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If you have ended up in this corner of the internet, you have probably received some recent spam pictures for Instagram. Don’t worry, though. This is a common occurrence among users, and we’re here to help you solve your spam issues.
Before we tell you all about how to stop picture spam on Instagram (hey, that rhymed!), we’re going to make you a spam pro. We’ll discuss the tell-tale signs of fake accounts, tell you all about the Finsta phenomenon and discuss ways to keep spamming as far away from your account as possible. By the time you’re done with this article, you’ll be able to spot fake accounts and bots from miles away, almost as if you have X-ray vision.
Let’s start by talking about what picture spam is and why people do it. Strap in and enjoy the ride!
What is Picture Spam, and Why Do People Do It?
Suppose you have read any of our other articles on the subject of spam, like our spam comments on Instagram piece and the guide on how to remove fake followers on Instagram. In that case, you know that spammers are an extremely common occurrence on social media platforms. Applications like Insta try to do some damage control, but bots and the people who create them continue to find new and original ways to invade your privacy.
One of those ways is through spam pictures. If you have already followed our guide on spam comments, disabled commenting, or selected custom keywords for Instagram to detect and still receive spam in the form of pictures, there is a reason. Spam photos are a spamming technique where a spam message is delivered in the form of a picture. These unsolicited messages attempt to circumvent spam filters designed to spot specific keywords. An Instagram user can easily read an image, whereas the Instagram anti-spam system can’t.
So why do people do it? Teens create a surprising amount of fake accounts (also called Finstas, a wordplay on “fake” and “insta”). Ever since Instagram introduced a feature that allows users to link different accounts to one main profile, finstas boomed. The secondary account is sometimes created for a particular inner circle of friends, where teens can share pictures and inappropriate posts and keep content away from their parents. Sometimes, Finstas are used for stalking, but most often, it’s an account made explicitly for bullying or spam.
Other types of picture spam can occur when people use the same password for their Instagram account and other social media profiles and get hacked. A hacker can start using your personal account to spam others. You might not even notice it at first. Suddenly, you have posted a picture on your feed inviting someone to a fake Ray-Ban website with a supposed huge discount (yes, this is a true story).
You might have even spammed your friends’ comment sections or sent a few spam messages asking them to subscribe to a questionable service. Or perhaps you have been the one receiving the spam pictures? Or maybe that photo you just got is so convincing, you’re not even sure if it’s spam. Spammers tend to navigate to your profile from popular hashtags. They start spamming once they notice you’re interested in makeup or shoes. If this is something that has happened to you, it’s time we talk about how to recognize a fake account on Instagram.
How To Recognize a Fake Account on Instagram?
Once you know what obvious red flags to look for, you’ll be able to spot Finstas, spammers, and phishing from miles ahead. Here are a few suspicious signs to help root out the fakers:
- The Incredibly Generic Bio – Once you tap on the spam account to check their bio, you know something’s off. Your grandma could have written a better bio.
- The Tumbleweed of Posts – Noticing very few posts? While some people just end up not using Instagram, a post or two with suspiciously random photos and overused filters just scream, “report me!”
- A Follower of Many, With Followers None – What’s that? The user is following too many accounts but barely has anyone following them. That’s not what a real person would do if they were using the app properly.
- Recent Account – Some spam accounts are very recent. Check their posts, and if they haven’t been around for long, they must have been created purely for Instagram spam.
- The Unpronounceable Username – If their username looks like complete gibberish or includes many numbers or strange symbols, you can be certain you’re dealing with a fake account.
- Irrelevant Comments – Spammers get spam comments too! Usually by their victims in the comment section, as a sign for future targets. If you check their comments section and notice many Instagram accounts saying this one is fake, you should definitely report and block them.
Speaking of reporting and blocking, let’s show you how to get the juicy revenge you have been waiting for all along!
How Do I Report and Block a Profile on Instagram?
How To Block Spammers
Step 1: Open Instagram.
Step 2: Go to the spam Instagram profile through the last spam message they sent you, or alternatively search their username in the search tab.
Step 3: Tap the three dots right next to their username.
Step 4: Select “Block”.
Step 5: You can choose to “Block [username] and new accounts they create” or Simply Block them.
How To Report Spammers
Step 1: Open Instagram.
Step 2: Go to the Instagram spam profile through your messages list, or search their name in the search tab.
Step 3: Tap the three dots next to their username.
Step 4: Press on “Report”
Step 5: Then choose between “Report account” or “Report post, message, and comment,” depending on your preference.
How to Get Better Protection For Your Account
If you feel you have been bombarded by spam messages and spam comments lately, you might need better protection on your profile, especially if you have tried blocking, reporting, and restricting profiles. A helpful tool you can use that we wholeheartedly recommend is SpamGuard.
Spam Guard protects and cleans your Instagram account in a few simple steps. You can use it straight from your browser. All you need to do is type in your Instagram handle and start their free analysis. It will show you the number of spam and inactive accounts that have currently connected with your account in some way (through comments, notifications, etc.).
Spam guard will help you block and delete these unwanted accounts without having to go through them manually. It will save you time and provide the necessary privacy and protection you deserve! Just follow the link and start your safe social media journey!
Before You Head Out
We hope our guide on spam pictures for Instagram has helped you, and you now know how to report and block annoying users. If you have been struggling with other types of spam activity, you might be interested in some of our other guides that help solve similar issues.
You might like our Spam comments on the Instagram guide, or if you have a Twitter, check out our “How to Remove Followers on Twitter” article.
I wish you safe browsing!
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