“High-Profile” Instagram Users Targeted In Hack Attack

By 08/31/2017
“High-Profile” Instagram Users Targeted In Hack Attack

Hackers obtained the phone numbers and email addresses for “a number of high-profile Instagram users,” the company confirmed yesterday.

In a statement, Instagram said that hackers had “exploited a bug in an Instagram application programming interface (API),” reports The Verge, which allows Instagram to communicate with other apps. “No account passwords were exposed. We fixed the bug swiftly and are running a thorough investigation.”

On the heels of the attack, Instagram said it notified all verified accounts of the breach, urging users to be cautious when receiving unrecognized phone calls, text messages, or emails.

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While Instagram declined to confirm which accounts — or how many — were ultimately affected, the company’s announcement comes just two days after hackers infiltrated the account of Selena Gomez, the most popular star on all of Instagram with roughly 126 million followers. On Monday, Gomez’s account posted nude photos of Justin Bieber, her ex-boyfriend, whereupon her account was removed and then promptly restored.

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