I was recently hacked and had my Instagram Account Lavenda’s Closet held for ransom by an internet Pirate! No Joke. You can read about the entire experience in my last blog post.
POST-HACK CHECKLIST
- Locate the “change of email” notification from Instagram. Revoke access to the new email that they changed it to immediately.
- Change ALL passwords including email, facebook, bank and other Instagram accounts immediately.
- File a claim that your account had been hacked.
- Check your browser history or recently opened emails for the fishing link and then make sure not to click that again.
- Draft a response to your hacker. This can at least buy you some time.
If you’ve ever lost access to your account temporarily you may have experience the terrible automated “support system” loop provided by Instagram and Facebook that leads you to one dead end after another.
For less savvy hacks, some users may benefit from the system and get their account back quickly, but for businesses who are being extorted by highly experienced and professional hackers- you may never get your account back.
UNLESS YOU KNOW SOMEONE
I shared about my quest to track down someone inside facebook who could get my claim going more quickly internally in my previous blog post. This step is important, because the automated system is very limited and if you don’t have someone with the technical experience, who knows EXACTLY which info to provide, it will turn you away each and every time.
HOW I FOUND MY OWN HACK
I feel incredibly bless because I believe that God returned my account back to me through all the 100’s of people who were praying for me. I didn’t actually pray for my account to be returned, but simply prayed that God would walk me through whatever his plan was and help me accept the final outcome- no matter how difficult or stressful the journey.
What I did not expect, was to find myself a Columbian Saint who would recover my account out of the good of his own heart. Meet Juan Diego J Pelaez. Juan is a social media consultant and works in security for latin celebrities. I found him on at least three different chat rooms and groups as a resource to get my account back. One girl had screenshot his account after seeing a shout-out on a celebrity bloggers page. Another girl personally messaged me and urged me to follow up with him, because he had helped restore her account THAT SAME DAY!
Whaaaa!
THERE ARE TRULY GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE
Juan is doing his life’s work as a believer himself and offered to help me restore my account without asking for a single thing in return. I had to offer him money literally a dozen times and even then he said it was not necessary. I know that the previous blogger didn’t pay him and he was happy to simply do a good deed for her. That was payment enough for him.
*UPDATE: Since this post I have sent hundreds of accounts to him. This has become a full time job for Juan, so he now charges a minimum rate in order to commit his time to your account. The process usually takes 3-5 days and he will need access to all your account backend during that time.
As a hard working free-lancer myself, I understand how wonderful it is to be paid for what you love to do, so of course I stretched my own budget and made sure to pay him for his kindness and energy. He spent hours talking me through the steps, answering my questions and then following up the next morning after making the final IG support claim. Juan then monitored my account to make sure that the hackers would not regain access. Again, all of this without expecting a dollar in return.
IF YOU NEED HELP REACH OUT TO HIM
Juan agreed to let me share his name and information here so that anyone else in need could reach out to him. Click any of my links to contact him directly. He offers aid without expecting payment at the moment, but I imagine that with this growing issue and Instagrams slow and inefficient claims process- that users will be following up with him by the droves! I urge you to pay him for his time, since this is an invaluable skillset, he is quick and professional and most importantly, it’s the right thing to do if you have the resources. So get his help while you can babes. And good luck!
Hi lavenda, thank you do much gir sharing Juan’s information. My account was just hacked yesterday by I believe ths same hacker that hacked yours (email addRess (socialwork@tutanOta.com). I just sent juan a direct message, but i was wondering if you still communicaTe with him, would it be possible to mention i just Sent him a DM On Instagram? (Terra Roisin; handle is @fifteenminutestoflawless; blog is fifteenminutestoflawless.com). Thank you again so much for sharing your solution!
It’s SO crazy! Would you mind DMing me? I’ve had him help over a dozen other girls just in the last week so I want to make sure I respond to you directly 🙂
wow, sorry to hear that your account got hacked babe but i am glad that you got it back with the help of juan! he sounds like a really nice guy. thanks for sharing! xo, sharon
Thanks for sharing this information. I am so sorry that you had to go through this but glad you were able to take your account back with his help.
Xx, Nailil
thirtyminusone.com
Such a great post and lot of tips ibalmost got hack eith a fishing link so i knownhow easy it can be to get hacked.
Thanks for sharing this
oh wow. that is so scary! but i know what you’re talking about – i’ve gotten several emails claiming to be a “brand” but is some european address when I hover over the link. people can truly be awful but i’m so thankful you found all the right people!
Have been following along as this has happened and so sorry to hear about it, but I am so glad you were able to get it all back! It is such a shame that someone is doing this to such hardworking women!
Thank you for sharing and helping out other girls in the same spot!
Denise | Fashion Love Letters
Omg this is A life saver!!!! Will share this On my account! Thank you so Much for sharing
I just messaged him, My account was hacked this afternoon, I just reached 10K yesterday- this has been my dream for so long and they stole it from me- let me know if there is anything else I can do to get help
Did this get resolved love? I get a lot of DM’s about this and always send them his info 🙂
Hello. I was wondering if you could share jaun’s updated information with me? my account got hacked today and his information on this post isn’t updated. Please let me know. Thank you!
Hi Lavenda, I’ve just DM’ed you for his details if possible – needing some help unhacking an account too! Thanks x
Hey Babe, so glad you got your account back and Thanks so much for this info. For 2 weeks i am having issues with my instaGram with no help from their supPort. I have direct messaged juan but haven’t heard back if he can help me or not. Would you mind letting him know if possible. i have also direCt messaged you on ig. Appreciate it.
This just happened to me this morning! Im so devastated. Ive reached out to him and am prAying for a response. Encouraging to hear some have been recovered
I was hoping to work with jaun to recover my account. I gave him passwords to my email and my personal email which had no ties to my lost instagram account. Then he stopped responsing to me for over an hour abruptly. He changed the password and email on my new account. And then when i asked him about this he got upset and said he doesn’t work with ANYone who doesnt trust me and told me to have a good day. Not a good experience WORKING with him.
Hey Girl! Thanks for your Post. Should we write juan on instagram or Do you have any Personal contact NUMBER? A similar case happened to me.
Hello my account was haCked. Can i have juans new contact info?
Hello, my account got hacked 2 days ago and i was wondering if youre atill in con With him. I DM him but he hasnt replied and i jjst want to do everything i can to try and get my accOunt back…
Girl, I’m so sorry! Can you DM me on IG and I can send you his What’s App info?