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Monday, dec 23
Tag:
Phishing
Police & Fire
Cryptocurrency Scammers Steal $63K From CT Resident; Here's How To Protect Yourself
Police are sounding the alarm after scammers successfully stole tens of thousands of dollars from a Connecticut resident. In New Haven County, a Cheshire resident contacted Connecticut State Police in April 2024 saying they had lost more than $68,000 worth of cryptocurrency in a scam. The victim told investigators they were tricked by a phishing scheme that offered new tokens. Instead, the scammers drained all the cryptocurrency in their digital wallet. Detectives were able to trace the victim’s stolen funds using blockchain analytics and located their wallet, which still had most of the c…
Business
Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says
Cybersecurity experts have reported an increase in phishing scam text messages, according to a new report from CNET. Josh Yavor, the chief information security officer at cybersecurity company Tessian, told the news outlet he has seen a recent increase in scammers using text messages for phishing, where they attempt to steal peoples' personal information by pretending to be reputable organizations. CNET also said a report from enterprise security company Proofpoint found that incidents SMS phishing increased by 24 percent in the United States last year. The Federal Trade Commission reporte…
News
Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts
Law enforcement officials are cautioning of a new text message "smishing" scam that involves phony messages being sent from fraudsters posing as members of the US Postal Service (USPS). Alerts have been issued by state and federal officials following recent reports from consumers who have received messages claiming to be from USPS about a change in delivery shipment. The messages typically include a link that could potentially expose one to scammers looking to steal personal identifying information. Many who click the phony link have wound up being hacked or prompted to provide new informat…
Lifestyle
Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam
A phishing scam is taking on new life as many use streaming services more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Forbes, the legitimate-looking email prompting users to update their Netflix payment information comes complete with Netflix logos and bypasses most email spam filters. The scam email, titled "Notice of Verification Failure", reportedly takes Netflix users that are fooled into clicking to a convincing CAPTCHA page, which also has Netflix branding. From there, victims of the scam are taken to a Netflix lookalike page, where they are prompted to enter their Ne…
Lifestyle
Covid-
19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams
The United States Justice Department of Justice is warning the public to be wary of opportunistic fraudsters who have been fear-mongering in the wake of fears of coronavirus. Attorney General William Barr issued an alert warning of fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 outbreak, as he begins to investigate and prosecute scammers. According to Barr, he has directed United States attorneys to prioritize and investigate the prosecution of coronavirus-related fraud schemes. Each has been directed to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial d…
News
Scam Alert: Don't Fall For These Tax Season Schemes
As tax season heats up, officials are warning area residents to be wary of opportunistic fraudsters looking to scam them in new ways. Scammers have found new ways to defraud their victims, from mailbox phishing to new electronic means. The IRS stated that hackers attempted to claim more than $3 billion in false refunds last year using stolen information. “Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. Scammers use the regular mail, telephone, or email to set up individuals, businesses, payroll and tax professionals,” the IRS stated. “The …
News
267M Facebook Users Had Names, Phone Numbers Leaked On Dark Web
Hundreds of millions of Facebook users’ data has reportedly been leaked to the dark web, according to a new report. Comparitech and security researcher Bob Diachenko reported that he found a database containing 267 million Facebook user IDs, phone numbers and names that were left exposed on the dark web for anyone to access without password protection or any other authentication. In total, 267,140,436 records were exposed. According to Diachenko, who examined the evidence, the data likely came from “an illegal scraping operation or Facebook API abuse by criminals in Vietnam.” Most of the …
News
Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams
Officials are warning of new “smishing” scams that have been making the rounds. The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert cautioning consumers of new scams that have been using text messages, not the traditional emails. One such scam involves the fraudster offering to provide major savings on television services. The scams involve the victims sending back personal information, or infecting devices with malware. According to the Better Business Bureau, this new scheme is called “smishing” which stands for SMS fishing, as opposed to “phishing,” which involves email. “We’re kind of condit…
News
Alert Issued For Scam Targeting Amazon Prime Subscribers
Scammers targeting Amazon Prime customers have been targeting consumers with the holidays approaching. Area police departments have issued alerts cautioning Amazon Prime users that they’ve recently received reports from local residents who have been receiving phony calls from fraudsters stating that their accounts were having problems and memberships needed to be renewed. According to reports, some customers have been defrauded out of tens of thousands of dollars after being scammed as part of the scheme. “This is a social engineering phishing attempt to induce the target to hand over fina…
Police & Fire
Hackers Target Weston Students In Phishing Scheme
Hackers have targeted students at a Fairfield County High School in a recent phishing scheme that came to light. Several students have received questionable emails that stated their accounts had been hacked. In reality, the accounts were fine and the messages were phishing emails by opportunistic scammers. The scammers reportedly sought to obtain information for iTunes gift cards, or demanding money to ensure that the student doesn’t lose access to the account This week, Craig Tunks, the director of digital learning of technology, sent a message to parents warning them of the scam. “The…
News
