A story about being targeted by fake accounts while entering giveaways. I have summarized how to identify them and countermeasures.

Recently, I feel that
fake accounts (impersonation accounts) targeting people entering giveaways on Instagram are really increasing.

In fact, I myself encountered a fake account that looked exactly like the official one after a campaign post.

And it wasn't just one; there were several in a short period of time.

"It looks official, so it must be fine."

"Is this a notification that I won?"

They look so similar that it's easy to think that way.

This time, based on what actually happened, I will summarize:

The differences between real accounts and fake accounts

How to identify them in an instant

Countermeasures if you have been contacted

I will summarize these points.

Please read to the end if you enter giveaways or participate in corporate campaigns on Instagram.

1. It started after I posted a winning report.

A few days ago, I posted a winning report on an Instagram Reel.

The content of the post was for people who like giveaways, and it included context like "winning report" and "want to connect with people who like giveaways."

Then, after that, I received a follow from an account with a name similar to the official one.

At first, I almost thought, "Is this an official related account?" but when I looked closely, there were several things that felt off.

I will explain the details below.

And when I checked, it was a fake account made to look exactly like the real one.

People who post about giveaways or report winning prizes are,

I think they are considered 'people who are likely to respond to winning notifications' and are easily targeted.

2. Differences between real accounts and fake accounts

The fake account I found this time was made to look quite similar to the real official corporate account.

However, if you look closely, there are differences.

1. The username is slightly different

This is the most common one.

For example, if the real one is

official_company

as an ID, the fake account might be

official.company

official__company

officialcompany_

They sometimes change symbols or characters just a little bit, like this.

It is hard to notice at first glance, but this is very important.

2. The balance between the number of followers and the number of posts is unnatural

If it is an official corporate account, there is usually a certain number of posts and followers.

On the other hand, fake accounts,

They have extremely few posts

They are almost inactive

They have very few followers

Conversely, they have a high number of followings

These are common characteristics.

In particular, if they have very few followers but an abnormally high number of followings it is highly suspicious.

3. The profile text is biased toward "winning inducements"

Fake accounts often include the following in their profiles:

Winner selection

Please DM me

Receive from this link

Check now

Please send WIN

They may include urgent language like this.

Genuine corporate accounts often have product introductions, campaign explanations, and brand information listed naturally, so the atmosphere is different.

4. The external link destination is unnatural

If it is a genuine company, they usually direct you to their own website or an official campaign page.

However, fake accounts use:

Free creation sites

Shortened URLs

Unfamiliar domains

Pages that are not the official website

may be used to redirect you.

If the link destination does not match the official corporate website, you should be very cautious.

5. Multiple fake accounts appearing simultaneously

During a campaign, fake accounts impersonating the same company can increase all at once.

In other words, finding one does not mean it is over,

and it is not rare for multiple similar accounts to appear.

In fact, I blocked five fake accounts that looked exactly like the official one in just one day.

Fake accounts increase during campaigns, so please be very careful.

3. How to identify them in an instant

Even when you are short on time, there are points you should check at a minimum.

Identification checklist

✅️ The icon and profile text are the same as the official one

✅️ But there are few posts, or the account is private

✅️ The number of followers is extremely low

✅️ The number of accounts followed is too high

✅️ Fake accounts are appearing simultaneously

If these points overlap, it is highly suspicious.

Even if they look similar, they often cannot perfectly imitate the history of the account's content.

When in doubt, do not rely solely on information within Instagram.

It is safer to go to the official website, navigate to the genuine Instagram account, and verify if it is the same account.

4. What happens if you follow them?

This is the scariest part.

Just following a fake account does not necessarily mean you will be harmed immediately.

However, you need to be careful about the DMs that arrive afterward.

Common patterns

You receive a fake winning DM

You receive a notification that you won even though the entry period has not ended yet

You are prompted via DM to enter personal information

You are asked to enter credit card information

You are asked to enter your account password

If you follow these prompts,

Your Instagram account could be hijacked

Your credit card could be used fraudulently

Your personal information could be misused

The risk of these things happening increases.

5. If you entered information into a scam DM

If by any chance you have entered information, please take action as soon as possible.

If you have entered account information

Change your Instagram password

Change your email address password as well

Set up two-factor authentication

Initial response is crucial when your account is hijacked.

If you have even the slightest concern, it is safer to change them immediately.

If you have entered your credit card information

Check your usage statement

Contact your credit card company

Suspend or reissue the card if necessary

It is recommended to consult them early rather than thinking, 'I haven't suffered any damage yet, so I'll just wait and see.'

6. Countermeasures I am currently taking

Now, when I find a suspicious account, I basically

Report (as much as I can) + Block (block if in doubt)

This is how I handle it.

Honestly, it is difficult to eliminate them all.

But at the very least, I can avoid falling for them myself and raise awareness among those around me.

Especially in the giveaway community, you can be targeted after posting about winning or entering, so

I feel it is important not to assume that 'a DM that looks like a winning notification = authentic.'

7. What if you receive a winning DM from the main account?

Of course, not all DMs are fake.

