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FBI says hackers are sending fraudulent police data requests to tech giants to steal people’s private information
The warning is a rare admission from the FBI about the threat from fake emergency data requests submitted by hackers with access to police email accounts.
“Cyber-criminals are likely gaining access to compromised U.S. and foreign government email addresses and using them to conduct fraudulent emergency data requests to U.S. based companies, exposing the personal information of customers to further use for criminal purposes,” reads the FBI’s advisory. The FBI said the compromised access to law enforcement accounts allowed the hackers to generate legitimate-looking subpoenas that resulted in companies turning over usernames, emails, phone numbers, and other private information about their users. The FBI said in its advisory that law enforcement organizations should take steps to improve their cybersecurity posture to prevent intrusions, including stronger passwords and multi-factor authentication.
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