Clubhouse data leak exposes 1.3 million users to fraud

Social media profile names and ID photos among information posted online

More than a million people signed up to the Clubhouse social media app could be exposed to phishing scams, after their personal data was leaked online. Reuters

More than a million people signed up to the Clubhouse social media app could be exposed to phishing scams, after their personal data was leaked online.

Hackers allegedly released details, including names and social media profiles, from 1.3 million users of the audio commentary app.

Credit card details and legal documents were not included in the leak, according to the report by Cybernews.

The tranche of data was posted on an online forum popular with hackers and is the third breach of its kind in recent weeks, following similar leaks involving Facebook and LinkedIn users.

Personal data of two thirds of LinkedIn's user base – some 500 million people – was posted for sale online by a hacker who demanded thousands of dollars be paid in bitcoin.

A similar leak of 533 million Facebook users was also reported.

Criminals could exploit the information, exposing the users to potential identity theft.

Clubhouse, an invitation-only social media app, launched in April 2020 and allows people to eavesdrop and participate in conversations, interviews and chats on a variety of topics.

Users in the UAE have reported issues with sound and distorted conversations, amid claims that content was restricted, although regulators denied the app was banned.

Clubhouse users can protect personal information by avoiding suspicious messages or requests from unknown contacts and can change passwords or enable two-factor authentication to beef up security.