Instagram copyright scam: Security researcher warns about messages with malicious links

Instagram is one of most popular social media platforms. Hundreds of millions of users access platform daily. However, since platform attracts soo many users, it also attracts b actors. Most recently, cybercriminals have come up with a new method for threatening users. A cyber security researcher has recently warned Instagram users about a new phishing scam that tricks users into ing malicious links by sending m a fake copyright notice. 

Users are always sharing content on Instagram. And while some of content y share is original (as it has been created and published by user), or content such as videos, reels, photos and memes might not belong to a user who is sharing m. In most cases, re is no copyright infringement as such content is meant for sharing on platform. However, in some cases, users might end up getting a copyright infringement notice. It is a serious deal as multiple copyright strikes can get an Instagram account terminated. It is this fear that fraudsters are using to trick users into revealing valuable personal information. 

How does new Instagram copyright violation scam work?

As mentioned earlier, cyber security researcher Paul Ducklin has recently informed users about a new technique that is being used by fraudsters. In an attempt to extract victims' personal information, cybercriminals are sending fake copyright infringement notices to a large number of users on ir Instagram ID. message also contains a link where users are supposed to if y wish to prove innocence and challenge infringement.

As shared by cyber security firm called Sophos, message that users might receive is "hello, we recently received a complaint about a post on your Instagram. Your post has been reported as infringing copyright. Your account will be removed if no objection is me to copyrighted work. If you think this determination is incorrect, please fill out objection form from link below." To stay away from cybercrime like this, users shall avoid ing links that are attached to suspicious emails. 

reafter, when users on link that is given to appeal to copyright infringement, a malicious website opens and asks users to log in to ir Instagram ID by entering ir login ID and password. However, as users enter ir passwords, link tells m that user ID and password entered is wrong. After two to three attempts, users get a message that ir appeal was submitted successfully. This is nothing but a trick that is being used by fraudsters to extract users' ID and password which gives m access to ir Instagram account. 

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