Sharesale
Entertainment NewsWhy You Should Never Put Your Phone Number on Facebook

Why You Should Never Put Your Phone Number on Facebook

Date:

Putting your phone number on Facebook can put your life and future at risk.

Facebook users may want to think twice before adding their telephone number on their profile. But if they do, anybody can find that person’s name, picture and location -regardless of their privacy settings – by typing their number into the search bar.

Facebook News
antb / Shutterstock.com

Underlining the security dangers, a British software engineer has even harvested thousands of data about users, simply by generating random phone numbers.

From Daily Mail:

Reza Moaiandin, technical director of Salt.agency, used a coding script to generate every possible number combination in the UK, US and Canada.

He then sent millions of numbers to Facebook’s app-building program (API) in bulk. In return, he received millions of unobstructed personal profiles.

Despite notifying Facebook in April, and calling for APIs to be pre-encrypted, the security loophole remains intact, leaving the site’s 1.44 billion users open to hacks.

Apparently, Facebook does not think it’s a big deal. ‘We do not consider it a security vulnerability, but we do have controls in place to monitor and mitigate abuse,’ a Facebook spokesman told Mr Moaiandin, according to his blog.

Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com
Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com

Mr Moaiandin said in a statement to the Mail: ‘With this security loophole, a person with the right knowledge can harvest the non-private details of the users who allow public access to their phone numbers, enabling the harvester to then use or sell on the user details for purposes that the user may not be happy with.’

Facebook Atlas
Pan Xunbin / Shutterstock.com

The cyber black market has become more profitable than ever according to a report made last year.

Typically, hackers sell vast quantities of data in bulk for a huge profit. Twitter and Facebook accounts are now more profitable than stolen credit cards, according to the report.

 

spot_img
Megan Diane
Megan Dianehttps://www.projectcasting.com
Hi, I'm Megan Browne, the Head of Partnerships at Project Casting - a job board for the entertainment industry. As Head of Partnerships, I help businesses find the best talent for their influencer campaigns, photo shoots, and film productions. Creating these partnerships has enabled me to help businesses scale and reach their true potential. I'm excited to continue driving growth by connecting people with projects they're passionate about.

More like this
Related

Las Vegas Swim Week Casting: Apply Now to Model on the Runway

👙 Quick Takeaways: Las Vegas Swim Week is casting runway...

Adidas Commercial Casting Call: Actors Needed for $2,250 Campaign

🎯 Key Takeaways: Adidas is casting actors for a high-paying...

Casting Alert: Toddler Needed for Tyler Perry Feature Film in Atlanta

Key Takeaways: Casting call for brown-complexioned toddler girls (11–15...

Casting Call: Tyler Perry Studios Seeks African American Newborns in Atlanta

Takeaways: Tyler Perry Studios is casting African American newborns (0–1...