Kaspersky found that the logins and passwords of 34 million Roblox users, just 1 million users of the online graphic design tool Canva, were compromised by malware and leaked on the dark web or Telegram channels over the past three years.
The Russian antivirus company also found that the number of leaks of user IDs and passwords of OpenAI services, including ChatGPT, increased 33-fold in 2023: 3,807 in 2021, 20,348 in 2022, and 663,719 in 2023.
Kaspersky notes that for its part, the number of compromised Roblox accounts has increased by 231%, from approximately 4,700,000 in 2021 to 15,500,000 in 2023.
” Children are among the most vulnerable audiences, as they are susceptible to various forms of social engineering “, explains Yulia Novikova, Head of Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence. ” For example, cybercriminals can hide InfoStealer in files containing cheat codes to trick young players. In some cases, these scams may appear genuine, as malicious download links may be displayed on legitimate and popular social media platforms such as YouTube. “
Between 2021 and 2023, the number of posts selling or buying Steam accounts on the dark web peaked at around 10,000, while ads linked to stolen Roblox accounts remained below 150.
” Criminals target gaming accounts to steal valuables, such as real money, in-game currency, and various in-game items, such as expensive skins. », Novikova clarifies. ” Steam accounts seem more attractive to cybercriminals because of the potential to find and steal real money. Robux accounts can be used to steal Robux, in-game currency, or in-game items, or to gain access to premium accounts that allow items to be transferred to other accounts.
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