Hackers Advertise Stolen Personal Data On Facebook
Criminals are using hundreds of groups on Facebook to advertise stolen credit card details, cyber-attacks and logins for hacked Amazon and Netflix accounts.
Brian Krebs, a security researcher, identified nearly 120 groups apparently dedicated to fraud, hacking and money laundering, activities normally associated with the “dark web”. The groups had more than 300,000 members and had been on Facebook for an average of two years, although some had been active for nine years.
Most of the groups advertised their intent by using terms associated with criminal activity in their names, such as “carding” (credit card fraud), “tax refund fraud”, “account takeovers” and DDoS (distributed denial of service attack), a form of cyber-attack.
Facebook has previously been criticised for hosting terrorist content and forums for paedophiles. Critics say that the company should use the same artificial intelligence tools it uses to screen for child abusers to identify other posts that promote illegal acts.
The biggest category of groups identified by Mr Krebs promoted the sale of stolen credit and debit card details.
The next largest offered automated methods for accessing user accounts of services such as Amazon, Netflix and PayPal using logins for other websites obtained from previous data breaches.
Facebook took down the groups after they were reported by Mr Krebs as a security researcher. When he previously reported them anonymously, however, the company said that they did not break its rules.
A member of one group advertised fraudulent websites for HMRC and UK banks that scammers could use to steal account details.
The groups identified by Mr Krebs were private groups, meaning members must be approved by moderators. However, some groups advertising the same services are public.
Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the UK Parliamentary Home Affairs select committee, said: “This is yet more troubling evidence that social media companies like Facebook are not doing nearly enough to deal with illegal activity on their platforms.” She said that the committee would look at the issue as part of its inquiry into online crime and safety.
Facebook’s community standards prohibit the promotion or sale of illegal goods or services. The company said that once violations were reported its teams would review and remove the offending groups or posts. A spokesman added: “As technology improves, we will continue to look carefully at other ways to use automation.”
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