Hacking victim 'develops relationship' with scammer to get Instagram account back

One woman managed to track down her alleged Instagram hacker in an attempt to get her account back. Plot twist: Viewers were convinced the pair had incredible chemistry.

TikTok user Erica (@uwouldifucould) took to the platform to share how the conversation went down. During the back-and-forth, Erica quizzed the man on how she could retrieve her account. He said she must send him a $100 gift card.

Erica wasn't having it. Instead, she responded: "Can I just help you with your resume and we'll get you a job."

Holding back the laughter, she continued: "You don't want a job like every other f**king person?"

"You're not special; we all have to work. We all have to get up every day and go to work."

The 'hacker' was even heard laughing when Erica jokingly put her own spin on Taken and threatened that she would find him.

"I mean c'mon. I feel like at this point, we've kind of developed a relationship and you should just give me my Instagram back," she added.

"I feel like you know my character and you know me and I think at this point listen, bro. I work hard for my money and if I had all the money I would give you some, but I don't."

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The viral clip racked up almost a million views and was soon flooded with hundreds of comments, with everyone pointing out the same thing.

"Ya'll kind of have a connection," one said, while another commented: "Not him falling in love with you."

A third admired her persuasive skills, joking: "Better negotiating than Putin and NATO."

Erica followed up with a second clip to add context to the situation. She explained how she was finally able to get her account back after contacting Instagram. She told viewers that she got hacked after an attempt to defend her "boomer" mum, who got hacked on Facebook.

Erica told the hacker to "F off", telling viewers: "They obviously got mad and they hacked me."

If you happen to think you have been hacked, Instagram has recommended the following steps:

• Check your email account for a message from Instagram (security@mail.instagram.com)
• Request a login link from Instagram
• Request a security code or support from Instagram
• Verify your identity

Or, if you're still able to log in to your account, you can:

• Change your password or send yourself a password reset email
• Turn on two-factor authentication for additional security
• Confirm that your phone number and email address in account settings are correct
• Check Accounts Centre and remove any linked accounts that you don't recognise
• Revoke access to any suspicious third-party apps

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