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Cybercriminals are Stealing from you by Using these COVID-19 Scams

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It is estimated that COVID-19 fraud has cost Americans more than $13 million, and it is rising. This comes from the US government.

The US Federal Trade Commission has added up the costs of all of these scams. They are looking from those that started from the 1st of January to the current week. What are these numbers made of? Mostly vacation and travel scams, as these have added up to $4.7 million lost. Online shopping scams are also out there, but they have only added up to $1.4 million.

The global spread of coronavirus has forced people to change the way they live, work, and even socialize. This is going to be the case for some time to come, and because of this, the cybercriminals have jumped onto the bandwagon, and they know…if they are lucky…this could be a lucrative thing for them.

These COVID-19 scams are definitely playing on the fears of the general public, and the goal of these cyber criminals is to get their targets to give them their personal information. Then, the bad guys use this information to commit fraud. In other words, they take money directly out of the hands of the people who need it the most.

What are the Tactics that People are Using to Hack Their Victims

There are a number of COVID-19 tactics that are being used to trick people into giving away their personal information, and in some cases, their hard-earned money.

Most of the tactics are combining phishing texts and emails with fake sites. Here are some of the things that are commonly found in a number of different languages:

  • Malware that is sent by “official” feeds, which are not really official. These include things like real time COVID-19 maps, which are actually meant to spread malware.
  • Messages that are offering an iPhone 11…for free…to help pass the time at home.
  • Messages offering payday loans to help people who are having problems with money.
  • Scams advertising products that are supposedly “cures” for COVID-19.
  • Coronavirus-themed domain names that seem to offer official information about the virus, but instead, simply spread viruses.
  • Emails from sources that show they are from WHO, the CDC, or even local governments.
  • Emails that ask for donations for COVID-19 research
  • Emails that look like they are coming from the government that have fake links allowing you to claim a tax refund.
  • People from the UK have reported getting fake emails saying they are from the BBC and the person’s TV license is expired. Then, they are asked to go to a website and update their details.
  • Phone calls are coming that are recorded and telling people that their broadband access will be cut off within 24 hours thanks to “illegal activity,” and the user must “press 1” to speak with a person to fix it. Once you are connected, they do all they can to get personal information from you.
  • Emails from people claiming to be “company officials,” that contain and attachment with the names of people within the organization that have tested positive for COVID-19.

No person nor industry is immune to this, so keep your eyes open and stay safe.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program and the home security expert for Porch.com

Beware of IRS Stimulus Check Scams

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The IRS has been urging taxpayers to be aware of calls and emails that might lead victims to give up their personal information to cyberthieves.

IRS Commissioner, Chuck Rettig, has been urging people to take more care during this time. He reminds taxpayers that the IRS won’t ever call to verify or collect financial information in order for you to get your refund faster. The IRS will also never email taxpayers asking for this information. Fraudulent text messages are also on the rise.

Cybercriminals have always taken advantage of times of trouble, and now that we are in the throes of coronavirus, they are continuing this. While people are waiting to get their stimulus payments and tax refunds, it is extremely important to remain vigilant.

Don’t Fall for These Scams

The IRS has definitely seen many more phishing schemes. In most cases, the IRS deposits these payments directly into the bank accounts of the taxpayer. Those who have previously filed, but have not provided direct deposit information, must provide this on the IRS.gov website. If they don’t do that, the IRS will mail a paper check to the taxpayer.

It is also important to mention that the IRS has reminded those who have retired and don’t have to file a tax return that they don’t have to do anything in order to receive their stimulus check. Cybercriminals tend to focus on seniors, and they may try to reach out by mail, phone, or email and ask for information such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers or other identifying info. The IRS will not contact these people, so don’t give any info if you are in this group.

Other Information from the IRS

The IRS is also reminding taxpayers that there are signs that something is a scam. Here are some of them:

  • The official term of the payment is “economic impact payment.” If you see terms like “Stimulus Payment” or “Stimulus Check, it’s probably a scam.
  • It is a scam if someone asks you to sign over your check to them.
  • It’s a scam if they ask you to verify your personal or financial information via phone, text, social media, mail, or email.
  • If they suggest that you can get your money faster by supplying information, it is a scam.
  • If you get a check in the mail that seems a bit off, and then you are asked to verify information online, it is a scam.

