Verified Facebook accounts are being hacked to spread malware - here's how
you can stay safe

Date:
Mon, 08 May 2023 08:56:45 +0000

Description:
Hackers are stealing verified Facebook accounts and using them to run malicious ad campaigns.

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Hackers have been detected breaking into popular verified Facebook pages and using them to run ads on the social media behemoth distributing malware .

Social consultant Matt Navarra first spotted the malicious campaign,
outlining the danger on Twitter.

Navarra noted whoever is behind the campaign first targeted popular Facebook pages (one of the victims has more than seven million followers and has been active for over a decade). Should they gain access, they would change the pages name into a variant of Meta (Facebooks parent company), or Google. Cheeky scams

Then, they would purchase an ad on the social media network, in which they would target page managers and advertising professionals. Because of security issues for upcoming users, you can no longer manage ad accounts in the
browser , the ad reads. Switch to a more professional and secure tool, the ad concludes, before sharing an obviously fraudulent download link.

There are multiple issues with this campaign, Navarra says, including how the accounts were breached, how Facebook allowed the threat actors to change the pages name into something seemingly related to Meta and keep the blue checkmark, and how they managed to actually buy and run ads which are obviously redirecting the target audience to a shady website, at best. Read more

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Facebook has since disabled all of the affected accounts, and shut down the malicious campaigns, TechCrunch further reported. It also said that Facebook pages now show if the page changed its name in the past, and from what, which is a welcome addition to bolster transparency.

We invest significant resources into detecting and preventing scams and
hacks, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch. While many of the improvements weve made are difficult to see because they minimize people from having issues in the first place scammers are always trying to get around our security measures. These are the best firewalls right now

Via: TechCrunch



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/verified-meta-accounts-are-being-hacked-to-spre ad-malware-heres-how-you-can-stay-safe


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