RoboKA: KAN Informed Multimodal Learning for RoboCall Surveillance System

Wide exploration on robocall surveillance research is hindered due to limited access to public datasets, due to privacy concerns. In this work, we first curate Robo-SAr, a synthetic robocall dataset designed for robocall surveillance research. Robo-SAr comprises of 200 unwanted and 1200 legitimat...

A week in security (March 9 – March 15)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: Watch out for fake Malwarebytes renewal notices in your calendar Google patches two Chrome zero-days under active attack. Update now Attackers impersonate Temu in ClickFix $Temu airdrop scam Apple patches Coruna exploit kit flaws for older iOS versions This Android...

How AI was used in an advanced phishing campaign targeting Gmail users

In May, 2024, the FBI warned about the increasing threat of cybercriminals using Artificial Intelligence AI in their scams. At the time, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp said: “Attackers are leveraging AI to craft highly convincing voice or video messages and emails to enable fraud scheme...

Disturbing robocaller fined $9.9 million

A federal court in Montana has fined a man $9.9 million after he was found responsible for causing thousands of unlawful and malicious spoofed robocalls. Sometimes there is good news. Well, for almost everybody except for the robocaller who was found guilty of unlawful robocalls to people in stat...

Social media influencers targeted by identity thieves

Social media influencers are attractive targets for identity thieves. With large followings and a literal influence on their followers, its no wonder they are targeted by scammers and spreaders of fake news. A subset of influencers are the so-called "finfluencers": influencers that provide their...

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...

AI-generated voices in robocalls are illegal, rules FCC

The Federal Communications Commission FCC has announced that calls made with voices generated with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI will be considered “artificial” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act TCPA. Effective immediately, that makes robocalls that implement voice cloning...

A week in security (January 29 – February 4)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs: CISA: Disconnect vulnerable Ivanti products TODAY FBI removes malware from hundreds of routers across the US "You have blood on your hands." Senate Committee calls for action by social media giants to protect children online Tax season is here, so are scammers Moth...

Decline in robocalls is encouraging, efforts seem to be working

The Federal Communications Commission FCC has announced that its recent actions with the Federal Trade Commission FTC against international robocalls appear to have had an effect. Robocalls are automated phone calls, often associated with scams and unwanted solicitations, which can be a nuisance ...

FCC Enforces Stronger Rules to Protect Customers Against SIM Swapping Attacks

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission FCC is adopting new rules that aim to protect consumers from cell phone account scams that make it possible for malicious actors to orchestrate SIM-swapping attacks and port-out fraud. "The rules will help protect consumers from scammers who target data...

The January 6 Secret Service Text Scandal Turns Criminal

Plus: The FCC cracks down on car warranty robocalls, Thai activists get targeted by NSO's Pegasus, and the Russia-Ukraine cyberwar continues...

U.S. Authorities Charge 6 Indian Call Centers Scamming Thousands of Americans

A number of India-based call centers and their directors have been indicted for their alleged role in placing tens of millions of scam calls aimed at defrauding thousands of American consumers. The indictment charged Manu Chawla, Sushil Sachdeva, Nitin Kumar Wadwani, Swarndeep Singh, Dinesh Manoh...

Robocalls More Than Doubled in 2021, Cost Victims $30B

No surprise to anyone with a phone: Robocalls are rampant. In fact, the number of scam calls more than doubled over the past year, successfully bilking wireless phone customers out of $29.8 billion in 2021 alone. Wireless carrier T-Mobile just released its Scam and Robocall year-end report, and t...

The DOJ Is Finally Suing US Telecom Providers for Robocalls

The defendants have allegedly connected hundreds of millions of fraudulent robocalls to US residents...

A week in security (November 4 – November 10)

Last week on Malwarebytes Labs, we announced the launch of Malwarebytes 4.0, tackled data privacy legislation, and explored some of the ways robocalls come gunning for your data and your money. We also laid out the steps involved in popular vendor email compromise attacks. Other cybersecurity new...

Growing rate of robocalls threatens user privacy

When a person sees a call from an unknown number and picks up to hear a recorded voice on the other end, they've received a robocall. Some are helpful, such as reminders of upcoming doctor's appointments or school announcements. However, the vast majority are from unsolicited parties trying to...

The Fight Against Robocalls Gets Powerful New Allies

All the state attorneys general, along with 12 major companies, promise to finally make serious moves against robocalls...

Who Owns Your Wireless Service? Crooks Do.

Incessantly annoying and fraudulent robocalls. Corrupt wireless company employees taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to unlock and hijack mobile phone service. Wireless providers selling real-time customer location data, despite repeated promises to the contrary. A noticeable uptic...

How to Stop Robocalls—or At Least Slow Them Down

Let's be honest, you can't kill robocalls completely. But you can block more of them than you might think...

FCC Addresses Robocalling – But Questions Remain

Robocalls and text spam – often in the service of widespread fraud campaigns – continue to persist, dogging consumers despite the existence of the national Do Not Call registry and efforts like the Truth in Caller ID Act. In an effort to alleviate the situation, Federal Communications Commission...