Hackers alter Instagram accounts to promote porn spam'

Mumbai: Security firm Symantec has revealed that online spammers have been altering accounts of Instagram users to promote online adult websites.

Earlier, the firm had reported that spammers were using fake profiles on the image-sharing platform to lure users to adult websites. However, now hackers have taken stride ahead and captured accounts of users to promote online adult dating spam.

Before Instagram, though, there have been attacks on other social media platforms such as Twitter, where accounts were hacked to post links to adult dating and sex personnels.

Symanted identified some of the common traits involved in the hacks including modified user name and password, different profile image, changed names and profile bio. Other than that, new photos were uploaded along with new profile link along with a shortened URL or a direct link to the destination site.

The Symantec report said: “The profile image is changed to a photograph of a woman, regardless of the gender of the actual account owner”

Apart from modifying profile information, attackers have also uploaded sexually explicit photographs but

In addition to modifying the profile information, attackers upload photographs, which are often sexually suggestive. However, they did not delete any images uploaded by the account owner.

With increasing affiliate-based spam activities on online social media sites, users should be more careful to enable and use two-factor authentication system which can curb these attacks significantly.