Brinztech Alert: Alleged Database of Investing.com (Indian Crypto/Forex Leads) is on Sale

Dark Web News Analysis

A threat actor on a monitored hacker forum is advertising the sale of a database allegedly belonging to Investing.com, one of the world’s largest financial data and news portals. The leak specifically targets Indian traffic (likely from the hi.investing.com subdomain). The dataset contains approximately 130,000 records (21 MB) and is marketed as “qualified crypto/investment leads.”

Brinztech Analysis:

• The Target: Investing.com is a primary resource for retail investors. The specific targeting of the Indian subdomain (hi.investing.com) suggests the breach might be related to a regional marketing campaign or a third-party lead generation partner operating in India.
• The Data: The leak is described as highly granular, containing:
  • Financial Intelligence: Deposit/Bill Amounts (in USD) and Currency Used. This allows scammers to identify exactly how much capital a victim has deployed.
  • Compliance Data: KYC Verification Status.
  • Identity & Contact: Full Names, Phone Numbers, and Email Addresses.
• The Value: In the cybercrime economy, “qualified leads” (people proven to spend money on investments) are sold at a premium. This list is intended for “Boiler Rooms”—call centers that aggressively pitch fake stocks or crypto schemes.

Key Cybersecurity Insights

This alleged data breach presents critical risks to Indian investors:

• “Recovery Room” Scams: The most dangerous data point is the Deposit Amount. Scammers use this to target users who may have lost money on trades.
  • Scenario: “Hello Mr. Sharma, we are calling from the Blockchain Regulatory Authority. We see you deposited $5,000 last month. We can recover your lost funds, but you need to pay a tax first.”
• KYC Phishing: Knowledge of KYC Status enables sophisticated identity theft attempts. Users may receive emails claiming their “KYC has failed” or “PAN Card update is required,” leading them to upload fresh ID documents to a phishing site.
• “Pig Butchering” (Sha Zhu Pan): These 130,000 users are pre-qualified as interested in crypto/investing. They are prime targets for long-con romance/investment scams where attackers build trust over WhatsApp before convincing the victim to invest in a fake platform.
• WhatsApp Spam Bombardment: In India, financial spam on WhatsApp is rampant. This fresh list of 130,000 active numbers will likely be sold to bulk marketing agencies, leading to a surge in “Stock Tip” or “VIP Signal” group invites.

Mitigation Strategies

In response to this claim, Investing.com users in India must exercise extreme caution:

• The “No Cold Call” Rule: Users should strictly adhere to the rule: Legitimate financial advisors and Investing.com support staff do not cold call you via WhatsApp or phone to offer investment advice or refunds. Block and report these numbers immediately.
• Credential Reset: If you have an account on in.investing.com or hi.investing.com, change your password immediately.
• Ignore “KYC” Links: If you receive an SMS or Email asking to update your KYC for Investing.com or a related broker, do not click the link. Log in directly to the official website to check your status.
• Source Investigation: Investing.com’s security team should investigate the hi.investing.com infrastructure and third-party marketing plugins to identify the exfiltration point.

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