Social media user data available for as little as $6 on Dark Web

A recent study has uncovered a thriving market for hacked social media and entertainment service accounts on the Dark Web, with accounts available for purchase to users for as little as $6USD each.

The study by cybersecurity firm, Whizcase, discovered that social media accounts are the most abundant type of hacked portal available on the Dark Web, with platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Discord all available to buy at relatively low prices. LinkedIn accounts were the most expensive, with a price tag of $45.

The hacked accounts are typically obtained through social engineering or phishing campaigns, with hackers targeting users’ email addresses and then compromising their associated social media or entertainment service accounts.  

Once credentials are exposed, the hackers often link these accounts to their own payment processing solutions, leaving the original owners unable to unlink their card details from them. The only solution in these cases is to cancel the attached credit or debit card.  

For just $127, cybercriminals can obtain a hacked account from all major social media networks. The study warns that these accounts could be used to reset passwords for various services, including financial and payment accounts.

The research also revealed that many hackers use compromised accounts to run “sophisticated bot farms” for social media engagement manipulation. This allows cybercriminals to buy social media engagement, such as Twitter retweets and Facebook likes, from seemingly legitimate accounts at very low prices. For just $25, one could buy 1,000 Twitter retweets, while $8 buys 1,000 Facebook likes.

Analysts also found it is possible to choose the country of origin for the likes or retweets in exchange for small additional payments, allowing cybercriminals to target their activity, manipulating social media engagement in specific regions. Experts warn that this could lead to the spread of misinformation, scams, and identity theft.

In mitigation of these risks, users are urged to keep their social media and entertainment service accounts secure, in order to reduce the risk of social disruption, identity fraud, and outright theft. Users are also advised to be cautious when looking at popular or highly engaging content on social media, as these engagements may have been purchased by cybercriminals for a very low price.