Disclaimer: I’m not here to promote shady tactics. I’m here to expose them. This is the reality of the Instagram game. If you know how it works, you can protect yourself.
I’ve reached out to both Meta and Instagram for answers. No response. No surprise.
- Use a strong password and enable two-factor authentication
- Be mindful of the content you’re posting
- Build a positive community with your audience
- Report any suspicious activity immediately
- Get verified to reach the support more easily
Mass report fraud on Instagram is a phenomenon where a group of people organize mass report attacks for malicious intent.
Like harassing users they dislike, or silencing opinions they disagree with.
Sometimes, brands also use this dirty tactic to eliminate competition.
In other cases, fraudsters hijack accounts through mass reporting and demand payment to recover the account.
Whatever the ploy, the consequences of mass reporting can be devastating for the victims.
Creators and businesses will lose their account and thus, their audience, leading to financial loss.
Not to mention, the false accusation of guideline violation can also damage their reputation.
As someone who has helped countless brands thrive on Instagram, I know exactly how dangerous this issue can be.
That’s why I’m writing this article to explain how mass reporting works, and how you can protect your Instagram account from it.
The Tools Behind Mass Report Fraud
Let’s talk about how these attacks actually happen.
- Bots & Scripts: Automated tools flood Instagram with fake reports, making it look like hundreds, even thousands of real users are flagging an account.
- Organized Groups: Private Discords, Telegram groups, and shady forums where people team up to mass-report a target at the same time, overwhelming Instagram’s system.
This isn’t random. It’s calculated.
And if you don’t know how it works, you won’t see it coming until it’s too late.
How Instagram mass reporting works
Have you ever wondered how Instagram finds and removes content that violates its community guidelines?
Do they use bots to check each profile and content one by one, every single day?
No, that would be way too expensive and time consuming considering they have more than 2 billion users 🥵
So, how does Instagram do it?
The answer is simple and clever: the platform relies on user reports.
When used properly, the reporting feature is actually very useful to report fake accounts and inappropriate or abusive content.
Or take down content containing property intellectual infringements.
The problem is, Instagram’s reporting system can also be used for malicious purposes.
And you don’t have to be a hacking mastermind to do this.
You just need bad intent and $30 to $250 in your pocket to hire freelancers to create mass report bots.
You can also find Instagram mass reporter code in GitHub repositories.
The code is publicly available for anyone to copy and paste, btw 🙃
You will easily find YouTube video teaching people how to send bulk reports on Instagram using bots.
With such a low barrier to entry, no wonder the mass report fraud has become more prevalent.
Fraudsters can easily use bots, or code or tweak them from public repo to automate the mass reporting of an account, falsely flagging it for violations like inappropriate content, harassment, or spam.
And when there’s a high volume of reports targeting a specific user, it triggers an automated review process.
Yes, even if the reports are baseless.
If the number of complaints keeps getting higher, human reviewers may also be involved to conduct further investigation.
They will decide if any of your content violates the platform’s policies.
If there’s none, nothing will happen to your account.
But if there’s even the slightest of guideline breach, your post will be removed.
Instagram may also suspend your account temporarily or even permanently for repeated offenses.
Or if there are simply too many users who report your account over and over again.
In that case, you won’t be able to log in to your account anymore.
Motivations behind mass reporting
Based on my experience, there are two types of people who are more likely to perform mass reporting.
The first one is die-hard fans.
For example, when someone impersonates a celebrity or an influencer, their fans will be quick to report the fake account.
Or when football fans want to express their disappointment after a particular match.
The World Cup Qualifiers match between Indonesia and Bahrain, which ended in controversy, is still fresh in our memory.
The second type of people is more dangerous: fraudsters.
They mostly target top Instagram influencers and businesses with one goal in mind: to take control over their accounts.
Why? Because if they’re successful, it will be much easier to perform scams.
Like the case with this Reddit user who ran a fitness account with 77K followers.
This person’s account got banned for Account Integrity and Authentic Identity violations.
A few days later, he received a WhatsApp message from the scammer.
The fraudster asked him for money in return for stopping the attack and giving back the account.
I also found another victim in a different Reddit thread:
A fashion content creator who got their account banned for the same reason: Account Integrity and Authentic Identity violations.
But this time, the scammers weren’t so blatant.
Instead, they acted as a nice person who could “help” recover the account.
These people are called recovery scammers.
Different scenarios, same motive: to extort money.
