# Recover Instagram After Hacker Posts Crypto Scam Reels > Hacker posting crypto scam Reels on your Instagram? Secure your email, use instagram.com/hacked, warn followers in Malaysia, and clean Reels once back in. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/recover-instagram-after-hacker-posts-crypto-scam-reels - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-11-09 - Topics: Instagram, Account recovery, Malaysia - Related service: Instagram account recovery: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/instagram-account-recovery ## Short answer Treat unauthorised crypto Reels as a takeover. Secure the email on your Instagram account first, then use the security email, a login link or instagram.com/hacked. Warn followers from another channel not to send money, delete the Reels once you are in, and turn on two factor authentication. If followers paid, they should call their bank or 997. Meta decides. ## Summary - Unauthorised crypto Reels usually mean a takeover, and Reels can reach people who do not follow you yet. - Secure the email linked to Instagram first, then use the security email, a login link or instagram.com/hacked. - Warn followers from other apps that the Reels are fake, and ask them to report individual clips as scam once. - After login, delete the Reels, revoke unknown apps, and check Account Status for removals or restrictions. - Followers who sent money should call their bank or NSRC 997; never pay recovery sellers in your comments. - Only Meta can restore or keep an Instagram account, and some hacked accounts stay disabled after scam Reels. Your Reels tab is full of clips you never filmed: wallet screenshots, a trading mentor shout out, a Telegram link in the caption. Your password fails, and people who only know you through Reels are already asking if the promotion is real. Reels reach beyond your followers because Instagram recommends them widely. A takeover that focuses on Reels can expose new audiences within hours, which makes recovery and warning steps urgent. This guide focuses on crypto scam Reels after a hack: what they look like, the recovery order, warning people without boosting the clips, cleaning video content, and disabled account appeals. Last checked: 9 November 2026. ## Quick Answer Secure the email tied to Instagram, then regain access through the security email, a login link or [instagram.com/hacked](https://help.instagram.com/368191326593075). Warn followers on every other channel that your crypto Reels are fake. After login, delete the Reels and check [Account Status](https://help.instagram.com/338481628002750). Meta decides whether the account stays open. ## What Should You Do If Your Hacked Instagram Is Posting Crypto Scam Reels? Act on two fronts at once. For the account: secure the email inbox linked to Instagram, look for the email from security@mail.instagram.com and select "secure my account" if the email address was changed, and if that fails request a login link or go to [instagram.com/hacked](https://help.instagram.com/368191326593075). For your followers: post a warning on every other channel you control, telling people not to send money or click links, and to report the scam posts. Once you are back in, change the password, delete the posts and turn on two-factor authentication. Only Meta can restore the account. ## Why Do Hackers Favour Reels for Crypto Scams? A stranger promising crypto profits is easy to ignore. Your face, your name and your years of posts are not. Instagram's own page on [avoiding scams](https://help.instagram.com/514187739359208) says scammers compromise existing accounts to deceive or defraud the owner's friends, and describes investment scams that promise to turn a small sum into a much larger one before the scammer disappears with the payment. The posts usually follow a familiar script, in English, Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese: - Stories showing a screenshot of a crypto wallet or bank balance, with a caption claiming you just withdrew your profits. - A tag or link to a "trading mentor", "account manager" or investment page, often with a new username. - Reels with screen recordings or pasted photos of you over new audio, pushed to non followers through recommendations. - Direct Messages to your followers saying you were sceptical too, but it really works. - Replies to anyone who asks questions, written in your voice, pushing them to a chat app outside Instagram. - Your bio, name or profile photo changed so it is harder for you to prove the account is yours. Instagram's page on [unauthorised content](https://help.instagram.com/230786120405165) says that if your profile is commenting or sharing things you did not post, your password may be compromised. It adds that Instagram may show a "Try again later" error when it detects inauthentic activity on the account. If money requests rather than investment posts are going out, our guide to [a hacked account messaging friends for money](https://www.awarexone.com/research/hacked-account-messaging-friends) covers that version. ## Recover the Account: The Order That Works Work from the email outwards. Whoever controls the inbox can reset Instagram again, so a new Instagram password means little until the email is safe. 1. Secure the email account linked to Instagram: change its password, sign out other sessions, and remove forwarding rules or recovery details you did not add. 2. Search that inbox, including spam, for a message from security@mail.instagram.com about an email change. Instagram's [hacked account page](https://help.instagram.com/149494825257596) says selecting "secure my account" in that message may undo the change. 3. If the password was also changed, tap "Forgot password?" on the login screen, enter your username, email or phone, and choose "Send login link". Complete the captcha and open the link from your own inbox or SMS. 4. If the link does not reach you, go to instagram.com/hacked in a browser and follow the on-screen steps. Instagram says to give a secure email address that only you can access. 5. If Instagram asks you to verify your identity, follow its instructions (see the next section). 