PSA: turn on 2FA (authenticator app) today + please stop trusting 'recovery' DMs

night_shift_nurse2026-06-09 19:30 UTC1,340 views

Two things, short version. 1) If you missed the news: apparently a flaw in Meta's AI support flow got abused to take over a lot of Instagram accounts (reports say around 20k). I don't really get the technical side, but the basics still apply: - turn on 2FA with an authenticator app, not just SMS if you can - save your backup codes somewhere offline - secure the email on your account too, that's what they go after first - do a Download Your Information backup while you're at it 2) Every time someone posts 'my account got disabled', a swarm of 'I got mine back thanks to [some guy], DM him' comments shows up. It's all the same scam. They take money (crypto or gift cards usually), then ask for more for 'final verification'. A friend of mine lost a fair bit this way. Nobody outside Meta can restore your account. Report and block. Also, as far as I know there's no phone support for regular users here in the US. Any 'Instagram helpline number' you find on Google is fake.

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3 comments

Anonymous2026-06-09 22:40 UTC
is the authenticator thing hard? im not very techy
1. night_shift_nurse2026-06-09 23:05 UTC
  @Anonymous not hard! Install an authenticator app, then in Accounts Center go to Password and security > Two-factor authentication, pick authentication app and scan the code. 5 minutes. Then save the backup codes (screenshot AND write them on paper).
Rafa_SP2026-06-10 12:20 UTCPortuguese (Português)
Valeu pelo aviso. Aqui no Brasil também tá cheio desses 'recuperadores' nos comentários. Acabei de ativar a autenticação em dois fatores.