A public representative in Cork is warning the public after his personal Instagram account was hacked.
Cork County Councilor Mary Linehan Foley said she received a message on Instagram from a friend asking her to vote for him in a golf tournament.
After clicking on a link, she received a text message which she opened and followed via a link, then she lost access and control of her Instagram account.
Speaking to The Echo, Ms Linehan Foley said it was the morning after attending a wedding and she was not fully together when she received the message.
“I got a message and I followed the link and the link on the text and I wrote back to tell him I thought I voted but there was nothing at the end of the link and he replied like, ‘What are you talking about?’ and I knew there was something at the time.
The adviser said her friend told her he had been hacked and her profile was being used to message some of her 1,000 followers asking for money, looking to invest in various things and posting Instagram stories under his name to promote investment in things.
Ms Linehan Foley said it was very upsetting as it is a personal Instagram account not a business account and it is only pictures of her and her family and it is now being used and exploited by hackers.
The adviser said her son reported the issue to Instagram and even messaged the hackers in hopes of gathering information, but to no avail.
Ms Linehan Foley said she did not report it to the Gardaí as she was not sure what was happening was a garda issue.
Following a request from the Garda press office said: ‘Anyone who feels they have been the victim of a crime is encouraged to contact their local Garda station and report the matter.’
