Instagram hacked: what to do to try to recover your account?

One of the biggest headaches involving social media is having your Instagram hacked. Do you know what to do in this type of situation? 

Although most of us still tend to associate the actions of a hacker with something more distant from us, the situation is not quite like that.

There was a time when famous hacks were closely associated with celebrities, as hackers' main objective was to invade the privacy of these people in search of compromising content in order to obtain some type of financial return, as they have always been associated with scams.

But that has changed a long time ago and, nowadays, any of us can become a victim of the actions of these ill-intentioned people. And, unfortunately, this type of action is becoming increasingly common.

And since Instagram is one of the most used social networks in the world, it is clear that it has become the main target of these people's actions.

But after all, what should you do if your Instagram has been hacked? Is it possible to recover your account? And if so, how should you proceed in this type of situation?

That's what we're going to discover throughout today's content. Here, we're going to explore in more detail the best ways to act when faced with this type of situation and avoid becoming another victim of this type of cybercrime that has been haunting an increasingly large portion of the population.

How can an Instagram be hacked?

Unfortunately, there are many ways to get hacked on Instagram these days. However, there are some practices that can help you avoid a situation like this.

But how can an Instagram be hacked? 

Among the most common practices, the most popular is sending links through social networks themselves.

Hackers send messages with prizes, sweepstakes and the like to try to attract users' attention.

And when the unsuspecting person clicks on the link thinking they will get some kind of advantage, their Instagram profile – and, depending on the case, even their WhatsApp profile – is hacked and ends up in the hands of criminals. And from that moment on, they can apply various types of scams among their followers or contacts.

What can I do to try to recover a hacked Instagram account?

Let's imagine that you are going through this very unpleasant situation and want to resolve it in the best possible way. What should you do to try to recover a hacked Instagram account?

The first step is to change your password if you still have access to it. This will log the attacker out.

But otherwise, there are some steps you can take.

As we have already mentioned, this situation constitutes a cybercrime. Therefore, it is best to file a police report as soon as possible.

This way, you will prevent your name and/or image from being used in any scams that this hacker may commit.

When recovering your account, you can use the Forgot your password function. After that, just use your registered email to try to recover it.

Now, if you don't have access to this email, you can contact Instagram support directly to explain your situation and get the help you need.

This feature may require you to provide some information about yourself and your profile. However, in most cases, Instagram's review process is effective and you will be able to recover your account.

Tips to increase the security of your account and avoid having your Instagram hacked

Now that you know a little more about what to do if your account is hacked, we thought it would be interesting to share some tips that can help you increase the security of your account – and your online life in general – so that you don't become easy prey for these criminals and prevent your Instagram from being hacked.

Invest in a strong password that is difficult to guess

This may seem like a silly tip, but believe me, this is a very important step for anyone who doesn't want their Instagram to be hacked.

Investing in a strong password is an important point when it comes to keeping your digital life safe.

Therefore, although it is easier to remember passwords that are birth dates, for example, they are also easier for people with bad intentions to discover.

The ideal is to choose a password that has upper and lower case letters, numbers and even special characters, such as @, $, # and so on.

Use a secure email for your Instagram

Another important step in the saga to prevent your Instagram from being hacked is to choose a secure email to set up your account.

In addition to helping minimize the chances of you being hacked, this practice will help you better deal with a potential hacking situation, as you will have faster access to your account.

Use two-factor authentication

Thinking about minimizing the chances of someone invading users' networks, Instagram has also adopted some practices and updates to improve network security. 

And that update is two-factor authentication. This tool ensures that every login requires a temporary password in addition to your regular password.

And the best part is that you can choose how this authentication can be done. It can be via SMS sent directly to your cell phone, a trusted email, and so on.

To activate this feature on your account, just access Instagram Settings directly through the app and look for the Two-Factor Authentication option.

Don't give access to your Instagram on other apps

Nowadays, there are some applications – such as photo editing applications, for example – that, when you are logging in or creating an account on them, they may ask for access to your Instagram

So, when you come across this type of request from one of these apps, be suspicious. And if you really want to grant access to your account, do your research to find out if the app in question is really trustworthy.

Did you like today's content? Then take the opportunity to read it too The list of cell phones that will be without WhatsApp this year