131 percent increase in viruses targeted towards remote workers: Fortinet
"Cybercriminals are unleashing a surprisingly high volume of new threats in this short period of time to take advantage of inadvertent security gaps as organizations are in a rush to ensure business continuity.”
Cyber security firm Fortinet on Monday announced that over the past several weeks, it has been monitoring a significant spike in COVID-19 related threats.
An unprecedented number of unprotected users and devices are now online with one or two people in every home connecting remotely to work through the internet. Simultaneously there are children at home engaged in remote learning and the entire family is engaged in multi-player games, chatting with friends as well as streaming music and video. The cybersec firm’s FortiGuard Labs is observing this perfect storm of opportunity being exploited by cybercriminals as the Threat Report on the Pandemic highlights:
A surge in Phishing Attacks: The research shows an average of about 600 new phishing campaigns every day. The content is designed to either prey on the fears and concerns of individuals or pretend to provide essential information on the current pandemic. The phishing attacks range from scams related to helping individuals deposit their stimulus for Covid-19 tests, to providing access to Chloroquine and other medicines or medical device, to providing helpdesk support for new teleworkers.
Phishing Scams Are Just the Start: While the attacks start with a phishing attack, their end goal is to steal personal information or even target businesses through teleworkers. Majority of the phishing attacks contain malicious payloads – including ransomware, viruses, remote access trojans (RATs) designed to provide criminals with remote access to endpoint systems, and even RDP (remote desktop protocol) exploits.
A Sudden Spike in Viruses: The first quarter of 2020 has documented a 17% increase in viruses for January, a 52% increase for February and an alarming 131% increase for March compared to the same period in 2019. The significant rise in viruses is mainly attributed to malicious phishing attachments. Multiple sites that are illegally streaming movies that were still in theatres secretly infect malware to anyone who logs on. Free game, free movie, and the attacker is on your network.
Risks for IoT Devices magnify: As users are all connected to the home network, attackers have multiple avenues of attack that can be exploited targeting devices including computers, tablets, gaming and entertainment systems and even online IoT devices such as digital cameras, smart appliances – with the ultimate goal of finding a way back into a corporate network and its valuable digital resources.
Ransomware like attack to disrupt business: If the device of a remote worker can be compromised, it can become a conduit back into the organization’s core network, enabling the spread of malware to other remote workers. The resulting business disruption can be just as effective as ransomware targeting internal network systems for taking a business offline. Since helpdesks are now remote, devices infected with ransomware or a virus can incapacitate workers for days while devices are mailed in for reimaging.
“Though organizations have completed the initial phase of transitioning their entire workforce to remote telework and employees are becoming increasingly comfortable with their new reality, CISOs continue to face new challenges presented by maintaining a secure teleworker business model. From redefining their security baseline, or supporting technology enablement for remote workers, to developing detailed policies for employees to have access to data, organizations must be nimble and adapt quickly to overcome these new problems that are arising”, said Derek Manky, Chief, Security Insights & Global Threat Alliances at Fortinet – Office of CISO.
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Introduction
The Online Lottery Scam involves a scammer reaching out through email, phone or SMS to inform you that you have won a significant amount of money in a lottery, instructing you to contact an agent at a specific phone number or email address that actually belongs to the fraudster. Once the agent is reached out to, the recipient will need to cover processing charges in order to claim the lottery reward. Upfront Paying is required in order to receive your reward. However, actual rewards come at no cost. Additionally, such defective 'offers’ often contain phishing attacks, tricking users into clicking on malicious links.
Modus Operandi
The common lottery fraud starts with a message stating that the receiver has won a large lottery prize. These messages are frequently crafted to imitate official correspondence from reputable institutions, sweepstakes, or foreign administrations. The scammers request the receiver to give personal information like name, address, and banking details, or to make a payment for taxes, processing fees, or legal procedures. After the victim sends the money or discloses their personal details, the scammers may vanish or persist in requesting more payments for different reasons.
