Instagram confirms users’ contact information accessed by hackers with “unlawful access”

Hackers obtained access to email addresses and phone numbers of “high-profile” Instagram users.

Instagram has warned verified users of the social network to exercise caution after confirming that users’ data had been breached by hackers. Instagram revealed on Wednesday that they had discovered that one or more individuals had gained access to the contact information of “high-profile” Instagram users by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API. No password accounts were accessed, but the individual(s) in question obtained “unlawful access” to email addresses and phone numbers. The bug has already been fixed by Instagram and an investigation into the hack has been launched. Instagram has warned its verified users to beware of any suspicious activity such as unrecognised incoming calls, texts and emails and encouraged users to enable a two-factor authentication and to pick a strong, unique password and keep it safe. An email sent to verified Instagram users on Wednesday read: “We recently discovered that one or more individuals obtained unlawful access to a number of high-profile Instagram users’ contact information — specifically email address and phone number — by exploiting a bug in an Instagram API. No account passwords were accessed. We fixed the bug swiftly and are running a thorough investigation. “Our main concern is for the safety of our community and, out of an abundance of caution, we are reaching out to all verified accounts. At this point we believe this effort was targeted at high-profile users. We encourage you to be extra vigilant about the security of your account and exercise caution if you encounter any suspicious activity such as unrecognised incoming calls, texts and emails. “To make your account more secure, ensure two-factor authentication is enabled and pick a strong, unique password and keep it safe. Your experience on Instagram is important to us, and we are sorry this happened. If you have concerns about your account security, you can use this dedicated email (VerifiedUserHelp@instagram.com).”