– These are things you have heard about and been told. But it is when it happens to yourself that you feel it. That’s what 28-year-old Ingrid Henriksen from Bodø says. This week she experienced what for many is the nightmare in social media. Her name and photos from Henriksen’s Instagram account were used to create a fake profile on the photo-sharing service Instagram. The fake account then linked to what is supposed to be pornographic content. Henriksen posted this post on her Instagram profile, where she encouraged her friends to report the fake account. Photo: Screenshot Instagram – I received a lot of messages from friends and acquaintances who sent me a screenshot of the fake account. It had started to follow many of my friends, she says. But when Henriksen tried to look up the fake account to report the abuse to Instagram, she couldn’t find it. – It looked like the account had blocked me. See the advice to avoid identity theft on Instagram later in the case. Wants to reconsider open profile So she published a “story” on Instagram, where she asked friends and acquaintances to report the account to Meta. Several others did too, says Henriksen. But when news checked whether the fake account had been removed on Tuesday evening, it still existed on Instagram. – Fortunately, I have a very innocent account on Instagram, so they haven’t been able to use the photos for very much. But it’s disgusting that other people have my photos at their disposal. Photo: Private On the photo sharing service, you can choose whether to have an open or closed profile. Anyone can view content from public profiles, while private profiles can only be viewed by followers the account owner chooses to approve. Henriksen says she felt sick to her stomach from the whole situation, and is now reconsidering whether she should have an open profile on Instagram. – It is very easy for strangers to take a screenshot of my photos and use them anywhere. For the record: Ingrid Henriksen was previously employed by news Nordland. Pictures abused as a 16-year-old Henriksen is not the only one who has experienced having pictures of himself abused in the past week. At Hønefoss, 23-year-old Sara Strømsodd tells a similar story. Sara Strømsodd and several of her friends have now made their profiles private. Strømsodd doubts that she will open it again. Photo: Private – I suddenly got a lot of messages from people that someone had created a fake account with my name and photo. Nor did she get a hit when she searched the account, because the fake account has probably blocked her. Example of a fake account on Instagram where the person depicted has not given consent for the image to be used in this way. Photo: Screenshot Like Henriksen, Strømsodd asked his friends to report the fake account. This was removed the same evening or the following morning, says Strømsodd. But even so, at least three pictures of her were astray. It feels uncomfortable. – I have now closed the Instagram profile. The one photo that was taken was from September, while the other two photos were from when I was 16 years old. It’s kind of gross. Jone Hauan is one of many women who have recently discovered a fake Instagram account in their name. Photo: Roar Strøm / news Followed parents’ friends In Molde, Jone Hauan (23) from Gjøvik says that she has also experienced finding a fake profile of herself. The name and profile picture should obviously represent Hauan. This account also linked to what is supposed to represent pornographic content. – For those of my age it was easy to see that it was fake, but then I think it was disgusting because I have followers who are mum and dad’s friends. – I didn’t want them to think that I posted nude photos online. Now she has also taken the step of closing her Instagram profile. Jone has made her own Instagram account private after the incident. Photo: Roar Strøm / news “Data detective”: – Happens all the time Mia Sofie Landsem, also known as “Data detective”, has for several years helped women who have received pictures and videos of themselves abused online. She says that the experiences of the women are by no means unique. – This happens all the time. I am overwhelmed by emails. This kind of thing comes and happens in waves, she says to news. For several years, Mia Sofie Landsem has helped women who have had photos and videos of themselves abused online. Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news She says that some of the women who make contact have been very stressed, and that many have posted a warning on their own account. She now advises everyone to review their privacy settings on all social media. – You are particularly vulnerable if you have an Instagram that is open, and particularly vulnerable if you have any form of sexualized content, or some slightly more “sexy” photos. It is usually these pictures that are chosen. The only thing that helps against this type of identity theft is to make your profile private, says Landsem. Mia Landsem reveals illegal sharing of “Nudes”. She knows exactly what she has to do to find the culprits, but often those affected do not want to report the case as the burden becomes too great. Mia believes that openness and knowledge of how sharing takes place can help. Delete me: – Women are