What’s A Spam Account on Instagram? Types of Spam & How to Stop it?

Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular social media platforms today.

However, its immense popularity also attracts spammers and scammers looking to exploit Instagram users for personal gain. Spam accounts on Instagram have become a growing problem, cluttering feeds with unwanted content and putting users’ online safety at risk.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into what spam accounts are, how to identify them, and most importantly, how to protect your Instagram account from these pesky intruders.

What’s A Spam Account on Instagram?

A spam account on Instagram is a secondary account created to post unsolicited, often irrelevant or inappropriate content. These accounts frequently use automation to mass-follow, like, or comment on other users’ posts in an attempt to lure people to their profiles.

Instagram spam accounts can be run by real people or bots and typically promote suspicious products, services, or websites. It’s important to exercise caution when encountering these accounts and not jump to conclusions without thorough analysis.

However, it’s also important to note that not all secondary accounts are spam accounts – some users may have a second public account that showcases a curated and “perfect” image of themselves.

Spam accounts differ from legitimate secondary accounts, often called “finstas” or fake Instas. While a finsta is a private account where users share more personal, unfiltered content with close friends, spam accounts have a more nefarious purpose.

Why Do People Have Spam Accounts?

There are various reasons why people create spam accounts on Instagram:

1. To promote affiliate links or products and earn commissions
2. To drive traffic to their main account or website
3. To spread malware or conduct phishing scams
4. To artificially inflate their follower count and engagement
5. To harass or bully other users anonymously

Regardless of the motive, spam accounts are a violation of Instagram’s Community Guidelines and can lead to account suspension or termination.

Detecting Spam Bots: How To Spot an Instagram Spammer

Spotting a spam account on Instagram isn’t always easy, as scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

However, there are several red flags to watch out for:

1. Instagram Spam Names That Don’t Make Sense

Spam accounts often have usernames that are a random string of letters and numbers or include suspicious words like “free followers.” Be wary of accounts with names that don’t seem like a real person’s name.

2. Suspicious Instagram Spam Questions and Promos in Comments

If an account leaves generic, off-topic comments or promotes dubious offers like “Get 10K followers now!” they’re likely a spammer. Legitimate users typically leave thoughtful, relevant comments.

3. Sketchy Instagram Spam Messages With Untrustworthy, Spammy Links

Be cautious of unsolicited direct messages, especially those containing shortened links or asking for personal information. Avoid clicking on links from unknown senders, as they may lead to malware or phishing sites.

4. Low-Quality Posts With Spam Instagram Captions

Spam accounts often post low-quality, irrelevant content with captions full of hashtags and emoji. Their posts may also promote get-rich-quick schemes or “miracle” products.

Types of Spam on Instagram

Spam accounts on Instagram can be categorized into a few main types:

The Finsta Spam Account

These accounts mimic the appearance of a finsta, posting personal, unpolished images to seem more authentic. However, they often use this guise to lure in followers and then bombard them with spam.

The Passive Spam Account

Passive spam accounts focus on following a large number of users in hopes of getting followed back. They may not actively post much content but will still clutter your followers list.

The Aggressive Spam Account

These accounts take a more forceful approach, frequently commenting, liking, and sending direct messages to get your attention. They’re often bots and can quickly become a nuisance.

The Reciprocal Spam Account

Reciprocal spam accounts offer a “follow for follow” deal, promising to follow you back if you follow them first. While this may seem like an easy way to gain followers, it often leads to a low-quality, disengaged audience.

What’s the Goal of Instagram Spammers?

The ultimate goal of most Instagram spammers is to make money, either by scamming users directly or by driving traffic to affiliate links and websites. Some spammers may also be after your personal information, such as your email address, phone number, or even credit card details.

Other spammers simply want to increase their follower count and appear more popular than they really are. A high follower count can make an account seem more credible and attractive to brands for sponsored content deals.

How to Tell When You’ve Received Instagram Spam?

Here are some common signs that you’ve received a spam message or comment on Instagram:

The Message is Trying to Sell you Something

If a direct message includes a sales pitch for a product or service, especially one that seems too good to be true, it’s almost certainly spam. Be cautious of any unsolicited offers.

It Wants you to Go to a Website

Messages containing links to external websites, particularly ones with strange URLs, are often spam. Avoid clicking on these links, as they may lead to malware or phishing attempts.

The Account Has a Low-Quality Profile

Spam accounts often have incomplete or suspicious-looking profiles. Red flags include no profile picture, a bio full of emoji or hashtags, and little to no posted content. Legitimate users usually put more effort into their profiles.

How to Report Instagram Spam?

If you come across a spam account or receive spam messages, don’t engage with them. Instead, report them to Instagram:

1. Go to the spam account’s profile
2. Tap the three dots in the top right corner
3. Select “Report“
4. Choose the appropriate reason (spam, inappropriate, etc.)
5. Follow the on-screen instructions

Reporting spam helps keep the Instagram community safe and improves the platform’s ability to detect and remove spam accounts.

How to Stop Instagram Spam?

