If you have received an email stating that you have reset your Instagram password when you have not, please ignore that email!
Ignore this email from Instagram
Although Instagram claims there is no security breach, says Malwarebytes (a company that makes antivirus software) in a new report that cybercriminals have stolen the account information of 17.5 million Instagram users. In addition, many Instagram users have reported that they have received an email to reset their Instagram password. Meta would have received a request for this. Unfortunately, it is not yet entirely clear what exactly happened.
Malwarebytes also says in the post that the leak included Instagram usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more. However, Instagram states that there has been no infringement and that the user accounts are safe.
Dark web
The message from Malwarebytes also states that the data is for sale on the dark web and can be misused by cyber criminals. Malwarebytes has since told customers that the flaw was discovered during a routine check of the dark web and that it may have been caused by an Instagram API incident in 2024.
The reported breach has resulted in users receiving several emails from Instagram asking them to reset their passwords. According to Malwarebytes, the leaked information could lead to more serious attacks, such as phishing attempts or account takeovers. In response, Instagram posted to X that users can ignore the recent password reset request emails.
You can do this
Although Instagram says this is not a data breach, parent company Meta has been in trouble in the past due to data breaches. If you haven’t already, it’s always a good idea to enable two-step verification and change your password. It’s even better to be in it Accounts Center from Meta to check which devices are logged in to your Instagram account.
You can also register for our newsletter and we will automatically keep you informed about such data leaks from now on!
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