affected Simen Ramberg works at the Norwegian Center for Information Security. The organization runs the Slettmeg.no service, a free counseling service for those who feel violated online. Ramberg says they have noticed a clear increase in such cases in recent weeks. Ramberg explains that the fraudsters could in theory be anyone. Photo: NorSIS Last week alone, they received 20 inquiries from people who need help removing a fake profile. All inquiries have come from young women. – When it comes to fake Instagram profiles, we have seen a marked increase in the last two weeks. – Why do you think these cases have increased recently? – The fraudsters have found a good method to exploit other people and get a financial gain out of it. Want to deceive people for money Ramberg says several people who have made contact report that an account has been created in their name that advertises pornographic content websites that are supposed to imitate OnlyFans or Fansly. But Ramberg says that the websites linked to are pure fraud sites. The goal is to trick someone into leaving their payment details. The link to the fake Instagram profile of Strømsodd went to a website that is supposed to imitate OnlyFans. But the website is pure financial fraud, says a computer expert. Photo: Screenshot In theory, the police can contact Instagram and have such profiles deleted. However, it often requires a longer process and it is rare for the police to have time to assist in such cases, explains Ramberg. – Do you feel that Meta has control over this problem? – In reality, we feel that they do not have complete control over these fake accounts. It is often the case that these accounts remain for a long period of time without being deleted. It requires active participation from the victim himself for it to be removed. Meta: – An industry problem – Fraud on the internet is a general problem and unfortunately also occurs on our platforms, says Sami Tahir in Meta. He says Meta is using significant resources to solve what he refers to as an industry problem. – When we discover fraudulent activity, we take action. This may include removal of content and deactivation of accounts. Reporting fake accounts is often the easiest thing to do if you discover abuse. But how quickly Instagram removes the fake profiles seems to vary. Photo: Screenshot Instagram The company acknowledges that the problem exists and says it has an extensive effort to make Meta’s platforms safe for women. – Our rules describe what is allowed on our platforms, and that includes sharing intimate photos without consent, says Tahir. See the full answer from Meta – Scamming on the internet is a general problem and unfortunately also occurs on our platforms. Fraudsters today use various methods to exploit people. We are devoting significant resources to solving this industry problem, both on and off our platforms. – When we detect fraudulent activity, we take measures which may include removing content and deactivating accounts. To avoid falling victim to various types of fraud, we encourage people to use the tools we provide to keep their account secure, such as turning on two-factor authentication. – Unfortunately, the unpleasant truth is that fraudsters can never be completely avoided, but we do our best all the time and are constantly evaluating ways to be better and more efficient. – We encourage everyone to report suspicious activity that intends to deceive and exploit people, as this helps us in our anti-fraud work. – We also recognize that certain online and offline behaviors can disproportionately affect women. That’s why we take a comprehensive approach to make our platform a safer place for women and prevent things like abuse, exploitation or harassment. – Our guidelines describe what is and is not allowed on our platform, and includes guidelines against sharing intimate images without consent. This is illegal in many places around the world. The policy also includes anti-harassment rules, such as sending multiple unwanted messages to someone who has made it clear they do not want to receive them. The text has been translated from Swedish. Tips for what to do Ramberg in Slettmeg says that fraudsters will not be able to retrieve content that is on your account if you activate a private profile. If you have an open profile, you are more exposed. This is his best tip if you have been subjected to online abuse: Report the account It is advisable to use the self-reporting form Instagram has. If you report directly through the Instagram account, you often get feedback that it does not violate Instagram’s guidelines. But if you use the form, you get the opportunity to confirm your identity, and then they are often effective in getting these accounts deleted. Contact acquaintances Explain that there is a fake account in circulation that they would rather not visit. Do not click on the links Those who visit the account must not click on the links located there. You must also not provide the sensitive information these pages ask for. Ask for help Those who are exposed to this can contact slettmeg.no to get help on the way forward.
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Women get their photos abused in fake profiles on Instagram that link to porn – news Nordland
