Security News

Anatomy of a survey scam – how innocent questions can rip you off
2020-06-22 18:48

We've been receiving loads of survey scam emails lately - and you probably get heaps of these, too. Many brands ask questions of that sort, and sometimes offer small rewards for people who take the trouble to fill in the survey - $5 off your next purchase, for example, or a free product of modest value with your next order.

Crypto founder admits $25 million ICO backed by celebrities was a scam
2020-06-18 11:43

The Miami-based cryptocurrency firm Centra Tech was built on fairy dust and paid celebrity hoo-ha, but co-founder Robert Joseph Farkas is going to be doing real time in a real prison for the $25 million initial coin offering rip-off. Centra Tech's founders included Farkas, who held different roles, such as chief marketing officer and chief operating officer.

Anatomy of a business email scam: FBI dossier details how fraudster pocketed $500k+ by redirecting payments
2020-06-03 23:53

Kenenty Hwan Kim, aka Myung Kim, 64, pleaded guilty [PDF] in a Texas court this week to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Using an email address very similar to Chance's, Kim asked Solid Bridge to send a $210,000 check for an invoice to an address in Washington state.

8 states targeted in CARES Act scams from cybercrime group
2020-05-22 14:50

At least eight US states and the federal government have lost millions of dollars due to cybercrime scams targeting unemployment benefits and funding from the CARES Act proceeds, according to the Secret Service and the cybersecurity company Agari. Cybercriminals with Scattered Canary have taken advantage of the situation according to Peterson, who wrote that the group filed more than 80 fraudulent claims for CARES Act Economic Impact Payments and even more claims for unemployment insurance in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Washington, Wyoming and most recently Hawaii.

Facebook Unveils Scam Warnings for Messenger Users
2020-05-21 18:20

Facebook on Thursday said that its Messenger app will be watching behind the scenes for scammers using the smartphone communication system. Safety notices will pop up in Messenger text chats if activity taking place in the background is deemed suspicious by artificial intelligence software, according to director of privacy and safety product management Jay Sullivan.

Beware the DHL delivery message email – it could be a package scam
2020-05-13 16:29

Another "Package delivery notification" scam. Delivery scams often entice you by telling you what cool "Item" is on its way, such as a mobile phone that someone is sending you as a gift.

The 3 most popular coronavirus-related scams
2020-05-13 13:40

A report released Wednesday by fraud prevention company Bolster looks at some of the most popular scams seen during the first quarter of 2020. As the coronavirus took hold, around 30 percent of the confirmed phishing and counterfeit pages were related to COVID-19.

Are you sure you would never fall for a phishing scam?
2020-05-11 05:00

We believe we are less likely than others are to fall for phishing scams, thereby underestimating our own exposure to risk, a cybersecurity study has found. Half of the subjects were asked how likely they were to take the requested action while the other half was asked how likely another, specifically, "Someone like them," would do so.

Tech Support Scam Uses Child Porn Warning
2020-05-07 14:52

A new email scam is making the rounds, warning recipients that someone using their Internet address has been caught viewing child pornography. The message claims to have been sent from Microsoft Support, and says the recipient's Windows license will be suspended unless they call an "MS Support" number to reinstate the license, but the number goes to a phony tech support scam that tries to trick callers into giving fraudsters direct access to their PCs. The fraudulent message tries to seem more official by listing what are supposed to be the recipient's IP address and MAC address.

Hackers Dumpster Dive for Taxpayer Data in COVID-19 Relief Money Scams
2020-05-07 12:54

Threat actors are using a combination of scams to obtain as well as buy and sell credentials for U.S. taxpayers to steal appropriations from the COVID-19 relief package as well as 2020 tax refunds, new research has found. The package includes $1,200 in individual taxpayer payments to those who qualified, representing a new opportunity for fraud alongside the usual tax-season campaigns that threat actors typically employ.