Instagram: Overseas hackers swindle followers of more than $20,000

Overseas Instagram hackers have swindled more than $20,000 from local Queensland mothers using one dirty tactic.

Instagram mothers have been swindled out of more than $20,000 dollars collectively after they were targeted by hackers living overseas.

Brisbane influencer and entrepreneur Anna van Dijk, who runs an Instagram page with more than 28,000 followers, had her identity stolen after an email was sent to her with a link in it.

“It looked 100 per cent legit,” she said.

After clicking on the link, Ms van Dijk – who’s business page sells kids lunch boxes and drink bottles – was hacked and locked out of her account.

The internet thieves took over her page, posing as the influencer while they asked her followers to invest in a scheme.

Social media influencer Anna van Dijk was hacked and locked out of her account after receiving an email. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

Brisbane entrepreneur Anna van Dijk has warned users of the dangers of social media. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

Suspicious followers asked the scammers to prove they were Ms van Dijk by asking them what her most recent promotion was, to which the hackers would “look through” her page to know what she would say.

“They were working really hard at pretending to be me and putting on this front,” Ms van Dijk said.

“You are like their bread and butter because I’m on there talking about my stories and people feel like they know me; they trust me.

“It really is their playing field because people have this reputation and I’ve spent years building these relationships and then they can just come in and pretend to be me and guess.”

It is estimated around $24,000 was transferred by local mothers who thought they were talking to Ms van Dijk under the Instagram handle lunchbox_mini.

The lunchbox_mini page has almost 30,000 followers on Instagram. Picture: Supplied /Instagram

The business owner was locked out of her account for a week, before contacting the media in an attempt to reach an Instagram representative to solve the issue.

Ms van Dijk claims Instagram knocked back her video identity verification eight times, despite her face being plastered all over her account.

The woman said her account was back up and running just 20 minutes after reaching out to her media contact.

Ms van Dijk warned users of the dangers of social media and encouraged people to “find their own links” to get to certain pages.

IDCARE analyst Kathy Sundstrom said there had been a 40 per cent increase in the “very professional” social media takeovers.

“It is because it is so effective; if you think a friend is telling you about a good deal, you are more likely to look into it yourself,” she said.

After applying constant pressure, Ms van Dijk has since retrieved her account.

Originally published as Instagram: Overseas hackers swindle followers of more than $20,000