Cyber Crooks Sell Hacked Account Details to Web Scamsters

A study by security experts reveal that cyber crooks are making their fortune by selling stolen Facebook profiles for a sum as minimum as 89p, as reported by Newpost Online on December 16, 2008.

Security specialists at Trend Micro comment that hackers target social networking sites to hack private information of users and sell it to groups of criminals, according to the reports. Further, these groups then send spam mails to other users and lure them to click on fake photo links or videos. The experts also added that by clicking on the link, user's systems is infected by viruses and spyware that detect keystrokes and steal details like passwords of online bank accounts.

Also, Trend Micro security analysts claim a five-time increase in internet scams since September 2008. And as per the security vendor all these scams are targeted at stealing private information of users.

Rik Ferguson, Solutions Architect, Trend Micro, says that users share a large amount of private details on social networking websites, as reported by Newspost Online on December 16, 2008.

Ferguson also claims that several cyber crooks are drawn towards the private details of internet users.

Ferguson also cautioned that users should be careful whether they are online to visit Facebook or for the Christmas shopping or for banking as ID theft and hacking are on rise at particular times of the year.

Also, other security analysts too voiced the response of Trend Micro to the Christmas shopping. The security experts added that at the end of the year 2008, more socially engineered mail spam or scam are expected with a Christmas or Holiday Season subject, so that the users are advised to be extra careful.

Security experts also suggest that to escape phishing, spamming, ID theft mails etc, users should not open any uninvited mails or not to run any unfamiliar programs. The security researches also advised users to disable scripting features in mail programs which look suspicious, and to make sure that all anti-virus programs check all the mail attachments and e-cards to ensure complete safety.

Related article: Cyber Child abuser Sentenced To Imprisonment

» SPAMfighter News - 1/1/2009