Database Containing 500 Million Phone Numbers And Facebook User Accounts Sold Through Telegram Bot

Aplikasi Telegram (Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Hackers managed to get a database containing millions of Facebook user numbers and facilitates the potential buyers to check via the Telegram bot. Even though the data is several years old, it still poses a cybersecurity and privacy risk for users whose numbers are spread.

According to Facebook's explanation to Motherboard, the data is related to the hacking that the company experienced in August 2019. Even though Facebook has resolved the leak, 500 million user numbers have already spread.

Co-founder and CTO of cybersecurity firm Hudson Rock, Alon Gal, revealed that the Telegram bot was created a few days ago. Using the Telegram bot, it is easier for sellers to serve up the database. So that buyers can find the desired information more quickly and easily.

Few days ago a user created a Telegram bot allowing users to query the database for a low fee, enabling people to find the phone numbers linked to a very large portion of Facebook accounts.

This obviously has a huge impact on privacy. pic.twitter.com/lM1omndDET

— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) January 14, 2021

"It takes a number of skills to find valuable data. In addition, communication is also required between the parties who need data and the seller. However, the existence of the Telegram bot solves both problems," Alon told The Verge, Tuesday, January 26.

Using bots also allows potential buyers to do two things. If a prospective buyer has a person's Facebook account name, they can get the phone number they use. Vice versa.

However, buyers still have to pay to access the information they need. Based on Motherboard's search, opening access to someone's Facebook phone number or ID is rewarded with 1 credit which is equal to USD 20 or equivalent to IDR 290 thousand.

There is also the option of buying in bulk, where the price becomes 10,000 credits with a value equal to USD 5,000 or the equivalent of IDR 71 million.

This bot has been running since January 12, 2021. And based on the screenshot Alon uploaded via Twitter, the database contains data from 2019. Indeed, the data is quite old. But, doesn't everyone change phone numbers frequently?

Until now, it is not known whether Motherboard and cybersecurity researchers have contacted Telegram to shut down the bot. But It is hoped that the service can be stopped soon so that it can prevent more hacking.

"It is important for Facebook to notify users of this leak, so that they (users) do not become victims of hacking or social engineering," said Alon Gal.