The FBI has issued a public alert warning of a rise in cybercriminals hacking into social media accounts to steal intimate pictures and videos. These attacks often use social engineering tactics, such as brute-forcing accounts using leaked or previously used passwords, impersonating customer service representatives, or sending phishing emails.
FBI Warns of Rise in Social Media Account Hacks for Intimate Picture Theft
UKPulse News DeskThe FBI has issued a warning about cybercriminals hacking into social media accounts to steal intimate pictures, often using social engineering tactics and extorting victims.
- Cybercriminals are hacking into social media accounts to steal intimate pictures and videos.
- Victims are often extorted or have their stolen content published online.
- The FBI warns that victims may face re-victimization through harassment, sextortion, or other targeted attacks.
Why this matters: This is a significant public health issue, particularly for young boys who are often targeted, and can lead to self-harm in response to the attacks.
What this means for you: To protect yourself, use unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and avoid storing sensitive pictures in online accounts.