Reporting These Scams

If you believe that you might be a target or victim of a scam like this, you should do your best to report it. If you get an email, for instance, you should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

It is also recommended that you do not engage with potential scammers on the phone or internet. There are guidelines on how to deal with this on the IRS.gov website.

Official information about the IRS and how it is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is also available online at the Coronavirus Tax Relief page online.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program and the home security expert for Porch.com

Fake Emails are Becoming a Major Issue for Businesses

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You might be surprised to know that more than 3.4 billion fake emails are sent around the globe each day. What does this mean? It means that almost every company out there is vulnerable to cybercrimes in the form of “spoofing” and “phishing.” On top of this, most companies out there have not protected themselves from this type of cyber attack. What’s even more interesting is that the vast majority of these emails are not coming from some foreign land, but they are coming from sources based in the US.

This all sounds pretty dreary, but it’s not all bad. Research is showing that many industries in the US are making strides against these fake emails, though some are working harder than others.

To get the data for this research, companies like Valimail is using data from internal analysis of billions of different email authentication requests. The company also used almost 20 million public records about email to publish its report.

This report shows that email impersonation, which made up 1.2 percent of all emails sent during the first quarter of 2019, is the favorite weapon of cyber criminals to get access to a network. They also try to get access to sensitive information and intellectual property.

Fake emails are a problem, and they are not blocked by cybersecurity defenses that are traditionally used.

These fake emails are one of the biggest sources of cyberattacks. As more businesses recognize email vulnerabilities, organizations should start using authentication technology to protect against fraudulent and untrustworthy senders.

The fact is this: too many cybercriminals are using fake emails to get through these defenses, and better methods to identify senders is needed to make sure that email is more trustworthy both now and in the future.

Protect Yourself

  • The e-mails usually contain at least one link they want you to click. Hover your mouse to see what the URL is. It may appear legit, but note the “http” part.
  • Reputable sites for giant businesses, such as Microsoft and PayPal, will have an “https” in their URL. The phishing link’s URL will usually not have the “s.”
  • A big red flag is if there are typos or poorly constructed sentences, but a phishing e-mail may also have flawless text.
  • Don’t be fooled by company logos, stock imagery, privacy policies, phone numbers and other formalities in the message field. It’s so easy for a hacker to put these elements in there.
  • Be leery of warnings or alerts that don’t sound right. Gee, why would your account be “in danger of being suspended”?

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity Protection security awareness training program.

Deepfakes and the Impact on Cybersecurity Now and in the Future

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Can you believe what you see in a video? Most people say ‘yes,’ but the truth is, you no longer can. We all know that photos can be altered, but videos? Thanks to artificial intelligence, these, too, are being altered at a very quick rate.

These videos, known as “deepfakes,” are out there, and they are doing a number on cybersecurity. In fact, leaders in the cybersecurity sector are warning consumers that high tech video alteration is here, and it is very difficult to tell with the naked eye whether or not a video is real or fake.

Leaders in cybersecurity shared an example of how this works. Basically, they created a video of a man, Steve Grobman, an executive from McAfee, speaking. However, the words he was speaking were not his own; they were the words of Celeste Fralick, a female data scientist, who had created this deepfake video to make a point. This might seem like a fun trick to play on your friends, but in reality, it could have a huge impact on cybersecurity, as things like phishing and social engineering will become easier than ever for hackers.

Deepfakes and artificial intelligence can also be used for audio too. Meaning a person’s words can be spliced together seamlessly to create full sentences. Joe Rogan the comedian and podcaster who has 1300+ podcasts was used as a demo. But even more disturbing is Joe Rogans voice with Taylor Swifts face.

What could this mean for you? Well, since it’s so relatively easy to make a video like this, it could cause some real issues for the public. One way that it could be used is to start with a photo, and then change a very small part of it. This change would be unable to be noticed by a human, but the change would be enough for AI to see the photo as something else. So, if you can confuse something like artificial intelligence, you could certainly confuse the systems that are built to stop cybersecurity.

This could have a lot of negative impact on all of us, and it could really give a boost to those who make a living in taking advantage of others via cybercrimes.

