In a little more than a year, consumers affected by the Cryptowall ransomware have reported to the FBI more than $18 million in losses related to infections from the malware. Cryptowall is among the group of ransomware families that encrypt the files on victims’ computers and then demands a ransom in order to obtain the […]
Tag Archives: Scams
Phishers Going the Long Way Round to Avoid Filtering Systems
Any human with an email address likely has gotten thousands of spam messages that look like delivery notifications, invoices, or other alleged communications from shipping companies such as UPS or DHL. They typically contain malicious attachments with exploits for a browser or plug-in vulnerability, but a researcher at the University of Cambridge has run across […]
(More) Confessions of a Support Scammer
David Harley examines the latest confessions of a support scammer to appear on the web, this time from a Reddit Q&A.
The post (More) Confessions of a Support Scammer appeared first on We Live Security.
Phish Phood for Thought
In 2007, David Harley and Andrew Lee suggested at Virus Bulletin that poorly-designed phish quizzes did more harm than good. Has the picture changed much?
The post Phish Phood for Thought appeared first on We Live Security.
Security Questions Not So Secure
The Internet knows a lot about you, including your mother’s maiden name, your favorite food, and what street your first pet grew up on. And, according to some new research from Google, attackers have a good chance of figuring those things out pretty easily, too. The security questions that Google and other companies ask users as […]
Wise up and get smarter with your data
Most of us can agree that we don’t want our personal data falling into other people’s hands. This may seem like an obvious concept, but with the amount of data we regularly share online, it’s not such an uncommon occurrence that our information is wrongfully passed onto others. In this clever video published by Facebook Security, we learn how to nip scams in the bud and prevent others from tricking us into sharing personal information.
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Ever had someone approach you online saying they are a foreign prince and asking for your personal information? Watch…
Posted by Facebook Security on Monday, May 18, 2015
In order to keep your personal data secure, make sure to practice the following:
- Shred all personal documents before throwing them away. This is especially important when dealing with bank statements and bills.
- Be mindful of what you post on social media and other online forums.
- Choose your passwords carefully. Keep them diverse and don’t use the same password for each of your accounts.
- Use security software on all of your devices and make sure that it’s up to date.
How to spot a hacker before it’s too late? As the video’s narrator warns, “Beware of anyone requesting your personal data or money, whether over the phone, via email or online. They may pretend to be a romantic interest, a family member in trouble, or even a foreign prince – odds are, they’re not.”
Love hurts: Online dating scams are Australia’s top financial fraud
Australians were tricked out of around AUS$82 million (US$66 million) during 2014, with online dating scams accounting for the biggest losses.
The post Love hurts: Online dating scams are Australia’s top financial fraud appeared first on We Live Security.
Google Research Reveals Profitable, Pervasive Ad Injector Ecosystem
More than five percent of all unique IP addresses accessing Google sites included some kind of ad injector software, and there are more than 50,000 of those injector browser extensions in use today, according to new research from Google.
Researchers, FBI Warn of Nepal Earthquake Scams
The earthquake that hit Nepal late last month has caused untold damage in the region and kicked off a massive relief and aid effort. Attackers are loathe to let a chance like that go by, and they have concocted a number of schemes to deprive victims of their money and hope for relief funds. Aid organizations […]
David Harley on the evolution of scams and social engineering
Harley says that scams and social engineering have been a constant in cybercrime – but in the past few years, some scams have got markedly more sophisticated, and more difficult even for a trained eye to spot.
The post David Harley on the evolution of scams and social engineering appeared first on We Live Security.
