Latin Americans fall prey to more online scams as cybersecurity lags

FILE PHOTO: Miniatures of people with computers are seen in front of binary codes and words 'Cyber attack' in this illustration taken July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Gabriella Batalha didn't think much when she noticed she had been logged out of Instagram - until the next day when she found her account overrun with sensational posts touting high-yield cryptocurrency investments.

To recover her account, the 27-year-old lawyer from Rio de Janeiro had to pay 200 reais ($40) to a "consultant" she found on YouTube, a man she says could have been a scammer himself.