Latest Facebook data breach affects 267 million users, most of them from the US

[UpInArms]

Source: Android Authority

Facebook is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. A database containing more than 267 million user IDs and matching phone numbers has been discovered on the internet. The leaked dataset was found by security researcher Bob Diachenko, in partnership with Comparitech. Evidence suggests it was collected through an illegal scraping process or Facebook API abuse by criminals in Vietnam.

Whose data is affected?

Comparitech reports that a total of 267,140,436 user records were exposed. The dataset was apparently posted on a hacker forum where anyone could access it for nearly two weeks. It contained Facebook users’ unique IDs, phone numbers, full names, and timestamps. Diachenko says all of them seem to be valid. He also notes that most of these belongs to users in the United States.

Facebook IDs are unique to every account. So if your data was part of the latest leak, your phone number and name was available to all those who accessed the dataset.

What are the dangers of exposed data?

This information can be misused in a number of ways. For instance, phone numbers can be used to spread spam or phishing messages. It can also be used for SIM hijacking, wherein hackers can activate an existing phone number on a SIM card in their possession.

Read more: https://www.androidauthority.com/facebook-data-leak-1068230/amp/

[needledriver]

1. Which is why I refused to give Facebook my cell phone number

Good luck sending phishing texts to my land line.

[PatSeg]

2. Same here

I never gave Facebook either my cell or landline phone number. There is very little identifying information in my profile. Even my name is my nickname, not my full name. I never saw a reason for Facebook to have such information.

[catrose]

5. Same here. They keep asking. I keep saying nyet.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

8. Me, too...

...eom.

[dalton99a]

3. 419 million records were exposed in September.

This isn’t the first time such a database has been exposed. In September 2019, 419 million records across several databases were exposed. These also included phone numbers and Facebook IDs.

Dangers of exposed data

A database this big is likely to be used for phishing and spam, particularly via SMS. Facebook users should be on the lookout for suspicious text messages. Even if the sender knows your name or some basic information about you, be skeptical of any unsolicited messages.

Facebook users can minimize the chances of their profiles being scraped by strangers by adjusting their account privacy settings:

Open Facebook and go to **Settings**
Click **Privacy**
Set all relevant fields to **Friends** or **Only me**
Set **”Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile** to **No**

This will reduce the chances of your profile being scraped by third parties, but the only way to ensure it never happens again is to completely deactivate or delete your Facebook account.

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/267-million-phone-numbers-exposed-online/

[we can do it]

4. Don't trust them period.

[Nitram]

6. Thanks for the heads up.

[sdfernando]

7. Deleted my account after the Cambridge Analytica fiasco

Was never a big or prolific poster and I can keep in touch with friends and family with text message or, god forbid, actually TALKING to them.

Never going back!