INSTAGRAM fans have been warned to watch out for shady clone Top Nine apps as millions flock to the end-of-year trend.
The social media craze allows people to create a collage of their most popular photos from the past year.
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There are a number of apps that allow users to do similar stuff but the main one is officially called Top Nine, which burst onto the scene in 2016.
Makers of the service have warned that there are a number of fake apps ripping them off.
Some look “exactly the same” and have a very similar name to dupe victims.
The dangerous part is that they request your Instagram username and password to apparently create your collage of most liked snaps.
But this has actually led to people’s accounts being hacked.
“Given that millions of users are hopping on top of the trend, it’s critical to share that we are aware of malicious Top Nine app clones,” the firm said.
“We love seeing creative apps design Top Nine templates, but we’re not talking about the trusted creative apps.
“We’re issuing this warning after receiving messages from users who’d claim their Instagram account had been “hacked”, deleted, or modified after using Top Nine, when really they were unknowingly using a fake Top Nine clone.”
If your account is public, the official Top Nine app doesn’t even require you to login – so if you encounter an app that does, that should be a red flag.
Private accounts do have to login, but it should redirect to an official Instagram web page in your browser that clearly shows the web address bar with instagram.com on it.
If it’s being hidden, then there’s a chance it’s not a real Instagram login page and is a copy trying to steal your data.
To be sure you’re downloading the right app for iPhone or Android, go to TopNine.co.
Top Nine also said that this year their app is free.
Previously, they’ve added a watermark to the templates on offer.
But for 2022, they’ve decided make them free and rely on ads instead.
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