Instagram bans hundreds of accounts with stolen, single-word usernames

The crackdown, which began Thursday, follows a long investigation by Instagram into ogusers.com, the primary forum in which these accounts are sold and traded

Instagram is coordinating with other social media platforms, including Twitter and TikTok, to ban users who have been involved in stealing hundreds of single-word usernames.

These short, covetable handles, known as “OG usernames” (think keywords like @Killer, @Sick and @Miracle), are valuable because they are eye-catching and confer status; the people who first snatched them up were early adopters. Cybercriminals buy and sell the usernames on dedicated forums and messaging apps.

The crackdown, which began Thursday, follows a monthslong investigation by Instagram into ogusers.com, the primary forum in which these accounts are sold and traded. Instagram discovered that stolen account names were obtained through hacking, extortion, blackmail and harassment — and then could be sold for as much as $40,000. Such manipulation has gone largely unchecked for years. (Ogusers.com was also the forum where last year’s gigantic Twitter hack that affected former President Barack Obama, Elon Musk and many other celebrities was orchestrated.)

Recently, cybercriminals in pursuit of OG usernames have resorted to harassment and threats. According to Instagram, the people behind the accounts banned Thursday — some of which had millions of followers — had subjected the owners of desirable Instagram handles to threats of swatting, revenge porn and violence.

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Instagram said that nine cybercriminals were behind the unauthorized seizure of hundreds of Instagram accounts, but the platform’s ban includes not just these nine users but middlemen who helped orchestrate the buying and selling of accounts on ogusers.com and Telegram, an encrypted messaging app. Many of the middlemen are young people, including teenagers.

After noticing an alarming uptick in account theft and escalation in the methods used to acquire usernames, Instagram took action in 2020 and began working with TikTok and Twitter to identify accounts across platforms.

Instagram said it is sending cease-and-desist letters to individuals behind the theft of high-value handles and is collaborating with local law enforcement agencies to hold those involved in criminal activity accountable.

Although Instagram has previously banned meme accounts for violating terms of service, Thursday’s crackdown is the most public and decisive action Instagram has taken against people manipulating the platform for financial gain.