The good news is that though this type of technology could be used for bad, artificial intelligence could also be used for good things. For example, the technology could be used to create a crime map of where crimes have happened and where arrests could be made, which would make our streets, safer. At the same time, it could also be used by criminals to know where they could commit a crime without being arrested. You could also look at it like this. During World War II, more than two million people were killed by bombs that were dropped from airplanes. Based on that information, Orville Wright, the inventor of the airplane, was asked if he regretted this invention. He said ‘no.’ Why? Because he looked at the airplane as similar as to fire; it could cause terrible destruction, but at the same time, it is so very useful. This new technology is the same, and it will be interesting to see how it comes to truly be used in the future.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Want to be a Cybercriminal? Try Facebook

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When you think of a cybercriminal, you probably picture someone in a black hoodie in a dark room on the dark web, but most cybercriminals are out there in plain sight, including on Facebook.

facebook security

Talos, a cybersecurity firm, found that people can easily join Facebook groups, and then participate in cybercrime including buying and selling credit card info, obtaining spamming tools, or even getting account logins and passwords. All in all, these groups have almost 400,000 members.

Though that does sound like a lot, and it is a lot, you also have to remember that Facebook has about 2 billion users logging into the site each month. With that number of people, it is difficult for the social media giant to deal with these groups.

The failure of Facebook to remove these cybercriminals shows that it is struggling to keep bad online behavior at bay, and this also include hate speech, inciting violence, and sharing false information. This also, of course, show how this behavior can be amplified by the algorithms that Facebook uses.

These groups are easy to find on Facebook. All you have to do is type things like CVV or spam. Once you join one of these groups, Facebook’s algorithms come into play and suggest other groups that are similar in nature. Plus, Facebook doesn’t have a great way to catch these criminals, as it relies on reports from other users to stop this type of behavior.

Because of this, Facebook really has a long way to go before it stops relying on the reports of its users. It’s also true that these reports aren’t always taken seriously, and they often fall through the cracks.

One such example of this is with the recent terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. The gunman who was responsible for the attack streamed his murderous act on Facebook Live. Though Facebook eventually took the video down, it was seen by thousands of people. However, Facebook said that it had no report of the video during the attack, which is why it took so long to remove it.

Knowing all of this, Talos tried to take on some of these crybercrime groups through the reporting system at Facebook. Some of these groups were, indeed, removed from the platform, but others were not. Instead, only specific posts were removed, while the group itself was able to live another day. Talos kept reporting these groups, however, and eventually, most of them were removed. However, new groups are now popping up to take the removed groups’ places. Facebook has acknowledged that there is a problem, and it admits that these groups have violated its policies. It also said that it knows that more vigilance is required and that it is investigating all types of criminal activity on the platform.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Background Checks Don’t Tell the Whole Story

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When it comes to background checks, the National Crime Information Center is the gold standard. It is only available to law enforcement agencies and is the most accurate and complete database tracking convictions and arrests in the US. That sounds pretty great, right? Unfortunately, it’s not all as it seems.

The Department of Justice

The Department of Justice recently released a report based on a two-year study of convictions and arrests from 2016. The report shows that a very low percentage of convictions and arrests actually make it to the National Crime Information Center. What does this mean? It means that even if a commercial background check company is using the best information, it’s only able to get information on about 13% of all crimes. On top of that, there is a pretty standard 30% error rate on background checks based on factors such as typos, misspellings, and data entry errors. Yikes.

The Reliance of Background Checks

It doesn’t matter if you are an employer, a landlord, or even a private citizen hiring a babysitter or contractor, odds are good that you think a criminal background check is a good idea. But, the fact that we not only rely on these checks, but also believe that they are fool-proof, is quite problematic.

Other Implications of Background Checks

The inaccuracy of background checks is only one of the issues associated with them. Another issue is that there is a big possibility that these commercial background checks could violate the Fair Housing Act because it might be seen as intentional discrimination. Additionally, though people with criminal records are not protected under the Fair Housing Act, statistically, this creates a disproportionate impact on minorities. According to the Fair Housing Act, minorities are protected.