Tactics and Psychological Manipulation
These fraudulent techniques mostly rely on psychological manipulation to work. Fraudsters by persuading the victims create the fake sense of emergency that they must act quickly in order to get the lottery prize. Additionally, they prey on people's hopes for a better life by convincing them that this unanticipated gain has the power to change their destiny. Many people fall prey to the scam because they are driven by the desire to get wealthy and fail to recognize the warning indications. Additionally, fraudsters frequently use convincing language and fictitious documentation that appears authentic, hence users need to be extra cautious and recognise the early signs of such online fraudulent activities.
Festive Season and Uptick in Deceptive Online Scams
As the festive season begins, there is a surge in deceptive online scams that aim at targeting innocent internet users. A few examples of such scams include, free Navratri garba passes, quiz participation opportunities, coupons offering freebies, fake offers of cheap jewellery, counterfeit product sales, festival lotteries, fake lucky draws and charity appeals. Most of these scams are targeted to lure the victims for financial gain.
In 2023, CyberPeace released a research report on the Navratri festivities scam where we highlighted the ‘Tanishq iPhone 15 Gift’ scam which involved fraudsters posing as Tanishq, a well-known jewellery brand, and offering fake iPhone 15 as Navratri gifts. Victims were lured into clicking on malicious links. CyberPeace issued a detailed advisory within the report, highlighting that the public must exercise vigilance, scrutinise the legitimacy of such offers, and take precautionary measures to shield themselves from falling prey to such deceptive cyber schemes.
Preventive Measures for Lottery Scams
To avoid lottery scams ,users should avoid responding to messages or calls about fake lottery wins, verify the source of the lottery, maintain confidentiality by not sharing sensitive personal details, approach unexpected windfalls with scepticism, avoid upfront payment requests, and recognize manipulative tactics by scammers. Ignoring messages or calls about fake lottery wins is a smart move. Verifying the source and asking probing questions is also crucial. Users are also advisednot to click on such unsolicited links of lottery prizes received in emails or messages as such links can be phishing attempts. These best practices can help protect the victims against scammers who pressurise victims to act quickly that led them to fall prey to such scams.
Must-Know Tips to Prevent Lottery Scams
● It is advised to steer clear of any communication that offers lotteries or giveaways, as these are often perceived as too good to be true.
● It is advised to refrain from transferring money to individuals/entities who are unknown without verifying their identity and credibility.
● If you have already given the fraudsters your bank account details, it is crucial to alert your bank immediately.
● Report any such incidents on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in or Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930.
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Introduction
Cyber slavery has emerged as a serious menace. Offenders target innocent individuals, luring them with false promises of employment, only to capture them and subject them to horrific torture and forced labour. According to reports, hundreds of Indians have been imprisoned in 'Cyber Slavery' in certain Southeast Asian countries. Indians who have travelled to South Asian nations such as Cambodia in the hopes of finding work and establishing themselves have fallen victim to the illusion of internet slavery. According to reports, 30,000 Indians who travelled to this region on tourist visas between 2022 and 2024 did not return. India Today’s coverage demonstrated how survivors of cyber slavery who have somehow escaped and returned to India have talked about the terrifying experiences they had while being coerced into engaging in cyber slavery.
Tricked by a Job Offer, Trapped in Cyber Slavery
India Today aired testimonials of cyber slavery victims who described how they were trapped. One individual shared that he had applied for a well-paying job as an electrician in Cambodia through an agent in Delhi. However, upon arriving in Cambodia, he was offered a job with a Chinese company where he was forced to participate in cyber scam operations and online fraudulent activities.
He revealed that a personal system and mobile phone were provided, and they were compelled to cheat Indian individuals using these devices and commit cyber fraud. They were forced to work 12-hour shifts. After working there for several months, he repeatedly requested his agent to help him escape. In response, the Chinese group violently loaded him into a truck, assaulted him, and left him for dead on the side of the road. Despite this, he managed to survive. He contacted locals and eventually got in touch with his brother in India, and somehow, he managed to return home.
