Snapchat: FBI: Hackers using social engineering to breach accounts and steal explicit content

FBI Warns of Rising Social Media Hacks Targeting Explicit Content Theft

The FBI has issued an alert warning that cybercriminals are hijacking social media accounts belonging to both adults and children to steal explicit content and sell it on underground marketplaces. The bureau reported that hackers employ a range of tactics, including social engineering and brute-force attacks, to compromise accounts.

Threat actors target specific individuals or opportunistic victims, often using leaked passwords or personal details like birthdays to gain access. In some cases, they impersonate social media support teams, tricking victims into resetting passwords or providing verification codes. Fake login pages mimicking legitimate platforms have also been used to harvest credentials.

Once stolen, explicit content is sold or publicly posted, often accompanied by personal information. Victims frequently face further harassment, sextortion, or stalking, with some criminals even advertising the stolen material on the victim’s own social media profiles.

The alert follows recent federal cases, including a 27-year-old Illinois man who pleaded guilty in February to hacking the Snapchat accounts of roughly 600 women. Last year, a former University of Michigan assistant football coach was indicted for breaching student athlete databases at over 100 colleges, using the stolen data to access victims’ social media accounts.

Source: https://therecord.media/social-engineering-hackers-explicit-photos-fbi-alert

Snap Inc. cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/snap-inc-co

"id": "SNA1786559100",
"linkid": "snap-inc-co",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "2/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '600+ (in one case)',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'type': 'Individuals (Adults and Children)'},
                       {'customers_affected': 'Student athletes at over 100 '
                                              'colleges',
                        'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'University of Michigan',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'attack_vector': ['Social Engineering',
                   'Brute-Force Attacks',
                   'Credential Harvesting via Fake Login Pages',
                   'Impersonation of Support Teams'],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': 'Explicit content, personal '
                                             'information'},
 'description': 'The FBI has issued an alert warning that cybercriminals are '
                'hijacking social media accounts belonging to both adults and '
                'children to steal explicit content and sell it on underground '
                'marketplaces. Hackers employ tactics including social '
                'engineering and brute-force attacks to compromise accounts. '
                'Threat actors target specific individuals or opportunistic '
                'victims, often using leaked passwords or personal details '
                'like birthdays to gain access. In some cases, they '
                'impersonate social media support teams or use fake login '
                'pages to harvest credentials. Once stolen, explicit content '
                'is sold or publicly posted, often accompanied by personal '
                'information, leading to further harassment, sextortion, or '
                'stalking.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High (for victims)',
            'data_compromised': 'Explicit content, personal information',
            'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
            'systems_affected': 'Social media accounts'},
 'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Yes',
                           'entry_point': ['Social media accounts',
                                           'Leaked credentials'],
                           'high_value_targets': 'Individuals with explicit '
                                                 'content, student athletes'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'motivation': ['Financial Gain', 'Harassment', 'Sextortion'],
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': ['Weak authentication',
                                            'Social engineering',
                                            'Credential leaks']},
 'references': [{'source': 'FBI Alert'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Federal cases (e.g., 27-year-old '
                                            'Illinois man pleaded guilty, '
                                            'former University of Michigan '
                                            'assistant football coach '
                                            'indicted)'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Public alert issued by FBI',
              'law_enforcement_notified': 'FBI'},
 'stakeholder_advisories': 'FBI public warning',
 'threat_actor': 'Cybercriminals',
 'title': 'FBI Warns of Rising Social Media Hacks Targeting Explicit Content '
          'Theft',
 'type': 'Account Hijacking, Data Theft, Sextortion',
 'vulnerability_exploited': ['Leaked Passwords',
                             'Weak Authentication',
                             'Personal Information Exposure']}