An Automated Telegram Bot Is Selling Facebook Account Phone Numbers It uses a database of 500 million user credentials and a Telegram bot.

By Daniel Cooper

This story originally appeared on Engadget

Thomas Trutschel/Getty Images via engadget

Access to a database reportedly containing 500 million users' private information is being sold on a cybercrime forum. Motherboard reports that the database, which hosts data pulled from Facebook more than two years ago, contains people's phone numbers. It added that would-be stalkers can then use an automated bot for (messaging app) Telegram which enables hackers to look up those numbers to tie them to an identity. Access is being sold on a per-search basis, with a single lookup costing $20, although you can bulk buy up to 10,000 search credits at a time.

Related: How to Create a Facebook Business Page in 7 Steps

The report says that it tested the bot for itself and found it could identify the number of a user who opted to keep their phone number private. Facebook is said to have confirmed that the data breach is real, and that it concerns a security issue that was resolved in August 2019. It added that it has tested the system and found that current Facebook IDs are not found in the leak. This does, however, mean that if your phone number was tied to Facebook's database before August 2019, your details may be up for sale. Users should be on the lookout for a spike in spam calls, and make their accounts have as little data in them as possible.

After training to be an intellectual property lawyer, Dan Cooper abandoned a promising career in financial services to sit at home and play with gadgets. He now serves as Engadget's associate European editor.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

After a 12-Year-Old's Side Hustle Made Over $4,000 in 1 Day, He and His Dad Grew the Business to Nearly $50,000 a Month: 'It Takes Commitment'

Madden Forrest and his father, Steven, turned their passion for football into a lucrative business.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs For New Graduates With a Bachelor's Degree — and They All Start at Six Figures

According to a new report from Resume Genius, finding a high-paying job as a new grad is possible, even in this market.

Business Solutions

Streamline Your Workflow With This $30 Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 License

Outfit your PC with seven helpful apps thanks to this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license.

Side Hustle

Use This AI-Powered Platform to Turn Your Side Hustle into a Scalable Business

Turn a side hustle into something sustainable with Sellful's ERP White Label plan.