Key facts
- Scammers are filing fake copyright claims on Instagram to extort money from users.
- Victims report losing thousands of pounds due to account suspensions and lost brand deals.
- One user paid $50 in cryptocurrency to restore his account, only to be targeted again.
- Meta acknowledges the issue, stating it has restored content and added protections.
- Content creators criticize Meta's slow appeals process and poor identification of fake claims.
- Experts suggest AI tools are facilitating the scalability of these scams.
Instagram creators are falling victim to a sophisticated scam where malicious actors file fake copyright claims against their accounts. These bogus claims can lead to account suspensions or complete takedowns, after which the scammers demand ransoms, often in cryptocurrency, to withdraw the complaints. Content creators report significant financial losses, including lost income and brand contracts, due to the platform's perceived inability to quickly identify and dismiss these "obviously fake" claims.
One affected user, Olly, who manages an Instagram account with 1.5 million followers, stated he paid $50 to an extortionist to restore his account. He noted that Meta's appeal process could take weeks, a delay that previously cost him thousands in lost earnings. Despite paying, Olly was immediately targeted with further copyright strikes, leading to his account being demonetised. He expressed frustration with Meta's lack of investigation into such abuses.
Another creator, Abin Tom Sebastian, behind the Morbid Kuriosity account, criticized Meta's support system, suggesting that access to effective help requires a monthly subscription fee for verification. Sebastian reported losing crucial brand contracts as a result of account issues.
A Meta spokesperson acknowledged the issue, stating that the company is working to protect users and has restored affected content while implementing additional safeguards. However, creators argue that the platform's systems are insufficient in identifying spurious claims and that the appeals process is too slow.
Investigations by the BBC revealed that individuals, seemingly based in India or nearby countries, are filing these copyright strikes. While some deny holding accounts to ransom and claim to act on behalf of copyright holders, messages seen by the BBC indicate demands for payment. Experts suggest that the rise of AI tools has made it easier for scammers to automate and scale these operations, making it increasingly difficult for platforms like Instagram to distinguish legitimate copyright claims from fraudulent ones.