14 DAY TRIAL // Snapchat has become highly popular among Internet users because (at least in theory) it allows them to send pictures and videos that self-destruct after a few seconds. However, since there are ways to save the pictures, a lot of websites that promise compromising images have emerged.
Cybercriminals are also exploiting the fact that many users are searching for leaked Snapchats sites to trick people into handing over information and visit shady websites.
A perfect example is provided by security researcher Troy Hunt. He recently came across a Facebook page that advertised raunchy pictures leaked from Snapchat users.
However, people who wanted to see the pictures were instructed to visit a website since they couldn’t be posted on Facebook.
The website in question didn’t host any Snapchats. Instead, it presented users with a fake Facebook login page.
The Facebook page gathered over 100,000 likes and the phishing page tricked hundreds of users into handing over their usernames and passwords. In addition, the same site was also designed to dupe internauts into participating in surveys.
The trick is that while the desktop versions of web browsers can often alert people when they’re about to visit a potentially dangerous website, mobile browsers don’t offer the same level of protection. That’s why scams that target mobile users could be much more effective.
The Facebook page analyzed by Hunt has been removed. However, another one could take its place at any time. That’s why it’s important for users to be wary.
“There are numerous Facebook pages that are nothing more than fronts for credential harvesting or other scams,” Hunt noted in a blog post.
“The heavy use of social media via mobile apps which don’t provide the same degrees of phishing protection as you find in browsers on the desktop increases the efficacy of these scams. Anything that attracts new victims is fair game, even if it means prospering from the death of others.”