X-Factor database hacked - 250,000 identities exposed

[#Michael]

So another day...another data breach:

The auditions for the upcoming season of the Simon Cowell-hosted singing competition "The X Factor" got off to a rocky start after the show's network, Fox, revealed that cybercriminals hacked into a database containing the personal information of 250,000 potential contestants.

Online thieves may have potentially made off with the names, emails, ZIP codes, phone numbers, genders and dates of birth of the quarter-of-a-million "X Factor" wannabes, according to an email from Fox about the security breach obtained by the Daily Star.

Although the show promises to vault its winner to celebrity stardom, this data breach is not the kind of widespread public exposure these would-be singing stars were hoping for.

Full article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42908950/ns/technology_and_science-security/

[LOC Veteran]

Sigh. So is hacking into a database containing private information about tons of people the new "in" thing to do or something? Jeez.

[Growled Member]

Sigh. So is hacking into a database containing private information about tons of people the new "in" thing to do or something? Jeez.

They can take this information and do all kind of handy things (for them) like get new credit cards and purchase things. A friend of mine has his personal information stolen and a year or so later he got a call about a house he had purchased in another state. You never know what they are going to do with this info.

[tsupersonic]

They can take this information and do all kind of handy things (for them) like get new credit cards and purchase things. A friend of mine has his personal information stolen and a year or so later he got a call about a house he had purchased in another state. You never know what they are going to do with this info.

They called HIM for a house he bought in another state? He bought it, so what's the problem?

:p jk

[SSCorporal]

He didn't realize there was a multiple thousand dollar purchase?

_________

I'm starting to think there's a new "Anon-like" society out there pulling all these jobs. Rather more malicious than Anon. My question is even if you did make purchases tracking them down would be too easy from that point. So what's the point?

[blade1269]

Hey,

Spammers gonna Spam....

[Growled Member]

He didn't realize there was a multiple thousand dollar purchase?

Why should he? It was bought using stolen information. He had no idea that they had even used his information. According to someone my friend talked to this kind of stuff goes on all the time. This is just one reason why people steal someone else's personal info. They can get a credit card with this stolen information and buy thousand of dollars worth of stuff and you won't know until a payment is due.

[perochan]

They called HIM for a house he bought in another state? He bought it, so what's the problem?

:p jk

i know lol.

if he got a house without using his CC, then im fine with it lol.

i have a new vacation house :D

[Growled Member]

Lol, maybe I should clarify that it was bought but not payed for. :D