Though it seems like a great idea to run a criminal background check, as you can see, it’s not always a black and white result. Criminal history databases are not complete, there are high rates of errors, and these background checks might be violations of the Fair Housing Act. At the very least, someone could have a good case against it if you use a criminal background check as a basis for a housing decision. When thinking about if a background check is worth it or not, it probably is, but you also have to be aware of the possibility that you are not going to get the entire story.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

A “Credit Profile Number” is a fake SSN, and it Works

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Cyber criminals are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the good guys, and there is now another scam out there that you should know about: synthetic identity theft. Basically, the criminals take information from someone, and then make up the rest. They also often use fake Social Security numbers, called CPNs, or “credit profile numbers,” or names.

This type of identity theft shows us that our credit system is more vulnerable than we might think. Basically, it is easy to create a credit file on these identities, and once they have that, they can get a credit card or loan.

Of course, using a CPN like this on an application for credit card or loan is illegal, but lenders currently don’t have a conclusive way of distinguishing a real Social Security number from one of these fake ones. The Social Security Administration generates SSNs randomly. This makes it difficult for a lender to notice a fake one. Technically, a lender can contact the SSA and cross-check, but most of them don’t. Why? Because the SSA requires a handwritten signature from the person who has that SSN, and this is a pain in the neck for lenders.

So, of course, the best thing to do is to create a way for lenders to instantly check to see if a Social Security number is valid or not, and as of now, they do not have the capacity to do this. Lenders do, however, use their own fraud-detection tools, but these requests for credit still fall through the cracks.

This practice also has created more open windows for fraudsters, because they know that the system is vulnerable. It’s true that many lenders won’t accept a credit application from someone with no history of borrowing, which is the case with a CPN, but some still do, and the more activity the file sees, the more likely it is that credit will be given. Once credit is approved, a full credit report is created. Though it likely won’t be a high amount of credit, many lenders take a chance on new borrowers, and at a minimum, extend a couple of hundred dollars. Some people will even get a card that has, say a $300 limit, and use the card for a time. Once they establish a good payment history, they can get a credit increase, and that’s where the fun really begins.

This is just one more scam that you should be aware of, and one more reason to keep your private and personal information safe.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Be aware of all these Confidence Crimes

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Criminals have a reliance on tricking victims to get access to account information, like passwords. This is known as social engineering, and is also called a “confidence crime.” These come in many forms:

Do Not Take the Bait of These Phishermen

  • A phishing email that targets a specific person is known as spear-phishing. A spear-phishing email looks like an email that might come from a legitimate company to a specific person. For example, a thief might send a fake email to a company’s employee who handles money or IT. It looks like the email is from the CEO of the company, and it asks the employee for sensitive information, such as the password for a financial account or to transfer funds somewhere.
  • Telephones are used for phishing, too, also called “vishing,” which is a combination of phishing and voicemail.
  • Fake invoices are also popular among hackers and scammers. In this case, a fake invoice is sent to a company that looks like one from a legitimate vendor. Accounting pays the invoice, but the payment actually goes to a hacker.
  • Another scam is when a bad guy leaves a random USB drive around the office or in a parking lot. His hope is that someone will find it, get nosy, and insert it into their computer. When they do, it releases malware onto the network.
  • Cyber criminals also might try to impersonate a vendor or company employee to get access to business information.
  • If someone calls, if you get an email, if the doorbell rings, or if someone enters your office, always look at it with suspicion.

Be thoughtful about security:

  • Set up all bank accounts with two-factor authentication. All web-based email accounts should have two factor authentication. This way, even if a hacker gets your password, they still can’t access your accounts.
  • Train staff to be careful about what they post on social media, such as the nickname the CEO goes by in the office.
  • Do not click any link inside of an email. These often contain viruses that can install themselves on your network.
  • Any requests for money or other sensitive data should be verified over the phone or in-person. Never just give the information in an email.
  • All money transfers should require not one, but two signatures.
  • Make sure all employees are fully trained to recognize a phishing attempt. Also, make sure to stage phishing simulation attempts to make sure they are following protocol.
  • Help people understand the importance of looking out for things like a new email address for the CEO or Kathy in accounting suddenly signing her name Kathi.
  • Also, teach staff to report any uncharacteristic behaviors with long-time vendors or even fellow coworkers.

I once presented a security awareness program to a company that was almost defrauded. They hired me because of an email accounting had received from the CEO. The CEO sent a nice proper letter to accounting requesting payment be made to a specific known vendor.

