I Got Hacked on Instagram
Here’s how I tried to deal with the situation and how I felt about it.
Since July 24th, my friends and family contacted me about my main Instagram account getting hacked. I tried contacting Instagram Help Center about it, but no answer. This whole hacker situation was an emotional trigger for me. Surprising? No.
Time after time, I have been taken advantage of for absolutely no reason. I was raped at age 16 by an ex-boyfriend who only received the bare minimum of jail time and a restraining order. At age 19, my debit card got stolen, and my bank account shut down for five years (currently at year three), thanks to a fake friend from middle and high school. From ages 15 to 18, I endured emotional abuse by another ex-boyfriend during our toxic friends-with-benefits relationship (read The Detriment of Holding Onto Romantic Feelings for context). I suffered emotional abuse again at age 19 by yet another guy I dated at the time (read My Experience with Solomon from Love On The Spectrum for context).
Recently, at age 22, I got hacked on Instagram by some random Crypto/Bitcoin scammer. Oh, I can go on and on about all the crap I suffered because I lack assertion. My lacking assertion is the one thing I hate about myself alongside my rollercoaster of random emotions.
I tried resetting my password multiple times, only to constantly get denied further steps unless I had a code from the Two-Factor Authentication setting. I did not write it down. I never prepared myself for a situation like this.
Suddenly, I get a What’s App message from someone named James. He was supposed to be a part of the Instagram Help Center. He told me he would do whatever he could to get my account back.
But then James asks for my PayPal account. When I ask him why he needs my PayPal account, he claims it’s the only way to disable my account and log them out. After that, it’s just a back-and-forth argument followed by him trying to gaslight and manipulate me that if I don’t send him my PayPal account, the hacker will target my friends and family. The joke’s on him. I have friends who also dealt with a similar situation before mine happened. Anyway, I blocked him afterward.
The hacker reposted one of my TikToks through an Instagram story to make it seem like I’m still behind my social media account. Then they dared to go back to promote “giving away money” afterward. My TikTok account is now private. But, as you guessed, it doesn’t end there.
I finally got a message from an actual person from Instagram after reporting my old account for scam/fraud and pretending to be me. They can’t even do a God damn thing. So, I’m officially screwed.
In conclusion, Instagram is a big fat joke that they don’t take Crypto/Bitcoin scammers seriously. I’m still healing from this situation with such awful fluctuating depression. All because I have no control over what this person does with my old account. But now I know to be extra careful.
