FBI warns hackers are breaking into social media accounts to steal and sell users' nude photos
The FBI's warning concerns what it calls sexual exploitation actors. These criminals target specific people they are interested in, who may be strangers or known to them, as well as opportunistic victims. Once inside an account, they search for sexually explicit photos and videos, steal them without the owner's knowledge,... Read Entire Article
The FBI has issued a warning about hackers targeting social media accounts to steal and sell users' nude photos. These criminals, known as sexual exploitation actors, compromise both adult and underage users' accounts to gather explicit content and personal information. Once inside an account, they search for and steal sexually explicit photos and videos without the owner's knowledge, often sharing them in community forums or selling them on illicit marketplaces.
The stolen content frequently includes personally identifiable information, such as the victim's name, date of birth, email address, phone number, and social media username, which can lead to further victimization through harassment, stalking, and sextortion. Attackers use various methods to gain access, including brute-force attacks using lists of common passwords and personal details, phishing scams, and exploiting genuine password reset requests.
The FBI advises against storing sensitive images on internet-accessible services, using unique passphrases and PINs, enabling multi-factor authentication, and never sharing verification codes.
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