A number of things were wrong with the email. First and foremost, like I mentioned, the email was nice and proper. Apparently the CEO isn’t all that nice, is somewhat of a bully, and all his communications are laden with profanity. So the red flags, where the fact that the email was nice. Imagine.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Researchers Say Office of Personnel Management Hack Leads to Ransomware

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In June, 2015, it was revealed by an anonymous source that the Office of Personnel Management was hacked. This office, which administers civil service, is believed to have been the target of the Chinese government. This is one of the largest hacks in history involving a federal organization.

Slowly, the motivation behind the hacking is being understood. At first, it seemed obvious, the stolen data being personally identifiable information, which is what was taken can be used for new account fraud. But in government breaches, they usually look for military plans, blueprints, and documents that deal with policy.

The question, of course, is why did the hackers focus on this information? Well, some of the data that was taken was used to launch other attackers against contractors, and this resulted in the access to several terabytes of data.

Now, those who have become victims of this attack have found themselves being the target of ransomware.

Security experts have recently noticed that the victims have been getting phishing emails, and these messages look like they are coming directly from the Office of Personnel Management. When these emails arrive, the body and subject of the message seem as if the email contains an important file. When the unsuspecting victim downloads the .ZIP file, however, they instead receive a type of ransomware called Locky.

These attacks are much more dangerous than the average phishing attack. This is mainly due to the fact that they are being received by those who have worked with the Office of Personnel Management before. Thus, they have seen the genuine emails from the office, which look remarkably similar to the fake ones. The only thing that set the two emails apart was a typo that said “king regards,” instead of “kind regards,” and a phone number that doesn’t work. These are details that many people overlook, which makes it easy for hackers to be successful with these schemes.

Who was Really Behind This Hack?

Though experts believe that the Chinese government is behind this hack, there are some facts that look a bit fishy. For instance, since personal data was taken and data has been taking hostage, this seems much more like a typical cybercrime operation instead of something that a nation would do. After all, why would China be looking for a few hundred dollars from people who want their files back?

Of course, this could be a smokescreen and someone could just be using this attack as a smokescreen…and while experts are focused on this, the real attack could be planned for the future.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

How to Make $5 Million a Day in Cybercrime

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This post isn’t exactly a “how to” but if your current employment isn’t bringing in the bacon, I’m sure your criminal mind can figure it out. In the biggest digital advertising fraud in the history of the U.S., it was recently found that a group of hackers is bringing in from $3 million to $5 million a day from media companies and brands. That’s some scratch!

11DWhite Ops, an online fraud-prevention firm, uncovered this campaign, which they have called “Methbot,” and the firm found that the campaign is generating more than 300 million video ad impressions each day.

AFT13, which is a cyber criminal gang, has worked to develop the Methbot browser, which spoofs all of the interactions that are necessary to initiate and carry out these ad transactions.

The hackers, which are allegedly Russia-based, have registered more than 250,000 distinct URLs and 6,000 domains, all of which impersonate US brand and companies, including Vogue, ESPN, Fox News, Huffington Post, and CBS Sports. They then take these sites and sell fake ad slots.

The cybercriminals that are behind Methbot are using their servers, which are hosted in Amsterdam and Texas, to give power to almost 600,000 bots. These have fake IP addresses, most of which belong to the US, and this makes it look like the ads are being viewed by visitors in the US. The criminals then get video-ad inventory, which they display on the fake media website that they have created. They get top dollar for this, and they trick the marketplace into believing that this content is being seen by legitimate visitors. In reality, however, these ads are being “viewed” by fake viewers thanks to an automated program that mimics a user watching an ad.

To make the bots look even more real, the group also uses methods such as fake clicks, mouse movements, and even social network login info. White Ops has also found that this fake army of viewers has amassed about 300 million ad views each day, and it has an average payout of about $13 per every 1000 views. If you multiply this by the compromised IP addresses out there, the money is rolling in.

White Ops believes that the Methbot empire has created from 200 to 300 million fake video ad impressions each day, which targets about 6,000 publishers. In a 24-hour period, this is generating somewhere between $3 and $5 million in each 24-hour period.

While the operation has its headquarters in Russia, White Ops can’t say for sure that Methbot has Russian origins. The good guys have been in contact with the FBI, and together, they have been working towards stopping this scam for several weeks.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.