Instagram "Likes" Worth More Than Stolen Credit Cards 106
Barence writes "In the world of online fraud, a fake fan on Instagram can be worth five times more than a stolen credit card number. In a sign of the growing value of social network 'likes', the Zeus virus has been modified to create bogus Instagram 'likes' that can be used to generate buzz for a company or individual, according to cyber experts at RSA, the security division of EMC. These fake 'likes' are sold in batches of 1,000 on hacker forums, where cybercriminals also flog credit card numbers and other information stolen from PCs. According to RSA, 1,000 Instagram 'followers' can be bought for $15 and 1,000 Instagram 'likes' go for $30, whereas 1,000 credit card numbers cost as little as $6."
Do the CCs work? (Score:5, Insightful)
If they're up for sale on a hacker forum how long are those CC's really going to be valid for? Seems more like you're paying $5 for the chance to race against everyone else to exploit them before they get closed down, which will take somewhere between minutes and hours, certainly not days. Social network followers and likes are much, much more likely to be valid. Still surprising that they go for more than $.01 a piece though, I would have thought less than 1/10th that.
Who is getting ripped off here? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Do the CCs work? (Score:3, Insightful)
How do you buy from an actual store without the physical credit card? I can understand online purchases, but don't you need the piece of plastic to buy at McDonalds? Or do you mean her actual card was stolen (in which case hackers wouldn't be selling it for $5)?
Re:Who is getting ripped off here? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Do the CCs work? (Score:3, Insightful)
Thanks to US for not pushing chip n pin, It's fairly easy to clone a card, including, sniffing the pin.
But then there'd be things we'd have to updaaaaaaate! And that'd be chaaaaaaange! That's haaaaaaaaaard! Change means we can't maintain our razor-thin margins! And we wouldn't have to hire nearly as many outsourced fraud response operators from India! That's job destroying! We don't wannaaaaaa!
Re:Who is getting ripped off here? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Who is getting ripped off here? (Score:4, Insightful)