my God, you showed up immediately the next day,” Jones said. “The nightmare is over.”
Within 24 hours, Pink Chose Me was back under her control.
“I’ve always been a supporter of 7 On Your Side,” she said.
Some big points to remember to secure your social media:
First, enable two-factor authentication. This added protection also notifies you if someone tries to log into your account.
Next, update your account phone and email. If there is a hack, Instagram will have to contact you.
Finally, remember that Instagram and Facebook will never send you a direct message. If you see one, it’s a scam parody.
For more information on how to keep your account safe, visit: https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/keeping-instagram-safe-and-secure.
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