HACKED: An Instagram Recovery Story

More than three months ago the @fashionado Instagram account was hacked along with our personal one. I was able to recover the personal account but we were unsuccessful at recovering Fashionado’s. After repeated attempts to recover the account, about ten times to be specific, I conceded and let the hacker win, BUT not before writing an article about my experience with useful tips on how NOT to get hacked. My article was frankly, more helpful than Instagram “help” which is non-existent, unless you are Kylie Jenner or Kim Kardashian who apparently have Instagram on speed dial.

Just this week, about 12 weeks into the ordeal, I recovered @fashionado. I am not certain exactly what happened so this is all speculation. Over the weekend of July 23-25, the hacker, which I’m pretty sure was a bot, sent DMs to all of my followers asking for a vote in a bogus contest. Many of my friends who found the message suspect texted or called me and/or my husband Alex. We consistently asked everyone to “report and block” the account. We think that action really helped. It perhaps gave Instagram an alert that something was not right with the account.

On Tuesday, July 26, my instincts said to attempt to verify my identity through the Instagram selfie-video option once again. This recovery feature had failed numerous times three months back. Guess what? It worked! I couldn’t believe it but I was ready for it. What does that mean, ready for it?

The hacker had made the account private, changed the registered email address and password so once Instagram confirmed my identity, I was able to take all the necessary measures to secure and protect the account. I changed the email and password and enabled all the security settings Instagram offered. Basically, I took my own advice to secure the account. I acted as swiftly as possible. Go to Settings > Security - there you’ll find all the tools you need to protect your account. There is a Security Checklist - do it!

Having an account hacked is such a personal violation. This has been an experience I’d like to forget and maybe one day I will. For now, I’m very cautious, especially with the knowledge that Instagram doesn’t provide any assistance past the “help” articles they feature. Keep your account safe and hopefully my tips to do so will ensure your account is never highjacked.

FASHIONADO