Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Trained security awareness professionals are aware that whatever someone says about themselves and personal experiences can be used against them in a social engineering scam. It is always good to share that message, at least once a year with co-workers, family members, and friends. I was reminded of this latest news story discussing a recent Instagram and TikTok trend. Basically, users are sent (or send) a “survey” that asks the receiver to describe themselves.

Online shopping has allowed buyers to find bargains and conveniently purchase from retailers all over the world. However, cybercriminals take advantage of the anonymity of online shopping to scam online buyers. If you get scammed while shopping online, you need to contact your credit card issuer, freeze your credit, change any compromised passwords, contact the online marketplace and report the scam to the FTC.

Be careful of emails, SMS messages, or calls claiming to be from your bank about your card being used fraudulently. If this ever happens, call the phone number on the back of your card. This is a very common sort of social engineering fraud. Do not get scammed like TV host Andy Cohen did.

Read also: Four people arrested over ChatGPT-linked ransomware attacks, a scammer charged for stealing $7.5M from two charities, and more.

Anyone can get scammed. If you think you're somehow immune to being scammed, then, in my opinion, you're a prime target for being scammed. No one is too big, too clever, too security-savvy to avoid being duped because it's only human to make a mistake and screw up. And that certainly seems to be the case with Bill Lou.

The thriving online marketplace holds boundless opportunities for businesses and consumers. But lurking beneath the surface of convenient digital transactions is a persistent threat: ecommerce fraud. Consider the unsuspecting customer who stumbles upon what looks like your online store, snags a coveted deal, and enters their payment details—only to find out later that a fraudster has stolen their financial data from a spoofed website.

Cybersecurity researchers at Group-IB have identified a single scam campaign leveraging over 1500 websites impersonating postal carriers and shippers leading up to Christmas this year. Scammers are always taking advantage of those current trends that involve the potential for heightened emotions. During tax season it’s tax returns. During the NBA’s Final Four, it’s about sports betting or tickets to the game.

A credit card skimmer is a device that is attached to an actual card reader by a threat actor. Skimmers are commonly used by cybercriminals at non-bank ATMs and at gas station fuel pumps. Most skimmers installed at fuel pumps are placed outside of the view of the station administrator. Threat actors use skimmers to scan the information on a victim’s debit or credit card so they can commit credit card fraud or create counterfeit cards to sell on the dark web.

Read also: the US disrupts ALPHV/BlackCat operations, a NY engineer admits the hacks of two crypto exchanges, and more.

Tech scams are continuing to grow in scale and damage. According to CBS News, Americans have reported over $2.7 billion in losses to tech scams from social media alone. Further losses are being accrued through other sources, too, of course; but with that figure coming from one source, alone, the scale of the problem is laid out quite clearly. As more of the nation moves to a digital-first footing, these attacks are only likely to increase in volume, and scale, too.