Key Facts

• Catherine Deane's company uses Instagram as its main way to connect with customers.
• Her company's Instagram account got hacked after someone tricked them into sharing their login info.
• The hackers took over the account, preventing the company from using it.
• Catherine Deane tried to get help from Meta, who runs Instagram, but didn't hear back for a long time.
• It took four months and a lot of effort before her company's Instagram account was given back.
• Other people also find it hard to get their hacked Instagram and Facebook accounts back, according to Jonas Borchgrevink, who runs a company to help with this problem.
• Meta encourages people to use good passwords and use features like Security Check-up to stay safe, but wouldn't give further details about how big this problem is.
• Hackers can use the social media accounts they hack to do bad things like trick people into sending money, spread harmful computer programs, or block a company's access to its account.