The Instagram Trading Scam I Almost Fell For

One of the largest frauds I’ve seen lately happened on Instagram and was aimed at those who wanted to buy and sell. I thought the account was real at first because I trade myself. They showed me charts, profits, and quotes that made me want to trade. They even utilized the same approach as several real traders I follow. The scam’s only goal was to get people to think they were good traders so they could get you to send them money for “account flipping” or “guaranteed returns.”
Fake screenshots and modified earnings statements were used in the fraud to establish trust. They would send direct messages to customers suggesting they could turn a modest bit of money into a lot of money in only a few days. They tried to make it feel exclusive by using pressure tactics like “limited spots,” “act fast,” and “I only take serious students.” The whole process was set up so that people would send money to a crypto wallet or Cash App, and then they would block you.

There were a few signs that I might have seen right away that it was false. The profit screenshots didn’t reflect the real platform layouts, and some of the statistics didn’t add up. Most of their followers were bots, and all of their postings were posted in the same month, which is a warning indicator. Real traders don’t offer returns that are guaranteed, and they don’t send direct messages to random people asking for “investments.” If I had taken my time and looked at the account name, age, and comments on their posts, I would have recognized the signs sooner.

I’m publishing this because there are a lot of frauds like this out there, especially for folks who are new to trading or want to see results quickly. The best thing you can do is check everything twice. Search for the individual, check their screenshots, and don’t pay money to anyone online who promises large profits. If something seems hasty or too good to be true, it probably is.