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Whether you’re a thought leader, influencer, or ukbusinessupdates.com, you probably have “verification on Instagram” on your to-do list. And you should. The coveted blue checkmark is valuable to any business leader, but especially to those whose work relies on a positive public personality.
Not only does the check mark put you in an elite group – less than 5% of the Instagram accounts get a verified status, but it also protects you from cheaters hijacking your online presence. Which of Ryan Reynolds’ dozens of Instagram accounts is the real one? The one with the blue check mark.
So, how do you get verified on Instagram? There are those who would tell you that the process is simple and only requires a little bit of time, a few forms and some money. Don’t believe them. Those people are scammers trying to access your private information or take your money.
As Instagram explains on his website, verification is something offered to those who “represent a well-known, highly sought-after person, brand or entity”. If that doesn’t describe you or your brand, you should be suspicious of anyone offering you an easy way to get a blue check.
Here are three common Instagram verification scams to avoid.
Related: Is that Instagram email a phishing attack? Now you can find out.
1. Do not trust an invitation to apply
If you are a well-known person or represent a well-known brand, you can apply for verification yourself. Once you sign up, you can expect a response within 30 days. What you should not expect is for Instagram to contact you to let you know that you are eligible for verification if you have not applied for that status.
A recent Instagram verification scam lured people in via email messages saying they were eligible for the blue tick. The next step, according to the email, was to provide the email address associated with the account and password.
This scam uses a strategy commonly known as: phishing, in which bad actors hope to trick someone into giving them private information by offering them something of value. The information pushed to may include usernames, passwords, bank account numbers, social security numbers, and more. Once the information is obtained, the account can be hacked to get more information, use it for illegal purposes and in some cases even lock out the real account owner.
This Instagram phishing scam led its victims through a series of forms that collected information, all with the promise that it would result in getting the blue tick. The fact that the forms were hosted on “instagramforbusiness.info” rather than on the company’s “instagram.com” site was a telltale sign that it was not a legitimate process.
Related: Why having a personal brand is crucial to making money online (and how to build yours)
2. Do not trust a message that you are pre-approved
Another phishing scam goes a step further by informing the target that they are already approved and only need to click on a link to claim their tick. Instagram will not approve you for verification on its own initiative. Even if you’ve requested verification, this type of message should still be considered suspicious.
Instagram says on its website that it will notify applicants that they have been approved for verification via a notification that will appear in the Activity tab in the Instagram app. It expressly states that it will never “contact you to ask you to confirm your verification”.
When an email appears suspicious, checking the original address is one way to quickly identify fraud. A example of an Instagram verification scam discovered in early 2022 involved targets receiving messages from “[email protected]” promising verification. After some research it turned out that the domain name “business-bezwaarkanaal.com” had recently been registered.
Related: Instagram’s self-submission verification form update provides a more complete verification request
3. Don’t rely on a promise to provide payment verification
Since Instagram’s verification is not something that can be bought, any offer to provide verification in exchange for a fee, regardless of the dollar amount, will almost certainly be a scam. This is especially the case when the offer only requires a fee and no other information.
An Instagram verification scam uncovered in South Florida in 2021 not only promised verification for just $50, but also provided victims with screenshots showing exchanges of messages between the scammers and local celebrities using the service. It was later discovered that the messages were made up. Those who paid for the service did not get what they were promised.
However, there are legitimate companies, such as public relations firms, that can help verify their customers on Instagram and other social media platforms for a fee. The difference with those companies is that they first help their customers stand out through media appearances, which makes them eligible for verification.
In general, it’s important to remember that authentication – on Instagram and other social media platforms – serves to authenticate notable accounts. In other words, it’s how Instagram helps its users connect with the real Ryan Reynolds. As such, it is not something that is easy to come by.
For entrepreneurs, opinion leaders, and influencers, getting a blue check is often seen as something that can boost their credibility, even if they haven’t yet achieved the “remarkable” status that warrants verification. If that’s where you are, be careful. Your desire to be verified can lead to you falling victim to scams.
