Instagram Account Hacked!Closed

Question

Hello, 

Two days ago my Instagram Artist Page was hacked. Despite 48 hrs trying to retrieve my account, I have got absolutely nowhere!

Instagram prompted me to upload a video selfie to verify my account. I have now gone through this process 7 times, and 7 times my video has been rejected for reasons, quote: We weren't able to confirm your identity from the video you submitted.

Obviously, I am a human being, not a robot. Photos and videos of myself are featured across my Instagram ... which I no longer am able to access. The hacker has placed an ad for BITCOIN on my grid. Everyone is aware I've been hacked and they've reported it.

Why and how are my verification selfies rejected by Instagram every time? I've even cleared my mobile app's data & cache.

My artist page is vitally important to me. I've spent 2 years of hard work building it up. Can anyone help me, PLEASE?


System Configuration: Windows / Chrome 99.0.4844.51

Beth · Accepted Answer

In exactly the same boat. Very frustrating and it appears Instagram are using bots to review videos are they are coming back as rejected in less than 1 minute. Any help would be appreciated. No luck with Meta support or the selfie process. 8 years of hard work and some moron is posting bitcoin pictures...

artistfromNW3 · Answer

Hi Beth,

Thank you for reaching out to me. I didn't realise that Instagram was using bots to review the selfie videos! Now, that does make sense! I'm not long up and awake. This whole business has made me really ill and I'm finding it hard to function. What was one of the first emails I saw on my laptop just now? ... Instagram:
 
'We weren't able to confirm your identity from the video you submitted. You can submit a new video and we'll review it again.'

Congratulations! That is now the 9th identical response I've achieved from them! Obviously, neither of us will ever get our accounts back in this way.

Right. Let's try and sort this today. I went into Twitter a few hours ago, and posted my story on one of the Instagram accounts there. I received a response from a lady who had experienced exactly the same as us. Here is what she posted in reply to my Tweet: 

'You’re just wasting your time with them, their support takes forever. I had similar issue some weeks ago until I had to send a request to techofficer_gary on Instagram who helped me retrieve my account. You can send him a request for assistance.'

It looks as if a number of IG users had been getting the BITCOIN hack! This 'techofficer_gary' name was being mentioned by many of the victims as the person who finally got their accounts back for them. Of course, I can no longer access Instagram to contact him, SOoooo ... I will try to set up another account in the name of my cat! Don't worry, he has a human name with 2 parts which read like a fore and surname! If I can achieve this, I will attempt to contact 'Gary'. I suggest you try the same thing. Let's see if either of us get anywhere!!!

artistfromNW3 · Answer

Hi Beth,

Gary is working on it as we speak. He responded to my call for help at around 7 pm this evening. Initially, I was unable to reach him because all my Instagram access was locked! However, I found a way from my mobile and created a basic account featuring my 3 pets. It's amazing how many people liked the photos of 2 of them!

My hacked account is still visible if you follow the link to it via Google. There's even more spam rubbish placed on there, next to the BITCOIN stuff.

I just hope and pray Gary can fix this. And if he can, what will Instagram do if they see my account is back up and running? ... Or don't they care?

HelpiOS · Answer

Hello,

Sorry to say that, but you're being scammed! No one outside Instagram is able to recover or unlock an account. Anyone who claims to be able to do so is a scammer!

Several of those "hackers" - including "Gary" are in circulation on the social networks for the sole purpose of stealing your personal information and probably your money.

If they attempt to access your account, Instagram will lock it again for security reasons, thus it is impossible for them to restore your account for you.

I understand how it can be difficult to recover an account in some cases, but those "hackers" are just there to trick you - they aren't the solution. Stop contacting them and block them immediately.

Regarding your issue with the selfie verification process, I invite you to refer to this similar thread. Some people have found workarounds.

If you've any question, don't hesitate to ask me.

Good luck

artistfromNW3 · Answer

Thank you so much for your response.

You are, of course, absolutely right! These so-called 'social media account restorers' are indeed scammers themselves. To be honest, I went along with this 'Gary' person till it came to the point where he wanted me to purchase a 'crack log'! Well, when I googled this (as I'd never heard of it) the product is in fact, crack LOCK!!!

Apparently, this was a tool he'd need to 'hack in to the hacker's protocol'. He told me I could purchase this from the Dark Web ...??? I asked him exactly how much that would set me back. He said he'd check, and he'd get back to me.

This conversation was over WhatsApp. It began at just after 7pm and ended at 5.30 am, the following day! He had disappeared at around 2 am, but I kept my mobile handy with the app still open on both my devices. He reappeared at around 5 am. He'd found a seller for the crack log. How much? ...

