Instagram Gift Shop Buzz Scam: Promises Users Rewards, Then Stealing Their Passwords

Instagram users are being targeted by a scam that promises them prizes in exchange for their credentials. It's been up for a while now, yet it remains to be prevalent, largely thanks to its ability to self-duplicate. The scam begins when users receive a message in their Instagram DM from what appears to be a friend, in which the friend claims to have been making certain stuff and shares a link that has the terms "gift shop," "buzz," then a series of digits, and the receiver's name. The message appears to give a gift list with carefully picked things that a friend has dedicated a lot of time curating.

Once the user opens it, they will be prompted to log into what seems to be Instagram to authenticate their identity. Considering the offer of presents on the other end, that can seem normal and even exhilarating. However, the scam is on that log-in page. Instead of prizes, the page will just take the user's password, with victims saying that they are then redirected to an online gambling site. Now privy to the user's passwords, the hackers will be able to transmit identical messages to others. Similar DMs will be sent to your pals, allegedly from you and offering goodies, but which are in fact from the hackers who've already obtained the credentials.

The best strategy, as always, is to be extremely cautious when inputting passwords on any website. Since Instagram usually opens its own browser window, it might be difficult to tell if it actually is the real one. Even so, it is critical to never submit a password on any site that appears to be another. If this occurs, the first thing you should do is reset your passwords. Within the Instagram app, go to your profile, click the cog for settings, and select the "security" option, which will bring up the password menu.

Users may set a variety of essential security settings on the same page, including enabling two-factor authentication, running a security check, and identifying which apps and websites are linked to a certain account. Reviewing all of these will help minimize the effects of any recent hacks while also making it more difficult for hackers to break in the future.