Pig butchering scams, how they work and how to avoid them

Pig butchering scams are big business. There are hundreds of millions of dollars involved every year. The numbers are not very precise because some see them as a special kind of romance scam, while others classify them as investment fraud. The victims in Pig Butchering schemes are referred to as...

CutOut.Pro AI Tool Data Breach: Hacker Leak 20 Million User Info

By Waqas In an exclusive statement to Hackread.com, CutOut.Pro denied the breach and labeled the leak as a 'clear scam.' This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: CutOut.Pro AI Tool Data Breach: Hacker Leak 20 Million User Info...

Savvy Seahorse Using Fake ChatGPT, Facebook Ads in DNS Investment Scam

By Deeba Ahmed The scammers creates fake investment platforms using popular companies like Tesla, Meta, and Imperial Oil and lures unsuspecting users into depositing funds. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Savvy Seahorse Using Fake ChatGPT, Facebook Ads in DNS Investment S...

Airbnb scam sends you to a fake Tripadvisor site, takes your money

One of my co-workers who works on Malwarebytes’ web research team just witnessed a real life example of how useful his work is in protecting people against scammers. Stefan decided to visit Amsterdam with his girlfriend, and found a very nice and luxurious apartment in Amsterdam on Airbnb. In the...

Details of a Phone Scam

First-person account of someone who fell for a scam, that started as a fake Amazon service rep and ended with a fake CIA agent, and lost $50,000 cash. And this is not a naive or stupid person. The details are fascinating. And if you think it couldnt happen to you, think again. Given the right set...

A week in security (February 12 – February 18)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: GoldPickaxe Trojan steals your face! Microsoft Exchange vulnerability actively exploited Massive utility scam campaign spreads via online ads Facebook Marketplace users’ stolen data offered for sale How ransomware changed in 2023 Malwarebytes crushes malware all th...

How to Not Get Scammed Out of $50,000

Plus: State-backed hackers test out generative AI, the US takes down a major Russian military botnet, and 100 hospitals in Romania go offline amid a major ransomware attack...

Malicious 'SNS Sender' Script Abuses AWS for Bulk Smishing Attacks

A malicious Python script known as SNS Sender is being advertised as a way for threat actors to send bulk smishing messages by abusing Amazon Web Services AWS Simple Notification Service SNS. The SMS phishing messages are designed to propagate malicious links that are designed to capture victims'...

Massive utility scam campaign spreads via online ads

For many households, energy costs represent a significant part of their overall budget. And when customers want to discuss their bills or look for ways to save money, scammers are just a phone call away. Enter the utility scam, where crooks pretend to be your utility company so they can threaten...

QR Code Scam: Fake Voicemails Target Users, 1000 Attacks in 14 Days

By Deeba Ahmed Fake Voicemail Phishing on the Rise: Check Point Reveals How Hackers are Exploiting Corporate Phone Systems. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: QR Code Scam: Fake Voicemails Target Users, 1000 Attacks in 14 Days...

A week in security (February 5 – February 11)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Ivanti urges customers to patch yet another critical vulnerability Ransomware in 2023 recap: 5 key takeaways FBI and CISA publish guide to Living off the Land techniques Warning from LastPass as fake app found on Apple App Store 2 million job seekers targeted by da...

Over 800 Phony “Temu” Domains Lure Shoppers into Credential Theft

By Deeba Ahmed Blank Image, Fake Link: Unraveling the Temu Phishing Scam Targeting Senior Shoppers! This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Over 800 Phony "Temu" Domains Lure Shoppers into Credential Theft...

Facebook fatal accident scam still rages on

Recently I wrote about a malvertising campaign on Facebook that has been going on for almost a year. Apparently Facebook is struggling to stop this campaign, so now this type of campaign is showing up in other languages than English. I have seen two different types in German. First Facebook scam...

A Deepfake Scammed a Bank out of $25M — Now What?

A finance worker in Hong Kong was tricked by a deepfake video conference. The future of defending against deepfakes is as much as human challenge as a technological one...

Safer Internet Day, or why Brad Pitt needed an internet bodyguard

February 6, 2024 is Safer Internet Day. When I was asked to write about the topic, I misunderstood the question and heard: “can you cover save the internet” and we all agreed that it might be too late for that. While we laughed about it, it made me think. The internet has been around for quite so...

Employee Duped by AI-Generated CFO in $25.6M Deepfake Scam

By Deeba Ahmed The incident took place in Hong Kong; however, the name of the targeted company is still unknown. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Employee Duped by AI-Generated CFO in $25.6M Deepfake Scam...

Patchwork Using Romance Scam Lures to Infect Android Devices with VajraSpy Malware

The threat actor known as Patchwork likely used romance scam lures to trap victims in Pakistan and India, and infect their Android devices with a remote access trojan called VajraSpy. Slovak cybersecurity firm ESET said it uncovered 12 espionage apps, six of which were available for download from...

FBI Warns of Tech Support Courier Scam Aiming at Cash and Metals

By Deeba Ahmed Seniors, Beware: This Tech Support Scam Goes Beyond Just Receiving Calls. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: FBI Warns of Tech Support Courier Scam Aiming at Cash and Metals...

A week in security (January 15 – January 21)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Google failing to scrub abortion access in location history, study claims Google changes wording for Incognito browsing in Chrome CISA urges urgent patching of two actively exploited Citrix NetScaler vulnerabilities Cybersecurity spend to soar in 2024: How companie...

Iran’s Mint Sandstorm APT Hits Universities with Hamas-Israel Phishing Scam

By Deeba Ahmed Bespoke Baits for Big Brains - Mint Sandstorm Deploys New Tactics to Infiltrate Universities. This is a post from HackRead.com Read the original post: Irans Mint Sandstorm APT Hits Universities with Hamas-Israel Phishing Scam...