Hijacked instagram account

[ian87w]

Not sure where to ask about this, so mods, please move thread to appropriate location if needed.

This is quite complicated.
First of all, Gmail allows you to put dots for your username, which won't affect the email. For example, if my email is ab@gmail.com, I can write it as a.b@gmail.com and it is the same email.

Here comes the problem with Instagram. Using the above email example, let's say I have an Instagram account under the ab@gmail.com. Apparently someone created another Instagram account using the a.b@gmail.com email, and Instagram apparently see it as a separate unique account. The problem is that account is an inappropriate account posting lewd pictures. If I try to reset the password of that account, the email will go into my email. But when I tried to login, Instagram will ask a 2FA to the spammer's phone number.

Any ideas what to do? I'm guessing it's a matter of time that the spammer changing his email as he should be receiving notification of the password change I attempted. As for contacting Instagram, I am not finding ways to do it, other than reporting that account as inappropriate.

 

[michael9891]

Can't you turn off 2FA on your account and then re enable it using an authenticator app instead? And change the email address associated with Instagram to something completely different.

 

[ian87w]

Can't you turn off 2FA on your account and then re enable it using an authenticator app instead? And change the email address associated with Instagram to something completely different.

Right now, I cannot even login to that account due to the 2FA set by the spammer to his account. Even when I tried resetting the password, instagram will ask for the verification code sent to the spammer's phone number.

 

[michael9891]

I misread and didn't realise you weren't logged in.

I had an Instagram account with 2FA switched on and changed my phone number without removing it. I just kept repeatedly trying until it let me in without needing to verify. Which was quite worrying that it allowed me to bypass 2FA.