Meanwhile, at Meta

[George K]

Meta Employees, Security Guards Fired for Hijacking User Accounts

Meta Platforms Inc. META -1.57%decrease; red down pointing triangle has fired or disciplined more than two dozen employees and contractors over the last year whom it accused of improperly taking over user accounts, in some cases allegedly for bribes, according to people familiar with the matter and documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Some of those fired were contractors who worked as security guards stationed at Meta facilities and were given access to the Facebook parent’s internal mechanism for employees to help users having trouble with their accounts, according to the documents and people familiar with the matter.

The mechanism, known internally as “Oops,” has existed since Facebook’s early years as a means for employees to help users they know who have forgotten their passwords or emails, or had their accounts taken over by hackers.

As part of the alleged abuse of the system, Meta says that in some cases workers accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from outside hackers to access user accounts, the people and documents say.

The disciplinary actions are part of a lengthy internal probe led by Meta executives, according to the documents and one of the people.

“Individuals selling fraudulent services are always targeting online platforms, including ours, and adapting their tactics in response to the detection methods that are commonly used across the industry,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone. He added that the company “will keep taking appropriate action against those involved in these kinds of schemes.”

A spokeswoman for Meta’s security contractor, Allied Universal, said it “takes seriously all reports of violations of our standards of conduct.”

The firings and disciplinary measures illustrate the vast and complicated problem Meta has supporting more than 3 billion users across its platforms with virtually no customer service, a function the company has said that it is committed to building out in the coming years.

Wait.

"Fired OR disciplined?"