Was I in the Instagram data scrape?
Data about 6,215,150 users was collected from Instagram, a photo and video social network, in January 2026. It included phone numbers, email addresses, display names and general locations and 1 other kind of detail. If you had an account there by January 2026, check your address below to see whether it is one of them.
Breach record last updated . Steps read from the government pages at the foot of this page.
What happened?
In January 2026, a set of public Instagram profile data, reportedly gathered through one of the platform's APIs, appeared on a hacking forum. It held usernames, account IDs, display names and sometimes location. A share of the rows carried an email address and a few a phone number. There was no sign that sensitive data such as passwords was taken, and no link to password reset emails sent around then.
- Organisation
- Instagram, a photo and video social network (instagram.com)
- When it happened
- January 2026
- Added to monitored breach databases
- 11 January 2026
- Accounts in the data
- 6,215,150
- What was exposed
- phone numbers, email addresses, display names, general locations and usernames
What was exposed, and what does it mean for me?
- Your phone numberphone numbers
Expect texts and calls that use your real details to sound genuine. A phone number is also what a fraudster needs to try to move your service to their own SIM card.
- Your email addressemail addresses
Expect messages that look like they come from this service or another one you use, written to get you to click a link or sign in on a fake page.
- Other detailsdisplay names, general locations and usernames
On their own these carry less risk, but they make a scam message sound more personal.
What should I do now?
In this order, for what this data scrape exposed.
1. Protect your phone number
- Ask your mobile carrier to put a PIN or passcode on your account, and ask whether it offers a lock on SIM changes and number transfers.
- Treat texts about deliveries, accounts or payments with care. Do not tap the link: contact the company on a number you already have.
2. Expect phishing
- Be wary of messages that urge you to act fast, ask for personal details, or link to an address that is slightly off.
- If a message might be genuine, do not use its links or phone numbers. Go to the site by typing its address yourself.
Is my address in it?
Enter your email address. We check that one address against monitored breach databases and show which breaches list it and what each exposed.
No account needed. We keep the address you check, when, and how many breach records it was found in, to prevent abuse, until you ask us to delete it. Privacy
Where does this come from?
- The breach record in monitored breach databases: dates, account count and what was exposed. What happened is in our own words.Read 14 October 2026
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Phishing, including text messagesRead 14 October 2026
- CISA: Recognize and report phishingRead 14 October 2026
- Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada): Fact sheet on phishingRead 14 October 2026