6. Once you are in, change the password straight away. It is the first step Instagram's hacked account page lists for an account you can log in to. If the attacker changed both the email and the phone number, the steps get narrower. Our walkthrough of [an Instagram hacked with the email and phone changed](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-hacked-email-phone-changed) covers that case in detail. ## What Instagram's Identity Check Asks For Instagram's hacked account page describes two checks, depending on whether the account has photos of you. *Identity checks described on Instagram's hacked account help page at the time of writing. Options vary by account.* | Your account | What Instagram asks for | Have this ready | | --- | --- | --- | | Has photos of you | A video selfie turning your head in different directions | Good light, a plain background and a phone camera that works | | Has no photos of you | The email or phone number you signed up with, and the type of device you used at sign up | Your oldest email addresses and numbers, and whether you joined on iPhone, Android, iPad or another device | Instagram says the video selfie is never shown on Instagram and is deleted within 30 days, and that you can submit a new video if it could not confirm your identity from the first one. If the hacker replaced your profile photo with someone else's, the selfie check may struggle. Instagram does not publish how it handles that, so mention the swapped photo plainly if its support team emails you. ## Warn Your Followers Without Making It Worse Every hour the posts stay up, someone may be reading them. You cannot delete them yet, but you can make sure people hear from the real you. - Post a short warning on WhatsApp status, Facebook, TikTok or any other account you still control: "My Instagram was hacked. The crypto and trading posts are not from me. Do not send money or click any links." - Message close friends and family directly, especially older relatives who are less likely to question a post from you. - If you run a business, pin the warning on your other pages and tell regular customers. - Ask friends to report the scam posts themselves, once each, using the "Scam, fraud or spam" reason. Instagram's [reporting page](https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952) lists that option and says reports are anonymous. - Ask people not to mass report the whole profile or organise others to do it. Reporting what is genuinely there is fine; piling reports onto the profile will not speed up your recovery and could add to action against the account you are trying to get back. - Ask friends not to argue with the hacker in comments or Direct Messages. Instagram's advice on scams is simple: do not respond, report it. We could not find a dedicated "this account is hacked" report option in Instagram's help pages at the time of writing, so we do not tell friends to look for one. The owner's route is instagram.com/hacked, and only the owner can complete it. Instagram's help on [creating and sharing Reels](https://help.instagram.com/2449623722002953) describes how Reels are published from your profile. While you are locked out, you cannot delete them yourself; friends can report individual Reels using the scam reason on Instagram's [reporting page](https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952). ## Once You Are Back In: The Clean-Up Checklist Getting the login back is half the job. Hackers often leave a way to return, and the scam posts keep working until they are gone. 1. Screenshot the scam posts, stories, captions and any Direct Messages sent from your account, with the date visible. Followers who paid may need them for a police report. 2. Delete the scam Reels, posts, stories, highlights and comments you did not make, and restore your bio, name and profile photo. 3. Remove the hacker's email or phone number and confirm your own are correct in Accounts Center. 4. Check Accounts Center for linked accounts you do not recognise and remove them, as Instagram's unauthorised content page advises. 5. Revoke access for any third-party app you do not trust. Instagram warns that an app holding your login details or access token can gain complete access to the account. 6. Turn on two-factor authentication and save the backup codes offline, somewhere only you can reach. 7. Open Account Status and check for removed content or restricted features (see below). 8. Post one calm update to followers saying the account is back and the earlier posts were not yours. > Note: **Check official emails inside the app.** Instagram's scam page says it never sends you Direct Messages about your account, and that you can view official Instagram emails from the last 14 days in your settings. Use that list to tell real security emails from fakes sent during the clean-up. ## If the Scam Posts Got Your Account Disabled or Restricted Scam posts break Instagram's rules even when you did not write them. Instagram's [Account Status page](https://help.instagram.com/338481628002750) lets you see content removed for going against its Community Standards under "Removed content", features you can no longer use under "Features you can't use", and "Request a review" if you think a removal was wrong. Instagram says repeated removals can cost you the account, usually after a warning. If Instagram's notice instead says you were disabled for pretending to be someone else, rather than for the scam content itself, see our guide to [Instagram disabled for impersonation, but it's your account](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-suspended-for-impersonation-wrongly). If you see a disabled message when you log in, Instagram's page on [disabled accounts](https://help.instagram.com/366993040048856) says you may be able to ask for a review by logging in and following the on-screen instructions. In your review, explain briefly that the account was hacked, when you lost access and when you regained it. The same page says a deleted account cannot be restored, which is why acting before the hacker deletes it matters. Our guide to [disabled Instagram accounts](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-account-disabled-malaysia) goes through the appeal in full. ## Mistakes That Make Recovery Harder - Resetting the Instagram password while the hacker still controls your email. - Requesting login link after login link, then clicking an old or fake one. - Replying to "Meta Support" accounts in your Direct Messages or comments. Instagram says it never sends you Direct Messages about your account. - Paying a "recovery hacker" who appears under your warning post. - Asking friends to mass report your own profile, which could add to action against it. - Deleting the scam posts before saving screenshots that a follower who paid may need. - Waiting for the hacker to get bored. Instagram says a deleted account cannot be restored. > Warning: **Recovery hackers in the comments.