Alert Issued For Wire Fraud Scam Targeting Direct Deposit Info
A new phishing scam is targeting the HR departments of companies in an effort to reroute direct deposits. CNBC first reported that the new scam involves fraudsters rerouting direct deposit accounts, and once checks are made, the paycheck will instead go directly into the criminal’s account. According to KVC Health Systems, a child welfare nonprofit based out of the Midwest that was hit by the scam reported that the emails look legitimate and intentionally come from the company’s CEO, CFO or payroll director to increase the authenticity of the request. Reports state that the emails are diff…
Lifestyle
Alert Issued For IRS 'Spoofing' Scam
It's tax time and with it comes a new warning that there's a twist to the usual IRS impersonation phone scam. Criminals are faking calls from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), an independent organization within the Internal Revenue Service, the IRS said in the warning issued Friday, March 30. Similar to other IRS impersonation scams, the scammer makes unsolicited calls to the victim, falsely claiming to be from the IRS. But in the new wrinkle, the con artists have found a way to "spoof" the phone number of the TAS office in New York or Houston. The scammers then request personal inf…
News
Man Involved In Phishing Scheme Targeting CT Schools Sentenced
A Nigerian national in the country on an expired visitor’s visa will be deported after being sentenced for running a scheme to steal the personal identifying information of hundreds of school employees in Connecticut. Olukayode Ibrahim Lawal, a citizen of Nigeria last living in Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, time already served, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in December. Lawal’s arrest was made as part of a larger investigation by the FBI’s cybercrime squad in New Haven and the IRS into “phishing” emails that were sent to sever…
Police & Fire
Surge In Phishing Email Scams Reported By State Police Cyber Crime Investigations Unit
State Police in Connecticut are warning residents not to bite the bait as phishing schemes make the rounds in the area. The Connecticut State Police Cyber Crime Investigations Unit issued an alert following a rash of phishing email scams that have impacted local residents. Police said that phishing is “when a scammer attempts to contact you through phone calls, emails, text messages or copycat websites in an attempt to get you to provide them with either money or valuable personal information. In cases where personal information is obtained, scammers can use your information to not only ste…
News
Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says
Cybercriminals are targeting online payroll accounts of employees in order to change bank account info and redirect direct deposits, according to the FBI. The federal government has received complaints reporting cybercriminals are targeting the online payroll accounts of employees in a variety of industries. Institutions most affected are education, healthcare and commercial airlines. Cybercriminals reportedly target employees through phishing emails designed to capture an employee’s login credentials, according to the FBI. Once the cybercriminal has obtained an employee’s credentials, th…
Police & Fire
CT Man Who Hacked Into More Than 200 Apple iCloud Accounts Sentenced
A Connecticut man is heading to prison after flying too close to the iCloud. North Branford resident George Garofano, 26, has been sentenced to eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to a computer hacking offense related to a phishing scheme that gave him access to hundreds of Apple iCloud accounts, several of which belonged to celebrities. Garofano’s guilty plea was a result of an investigation that was kicked off by the FBI in Los Angeles into the leaks of female celebrities in September 2014. Charges were filed in Connecticut against…
Police & Fire
State Police Warning: Look Out For Phishing Emails
State Police in Connecticut are warning residents not to bite the bait as a “phishing” scheme makes the rounds in the area. An alert was issued by state police involving the latest scam to hit the area, which is typically carried out by email spoofing or text messaging, directing people to enter personal information on a fake website that looks legitimate. Emails may also contain links to websites that will distribute malware. Police said that phishing is “when a scammer attempts to contact you through phone calls, emails, text messages or copycat websites in an attempt to get you to provid…
News
Nigerian National Admits To Phishing Scheme Victimizing CT School Employees
A Nigerian national who entered the country on a visitor’s visa that expired two years ago is facing a mandatory prison term after admitting to his role in a phishing scheme that victimized educators in Connecticut. Daniel Adekunle Ojo, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Durham, N.C., has pleaded guilty in New Haven District Court to fraud and identity theft charges that date back two years aago to a scheme to obtain identifying information of school employees both in Connecticut, and elsewhere, and later filing false tax returns in the names of his victims. In February last year, an employee…
News
Mailboxes In Public Areas Targeted To Steal Checks, New Canaan PD Says
Detectives from the New Canaan Police Department and members of the United States Postal Service are investigating several recent phishing incidents involving criminals targeting USPS mailboxes. The department issued a fraud alert this week, warning local residents that they are investigating a series of incidents involving alleged criminals using devices to drop into the USPS mailboxes and pull out mail that may include checks or other valuables. Police said that thieves are also targeting residential mailboxes with flags up, indicating mail is inside to be picked up. “Protect yourself and…
News
Beware Of This IRS Tax Scam, Police Warn
Officials with the New Canaan Police Department are warning employers and employees in Fairfield County to be aware of opportunistic IRS scammers who may attempt to scam residents in the area. In an alert issued on Monday, the department warned residents that “as you may be preparing and filing tax returns, be aware of IRS scammers,” who may attempt to intimidate vulnerable people over the phone with threats of arrest if one doesn’t pay with an iTunes gift card. Police said that under no circumstance should one provide a potential caller with any personal information and that one should han…
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