How to buy an Instagram account safely What to check before you pay.

Before paying for an Instagram account, confirm three things: the age and history are what the seller says, the audience is real, and you can lock the seller out completely.

1. Read "About this account"

Open the profile, tap the menu (⋯) and choose About this account. It shows:

• Date joined: the real age of the account.
• Account based in: the country where it is mainly run.
• Former usernames: how many times the name has changed. Many changes can mean the account was sold or repurposed several times.

2. Check follower quality

• Open a sample of followers: profiles with no photo, no posts and random names mean the count is inflated.
• Work out the engagement rate with the Instagram engagement rate calculator. A large page with very few likes and comments is mostly inactive.
• Ask for a screen recording of Insights: reach, audience countries and age groups.

3. The handover

1. Change the email and phone to your own and confirm both.
2. Set a new password and turn on two-factor authentication with your own app.
3. In Accounts Center, remove the seller's linked accounts and check Where you're logged in; log out every device that is not yours.
4. Release payment from escrow only after these steps.

4. Red flags

• The seller will not show About this account or Insights.
• The original email cannot be handed over.
• Followers far outnumber any sign of real engagement.
• Pressure to pay quickly outside escrow.

After the purchase, change the name, photo and bio gradually. Instagram's terms govern account transfers. Aged accounts and niche pages are on aged Instagram accounts.

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