Private Messages from at least 81,000 hacked Facebook accounts were for sale | Your private messages data is only worth 10 cents

[AlTech]

The BBC reports that Private Messages from at least 81,000 Hacked Facebook Accounts were for sale.

 

Hackers obtained the information using malicious browser extensions scraping account information from Facebook users who downloaded it.

 

Hackers first advertised the breach in September this year on a forum but have since started selling the data for 10 cents per account.

 

Yes, your private message data is only worth 10 cents to hackers.

 

The hackers claim to have details from 120 Million accounts but this could not be confirmed.

 

Facebook has taken action by contacting browser manufacturers and instructing them to remove the extension.

 

Quote

The breach was first discovered in September after one of the hackers advertised the stolen data on a forum. The message details were obtained after users downloaded a malicious browser extension that then scraped the information from their accounts. The hackers then sold access to the information for 10 cents per account. The group told BBC that their “database includes 120 million accounts,” but that number could not be confirmed by outside cybersecurity experts.

 

inb4 Facebook hit with another fine but this time under GDPR .

 

It is kind of scary that hackers are willing to do this for so little money.

 

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/2/18055462/facebook-hack-private-messages-81000-accounts

[Bcat00]

Why so surprising its worth 10 cent? 

multiply that number by millions of account and they would make a big buck for little work

[pzspah]

Ten cents is overpriced for my messages so whoever buys them are getting ripped off. 

[AlTech]

Just now, Bcat00 said:

Why so surprising its worth 10 cent? 

multiply that number by millions of account and they would make a big buck for little work

allegedly millions of accounts.

 

We know they've made at least $8,100 USD off of the 81,000 accounts.

[Nicnac]

5 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

It is kind of scary that hackers are willing to do this for so little money.

Kinda shows how our personal data is worth less and less as well.

Will be interesting to see how fb will keep up their growth when personal data doesn't pay the bills anymore and there are ads already literally everywhere. At some point the rate of population increase on this planet (which is massive already) simply won't be enough. Hard to imagine but I think I read somewhere that they might in fact reach that limit sooner than expected.

[flibberdipper]

If I was an idiot and installed this, the 1337 hax0rs would have exactly.... Zero DMs to sell. 

[Vasllo]

What extension was it?

[AlTech]

2 minutes ago, Vasllo said:

What extension was it?

Facebook has not released that information unfortunately.

[Vasllo]

14 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Facebook has not released that information unfortunately.

The most important information, and they don't realese it, FFS Facebook...

[BananaInSandals]

10 cent for that  I typed to a random girl. Well, I guess at least it's valuable to someone, even it's not the intended one... (jk lol)

 

 

Imo Facebook really needs to start telling people the actual extent of these breaches instead of some weirdly worded sentences in some random support page that you have to guess the meaning whether you're affected or not. 

[DildorTheDecent]

Inb4 all the accounts belonged to Indians and the messages are just "show Bob and vagene" 

 

The extension was probably one of those "see who looks at your account" kind of things. Which of course, don't actually work. 

[Amazonsucks]

Glad i dont have shitbook

[PCGuy_5960]

I'm sorry, but my horrible memes are worth way more than 10 cents 

[Arika]

Yes, im sure they were "hacked" 

[mr moose]

At least someone thinks I am worth something.

[mynameisjuan]

Come on, my 1000s of meme messages must be worth more than 10 cents.

[JediFragger]

10 cents? Overpriced...

[BuckGup]

I know people are dumb and send sensitive info like credit card numbers, nudes, and drug related activities. Someone could easily blackmail you

[Amazonsucks]

7 minutes ago, BuckGup said:

I know people are dumb and send sensitive info like credit card numbers, nudes, and drug related activities. Someone could easily blackmail you

Use Signal for that stuff 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BuckGup said:

I know people are dumb and send sensitive info like credit card numbers, nudes, and drug related activities. Someone could easily blackmail you

Can't be blackmailed if its already out there. 

[Syntaxvgm]

It's the wrong school of though TBH. 

If you spend 100$ and get 1000 accounts, there's only a small chance that each account has something worthwhile. 

I mean I've seen CC numbers and SSN, other info in a package for people going for less than 5$ all the time. It's basically not really guaranteed you're going to end up with anything out of it, so you buy a large group and try to charge them all. 

For the 81k accounts of info, that's 8100$. That's a lot TBH 

[poochyena]

eh, its like someone buying a storage container and it ends up just being filled with old used shoes. "man pays $100 each for dozens of old shoes!". Sometimes you over pay, sometimes you find treasure. This price is the bulk, unsorted price. individually, it could be worth MUCH more, or much less.

[Andreas Lilja]

Facebook not letting users they've been compromised? 

 

 

[Amazonsucks]

2 hours ago, Raskolnikov said:

Facebook not letting users they've been compromised? 

 

 

Youre compromised the moment you let zuckerborg into your life. 

[mr moose]

53 minutes ago, Raskolnikov said:

Facebook not letting users they've been compromised? 

 

 

Facebook don't know which users where effected as it was a browser extension that did the data acquisition and they weren't discovered until they tried to sell the data.    So effectively without getting hold of the suspect data and searching through every Facebook account for matching PM data they won't be able to know who.