A report by AlgorithmWatch also revealed how groups of teenagers in the Middle East exploited mass reporting to hijack a Dutch influencer’s account.
The worst part? These crooks weren’t even high-level hackers.
They simply used basic GitHub scripts to automatically report Instagram users.
After the accounts were suspended by Instagram, these hackers then contacted the platform claiming to be the rightful owner.
And it doesn’t just happen to a handful of people.
According to the same report, thousands of Europeans were also victims of coordinated mass reporting attacks.
Impact on victims
Mass report scams often target people who earn money mostly from Instagram: content creators and business owners.
Especially those with quite a big following.
Scammers believe that these types of people are more likely to pay a ransom.
Because being locked out of their accounts means losing their main source of income.
Even if their account isn’t suspended or banned, mass reporting may also lead to shadowban.
Their posts will be less likely to appear in their followers’ feeds and Instagram Explore, reducing their organic reach significantly.
Furthermore, being wrongly punished for something you didn’t do can take a toll on your mental health.
The feeling of anger, frustration, and helplessness can be overwhelming, and it may take a while to start over.
Instagram’s response and the Digital Services Act
So, what actions has Instagram taken to address mass reporting abuse?
Nothing. Zero. Nada.
As far as I know, they haven’t addressed this issue publicly, nor created a specific policy for mass reporting.
I could be wrong, so if you find anything regarding this, please let me know.
However, Instagram does have a “trust scoring system.”
In other words, the more trusted an account is, the less likely it will be affected by mass reporting.
There’s also a new regulation in Europe called the Digital Services Act (DSA).
It requires large social media platforms, including Instagram, to be more transparent with users regarding content reports and removal.
Still, at the end of the day, it’s “what you say vs what they say” when it comes to reports.
Without concrete measures from Instagram, it’s hard to fix this mass reporting problem completely.
And malicious actors are getting smarter – they will continue to find other ways to exploit the system.
How to protect yourself from mass report attacks on Instagram
One thing is clear: you can’t rely on Instagram to protect your account from being a mass report victim.
What you can do instead, is to follow these best practices to lower the odds.
1. Maintain a strong account security
Yes, using a unique password and enabling two-factor authentication don’t make your account immune to mass reporting.
But at least, it will make it much harder for hackers to gain access.
For individuals, I also recommend making your Instagram account private.
Here’s how:
- Click the hamburger menu on your profile.
- Open Account privacy.
- Toggle on the Private account button.
Only allow people you know to follow you.
Also, regularly review your follower list and remove those who appear suspicious.
2. Be mindful of the content you’re posting
Always adhere to Instagram’s community guidelines to ensure you’re in a strong position if disputes arise.
Avoid posting anything that could be considered controversial or offensive, especially if you have a large audience.
It’s okay if you have a strong opinion about something, but keep it respectful.
Refrain from sharing hateful or discriminatory content targeting a particular group of people.
Otherwise, that group of people may report your account for hate speech.
3. Build a positive community with your followers
Encourage positive ideas, discussions, and interactions between your audience to maintain a healthy and thriving community.
Explain to your followers that you won’t tolerate any bad behavior, including harassment and bullying.
If someone says something bad, don’t get triggered.
Instead, reply to their comments in a nice, respectful, or even humorous way.
4. Report any suspicious activity immediately
Notice any signs of coordinated attacks? Like a sudden flood of negative comments or mass DMs coming your way.
If the answer is yes, don’t wait – report the profile to Instagram ASAP.
This simple, yet often overlooked step might save you from long-term damage.
The Bottom line
I’ve managed hundreds of accounts, and I’ve seen this happen over and over. Especially to public figures and influencers.
But now? No one is safe. And worse, no one’s talking about it. Maybe they’re ashamed. Maybe they’ve just given up.
Bad news if you rely on Instagram only for your business or brand.
The good news? You can protect yourself. Here’s how:
- ✅ Get Verified – Even if it’s paid, it gives you faster and easier access to Instagram’s support.
- ✅ Monitor Your Account – Stay alert for unusual activity, like sudden follower drops or content takedowns.
- ✅ Secure Your Logins – Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid shady third-party tools.
- ✅ Know the Signs – If you see mass reports, act fast. Contact Instagram support, document everything, and push back.
- ✅ Work with Professionals – If you’re serious about protecting your brand, don’t wait until it’s too late.
I wouldn’t wish a mass report attack on my worst enemy.
But if it hasn’t happened to you yet, it’s only a matter of time, especially if you’re gaining visibility on social media.