DM Crypto Giveaway Hijack Scam on Instagram
Compromised or cloned Instagram accounts DM followers and comment on posts claiming a crypto giveaway, using the appearance of a trusted friend or public figure's account to lower guard.
Part of: DM Crypto Giveaway Hijack Scam
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
A DM from an account you follow on Instagram usually is that person, which is why this scam works when it is not. A hijacked account or a near-perfect clone of a public figure replies to your story or messages you privately, claiming a crypto platform made them money and offering to double yours if you send funds to a wallet address. The private channel is the point: there is no comment section where others can warn that the account is compromised. One rule settles it: no genuine giveaway asks you to send crypto first to receive more back.
How this scam works on Instagram
A hijacked account — sometimes belonging to someone the victim actually follows and trusts — sends a story reply or DM claiming they personally profited from a crypto platform and offering to help the recipient double their investment by sending funds to a wallet address. Because the message appears to come from a real contact's account rather than a stranger, victims often skip the skepticism they'd apply to a cold outreach, not realizing the account has been compromised through a prior phishing or credential-stuffing attack.
A separate variant uses cloned profiles that copy a real public figure's name, photo, and bio almost exactly, commenting on the original account's posts with 'I'm giving back to my followers' messages and directing commenters to DM the clone account, which then runs the same send-first-receive-double wallet scam.
Common red flags
- A DM or story reply from a friend's account suddenly promotes a crypto investment or giveaway out of character
- A near-identical clone account comments on a public figure's posts directing people to DM it
- You're asked to send cryptocurrency first to receive a larger amount back
- The account pushes urgency, claiming the giveaway closes within hours
- The friend's account shows other signs of compromise, like unusual recent posts or login alerts
- The clone account has a slightly altered username or joined recently despite copying an established figure's content
How to protect yourself
- Verify unusual crypto messages from friends through a separate channel like a phone call before acting
- Check for subtle username differences when a public figure's account seems to be promoting a giveaway
- Never send cryptocurrency expecting an automatic larger return — this is never legitimate
- Enable two-factor authentication on your own Instagram account to prevent hijacking
- Report compromised friend accounts to Instagram and alert the actual friend through another channel
- Block and report clone accounts impersonating public figures
How to report it
- Report the account, DM, or comment using Instagram's in-app Report tool
- Report a hijacked friend's account through Instagram's hacked-account reporting flow
- Report the wallet address to exchange fraud teams if funds were sent
- File a complaint with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Frequently asked questions
Can Instagram tell me for certain whether a friend's account has actually been hijacked?
Instagram doesn't provide real-time confirmation to other users, so the more reliable signal is the message itself — an out-of-character crypto pitch — combined with reaching your friend through a separate channel like a text or phone call to ask directly.
If I sent crypto to a wallet from a hijacked friend's DM, is there anyone who can help recover it?
Recovery is unlikely since cryptocurrency isn't a payment method Instagram processes or can reverse — your best options are reporting the wallet address to the exchange it may be linked to and filing a report with the FBI's IC3.
Why would my friend's account send me a crypto giveaway message?
Their account has likely been hijacked through a prior phishing attack or password breach; the message isn't really from them, and you should verify through another channel and alert them.
How do I spot a clone account impersonating a public figure?
Check the username character-by-character for subtle substitutions, look at the account creation date, and check whether it has the platform's real verification badge rather than just a similar profile picture.