Instagram hacking: why is the art world a target—and how do you get your account back?

It seems barely a week goes by without another notice popping up on my Instagram feed or pinging in my inbox: “I’ve been hacked!” According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a US non-profit organisation that helps victims of stolen identity, compromised Instagram accounts have been on the rise since September last year, with an 80% increase in enquiries in January.

But why are people in the art world being hacked? Criminals are not just looking for accounts with thousands of followers and the signature blue tick (confirming authenticity) but also those with high engagement, which is often the case with creatives. Hackers have lots of reasons to steal identities, but the main one tends to be obtaining personal data that can be sold on—so an Instagram account connected to lots of people likely to respond to messages and unwittingly share information is ideal.

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/05/06/instagram-hacking-why-is-the-art-world-a-target