BeautifulPeople.com leaks 1.1 million ‘elite’ dater profiles
Mon 25 Apr 2016
Confidential data linked to 1.1 million subscribers to ‘elite’ dating site BeautifulPeople.com, has been leaked online including information on sexual preference, relationship status and income.
In addition to the sensitive personal data, 15 million private messages between users were also leaked. The stolen records are now being sold by internet dark market traders.
According to Forbes, although the breach was first uncovered in December last year, BeautifulPeople.com had claimed that the information was taken from a test server and did not reflect legitimate member records. The website quickly locked the contents and the investigation did not go any further.
However, it has now been discovered that the information was in fact real user data and it has since entered cyber-trading this year, Australian security expert Troy Hunt tells Forbes. Hunt runs the website HaveIBeenPwned.com, which allows users to check whether their own information has been compromised in a number of recent data heists such as the Ashley Madison scandal.
Hunt said that it is unclear where exactly the BeautifulPeople.com data is being sold, and for how much. He explained that his contact operates in ‘data trading circles’ and has declined to provide any further details.
With the leaked data, Hunt was able to reset passwords and check if someone was signed up to the site – with those email addresses which aren’t subscribed to the service rejected at the password reset stage.
Other leaked information included weight, height, occupation, education, body type, eye colour and hair colour, as well as email address and mobile phone number. Location data, smoking and drinking habits, and hobbies were also revealed. Hunt estimated that an excess of 100 individual data attributes were leaked per person.
BeautifulPeople.com claims to be the ‘largest network of attractive people in the world.’ Individuals’ physical appeal is judged by existing subscribers, who place votes on who is allowed to join the service. The site actively removes thousands of users every year for not being attractive enough. In 2015, 3,000 members were culled for ageing and weight gain.
