Tag:

Phishing

Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says Scam Alert: Phishing Text Messages On Rise, New Report Says
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…
Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts Alert Issued For Scam USPS Package Delivery Postponed Texts
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…
COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine, Stimulus Scams, NY Attorney General Says COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine, Stimulus Scams, NY Attorney General Says
Covid-19: Beware Of These Vaccine, Stimulus Scams, NY Attorney General Says Opportunistic fraudsters have been taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic recently, prompting Attorney General Letitia James to issue a warning to New Yorkers. James said that New Yorkers should remain vigilant about scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically vaccine and stimulus check schemes that have become more prevalent as the country combats the spread of the virus. 
“As more New Yorkers become eligible for the vaccine that will help prevent the spread of the disease and a new round of stimulus payments are sent out to combat the economic fallout of the pandemic, scammers…
Scam Alert Issued For 'Update Your Contact Info' Fake DMV Emails, Texts Scam Alert Issued For 'Update Your Contact Info' Fake DMV Emails, Texts
Scam Alert Issued For 'Update Your Contact Info' Fake DMV Emails, Texts The New York State DMV is warning drivers it has seen an increase in scammers pretending to be the department in an attempt to commit identity theft.  These attempts often include logos, images, and content copied from the legitimate New York State DMV website (or another government site) to make their fraudulent communication appear realistic. Phishing can also be in the form of phone solicitations, fraudulent social media accounts, or websites.  "We encourage you to remain vigilant and to use caution to protect your data," the department said. "Remember that if the message does not feel…
Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam Alert Issued For Netflix 'Update Your Payment' Email Scam
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…
COVID-19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams COVID-19: Justice Department Issues Alert For These Scams
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…
Scam Alert: Don't Fall For These Tax Season Schemes Scam Alert: Don't Fall For These Tax Season Schemes
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 …
267M Facebook Users Had Names, Phone Numbers Leaked On Dark Web 267M Facebook Users Had Names, Phone Numbers Leaked On Dark Web
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 …
Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams Warnings Issued For Text, TV 'Smishing' Scams
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…
Alert Issued For Scam Targeting Amazon Prime Subscribers Alert Issued For Scam Targeting Amazon Prime Subscribers
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…
Alert Issued For Wire Fraud Scam Targeting Direct Deposit Info Alert Issued For Wire Fraud Scam Targeting Direct Deposit Info
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…
Alert Issued For IRS 'Spoofing' Scam Alert Issued For IRS 'Spoofing' Scam
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…
Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says Cybercriminals Targeting Online Payroll Accounts Of Employees, FBI Says
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…