$200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know, that particular software (whatever it's for?) can be downloaded FOR FREE from a variety of websites, suitable for most OS!!! I told him, that was me stuffed, then! I didn't have that kind of money ... (well, not for HIM anyway!) He told me he might be able to find someone selling it cheaper. I told him I'll keep my options open and await his next communication. Needless to say, there was no further communication!

I had been referred to him by a lady who'd reached out to me over Twitter. In fact, a few people on that site were singing the praises of 'Gary'. He had 'restored their hacked accounts in a matter of hours'!!!???

I persevered as a mere research exercise. It had taken me a while to twig, and what actually confirmed my suspicions were his terrible lapses in general spelling and English grammar. Okay, I'm not the grammar police but, if he doesn't even know the correct name of the product he's trying to fleece me for, I rest my case!

My Instagram page is still visible. More adverts for bitcoin are placed on it every day. From a basic little personal IG account, which I set up the other day, I accessed my business account and reported the spam/false information. Immediately, it disappeared from my grid. However, when I accessed it again on a different device, it was back!

I have now uploaded 14 video selfies to Instagram. 13 have been rejected! I am currently awaiting rejection of the 14th; I submitted it at 16.31 pm today, and I had confirmation of receipt 3 mins later!

I see this whole issue should have been reported a couple of days ago to Action Fraud. I've already been in touch with them and will submit a full account of the case. 

I noticed that Instagram had sent me email links to reset my password. Unfortunately, these had been sent, not to my email address, but to my hacker's! I've even got the rudiments of his address and have discovered he operates via an Apple iPhone. I will give this information to the Fraud Team.

Whether I will ever get my Instagram back is a question. I had 2-Factor Authentication on! Had I not foolishly clicked on that link from my mobile, none of this would have ever happened! I am neither an influencer or an account with thousands of followers. I cannot possibly see what I can have to offer this hacker. All I do know is, my contacts are being spammed and my professional reputation has been seriously compromised.

Instagram couldn't care less. As far as I see it, they are a multi-billion-dollar organisation who should have an obligation to support their users, both business and personal. I cannot function properly without my account. All my selling and exhibiting opportunities come via there. My website and mailing list link to my Instagram and, worst of all, I have contacts who really are curators, major UK galleries, and influencers in the art world. I cannot imagine the potential risk they now face.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but let this serve as a warning to everyone who has a social media account. NEVER EVER click on a link which you are not 100% sure of!

miri · Answer

Hi,

I’m on the same boat. I’ll just keep uploading selfie videos….

Let’s keep in touch for updates please!

artistfromNW3 · Answer

Hi Miri!

PLEASE stay in touch!!!

Well, I can tell you that I was finally able to reach a 'report' form on Instagram when I clicked on 'Report an Impersonation Account' from the offending page. I had established the likely source of the hack. It was there, sitting in a comment (beneath the BITCOIN spam) on my Artist Page! I had the name of the suspect, everything!

After I'd reported it, I received an email from Facebook. They instructed me to upload a photo of myself holding a Govt-issued form of ID in order to verify my authenticity! The only ID I possess is a UK Citizencard.

OMG, though, it isn't easy taking a selfie which can show such a small card clearly! But, I submitted it with some extra information on the hacker ... and I received a reply.

REJECTED! 'We were unable to confirm your identity'!!! Same old thing as with the selfie videos. I must have submitted 4 more photos with my ID. I even scanned my Citizencard, my TFL travel card, and both my debit and credit cards in order they could see these cards close up. NOooooo!!!!!! REJECTED! 'Sorry, unable to confirm your ID'!

Can you understand this? I have a Facebook Artist Account which is connected to my Instagram one. Surely, they can see I am who I say I am!

They have since ceased all communication with me. I have lost my Artist (business) Account which had taken me 2 years to build up. All my other online professional accounts link to that. How nice, when curators, galleries etc click on the IG icon and get taken to a page with BITCOIN spam sitting on it! It is obvious that I am being treated as the criminal here, and my Instagram is lost for good. 

Artist friends have advised to take the only option open to me; set up a brand new Artist Account. I will have to do this, but it won't bring my followers back, even if they were only 670 at the last count. Over the past week, the number had fallen by almost 40. My hacked page is still visible, and Instagram will not remove the reported hacker or his account.

Let's stay in touch, and I'll be happy to update you on any developments.

MJ2art · Answer

I am in the same boat and you all.  I have been trying to get my Instagram back since it was hacked on Thursday.  Someone is selling BITcoin on mine too and sending links to people to click on to get more money.  They started at 32K and are now up to over 58K.  I have tried with no luck contacting Instagram.  I even wrote an email to the head of Instagram and posted it on the meta website  feedback page - nada.  I can't begin to tell you the countless hours and MONEY I have been scammed out of trying to get this back.  Now someone is saying I have to buy an Instagram license for my page and I need 4 of them because of the illegal activity on there and they are $100 each - are you kidding me.  People are saying they have not gotten their payment but I called Paypal and they confirmed the money went through.  I will be a nutcase by the time this is over.  Tried to set up a new account and was denied.

