On Wednesday, 41 state attorneys general wrote in a letter to Meta's top lawyer that complaints about stolen Facebook and Instagram user accounts are surging across the country, alleviating the looming threat. He declared that “immediate action” was needed.
A coalition of top law enforcement officials, led by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, said a “dramatic and sustained spike” in complaints about account takeovers is causing government resources to go viral, as many of the stolen accounts also have financial ties. This corresponds to a “significant depletion” of Some of the crimes are said to have directly benefited Mehta.
“We have received numerous complaints that threat actors are fraudulently charging thousands of dollars to credit cards on file,” said a letter to Jennifer Newstead, Meta's chief legal officer. ing. “Additionally, we have received reports that threat actors are purchasing advertising to run on Meta.”
“We refuse to work as your customer service representatives,” the official added. “Adequate investment in response and mitigation is essential.”
The letter includes New York, as well as Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Nevada. , New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington states, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.
Mehta did not immediately respond to WIRED's request for comment on the letter.
Account takeover can occur as a result of phishing as well as other more sophisticated and targeted techniques. Once an attacker gains access to an account, they can easily lock the owner out by changing the password or contact information. Private messages and personal information are stolen for a variety of illicit purposes, from identity theft and fraud to disseminating false information.
“This is basically an identity theft case and Facebook is doing nothing about it,” said one user whose complaint was cited in a letter to Meta's Newstead.
According to state officials, accounts stolen to run ads on Facebook often violate its terms and conditions, leading to permanent suspensions and harm to victims, many of whom are small business owners. was punished twice.
“Having your social media accounts taken over by scammers can feel like someone breaking into your house and changing all your locks,” James, from New York, said in a statement. “Social media is a way for millions of Americans to connect with family, friends, communities and people around the world. Failure to adequately protect users is unacceptable.”
Other complaints forwarded to Newstead show hacking victims expressing frustration with Meta's lack of response. In many cases, users report that the company has not taken any action. Some claim that the company encourages users to report such issues but never responds, leaving users unable to reclaim their accounts or the businesses they built around them. are doing.
After being hacked and scammed out of $500, one user said his ability to communicate with his customer base was “totally cut off,” even though he had followed the instructions provided by Meta. He complained that he did not respond to any reports. for them to get help.