Instagram Has Become a “Face Store”: How Scammers Exploit Your Photos for Personal Gain

Scammers and fraudsters using social networks to deceive people is, unfortunately, nothing new. However, such incidents have become much more frequent recently. Over the past year, a serious problem has emerged for Instagram users: the massive appearance of fake accounts on the platform. What’s especially concerning is Meta’s—Instagram’s parent company—inability to effectively combat this issue.

Observations show a growing number of fake profiles using other people’s photos and personal information. Reports about these accounts often go unanswered by Instagram’s support team, even when there are clear signs of abuse.

One example is the case of an account named Santiago Scott from Spain, which impersonated a Brazilian named Thiago Qualhato. After a BleepingComputer staff researcher discovered the account was fake, he immediately contacted Instagram support. However, even after some time, the fake profile was not removed.

The Real Account Was Created in 2013, the Fake One in 2022

Such incidents happen regularly. Users who fall victim to impersonation often encounter Instagram’s reluctance to address the problem. In 2023, Meta even introduced a paid verification service, “Meta Verified,” costing $11.99 to $14.99 per month. However, the effectiveness of this measure remains questionable. After all, nothing stops a scammer from paying $15 and getting a verification badge even before the real victim of identity theft does.

Users can take several steps to protect their data, such as making their accounts private and only accepting follow requests from people they know, avoiding sharing photos and videos with strangers, using watermarks on their photos, and regularly reporting impersonator accounts if they appear. However, the social network itself must also take more active measures to block such fakes.

Protecting personal data and photos remains a critically important element of online safety. Actively identifying and reporting fake accounts helps reduce the risk of fraud and protects both individuals and the entire user community.

Let’s hope Instagram pays attention to this pressing issue and makes the platform safer. In the meantime, users should remain especially vigilant online and be responsible when sharing personal information.