Data leak: Details on billions of Facebook and Clubhouse users shared online
It’s a sad day for folks who use Facebook and Clubhouse. A new data breach could mean your private details are exposed for all the world to see. Researchers say a hacker is trying to sell a database of 3.8 billion phone numbers from both sites for $100,000.
This is bad news even for people who don’t have Clubhouse or Facebook accounts. In the past, Clubhouse asked users to share their complete contact lists. So if you have a friend with a Clubhouse account, that means they might have given your phone number to the site — which now means your number is exposed.
Luckily, there’s a quick way to tell if you’re involved in the breach. Tap or click here for a tool that tells you if your data has been exposed online. For the full story — as well as all the scary stuff you need to know about — keep reading.
Here’s what happened
The hacker first posted on Sept. 4, CyberNews reports. They advertised a merged database of users from Clubhouse and Facebook. It includes names, Facebook profile links and Clubhouse ranks, as well as phone numbers.
Bear in mind that CyberNews hasn’t confirmed that this threat is legitimate. Allegedly, the hacker compiled the database by combining users’ Facebook profiles with data leaked in previous Clubhouse breaches.
If you have never heard of it before, no worries. Tap or click here to our easy guide to Clubhouse.
Here’s a screenshot of the alleged hacker’s post:
Although Clubhouse is relatively new, it’s no stranger to security invasions. It launched in March 2020 as an exclusive, invite-only app. In April, the personal details of 1.3 million users were leaked online. Tap or click here for the whole story.
It’s no longer an exclusive app. In July 2021, it finally became available to everyone. You didn’t have to wait for an invitation from an existing user.
How this impacts you
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For many, social media platforms are the primary way of communicating with friends and family during the pandemic. It has also served as a great way for people to remain in contact with old acquaintances.
But recently several social media platforms have come under attack from hackers, stealing millions of records and personal information. Earlier this month, hackers made off with 533 million Facebook records. Tap or click here to find out if your account was exposed.
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