In addition to reporting spam, there are several steps you can take to minimize the amount of spam you encounter on Instagram:

Block Spam Accounts

When you block an account, they can no longer see your profile, posts, or stories, nor can they send you messages. Blocking is a quick way to get rid of persistent spammers.

Make Your Account Private

Setting your account to private means only approved followers can see your content. This can help reduce the amount of spam you receive, as your profile will be less visible to potential spammers.

Switch on Advanced Comment Filtering

Instagram’s Advanced Comment Filtering feature automatically hides comments that contain specific words or phrases often associated with spam. To enable this feature:

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner
2. Select “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Comments“
3. Toggle on “Hide Offensive Comments” and “Manual Filter“
4. Add any specific words or phrases you want to filter out

Hide Sketchy Message Requests

Instagram automatically filters message requests from people you don’t follow into a separate folder.

To further reduce spam, you can also choose not to receive message requests at all:

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner
2. Select “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Messages“
3. Toggle off “Allow New Message Requests“

How to Protect My Instagram Account From Spam?

Beyond stopping spam you’ve already received, it’s important to proactively protect your account from future spam attacks.

Here are some strategies:

Spam Guard

Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account. This requires a second form of verification, such as a code sent to your phone, to log in.

Blocking

Don’t hesitate to block any accounts that send you spam or make you uncomfortable. Blocking not only stops that specific account but also makes your profile less visible to other potential spammers.

Private Accounts

Keeping your account private gives you more control over who can see your content and interact with you. It’s a simple but effective way to reduce your exposure to spam.

Zero Engagement

Avoid engaging with any content from accounts you suspect may be spam. Don’t like, comment on, or share their posts, as this can signal to Instagram’s algorithm that you’re interested in that type of content.

Is There Really Nothing You Can Do to Stop Spam on Instagram?

While it’s impossible to completely eliminate spam on Instagram, consistently reporting and blocking spam accounts can help reduce the amount you see over time. Instagram is also continuously working on improving its spam detection and prevention systems.

However, as long as Instagram remains a popular platform, spammers will likely continue to find new ways to bypass filters and reach users. The best defense is staying vigilant, protecting your personal information, and encouraging your followers to do the same.

How to Remove Instagram Spam Bots From Organic Posts and Ads?

If you’re running a business account on Instagram, spam bots can skew your engagement metrics and make it harder to gauge your content’s true performance.

Here’s how to remove them:

Define Your Auto-Moderation Rule

Decide what criteria you want to use to identify spam comments, such as specific keywords, links, or account characteristics.

Specify Your Automated Rule

Use Instagram’s Comment Moderation feature to automatically hide comments that match your defined criteria. You can also block or restrict accounts that frequently leave spam comments.

Define the Social Media Action you Want to Take

In addition to hiding spam comments, you may also want to delete them entirely or report the accounts that left them. Decide on a consistent policy and stick to it.

Use a Ready-Made Template to Make Stopping IG Spam Bots Even Easier

There are various third-party tools and templates available that can help streamline your spam moderation process. Look for ones that integrate with Instagram and offer features like bulk comment deletion and auto-blocking.

FAQ’s:

What Does Spam Mean on Instagram?

On Instagram, spam refers to unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate content posted by accounts, often in an automated or repetitive manner. This can include fake offers, links to malicious websites, or mass generic comments.

What Are Instagram Spam Bots?

Instagram spam bots are automated accounts programmed to perform certain actions, such as liking, commenting, or following, in order to promote a product, service, or website. They often operate in bulk and can be difficult to distinguish from real users.

Why Does Instagram Have So Many Spam Accounts?

Instagram’s large user base and potential for reach make it an attractive target for spammers looking to promote their content or scams. The platform’s focus on visuals and hashtags also makes it easier for spam accounts to blend in and avoid detection.

Can a Spam Account Hack My Instagram?

While spam accounts themselves typically can’t directly hack your Instagram, they may try to trick you into clicking on malicious links or giving up your login credentials. This is why it’s important never to click on suspicious links or provide your personal information to unknown accounts.

Can Spam Accounts Be Dangerous?

Yes, some spam accounts are created with malicious intent, such as spreading malware, conducting phishing scams, or stealing personal information. Engaging with these accounts or clicking on their links can put your online safety and privacy at risk.

Should You Make a Spam Account?

No, creating a spam account is not only a violation of Instagram’s Community Guidelines but also unethical. It contributes to the overall problem of spam on the platform and can lead to your account being suspended or banned.

Instead, focus on growing your Instagram presence organically through quality content and genuine engagement, without risking the security of your followers’ sensitive information.

However, if you still want a private outlet to share content with close friends, consider using private stories on apps like Snapchat instead of creating a spam account on Instagram.

Conclusion

Spam accounts are an unfortunate reality on Instagram, but by understanding what they are and how they operate, you can take steps to protect yourself and your followers.

Remember to be cautious of suspicious accounts, report and block spam when you see it, and never give out your personal information.

By staying vigilant and proactive, you can help keep your Instagram experience positive and spam-free. Don’t let the spammers win – take control of your account and enjoy all the amazing content and connections Instagram has to offer!