- Scammers file fake copyright claims to block user accounts.
- They then demand money in exchange for withdrawing the complaints.
- The case of an influencer who paid $50 and was victimized again demonstrates the persistence of fraud.
- Meta claims to have improved protection, but users are demanding more accessible support.
Content creators on Instagram are living a nightmare: their accounts are being blocked due to false copyright claims, and they are then blackmailed by those responsible. This Instagram scam , uncovered by the BBC, is becoming one of the most lucrative for cybercriminals, who exploit Meta's bureaucracy to extort those who depend on the platform for their livelihood. The key lies in the intellectual property claims system , which allows anyone to flag a post as infringing with virtually no verification.
The modus operandi is simple but effective: multiple complaints are filed against the same profile, causing Instagram to remove content or temporarily suspend the account. At that point, the scammer contacts the victim through external applications like Telegram and offers to "fix the problem" in exchange for money. Creators, who see their income and business deals threatened , often prefer to pay rather than wait weeks in an appeals process that offers no guarantees.
This is how the scam works
According to the investigation, scammers are particularly targeting accounts with thousands of followers, such as that of Olly, the user behind “Lost in Time History,” which boasts over 1,5 million followers. Olly explained to the BBC that he receives dozens of “obviously fake” claims against posts of historical images that are in the public domain or for which he has permission. The scam is triggered when claims are accepted without thorough verification , forcing the creator to prove they are the legitimate copyright holder.
Paying a ransom solves nothing. Olly paid $50 in cryptocurrency to recover his account, but within weeks he received more complaints and ended up being demonetized. “It’s the worst: having to pay the person who caused all this damage only for it to happen again,” he said. This same pattern has been repeated with other creators , who have seen their accounts blocked time and again despite complying with the rules.
The case of Lost in Time History
Another affected creator, Abin Tom Sebastian of “Morbid Kuriosity,” complained that Meta offered him no effective help. “They force you to pay for support just to talk to someone, even though they say they’re there to support creators,” he stated. Indeed, Meta Verified, the paid subscription that provides access to 24/7 support, costs £9,99 per month in the UK. Human support has become a paid service , while free appeals can take weeks or even months.
The situation has reached the Indian courts, where the Delhi High Court has accepted several petitions against Meta for the fraudulent use of its copyright tools. One of these petitions, filed by 40 creators, is supported by Judge Anup Jairam Bhambhani, who stated that the system has become “a platform for extortion.” The judge also noted that the platforms have given many people the opportunity to blackmail , although he clarified that he cannot issue blanket orders without a more in-depth analysis. In fact, Meta has already been sued for failing to stop fraudulent claims on its services.
Meta promises more protection
In response to the accusations, Meta stated that its systems are designed to prevent such abuses and that it actively combats fraudulent behavior. Following the BBC investigation, the company confirmed that it has restored the affected content and added additional protections to the accounts of the creators mentioned. The social network itself acknowledges in its help center that only rights holders can file claims , but in practice, fraudsters easily circumvent this rule.
Meanwhile, experts advise creators never to pay extortionists, to keep all evidence that their posts are legitimate, and to use the official appeals process, however slow it may be. The biggest risk for Instagram professionals is their total dependence on the platform , which makes them easy targets for this type of blackmail.
This new form of fraud, which combines false copyright claims with extortion, is affecting creators worldwide, and while Meta has taken steps, loopholes still allow criminals to act with impunity. The lack of verification of claims and the slowness of the appeals process are the main problems. Users should be vigilant and always document their rights to the content they publish, because no one is safe from this new type of scam on Instagram.
