Instagram creators facing fake copyright strike scam

Summary According to a Meta spokesperson, the company has also added additional protections to prevent future scams. 'Following our review, we have restored the affected content and added additional protections to safeguard accounts against further attempts of this kind.' This incident also highlights Meta's vulnerabilities, as the platform's system automatically processes copyright complaints without upfront authenticity checks. Experts note that the rise of AI has allowed bad actors to systematize and scale these copyright scams, echoing similar tactics previously seen on platforms like YouTube. AI Generated Summary Instagram creators are falling victim to a new kind of scam in which blackmailers are filing bogus copyright claims against creators' accounts. Scammers have manipulated an automated system that penalizes users for repeated strikes to force account suspensions or demonetization. Speaking about the ransom, they demanded cryptocurrency or online payments ranging from $50 to hundreds of dollars. One targeted user with more than 1.5 million followers had to pay $50 (around ₹4,700) to get his account back after being hit by the scam. According to a Meta spokesperson, the company has also added additional protections to prevent future scams. 'We understand this can be frustrating for those impacted, and our systems are designed to protect people from this happening in the first place,' a Meta spokesperson said. 'Following our review, we have restored the affected content and added additional protections to safeguard accounts against further attempts of this kind.' This incident also highlights Meta's vulnerabilities, as the platform's system automatically processes copyright complaints without upfront authenticity checks. Content creators claim the official appeal process is slow unless they pay for Meta Verified ($9.99/month) to access live support. Experts note that the rise of AI has allowed bad actors to systematize and scale these copyright scams, echoing similar tactics previously seen on platforms like YouTube.