Scammers demand ransoms from Instagram users over fake copyright claims
Users say they are losing money or risk having their accounts suspended because Meta struggles to identify scammers.
Instagram users have reported losing thousands of pounds after their accounts were suspended or taken down due to fake copyright claims made by scammers. These individuals are demanding ransoms to withdraw the claims, knowing that repeated claims can lead to account bans. For instance, an Instagram user with 1.5 million followers paid a scammer $50 (£37) to get his account back, citing Meta's lengthy appeal process.
Meta claims to have restored affected content and added protections, but content creators say the platform struggles to identify spurious cases and that its appeals process is slow unless a monthly fee is paid. One creator, Olly, has received dozens of obviously fake copyright complaints in 2026, often from the same email address.
When contacted by Telegram, the claimants demand money to withdraw the claim, usually about a few hundred dollars. Despite Meta's advice that only copyright holders or authorized representatives can report infringement, these scammers claim they act on behalf of legitimate copyright holders. However, the BBC has seen messages from one scammer who explicitly stated they kept all the money.
Law enforcement agencies advise against paying ransoms, as it fuels the criminal ecosystem. The BBC has contacted Meta about these issues, to which the company responded by applying additional protections to affected accounts.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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