Mon, 12 Jan 2026

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 Instagram denies breach after many receive emails asking to reset password

The social media platform has said there was "no breach of its systems" but questions remain.

* Instagram claims no data breach occurred, but email reset requests were sent out due to a "problem" allowing an external party to send legitimate password reset emails.
* Cyber security firm Malwarebytes suggests that 17.5 million Instagram accounts' sensitive information was stolen by cybercriminals and sold on a hacker forum.
* The hack allegedly occurred in 2024, but some researchers believe the data may be from an old database created in 2022 using publicly viewable information such as names and locations.
* Instagram's explanation has raised questions about who the "external party" was that could send password reset emails on behalf of the firm.
* Some users are concerned it may be a scam or phishing attempt, but links in the email appear to be legitimate.
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