{"id":94968,"date":"2019-04-22T10:51:25","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T17:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=94968"},"modified":"2025-08-04T21:49:35","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T04:49:35","slug":"instagram-nasty-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/instagram-nasty-list\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cNasty List\u201d Phishing Scam Is out to Steal Your Instagram Login"},"content":{"rendered":"

How often do you check your social media accounts? According to a recent study<\/a>, internet users spend an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes per day on social networking platforms. Since users are pretty reliant on social media, cybercriminals use it as an avenue to target victims with various cyberattacks. The latest social media scheme<\/a> called “The Nasty List” scams users into giving up their Instagram credentials and uses their accounts to further promote the phishing scam. Remember, download comprehensive Mobile Security Security<\/a><\/p>\n

So, how exactly do hackers trick innocent users into handing over their login information? Cybercriminals spread this scam by sending messages through hacked accounts to the user’s followers, stating that they were spotted on a “Nasty List.” These messages will read something like “OMG your actually on here, @TheNastyList_34, your number is 15! its really messed up.” If the recipient visits the profile listed in the message, they will see a link in the profile description. An example of one URL that has been listed in these scam profiles is nastylist-instatop50[.]me. The user is tricked into believing that this link will supposedly\u00a0allow them to see why they are on this list. This link brings up what appears to be a legitimate Instagram login page. When the victim enters their credentials on the fake login page, the cybercriminals behind this scheme will be able to take over the account and use it to further promote the scam.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Images courtesy of Bleeping Computer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Images courtesy of Bleeping Computer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tips to Protect Your Instagram Accounts<\/h2>\n

Fortunately, there are a number of steps Instagram users can take to ensure that they don\u2019t fall victim to this trap. Check out the following tips:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Be skeptical of messages from unknown users.\u00a0<\/strong>If you receive a message from someone you don’t know, it’s best to ignore the message altogether or block the user. Additionally, if you think a friend\u2019s social media account has been compromised, look out for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in their message, which are common in these scams.<\/li>\n
  • Exercise caution when inspecting links sent to your messages.\u00a0<\/strong>Always inspect a URL before you click on it. In the case of this scam, the URL that appears with the fake login page is clearly incorrect, as it ends in a [.]me.<\/li>\n
  • Reset your password.\u00a0<\/strong>If your account was hacked by \u2018The Nasty List’ but you still have access to your account, reset your password to regain control of your account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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