Last week, a large-scale account information leak was exposed—personal data of approximately 17.5 million Instagram users was exposed on the dark web, including usernames, emails, phone numbers, and physical addresses. This incident is particularly sensitive for crypto users because such information is most easily used to carry out phishing attacks and account hijacking.

According to security research organizations, this leak may have originated from an API vulnerability in Instagram in 2024. Even more concerning, affected users recently received password reset emails—which usually indicates someone is attempting to attack their accounts. Meta has not issued an official statement yet.

Users who are concerned about their accounts should take action now: First, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) immediately, as it is the most basic defense against phishing. Second, change your password, and make it complex. If you use the same password on other platforms, you need to change it as soon as possible. The lesson from the crypto world is—account security is no small matter.