MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Uber users are the new target for cyber thieves looking to hack accounts for a free ride. Uber’s millions of users could be at risk of a cyber-attack. Typically a hacker will send a victim an email saying “Congratulations you've won a free gift card, click here.” In that click, the user has downloaded malware to their device, often a key logger, recording every single thing they type. Once the criminals have the Uber user’s information, they sell it on the Dark Net for $4 to $7 to anyone willing to buy it -- and there are plenty of buyers. Best advice is to avoid the "click,” but if you do get caught Experts recommend linking a credit card to your Uber account, as opposed to a debit card. Consumers have stronger rights with credit cards compared to debit cards and that could increase your chances of getting your money back. “We may love how technology has made life easier, but there is a price we pay for that easy living,” Mark Lanterman with Computer Forensic Services says. It's not just Uber accounts -- also being sold on the dark net is your Netflix account info --- eBay -- anything you have to log into. It’s likely no one will be caught for these hacks, as the info is being sent to a server that is far out of the country.
Cyber criminals have switched their attention to Uber and its users. Typically, the criminal sends the victim an email announcing that they’ve won a gift card and inviting them to click a link to retrieve it. This downloads malware onto the victim ’s device, often in the form of a key logger, which records everything the victim types. As a result, the cyber criminal gains access to the victim’s personal information, which they then sell on the dark net for a few dollars. This is part of a wider trend, which is seeing cyber criminals target any service that requires a log-in, be it the likes of Netflix or eBay. The most recent attack against Uber was carried out by Russian hackers.