Content creators on Instagram are reporting significant financial losses after their accounts were suspended or removed due to fraudulent copyright claims filed by extortionists who subsequently demand payment to withdraw the complaints. According to multiple account holders interviewed, the scammers threaten repeated copyright strikes knowing that accumulating claims can result in permanent account bans, forcing creators to pay ransoms rather than wait through Meta’s lengthy appeal process.
One creator with 1.5 million followers, known as Olly, reported receiving dozens of obviously fraudulent copyright complaints in 2026. He stated that Meta does not verify the authenticity of claims upon submission, allowing bad actors to repeatedly target the same accounts from identical email addresses. When hit with multiple strikes, Olly receives private messages via Telegram demanding payment—typically hundreds of dollars in cryptocurrency—to have the claims withdrawn. Despite paying an extortionist $50 to restore his temporarily suspended account, additional strikes followed immediately afterward. As a result of the frequency of these false claims, his account was demonetised, preventing him from earning revenue on high-performing posts.
Other creators have experienced similar difficulties. Abin Tom Sebastian, who operates the Morbid Kuriosity account, reported losing brand contracts due to account suspension and stated that Meta provided no meaningful support unless users paid for Verified status, which costs £9.99 monthly and includes 24/7 customer support access. Meta stated it has added protections to affected accounts following BBC inquiries and maintains that only copyright holders or authorized representatives can file claims.
Investigations reveal that some individuals filing strikes are based in India or nearby regions and claim to operate on behalf of copyright holders, though messages reviewed by the BBC show demands for substantial sums. Legitimate copyright enforcement agencies do exist and are typically easier to identify and negotiate with, according to creators. Experts note that similar scams predate social media but have become more prevalent, potentially due to AI automation enabling broader targeting at scale. The sheer volume of users across major platforms makes it increasingly difficult for companies to distinguish legitimate claims from fraudulent ones.
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