Security Practices To Keep Financial Fraud At Bay

In 2023, the IC3 reported some shocking numbers. It received over 880,000 complaints from consumers regarding fraud. Total losses exceeded $12.5 billion. That’s not trivial bits of change and in fact, this just further shows how much businesses and their financial institutions are at risk of considerable losses still today. Fortunately, there are some simple processes that can be implemented to help stay on top of the risks. Financial institutions are sharing advice with businesses and each other on how to mitigate such attacks. READ FULL STORY

Text Scams Impersonating Financial Institutions

Jim Stickley gives a quick warning about malicious text messages that appear to come from your financial institution. READ FULL STORY

Hackers Flush Out Users’ Google Credentials

Hackers have begun employing a new annoyance technique to steal Google account passwords. This tactic, called credential flushing, relies on getting malware onto a device that locks the system into “kiosk mode.” In this mode, users are prevented from doing anything else without providing their account credentials. Once the victim provides them, hackers can log into the victim’s Google account and steal personal information or further compromise their online security. READ FULL STORY

AI Becomes Criminals' New Ally with the Emergence of FraudGPT

The digital landscape is facing a fresh threat: FraudGPT. This nefarious AI tool, hanging around at the backdoor of WormGPT, first popped up on July 22, 2023. Numerous underground websites and private Telegram channels were the first to notice its presence. What sets FraudGPT apart from other cyber threats is its versatility—it's a multi-purpose tool designed for an array of illicit activities. And once inside your computer, this software can wreak significant havoc. READ FULL STORY

AI Scrapes Your Data For Training: Take Steps To Protect Your Data

Large language models like ChatGPT have introduced complexity to the evolving online threat landscape. Cybercriminals are increasingly using these models to execute fraud and other attacks without requiring advanced coding skills. This threat is exacerbated by the availability of tools such as bots-as-a-service, residential proxies, CAPTCHA farms, and more. As a result, it's crucial for individuals and businesses to take proactive measures to protect their online presence. READ FULL STORY

WhatsApp Screen-Mirroring Scam Draining Bank Accounts

A new and dangerously convincing scam is spreading fast on WhatsApp, and it’s catching everyday users and tech pros alike off guard. At the center of it all is something millions of people use daily — a legitimate feature that makes life easier but, in the wrong hands, turns into a direct pipeline for cybercriminals to steal your money. Victims say it all starts with a simple message or call, and before they know it, their bank accounts are drained. READ FULL STORY

Your Email Address and Password Have Been Stolen, As Have Nearly 1 Billion Others

Your email and password might already be in the hands of cybercriminals. Security expert Troy Hunt, who operates Have I Been Pwned, recently received 2 billion unique email addresses found across multiple malicious lists and internet sources, including 1.3 billion unique passwords, according to reports from TechRepublic. This isn’t just another data breach—it’s a massive aggregation of stolen credentials that could put your accounts at serious risk. READ FULL STORY

QR Code Phishing Scams Spike 587%

It’s the latest form of email phishing to hit the headlines. Researchers at Check Point find QR code phishing scams, called “Quishing” were up a whopping 587% in just two months. Quishing is a phishing attack using emails to send a malicious QR code. And now this credential-stealing scam has grown into epic proportions. In our growing desire for instant information, QR codes and Quishing present a uniquely tempting challenge. Here’s what you need to know to help avoid Quishing. READ FULL STORY

Unpaid Toll Scam Drives Us All Crazy

Have you taken a toll road recently? Well, even if you haven’t, this story is for you. There is a text message going around that anyone who drives on highways or freeways should be on the lookout for and it’s just annoying enough to drive anyone mad. As you can guess, it involves driving (or perhaps not driving) toll roads and the supposed accompanying fees related to them, as well as fake websites, the attempted collection of information, and other phishing flags. READ FULL STORY

How's AI Changing Cyberattacks?

In this video, you will learn how criminals are incorporating AI into cyberattacks. From malicious emails to sophisticated malware, AI has become to the go-to source for criminals to target unsuspecting victims. Through this video, you will learn first hand how these attacks work and what they can do to protect themselves from falling victim. READ FULL STORY

What's Behind Man-In-The-Middle Attacks and How to Avoid Them

It’s not the game many of us played as kids, but it is a distorted take on the same idea. Man-in-the-middle (MitM) cyberattacks do put someone in the middle of two sides, but that someone is a cybercriminal. And those on either side are clueless victims. In reality, MitM attacks are anything but a game. A typical MitM attack can disrupt operations, intercept usernames and passwords, emails, banking, and other financial details. Read on about how MitM attacks play out, including ways to avoid being caught up in these crimes. READ FULL STORY

Scammers Strive To Support You, Technically

Since at least October of 2022 the FBI has noticed an uptick in scams related to technical support. The scammers will pretend to be a company that is offering a technical support service that now wants to refund some money to you for a past service. There are other variations of the scam, but for the most part the goal is to get your information so they can do a wire transfer that steals money from you. Technical support scams are old news, but they continue to work. READ FULL STORY