Instagram users have recently fallen victim to fake copyright claims and extortion scams, with some paying ransoms to regain access to their accounts. Affected creators have reported losing thousands of pounds after their accounts were suspended or taken down due to these fraudulent claims. Scammers file false copyright claims on the Meta-owned platform and then demand payments to remove them, exploiting the system to extort money. One Instagram user with 1.5 million followers told the BBC he paid a scammer $50 (£37) to get his account back, claiming that Meta's appeal process could take weeks and had previously cost him thousands in lost income. A Meta spokesperson said the company understands the frustration of affected users and that its systems are designed to prevent such issues. Following a review, the company said it has restored the affected content and added extra protections to prevent future attempts. However, content creators the BBC has spoken to say Meta struggles to identify clearly fake claims and that the appeals process is slow unless users pay for a premium support service. Some creators have reported that the process can take weeks without any resolution. The "Lost in Time History" Instagram account, which shares historical images with over 1.5 million followers, has faced dozens of "obviously fake" copyright complaints this year. The account's creator, known as Olly, said he only uses public domain images or those with permission from the rights holder. Despite this, he has been repeatedly targeted by the same email address. After being contacted via the messaging app Telegram, he was asked to pay a few hundred dollars to remove the claim. Olly eventually paid $50 in cryptocurrency to restore his account, which had been temporarily taken down by Instagram. However, he was hit by more copyright strikes immediately after paying, leading to his account being demonetized, which means he can no longer earn money from high-performing posts. Other Instagram users have shared similar experiences. Abin Tom Sebastian, who runs the "Morbid Kuriosity" account, said Meta was unhelpful during the process and forced users to pay for support to talk to them. Meta charges £9.99 monthly for verified accounts, which provides access to 24/7 support. Sebastian said he lost crucial brand contracts and found no reassurance from Meta that such issues would not happen again. Instagram states that only copyright holders or their authorized representatives can report infringement and advises affected users to contact rights holders directly. After the BBC contacted Meta with examples from Olly and other users, Meta said it had added protections to affected accounts to prevent future issues. It also said it fights deceptive behavior aimed at scamming or defrauding people and businesses. The BBC has spoken to three individuals who file copyright strikes against Instagram users, despite not being the copyright holders. All three appear to be based in India or nearby countries. They deny holding accounts for ransom and claim to act on behalf of copyright holders. However, the BBC has seen messages from one person who asked for $900 (£668) to remove a strike and said they kept the money. Others denied making money, with one stating they are sent accounts to investigate and file claims if they find content that is not properly licensed. Another said they are sent accounts or posts by an account holder or a representative. Legitimate agencies do exist that are paid to file copyright claims on behalf of clients. However, Olly, who has dealt with such claims before, says they are usually easy to distinguish from scams. "They're established companies with millions of followers, so it's very different," he said. The recent rise in these scams is not new, with similar tactics used in the early days of the internet. Previously, scammers sent letters or emails to website owners, claiming ownership of photos used online and demanding money to avoid legal action. Similar tactics have been used against YouTube users too. However, the increase in these scams may be due to AI, which makes it easier to automate and scale such activities. "It's a numbers game," said Andres Guadamuz, a digital copyright expert at the University of Sussex. "Pretty much anyone can now deploy AI to automate all of this in some way." Platforms with billions of users also find it challenging to distinguish between real and fake claims, as the system was designed with the assumption that copyright claimants are legitimate.