• Loss of account access (hijacking)

• Personal data theft and misuse

• Impersonation for further scams

• Emotional or reputational harm

• Clicking on suspicious links shared via DMs

• Sharing login credentials in chats or fake forms

• Ignoring two-factor authentication (2FA)

• Using the same passwords across platforms

• Never click links from unknown Instagram accounts

• Enable 2FA to secure your account

• Do not share login details with anyone

• Look up the name of the friend directly on Instagram to verify

• Report and block suspicious handles immediately

Diya, a 17-year-old photography enthusiast, received a friend request from an account claiming to represent a “youth talent page.” They messaged her saying she was shortlisted and asked her to log in via a shared link. Diya entered her Instagram details, after which her account was hijacked, and fake messages were sent to her followers. With her father’s help, she contacted Instagram Support and filed a cybercrime report.