The cybersecurity brand Norton, a Gen™ security brand, warns about a new and sophisticated scam that is working scarily well and has been circulating via direct messages on Instagram. The cybercriminals target influencers, small businesses, and content creators, who may have their accounts hijacked after interacting with fake profiles posing as “Meta” technical support.
According to Iskander Sanchez-Rola, Director of AI and Innovation at Norton, this type of scam poses a significant risk to those who rely on Instagram as the main channel to expand visibility, generate revenue, and stay connected with their audience.
“We are dealing with a highly orchestrated scheme that accurately simulates communication from Meta’s Advertising Support Center. By masquerading as representatives of Meta, scammers exploit the emotional vulnerability of those who fear losing their profile to induce urgent and thoughtless actions. The impact can be devastating for those who view their Instagram profile as a strategic business channel,” says Iskander.
How the scam works
The scam starts with sending a message directly to the victim, appearing legitimate and sent from “Meta’s Advertising Support Center.” The message claims that the account has violated Meta’s policies and will be deactivated soon. The communication usually includes external links and an alarmist tone designed to instill fear and urgency.
When clicking the link, the person is directed to a page that mimics the “Meta Ads Help Center”. Victims are asked to “Request Review,” which means entering their Instagram username, password, and in many cases, even their two-factor authentication code.
With these credentials in hand, the scammer can quickly take over the account, block the owner, and exploit the audience of the stolen profile. For this, the cybercriminal can adopt different strategies: from applying targeted frauds to the profile followers – such as promoting fake investments or phishing links – to demanding financial ransom to return the profile to its owner. There are also cases where accounts are sold in underground markets on the deep web.
Some signs can help users identify these scam attempts. Messages sent by unverified accounts with few followers are one of the clues. The use of urgent, threatening language about account deletion or policy violation, with grammatical errors and inadequate wording, should also raise a red flag, as well as any request to click on external links promising account “verification”.
Iskander Sanchez-Rola recommends some good practices to protect against this type of scam:
- Never click directly on links from unknown account messages. The Meta and Instagram will never ask you to verify your account via private message.
- Check the sender’s profile. Official Meta accounts are verified and will not have names like advertisingsupportcenter0798.
- Use two-factor authentication on your accounts, to prevent unauthorized access.
- Report the account to Instagram if you receive any of these messages.
- Consider using a security solution designed for small businesses, if you manage social media accounts as a team or use shared devices. Tools like Norton Small Business offer social media monitoring, to help prevent hijacking of administrator accounts.
- Educate your team. If you manage your account with others, make sure everyone knows how these scams work.
With the growth of digital businesses and the influence of social networks in brand building, scams like this become increasingly dangerous. Awareness and the use of appropriate tools are fundamental steps to protect digital identities and avoid financial and reputational losses in the online universe. “Norton continues to closely monitor the evolution of these threats and reinforces its commitment to the digital security of small businesses and content creators”, concludes Sanchez-Rola.
