Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat most hacked social media accounts

CREDIT: Twitter Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat most hacked social media accounts. FACEBOOK, Instagram and Snapchat most hacked social media accounts, with phishing messages being the most common tactic used by cyber criminals to lure unsuspecting victims. Between February 2020 and February 2021, the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, ActionFraud, received 15,214 reports about email and social media account hacking. The majority of reports (88 per cent) were made by individuals, with 12 per cent of reports being made by businesses. Analysis of the crime reports revealed that Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat were the most affected social media accounts. The motivation behind the hacks are varied and can range from financial gain, to revenge or personal amusement, said ActionFraud. Some victims are extorted for money, whilst others have their accounts used to send malicious links to their contacts. Superintendent Sanjay Andersen, Head of the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, said: “Criminals hack people’s email and social media accounts to access a wealth of valuable personal information about the individual, which they can use to commit fraud. “This includes passwords for other accounts like online banking. Criminals also use compromised accounts to imitate the victim online and…
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