Instagram Scams
Scams that run through Instagram — from fake influencers to investment traps.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Instagram's visual format and influencer culture create fertile ground for scammers. Fraudsters build polished profiles that mimic celebrities, successful investors, or luxury-lifestyle accounts, then use direct messages and story promotions to draw followers into schemes.
The platform's shopping features, sponsored posts, and DM-first culture mean that users regularly receive unsolicited offers from strangers — making it harder to distinguish genuine opportunities from fraud. Giveaway scams, fake brand collaborations, and romance-adjacent investment pitches are particularly prevalent.
This guide covers the most frequently reported scams on Instagram, how to recognise them, and the steps you can take to protect your account and report suspicious activity.
Common scams on Instagram
Fake giveaway and prize scams
Posts claim users have won a prize and must click a link or pay a small fee to claim it.
Investment and crypto DMs
Strangers or apparent influencers pitch high-return trading platforms via direct message.
Impersonation of brands or celebrities
Fake verified-looking accounts offer deals, collaborations, or prizes to harvest personal data or payment.
Phishing via story links
Stories or DMs direct users to lookalike login pages designed to steal Instagram credentials.
Fake brand ambassador offers
Messages offering paid collaborations that require the user to pay an upfront fee or provide financial details.
Common red flags
- DMs from strangers offering investment tips, jobs, or prizes
- Accounts with many followers but low post engagement or a very recent creation date
- Giveaway posts requiring you to DM an account or follow multiple accounts to claim
- Links in stories or bios that lead to login pages outside Instagram
- Collaboration offers that ask for a fee before any payment is made to you
- Pressure to act quickly before an 'offer' expires
How to protect yourself
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Instagram account
- Never click login links sent by DM — go to instagram.com directly
- Verify collaboration offers by contacting the brand through its official website
- Be sceptical of accounts that DM investment opportunities, even if they appear verified
- Review which third-party apps have access to your account and revoke unused ones
How to report it
- Tap the three-dot menu on any post, story, or profile and select 'Report'
- Report phishing attempts to [email protected]
- If you lost money, report to your national fraud service and contact your bank
Frequently asked questions
Can I trust an Instagram account with a blue tick?
Meta now sells verification badges, so a blue tick no longer guarantees legitimacy. Always check the account's history, engagement, and whether the username exactly matches the real brand or person.
I clicked a link and my account was hacked. What should I do?
Go to instagram.com/hacked immediately to start the recovery process. Change your password and enable two-factor authentication. Report the incident through Instagram's Help Centre.
Are Instagram giveaways ever real?
Genuine giveaways do exist, but they never ask winners to pay a fee, provide bank details, or click a suspicious link. If a 'win' requires any of those things, it is a scam.