Hackers trick Apple, Google, Facebook

According to Bloomberg, a series of large technology companies have been tricked into providing users’ private information to hackers. This information will then be used by bad actors to harass or blackmail, blackmail minors.

Helpless victim

Apple, Meta, Google, Twitter, Snap and Discord are victims of this scam. Specifically, the hacker group hacked into the emails of law enforcement agencies outside the US, then asked the technology company to provide data.

According to Bloomberg, personal information stored by social networks that are used to deal with emergencies such as suicide, murder or kidnapping. But when they pass through the hands of hackers, they become tools to blackmail and blackmail vulnerable people such as children and women.

Hackers mainly target women and underage children, forcing them to send sensitive videos and images or even threatening revenge if they refuse.

Bad actors forge legal requests from agencies to steal information. Photo: Forbes.

They use this data to hack into social media accounts or pretend to be friends with victims, then force them to send sensitive photos. If the victim does not agree, this group of people will constantly harass and seek to retaliate against them.

In addition, the hacker group, after forging a data request, can also choose to reveal information such as the victim’s phone number, address, and family. They even threaten to send sensitive content to the victim’s family, friends or school if they don’t do what they ask. Many people were too scared to obey and tattoo the name of the bad guy on their body, then take pictures.

This is a new phishing method to illegally collect users’ personal information, then use it to blackmail, harass victims or commit financial fraud. In particular, it is worrisome that bad actors have been able to forge legal requirements. This leaves users with no idea how to protest. The only way they can do that is to stop using the hacked social networking services.

The number of scams based on this form is showing signs of increasing.

“Despite knowing that these data requests will be used for real-life emergencies, it is ironic that this method is being used by a group of bad people to blackmail and blackmail children. ”, shared Alex Stamos, former head of security at Facebook, shared.

Tech companies speak out

Responding to this issue, a Google representative said that the company has recognized the problem in 2021 and is improving the authentication process.

Massive Big Tech are victims of scams. Photo: Panda Security.

“We are constantly working with law enforcement and relevant organizations to identify and prevent counterfeiting of legal claims,” ​​he said. Bloomberg Quoting Google’s response.

As for Facebook, its staff will evaluate each data request one by one to ensure legitimacy, and use advanced systems to authenticate requests and identify violations. In addition, Rachel Racusen, a representative of Snap, said the company also applies a similar assessment method to ensure validity and be wary of fake requests.

Usually, requests for information are only allowed through with an order and signature from the judge. However, urgent requests do not follow the above regulation.

Early April, Bloomberg once revealed that Apple and Meta had mistakenly provided user data such as addresses, phone numbers and IPs to hackers since 2021. Hackers broke into emails of law enforcement agencies to ask the two companies to provide user data for the purposes of harassment and financial fraud schemes.

It can be seen that the hacker groups in the recent incident or in early April used the same attack method. It is hacking into an email system to impersonate a law enforcement agency, then illegally collect data.

(According to Zing)