** Under a warning post, accounts sometimes appear offering to recover your Instagram or a follower's lost crypto. Instagram's scam page warns about people claiming to be from Instagram security who ask for your username or password. Never share your password, a login code or a backup code with anyone, and do not pay anyone who promises a result. Our guide to [fake hackers offering account recovery](https://www.awarexone.com/research/fake-hackers-offering-account-recovery-scam) explains how that scam runs. ## If a Follower Already Sent Money This part is about money, not Instagram, and speed matters. The government's [NSRC 997 page](https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/categories/safety-community-and-law--order/cybersecurity/nsrc-997-hotline) lists cryptocurrency and investment scams among the cases the National Scam Response Centre handles. It tells victims to call 997 within 24 hours of discovering the scam so authorities can try to block accounts and transactions, to contact their bank, and to make a police report at the nearest station. 1. Call the bank that sent the money, using the number on the card or the bank's official website, or call 997. 2. Make a police report and bring the screenshots of the posts, the chat with the "mentor", and the payment details. 3. Stop paying. Investment scams often ask for a "withdrawal fee" or "tax" before releasing profits that do not exist. 4. Before paying anyone online in future, check the bank account or phone number on PDRM's [Semak Mule portal](https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/). A clean result does not prove an account is safe. Nobody can promise the money comes back. Our guide to [Macau and investment scams in Malaysia](https://www.awarexone.com/research/macau-scam-investment-scam-malaysia) explains the bank and police steps in more depth. A phishing link or fake login page used in the takeover can also be reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia's [Cyber999](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview) by online form, email, phone or its app. ## When a Case Review Makes Sense Many people get their account back with the steps above, and only Meta can restore an Instagram account. SocialSafe by AwareXone helps when scam Reels are still reaching new viewers, when identity checks fail because the hacker replaced your face, or when a creator deal depends on the account staying live. We review the case first, use only Meta's official routes, never ask for passwords or codes, and Meta still decides. See [Instagram account recovery](https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/instagram-account-recovery) and [/trust](https://www.awarexone.com/trust). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### My friend's Instagram is posting bitcoin investment stories. What should I do? Contact your friend on a channel you already trust, such as a phone call, and tell them. Report the posts once with the "Scam, fraud or spam" reason, and do not reply to the account or send money. ### Will Instagram delete the crypto scam posts for me? Instagram removes content that breaks its rules when it finds or is told about it, but it does not promise how fast. The quickest route is to regain access and delete the posts yourself. ### Can the scam posts get my account banned even though I did not post them? They can lead to removed content or a disabled account. Check Account Status once you are back in, and request a review explaining that the account was hacked. ### Am I responsible if a follower lost money because of my hacked account? This is general information, not legal advice. Help them by sharing your screenshots and the date you lost access, and point them to their bank, 997 and the police. ### Can AwareXone get my Instagram back for me? Not on its own. Only Meta can restore an Instagram account; we review your case and help you use Meta's official processes properly, without ever asking for your password or codes. ## Official sources - [Instagram Help Center: Hacked Instagram Account (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/368191326593075) - [Instagram Help Center: If you think your Instagram profile has been hacked (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/149494825257596) - [Instagram Help Center: What to do if your Instagram profile posts unauthorized content (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/230786120405165) - [Instagram Help Center: Avoid getting scammed on Instagram (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/514187739359208) - [Instagram Help Center: Create and share Reels on Instagram (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/2449623722002953) - [Instagram Help Center: Report a post or profile on Instagram (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/192435014247952) - [Instagram Help Center: Check your Account Status on Instagram (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/338481628002750) - [Instagram Help Center: About disabled Instagram accounts (read 9 November 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/366993040048856) - [MyGOV: NSRC 997 Hotline (read 9 November 2026)](https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/categories/safety-community-and-law--order/cybersecurity/nsrc-997-hotline) - [PDRM CCID: Semak Mule portal (read 9 November 2026)](https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/) - [CyberSecurity Malaysia: Cyber999 Cyber Incident Response Center (read 9 November 2026)](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview) --- AwareXone is an independent provider serving clients worldwide, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.