Kristine · Answer

I'm in the same boat as you guys!!! This is horrid! I received '
We weren't able to confirm your identity from the video you submitted. You can submit a new video and we'll review it again' 10 times so far. Contacted instagram on twitter, no answer, no nothing. I'm devastated

AnnaNoelle · Answer

Hi, I got hacked on April 1st as well. I've tried everything & I'm in the same boat - all I can do is send in the selfie videos & I've done that 4 times now - been rejected the first 3 times, so I guess all I can do is just keep submitting videos. I've got my full name on my page & I've had my account for years - it's beyond frustrating that there is no support option to speak to a human being. Just insane. If anyone has any other tips of what to do, I'm game.

HelpiOS · Answer

Hi,

Someone has found a solution to this issue - take a look at this topic.

Hope it helps.

Yassine · Answer

Someone took my account, I'm a little nervous

gaurav · Answer

I am in the same boat as you. My insta was hacked and the person has -posted a bit coin add. Except this is my personal account, that I have been using forever. Did you find a solution by any chance

Anonymous User · Answer

Hi everyone????
I guess this “boat” of hacked IG ACCOUNTS is so filled up it’s about to sink!

My IG was hacked on 7/15 after I took a screenshot for one of my IG contacts “as a favor”

I thought should I or not? Being a nice naive lady I did. Dummy me.

3 minutes. Account stolen.

Immediately the hacker changed my phone number and my email locking me out. He also blocked me from commenting on any of my 1,500 posts as well. He has not blocked my contacts.

I’ve reported his email and phone number every way possible. Even through Facebook which was not linked to my account. 
The strange thing is I’m able to use my alternate account ( which is connected to my main account”Lucyinmiami” and even changed the password. The alt account I use to monitor my grandkids so there’s no contacts at all. I don’t understand why I still have access since it Was set up through my main IG. I really don’t get why IG can’t see the “ connection”???

I’ve gone through the same run around trying to recover my stolen/hacked account but to no avail. 
Now I’m not even directed to take another recovery video. They tell me to “try again later” or “ something went wrong”

To me it’s a scam. It seems to me like it’s a great business to intentionally hack accounts then offer help to recover the accounts at a cost. 
imagine the money being made. 
It makes me wonder if Facebook-Instagram - Meta is not in on the deal. 
After all the stuff we’ve seen these past couple years it wouldn’t surprise me????

If you’re into IT now’s the time to ramp it up!$$$$$

I’ve heard thousands have been hacked.

One thing I did do is go into my account and screen shot every single one of my few followers and all 1,500 0f my posts! 
That’s in case I never get back in and have to start from scratch. 
I also discovered an added follower in my account. I screen shot that and googled his name. It comes up under a special hackers page on Facebook. 
So bingo. The hacker is following my IG with a fake photo obviously. This particular hacker created his account a couple days before he hacked me. Has few posts, few friends so I scrolled through his followers to see if I recognized anyone. Low and behold there’s one unsuspecting follower of mine on his list. I’m going to give her a call and see why she’s following him to see if we can make a connection.

His name is: His Nickname is bsrfiski and his name is Berick Miller.

My account was stolen for a bitcoin scam 
The hacker posted something that a friend reported to my daughter about done Bitcoin BS. But it’s since been removed. 
The more we know the better. 
If I think of anything else I’ll share.

Blush92 · Answer

Any updates???

Jenn · Answer

I’ve probably sent 10 selfies per day over the past few days to Instagram. No luck!  I’ve seen there’s an option to show ID etc. Why have they not given this option yet!!! I’m so over this.

Helen · Answer

Thank you for this thread.

In the same boat here.

Hacked and 2-f authentication turned on via an app by the hacker, and I’m locked out of my account. Embarrassing bitcoin scamming using my name, photos and contacts. 
Video selfie rejected every time. Uploaded drivers licence- rejected, then passport-rejected, despite this being my name on the account. So frustrating and Instagram help is non existant.

Nicholas · Answer

Yall won't believe this, main ig account has been hacked since 12/17/21 and recently I've been submitting selfie and get denied within a minute I'm stressed and I just want it back ????.

Roshni · Answer

I have a slightly different issue. Everytime i do selfie verification, i receive a mail that the ID linked to my account has been changed. I don't understand how that happens because the hackers had already changed my account id.

I receive no mail about the status of selfie verification.

Kimberlygino · Answer

Same issue . Did they manage to confirm ur identity ?

Instagram Account Hacked!

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