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Data of over 1 Billion WhatsApp users up for sale on a forum [Updated]

Deepanker Verma November 28, 2022 Security

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In the same forum where Twitter data is up for sale, a threat actor is selling the data of over 1 billion WhatsApp users. The listing on the forum gives users a Telegram link to download the data. The user who posted the forum post didn’t confirm how he obtained the data.

The seller of the data also confirms the number of records by country. The leaked data includes records of 65,214,785 US users and 201,004,235 Indian users. The seller claims that all records belong to active WhatsApp users.

It is worth noting that the seller was initially selling records of over 480 million WhatsApp users. Later he created a new thread. The new listing confirms that the data dump includes records of 1 Billion WhatsApp users.

Here’s the screenshot of an older post that is selling 487 million WhatsApp records.

On Telegram, the seller is also providing a data sample. I asked for a sample and then tried to verify if the number is being used on WhatsApp. I randomly verified a few numbers and found that numbers in the sample data actually belong to active WhatsApp users.

It is not clear how hackers obtained the data, but it seems the data was scraped which violates WhatsApp’s Terms of Service. WhatsApp has yet to respond on the matter.

The leaked information can be used to perform social engineering attacks against victims. Attackers can send phishing emails, scam messages, or ask for other personal details.

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About the Author: Deepanker Verma

Deepanker Verma is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of TechloMedia. He holds Engineering degree in Computer Science and has over 15 years of experience in the technology sector. Deepanker bridges the gap between complex engineering and consumer electronics. He is also a a known Security Researcher acknowledged by global giants including Apple, Microsoft, and eBay. He uses his technical background to rigorously test gadgets, focusing on performance, security, and long-term value.