Security News
Since January, more than 4,000 domains related to coronavirus stimulus packages have been registered, many of them malicious or suspicious, according to Check Point Research. These attacks typically take the form of malicious apps, phishing emails, and phony websites.
Cybercriminals are deploying COVID-19-themed gift card scams, wire transfer scams, and payroll scams aimed at organizations and their employees, according to security provider Trustwave. Phishing emails are a favorite tactic used by scammers to try to convince people to share account credentials, financial information, and other private data.
Fraud related to the coronavirus has cost Americans $13m and so far counting, according to the US government. While authorities have been warning for weeks of various scams and fraud operations based on the coronavirus pandemic, the FTC's report is one of the few to put a dollar amount on the damage being done by criminals.
In our previous stories, you might have already read about various campaigns warning how threat actors are capitalizing on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to infect your computers and mobile devices with malware or scam you out of your money. Most of the recent cyberattacks are primarily exploiting the fears around the COVID-19 outbreak-fueled by disinformation and fake news-to distribute malware via Google Play apps, malicious links and attachments, and execute ransomware attacks.
If you're sitting at home right now, sheltering from the coronavirus pandemic - and there's a good chance you are - then you are probably either thinking about a home delivery, or waiting for one. Highlighted above is the fact that the certificate was created on 2020-03-24, the very same day that this scam campaign went out.
The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James sent letters - here's one sent to GoDaddy - to six of the internet's largest domain name registrars, asking them how they plan to protect New Yorkers and others across the country from these scams by making it tougher to register a domain that's likely to be selling snake oil, inflicting malware or setting up whatever other trap the crooks have been rushing to put into place. Human review of complaints from the public and law enforcement about fraudulent or illegal use of coronavirus domains, including creating special channels for such complaints.
A UK cybercrime vigilante was so incensed by tech support scammers he reverse-hacked the call centre in India to reveal CCTV footage of perpetrators as they ripped off their victims in real-life calls. During 2019, Browning said he was able to identify dozens of call centres in India where many of tech support scams targeting English speakers originate.
A Texas school district, based outside of Austin, Tex., has lost $2.3 million after falling victim to an email scam. The Manor Independent School District encompasses 8,000 students from elementary to high school.
Phishers are using "black SEO" to lure users in to malicious downloads masquerading as the latest Star Wars movie.
Holiday shopping scams try to bait consumers with special giveaways, giftcards, discounts, and coupons, according to a new report from cyber security company ZeroFOX.