With Social Networking websites becoming increasingly popular, it’s no surprise that theft and crime are becoming a prevalent fixture in the social networking field.
Researchers at VeriSign’s iDefense division have uncovered an attempt to sell bogus and stolen Facebook accounts in the digital world’s black market.
The accounts are being sold by a man who is known simply as “kirllos” and is said to offer bundles of 1,000 accounts with 10 or fewer friends for $25 and with more than 10 friends for $45, says Rick Howard, iDefense’s director of cyber intelligence.
Facebook accounts are attractive because of the higher level of trust on the site than exists in the broader Internet. People are required to use their real names and tend to connect primarily with people they know.
The relatively low asking prices for the Facebook accounts points to the fact that Facebook accounts do not translate into instant profit. “The people that buy these things are going to have to do more work to make money,” Mr. Axten said.
Source: NYTimes.com
