Facebook found to host cybercriminal groups trading stolen info

FILE - In this Aug. 21, 2018, file photo, a Facebook start page is shown on a smartphone in Surfside, Fla. Security researchers have uncovered more instances of Facebook user data being publicly exposed on the internet, further underscoring its struggles as it deals with a slew of privacy and other problems. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Facebook Inc housed dozens of cybercriminal groups that set up shop on the platform as online marketplaces to sell a variety of illegal services, such as stolen credit card information, account theft and spamming tools, a team of researchers found. 

Cisco Systems Inc’s Talos security unit uncovered 74 groups with names like “Spam Professional” and “Facebook hack (Phishing)”, it said in a blog post published April 5. Those online marketplaces, which counted about 385,000 members, were quite easy to locate for anyone with a Facebook account, the group said. Once a person joined one such group, Facebook’s own algorithms would often suggest similar groups, making criminal hangouts easy to find, according to Talos.