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Indy woman's business impacted by Instagram account lock-out

Posted at 10:38 PM, Nov 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-19 22:38:16-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis woman is being forced to put her work on hold during one of her busiest times of the year because it appears her Instagram account was compromised.

Steph Weber owns “Trendy in Indy,” an account that focuses on beauty, fashion and travel in Indianapolis.

She works with clients in the city to help them promote their products and services on her Instagram page, which has thousands of followers.

“This is my biggest week of content,” said Weber. “I have a gift guide that is launching Wednesday. It’s a shop local guide. It features 20 Indianapolis businesses that I love and cherish.”

But during the busiest week of the season, Weber says she’s completely locked out of her Instagram account. Despite going through recovery steps, she still can’t get access to it.

The issue has caused her to put current jobs – like her first-time collaboration with the City of Fishers for small business Saturday – on hold.

“My business is on hold. I can’t make money. I’m going to lose money, that’s a really hard place to be, especially during the holidays,” said Weber.

We spoke to a security expert who says Weber’s problem is common and something he sees every day – Instagram and Facebook accounts being hacked and compromised.

Damien Sullivan with Rook Security says there are ways you can protect yourself on social media and make your account less-hackable.

“There are a lot of simple things to do. First and foremost, two-factor authentication,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan says users should also make their passwords complex, at least 12 characters, and a mix of letters and numbers.

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