Sometimes you really do receive a winning notification from an official account.

In such cases, it is safe to perform the following checks.

If it is a winning DM from the real account

✅️Check the account just in case

✅️Go to the Instagram account from the official website and verify if it is the same account

✅️If there are no issues, proceed with confidence

If it is a winning DM from the real source, that is wonderful news.

Congratulations on your win.

And once you are able to communicate safely, I look forward to your winning report.

8. Beginners to giveaways should be especially careful

When you have just started entering giveaways,

"Is this what a winning DM is supposed to look like?"

"Should I reply immediately if I get a message from a company?"

I think it can be difficult to judge.

However, fake accounts take advantage of exactly that anxiety and expectation.

That is why,

☑️Do not react immediately

☑️Check before clicking any links

☑️Verify via the official website

☑️Block them if you have even the slightest suspicion

Just being aware of these four points makes a big difference.

9. Conclusion

Fake Instagram accounts are truly clever in their appearance.

However, if you look calmly, there are things that feel off.

Especially during campaigns, fakes tend to increase.

I think it is important to stay vigilant every day, rather than thinking, "It won't happen to me."

Just the day after announcing a winner, I blocked five scam accounts that looked exactly like the official one.

That is how common this problem is right now.

I would be happy if this article helps someone think, "That was close, I'm glad I was saved."

Save this and protect yourself.

And, to everyone other than the scam accounts may you have wonderful luck✨️

Yes. I will adjust it so that the heading numbers are also included as they are, to blend in with the flow of the entire article.

10. [Aftermath] I reported it, but it wasn't deleted

Actually, as I wrote in the article above, even though I reported the suspicious account to Instagram,

"This account was not deleted"

A reply arrived at a later date.

Honestly, I was quite confused at first.

"It's so suspicious, yet it doesn't get deleted..." "Is there no point in reporting it?"

That's how I felt, but now I see it a bit differently.

Just because I reported it and it wasn't deleted,

does not mean that the account has been proven safe.

That is what I believe.

I get the impression that recent fake accounts are created quite cleverly,

so that they are not obviously judged as 'impersonation'.

For example,

making only the username look very similar to the real one

but changing the bio slightly

having zero or extremely few posts

making it hard to see any definitive violations on the public profile

conducting the actual solicitation via DM

like this,

there is a possibility that they are keeping it in a form that is barely difficult to classify as a violation on the surface.

In other words,

not being deleted after a report

= authentic, reliable, and safe

It means it is not.

Rather, even if the evidence is weak just by looking at the profile,

accounts that try to lure you to external links via DM or ask for personal information are scarier.

They make themselves look harmless on the public screen,

and cause actual harm via DM.

I believe this type should be treated with extreme caution.

11. Countermeasures when they are not deleted even after reporting

So, what should you do if they are not deleted even after reporting?

Personally, I feel that the following response is realistic right now.

1. First, block them yourself

This is the simplest, but it is very important.

Even if they are not deleted by Instagram,

you can prevent them from getting close to you.

If you are in doubt,

just block them.

I think that is fine.

2. Do not respond to DMs, links, or input requests

I believe the opponent's goal is ultimately to lure you somewhere.

Make you open an external site

Make you enter personal information

Getting you to enter credit card information

Asking for login credentials

If it goes this far, it could lead to damage.

Therefore, even if it isn't deleted,

not reacting can prevent damage

is a mindset I think is important.

3. Inform the real account

I feel this is also surprisingly important.

If the impersonated party is a corporate official or a personal account,

it may be easier to get a report through if it comes from the real management side.

Even if it's weak just from our perspective that it looks suspicious,

the real side can say

This is not our account

There is a risk of misidentification

Impersonation damage is occurring

and explain it more concretely.

Even if it doesn't disappear from your report alone,

I think it is well worth notifying the main account.

4. Keep evidence

So that you can look back on it later,

Profile screen

Username

Follower count, post count

DM content

External links

Phrasing used to lure you into believing you won

It is safer to keep screenshots of these things.

The other party may change their bio or delete posts along the way.

It is possible that "it looked suspicious a moment ago, but it looks different now," so

I recommend saving them as soon as you notice.

5. Judge not only by "impersonation" but also by behavior

When they don't disappear even after reporting them,

it may be because they are designed to be difficult to identify as impersonation.

But in reality,

scam-like lures

spam-like contact

unnatural DM sending

luring to external sites

might be the core of the problem.

Therefore,

I feel it is important to judge by actions, not just by appearance.

That is what I feel is important.

12. My current conclusion

My current conclusion is this.

Even if you report them and they are not deleted, suspicious things are still suspicious.

And,

Do not react

Block them

Notify the real account

Keep evidence

I believe that just doing these four things makes a big difference.

It is difficult to eliminate them all.

But you can prevent yourself from getting caught.

Instead of relying solely on Instagram's judgment,

I felt it is important to have the awareness to identify them yourself in the end.

"I reported it but it didn't disappear, so it can't be helped"

Instead of that,

"Even if it doesn't disappear, I can protect myself"

That is how I try to think about it.

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