A viral TikTok created by Instacart shopper Emily Love (@keepingupwithemmily) has caused viewers to express their concerns about hackers targeting Instacart shoppers’ accounts.
The viral video has grossed over 8,147 as of Sunday. It shows the TikTok creator crying hysterically and venting on camera about how she got scammed by hackers all while trying to complete a fake customer’s shopping request via the Instacart app.
@keepingupwithemmily Yesterday i was scammed through a FAKE CUSTOMER on INSTACART! My account has been hacked, and I have no access to it. I was deactivated, and can no longer have an account without being on a waiting list.. me in no way, shape or form. They do not care about their workers and do not take this stuff. Seriously I’m trying to raise awareness to any other Instacart driver who may be going through this! Please tag Instacart and maybe they will take me seriously then!! @leahbbyxo @instacart @instacartcare #instacartshopper #instacartdelivery #instacart #instacartstorytime #fraud #scam #hacked #SeeHerGreatness #scammers #help #share #tag #influencers ♬ original sound – Emily Love
The caption texts read, “Yesterday I was scammed through a FAKE CUSTOMER on INSTACART! My account has been hacked, and I have no access to it.”
“I was deactivated, and can no longer have an account without being on a waiting list.. me in no way, shape, or form. They do not care about their workers and do not take this stuff seriously. I’m trying to raise awareness to any other Instacart driver who may be going through this,” wrote Love.
The video clip was a nine-minute long video of Love going into complete detail about how the scammers used a fake 1-800 number and pretended to be Instacart customer service.
She explained how the scammers used hacker technology and were able to pay her for the order, removed the batch order, and disabled her account all in one phone call sitting.
As jaw-dropping as this story may be, it proves the necessary need for technology updates and better cybersecurity from high-volume food delivery and grocery store apps.
Many viewers expressed their concerns and shared similar experiences while using the Instacart app.
“This similar situation happened to me literally YESTERDAY… I accepted an order for CVS and I get a message from the ‘customer’ saying it’s urgent,” commented one viewer.
Another viewer responded, “Instacart has so many issues right now I got charged $99 for the annual subscription even tho I never signed up and only used it once a year ago.”
In response to Love’s viral TikTok, @instacart replied via TikTok comment, writing, “Hi there. Can you please send us a DM for further assistance? Here to help.”
The Daily Dot has reached out both to Instacart and Love via TikTok comment.
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*First Published: Mar 19, 2023, 4:28 pm CDT
Angela Littlefield
Angela Shanice Littlefield is a freelance writer for the Daily Dot with a focus on pop culture and tech news. She’s a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She has written and worked for entertainment figures such as Sirius XM Radio Personality Sway Calloway, and published work for Grammy U, the NAACP’s Crisis magazine, and Austin Monthly magazine.
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