Many of the Instagram users have reported that their accounts have been compromised. The hack has locked out hundreds of people out of their accounts.
The cases are being linked to a Russian connection. According to Mashable, a significant evidence suggests that the accounts were hacked, although, the company has not acknowledged the issue yet. Users are also finding ways to protect themselves from the hack.
Many users who were affected by the hack were not using the two-factor authentication of the popular social media platform. To make sure that the accounts are secure, it is recommended to go through the process.
Instagram, which now has over 1 billion users, reported that it has not detected an increase in hacks. However, the case has been reflected on Twitter as many of its users have voiced out their problems with their accounts on social media.
Since the start of the month, there have been 798 tweets related to Instagram hacks. This is a far cry for the 40 tweets about the same issue in July.
Instagram User Complaints
Aside from Twitter, Instagrammers have also reported the hacks on Reddit. There has also been a surge of searches about accounts being hacked on Google on Aug. 8 and Aug 11.
For example, Krista, an Instagram user who maintains a fitness account with over 4,500 followers, stated that she cannot access her own account. She even got a message that her username did not exist anymore when she tried to log back in.
Krista soon found out that her profile photo and username had been altered. When she tried to request for a new password, she found out that her e-mail now contained .ru, which indicates that it belongs to a Russian domain.
Not only was her e-mail changed, the mobile number associated with her account was also altered. This makes it impossible for her and other users who are facing the same dilemma to recover their account.
Safe And Secure Environment For Users
A spokesperson from Instagram said that they are working hard to give the Instagram community a secure experience.
"When we become aware of an account that has been compromised, we shut off access to the account and the people who've been affected are put through a remediation process so they can reset their password and take other necessary steps to secure their accounts," added the spokesperson.
It is still unclear how the hackers have managed to access the accounts or whether or not the attacks are coordinated. Many users have given up trying to regain access and ended up making new accounts.
