“I really didn’t expect this to take me so long, But I finally got it all done. You better love it. I used some of your pictures.
They are right at the top.
3 of your pictures and 4 hours of my time – Instagram”.

OR “I really didn’t expect this to take so long, But I finally got it done. You better love it. I even used some of your photos. They’re right on top. 3 Of Your Pictures, And 4 Hours Of My Time LOL – Instagram”

By now, most people feel pretty confident in their ability to avoid falling prey to phishing scams online. You know not to open emails from suspicious addresses.
You know not to click random links that get sent your way. You know not to download third-party apps that will make you susceptible to hackers. (You do know all of those things, right?)
I got this DM from a mutual follower who had talked to me previously too so I opened it but when I saw the login screen next asking for my Password i knew something wasn’t right.
Do yourself a favor and do not open the link and avoid this Instagram phishing scam at all costs, to be extra safe change your password if you have gotten this DM by anyone.
I think that these messages are automatically going from the already hacked accounts and the user have no control over it, the guy replied to me later that his account was hacked and he did not sent me this which explains that the hackers are automatically sending this message using script.
There’s one particular phishing scam going around Instagram that you might not know about, though.

It’s been around for a while but is apparently enjoying an increase in popularity these days.

Here’s how to avoid the “3 of your pictures” hack.

If you have received the “3 Of Your Pictures, And 4 Hours Of My Time LOL” attachment as i said earlier don’t click on the link!
There’s a chance that it could appear in a DM from one of your friends or followers as I did— that just means they have also been hacked.
If you do get a message like this from someone you know, reach out directly to that person through Whatsapp or messenger to let them know their account may have been compromised and they should change the password.

If it’s from an account you don’t recognize, just delete it.

If you have already clicked the link, don’t worry as my friend got his account recovered so can you so follow these steps.

•  If you still have access to your account, be sure to change your Instagram password as soon as possible.
•  If any of your other accounts use that same password  change those, too cause the whole password is compromised.
• and finally Set up two-factor authentication – its 2020 and dynamic passwords should be a norm instead of static passwords
• Check your login activity and permission to the Apps and website through app and Instagram website setting and sign out of any sessions from devices you don’t recognize or which aren’t latest.

If you’ve already been kicked out of your Instagram account by the phishing scam, follow the steps outlined on the Instagram Help Page.
Good luck to you. And let this be a very valuable lesson — don’t click any more weird links or attachments!

Read my travel blog about finding myself in the mountains of Karakorum.

The pursuit of Mountains – a quest for finding myself.