On Thursday, Sept. 1, cybersecurity company Vade reported that some Instagram users received emails from hackers posing as Instagram admin. 

The email offers users steps to verify their Instagram account, but Vade wrote in its report that it is a phishing scam. 

Instagram Phishing Scam

According to CNET, the email gives instructions on how to get a blue badge on Instagram, which is why many users think the email is legit since Instagram's logo is included in the email's body. 

Vade's report pointed out that the email has a lot of spelling and grammatical errors, which is one of the signs of a phishing scam. 

What is a Phishing Scam?

Phishing is a form of fraud in which hackers pretend to be a representative of a company or platform, like Instagram, and email victims to distribute malicious links or attachments meant to extract their login credentials or account and personal information. 

Phishing messages are often difficult to distinguish from legit messages. However, some clues can indicate a message is a scam attempt. 

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Aside from spelling and grammatical errors, phishing emails also often have misspelled URLs, use public email addresses instead of corporate email addresses, the message is written to invoke fear, and the message includes a request to verify your personal information. 

How to Get Verified on Instagram

According to Instagram, to get the blue badge and verified on the platform, you need to meet certain requirements. The account must also follow Instagram's Terms of Use and Community Guidelines. 

Your Instagram needs to be authentic, meaning it should represent a real person or a registered business or entity. It should also represent a unique presence of a business or person. 

Your account should also be public and have a complete bio and profile photo. You also need to be active in your account.  

If your account meets all the requirements, you can apply for a blue badge.

To apply, open your Instagram account and tap on your profile. Tap on Settings and select Account, then tap Request Verification. 

Enter your full name and provide a form of identification, it can be a government-issued ID or an official business document. Just follow the instructions, then tap Submit. 

Remember that even if your Instagram account is eligible for verification, submitting a request does not guarantee that you will be verified. 

As soon as you are verified, you won't be able to change your username anymore, and the blue badge is non-transferable. Also, if your Instagram account gets verified, it does not mean that your Facebook account will be verified too. 

If your account gets verified using false or misleading information, Instagram will remove your blue badge, and your account may be disabled. 

Instagram also stated that the verification process of accounts only happens within the app and not over email. 

If you receive emails regarding the verification of your Instagram account, do not click on anything and just delete it.  

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This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster