@editor I saw your post about having your IG account stolen. Meant to ask you about that last year. What happened and how did that happen? But you still have the @hawaii name?

In any case, I followed you back when you first announced and I just followed you via l @digitalkrunch just now too.

I’m also need to build my audience on @digitalkrunch if you can follow me back on both IG and Twitter. Would be much appreciated.

@mark It was done via #simhijacking, also known as the #portoutscam: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vbqax3/hackers-sim-swapping-steal-phone-numbers-instagram-bitcoin

It happened while I was in the hospital. Later found it listed on an auction site, where it sold for a lot of money.

Fortunately, I was an early user of #Instagram (when it was called #Burbn), and CEO Kevin Systrom responded to my plaintive tweets. He got it back for me.

Of course, the buyer and his friends were very upset and harassed me and my family for a while. But it's calmed down since!

The SIM Hijackers

Meet the hackers who flip seized Instagram handles and cryptocurrency in a shady, buzzing underground market for stolen accounts and usernames. Their victims' weakness? Phone numbers.

@editor I replied to this last post of yours but for some reason it’s nowhere to be found. Let me know if you got it somehow.

But to recap

Very sorry to hear about the port scam that happened to you... and while you were in the hospital to boot.

Good thing you were an OG and that Systrom himself got involved and recovered your name for you. Definitely a reminder for all to make sure and implement port security on top of the usual precautions.

Just sorry to think of all the lost content.