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Instagram "Likes" Worth More Than Stolen Credit Cards

Posted by samzenpus on from the with-a-little-help-from-my-bots dept.

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."

7 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Do the CCs work? by MozeeToby · · 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.

    1. Re:Do the CCs work? by notanalien_justgreen · · 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)?

    2. Re:Do the CCs work? by Anonymous Coward · · 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!

  2. Who is getting ripped off here? by Presto+Vivace · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I am sorry to say that I have a grudging admiration for any grifter who can separate a client from money in exchange for fake "likes."

    1. Re:Who is getting ripped off here? by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm baffled that there's any value in real "likes". Other than marketing-department dick-waving, that is. Has anybody noticed the CW commercials for new shows this fall all end with "Go to Facebook and like (some show you've never seen and isn't out yet)". Seriously, does the fact that some random web surfer took the time and effort to click a button really have any real-world value?

    2. Re:Who is getting ripped off here? by Presto+Vivace · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Getting viewers to go to the show's website and comment would be a better way. Or building an email list. What is happening is that marketers are being gamed into building Facebook's business rather than their own.

    3. Re:Who is getting ripped off here? by jours · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They're useful on Facebook. If I have 1000 likes for my show and I post something new then almost all of those 1000 are going to see it in their newsfeed. If I send 1000 e-mails only maybe 15% of them will open it. And I paid to send the e-mail.

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