Sextortion is a type of blackmail in which someone threatens to distribute explicit images or videos of you online unless you provide them with specific sexual favors or money. This cyber-crime has become a growing problem, as victims are often targeted through social media platforms like Instagram. Thankfully, you can take steps to protect yourself and your account. In this blog post, we’ll outline some best practices to protect your Instagram account from scams. Stay safe out there!
5 Tips on How to Protect Your Account After Sextortion on Instagram
Sextortion on Instagram can be very terrifying and disruptive to many people’s lives and the majority of victims have no idea how to handle the situation. If you are a victim of sextortion and you want to know how to protect your Instagram account from hackers, follow these steps:
Step 1. Change Your Password
Sextortionists can be quite unpredictable and there is no telling what information they can get from you. Some will try to force victims to send them their Instagram login so they can have even more control over their victims or use their Instagram accounts to extort other victims. Some blackmailers can even hack into your account without you having a clue.
To be safe, never share your passwords with anyone! We recommend creating new and strong passwords to help avoid possible hacking.
Step 2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Another safety measure you can take to make sure no one tries to log into your account is enabling two-factor authentication. If you set up two-factor authentication, you’ll receive a notification or be asked to enter a special login code when someone tries logging into your account from a device Instagram doesn’t recognize.
Step 3. Update Privacy Settings
It’s important to update all of your privacy settings just in case a suspect was to follow through with their threats. You want to first make sure your account is set to private to ensure your blackmailer can’t access your account through their numerous catfish profiles.
Next, it will help to limit the amount of engagement your harasser has with your account by disabling the following:
- Activity status
- Mentions
- Tags
Step 4. Limit Information
A sextortionist will use any information you provide about yourself on your profile. They will take a deep dive into your bio, photos, tagged photos, etc. Deleting or hiding any telling photos and or information from your bio can help limit the amount of information your harasser can use against you.
Step 5. Report
Your blackmailer’s account should always be reported. Getting their account taken off the site can help avoid sextortion on Instagram. Along with their account, reporting their threatening messages to Instagram can also help get their account taken down faster, by providing proof that they are violating Instagram’s terms and policies.
Conclusion
If you find yourself a victim of sextortion, follow these five tips to help protect your account and data. Remember, it’s important to reach out for help if you feel unsafe or threatened – don’t try to deal with this situation on your own. We here at Digital Investigation can help you with sextortion on Instagram. Give us a call or chat with one of our representatives online, so that you gain peace back in your life. If you become a victim of online sextortion, don’t hesitate. Report online sextortion to sextortion helpline 24\7
