UCP leadership hopeful Leela Aheer targeted in social media hack

United Conservative Party leadership hopeful Leela Aheer claims her Facebook account was hacked in a “targeted attack.”

She says her account was used for “sexual exploitation,” and hackers bought “nefarious and disgusting content” in her name.

1/Welcome to politics! My personal and public Facebook accounts have been hacked. This is a targeted attack and I woke up to messages stating that my account is being used for sexual exploitation. This is disgusting. We will find the perpetrators. pic.twitter.com/x4LqenpTud

— Hon. Leela Sharon Aheer ECA (@LeelaAheer) August 23, 2022

Aheer has received support from her peers in the wake of the hack.

Rajan Sawhney, another UCP leadership candidate running against Aheer, offered her support.

“I’m very disheartened & disturbed to know that this happened to @LeelaAheer & her family. This is unacceptable & I hope the perpetrators are brought to justice. Being a woman in politics is not easy but I know Leela, this will only make her stronger,” Sawhney said.

Aheer even received support from across the aisle.

NDP Leader Rachel Notley called what happened to Aheer “disgusting.”

“These targeted attacks turn people away from running for office. I strongly condemn this attack and hope those responsible are found and justice is served,” Notley said.

NDP Energy Critic Kathleen Ganley sympathized with Aheer in a tweet.

“I am so sorry this is happening to you Leela, it’s awful,” Ganley said.

I am so sorry this is happening to you Leela, it’s awful.

— Kathleen Ganley (@KathleenGanley) August 24, 2022

Aheer is working with police, and is set to speak at a news conference Wednesday regarding the investigation into how her account was hacked.

David Shipley, CEO and founder of Beauceron Security, says that Facebook hacks are done in various ways. He says you can be tricked into compromising your account by clicking on malicious emails and links, while other times it can happen if hackers simply guess your password.

“Once they hijack the account, they do their best to make sure that you can’t get back in and access it,” Shipley said. “And trying to get help from any of these social media companies to get your account back is like pulling teeth from a crocodile. It is just absolutely ridiculously difficult and frustrating.”

This is not my site. It has been hacked. I’m dealing with the police right now as the picture that comes is pornographic. My heart is just broken. Thanks for reaching out. https://t.co/qU1dPKE9bP

— Hon. Leela Sharon Aheer ECA (@LeelaAheer) August 23, 2022

Shipley adds that politicians are tempting targets for hacktivists and criminals, because they have more to lose from negative public exposure. He says that Facebook and other websites such as Google, have programs in place for people like politicians and journalists to secure their accounts.

When the victim of a social media account hack is a politician, Shipley says they would typically see incriminating evidence used against them posted to their account, especially during a political campaign. He finds it unusual that this hack didn’t follow that trend.

“Likely, this is just part of the broader wave of social media account hijacking that comes as part of the cybercrime industry,” Shipley said.

However, he says that empathy is required in this situation, no matter who was targeted by the attack.

“It’s easy to say, ‘well, they’re a politician, they should have known better,’ or, ‘you know, this comes with the game.’ But this is an awful, awful feeling. It is victimization, it’s traumatic on the individual. It can feel very humiliating. And so, my thoughts go out to the victim,” Shipley said.

Protecting yourself online

There are basic steps people can take to better secure themselves online. By using security features like multi-factor authentication, you can decrease your risk of having your accounts hacked.

Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator can be used to reduce risk and password guessing by 99.9 per cent, according to Shipley.

He also says large cities in Canada are more likely to have the right resources to thwart hacking attempts, while rural areas may not.

“If you’re if you’re fortunate to live in a big city — Calgary or Toronto or Halifax — there may be a police department who has some expertise to help you. Oftentimes, if you’re a smaller community, or rural, they don’t have the skills to help.”

Shipley also says that it’s important to clear up any wrongdoing with the police right away if your account is hacked.

“Referring to police is never a bad idea. But they’re going to be able to offer limited assistance,” Shipley said. “What happens best with police accounts is that any particularly malicious crimes like this, or if there’s evidence of other crimes being committed from your account, getting it on the record with police that this is not you is probably a really good idea.”

With files from Tiffany Goodwein