23andMe has reported the incident to law enforcement, stating that this is the first time such an incident has occurred at the company.
The stolen data does not include sensitive genomic details, but it does contain usernames, regional locations, profile photos, and birth years. The usernames used are often not the full legal names of the account holders.
To protect against unauthorized access, 23andMe is advising its users to change their passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
The stolen data is being offered for sale on underground forums, with prices ranging from $1,000 for 100 profiles to $100,000 for 100,000 profiles. One post specifically mentioned a database of Ashkenazi Jews. The company spokeswoman clarified that this would include individuals with even just 1% Jewish ancestry.
Some of the posts advertising the stolen data were made under the username “Golem,” referencing a creature from Jewish folklore.
Given that the stolen data consists of information shared by account holders with their relatives, including distant cousins, it is estimated to cover over half of 23andMe’s 14 million customers.
The mention of Jews in the sale of the data may be an attempt to attract attention and increase the likelihood of transactions. This incident comes at a time of increased antisemitic rhetoric and attacks in the United States, with conspiracy theories blaming Jews for various issues gaining traction on social media.
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