Security experts have issued an urgent warning to Instagram users about the dangers of copycat accounts - after a surge in cases of photo stealing and identity theft on the platform.
In the past week alone, there has been a substantial uptake of interest on the subject, with Google searches for terms such as 'what to do when an Instagram account is cloned' rising by up to 336%.
In the wake of the ongoing threat, technology gurus are advising social media users on what they should and shouldn't do if they discover that their account has been cloned.
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Naj Ahmed, a cybersecurity expert at VPNOverview, explained that having your social media account mimicked can open a massive can of worms, with friends and loved ones often being tricked into believing that the fake account is legitimate.
The Daily Express reports that this can in-turn result in crooks and scammers being able to access sensitive and personal information unknowingly. It can also lead to monetary loss, in the instance that someone is asked to transfer money over in case of an 'emergency' from someone close.
Besides the loss of money and personal information, cloned Instagram accounts can also be used for catfishing purposes - which can lead to victims experiencing emotional pain upon realising that they have been tricked.
Speaking about the threat of fake Instagram pages, Naj said: "The biggest risk of having your social media accounts cloned is that it can potentially lead to an identity crisis. I’ve seen friends or family members not knowing that they were talking to a 'cloned' account, and often end up sending photos that could potentially lead to a privacy situation.
"Not only that, but many malicious actors who clone social media accounts often start asking the victim’s close friends for monetary benefits, and there have been many cases where unsuspecting individuals have ended up sending large amounts thinking that they were helping a friend, but were instead just transferring money to someone else altogether."
Here's what Naj says you should do if you discover your own account to have been hacked or duplicated, in order to stay safe.
Tell your friends and contacts -
Firstly, if you notice a duplicated account you should inform friends and family so they know to steer completely clear of it.
Make sure they don't interact with the account -
It's common sense, but you should also advice your followers not to engage with the clone account. You can do this by messaging people directly or adding a post to your page/story warning people of the bogus page and its handle.
This will help prevent people from transferring sensitive information and even money unknowingly.
Report the account -
Finally, you should report the account to get it closed down. It's worth noting that only the person who is being impersonated is able to do this, however.
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