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Hackers Impersonate Cops for Data Doxing
12 Dec
Summary
- Hackers posed as police to trick companies into revealing personal data.
- A doxing group extracted information from major US tech companies.
- One hacker claimed hundreds of successful data extraction requests.
A sophisticated doxing group has exploited a critical vulnerability in corporate data protection by impersonating law enforcement officials. In a recent incident, hackers successfully posed as an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, emailing Charter Communications to obtain a target's name, address, and contact information. This information was acquired within minutes, underscoring the ease with which this scam can be executed.
The hacking group, operating under the pseudonym 'Exempt,' claims to have successfully extracted personal data from nearly every major US tech company, including Apple and Amazon. They provide 'doxing-as-a-service' to clients willing to pay for highly sensitive information, often showing little concern for how the data is used against victims.
Despite awareness of these tactics for years, companies appear to have made little progress in closing this loophole. Exempt estimates up to 500 successful data requests have been made, providing evidence of fake subpoenas and recordings of company responses. The group has even allegedly been approached by a law enforcement officer seeking to collaborate for a share of profits.