This case highlights how cyber-criminal groups deceive innocent individuals with the false promise of employment and then coerce them into committing cyber fraud against their own country. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center (I4C), there has been a significant rise in cybercrimes targeting Indians, with approximately 45% of these cases originating from Southeast Asia.
CyberPeace Recommendations
Cyber slavery has developed as a serious problem, beginning with digital deception and progressing to physical torture and violent actions to commit fraudulent online acts. It is a serious issue that also violates human rights. The government has already taken note of the situation, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is taking proactive steps to address it. It is important for netizens to exercise due care and caution, as awareness is the first line of defence. By remaining vigilant, they can oppose and detect the digital deceit of phony job opportunities in foreign nations and the manipulative techniques of scammers. Netizens can protect themselves from significant threats that could harm their lives by staying watchful and double-checking information from reliable sources.
References
- CyberPeace Highlights Cyber Slavery: A Serious Concern https://www.cyberpeace.org/resources/blogs/cyber-slavery-a-serious-concern
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-today-operation-cyber-slaves-stories-of-golden-triangle-network-of-fake-job-offers-2642498-2024-11-29
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/cyber-slavery-survivors-narrate-harrowing-accounts-of-torture-2642540-2024-11-29?utm_source=washare
About Customs Scam:
The Customs Scam is a type of fraud where the scammers pretend to be from the renowned courier office company (DTDC, etc.), or customs department or other government entities. They try to deceive the targets to transfer the money to resolve the fake customs related concerns. The Research Wing at CyberPeace along with the Research Wing of Autobot Infosec Private Ltd. delved into this case through Open Source Intelligence methods and undercover interactions with the scammers and concluded with some credible information.
Case Study:
The victim receives a phone call posing as a renowned courier office (DTDC, etc.) employee (in some case custom’s officer) that a parcel in the name of the victim has been taken into custody because of inappropriate content. The scammer provides the victim an employee ID, FIR number to prove the authenticity of the case and also they show empathy towards the victim. The scammer pretends to help the victim to connect with a police officer for further action. This so-called police officer shows transparency in his work. He asks him to join a skype video call and he even provides time to install the skype app. He instructs the victim to connect with the skype id provided by the fake police officer where the scammer created a fake police station environment. He also claims that he contacted the headquarters and the victim’s phone number is associated with many illegal activities to create panic to the victim. Then the scammers also ask the victim to give their personal details such as home address, office address, aadhar card number, PAN card number and screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available account balance for the sake of so-called investigation. Sometimes scammers also demand a high amount of money to resolve the issue and create fake urgency to trap the victim in making the payment. He sternly warns the victim not to contact any other police officials or professionals, making it clear that doing so would only lead to more trouble.
Analysis & Findings:
After receiving these kinds of complaints from multiple sources, the analysis was done on the collection of phone numbers from where the calls originated. These phone numbers were analysed for alias name, location, Telecom operator, etc. Further, we have verified the number to check whether the number is linked with any social media account on reputed platforms like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, and other classified platforms such as Locanto.
- Phone Number Analysis: Each phone number looks authentic, cleverly concealing the fraud. Sometimes scammers use virtual/temporary phone numbers for these kinds of scams. In this case the victim was from Delhi, so the scammer posed themselves from Delhi Police station, while the phone numbers belong to a different place.
- Undercover Interactions: The interactions with the suspects reveals their chilling way of modus operandi. These scammers are masters of psychological manipulation. They threaten the victims and act as if they are genuine LEA officers.
- Exploitation Tactics: They target unsuspecting individuals and create fear and fake urgency among the targets to extract sensitive information such as Aadhaar, PAN card and bank account details.
- Fraud Execution: The scammers demand for the payment to resolve this issue and they make use of the stolen personally identifiable information. Once the victims transfer the money, the fraudsters cut off all the communication.
- Outcome for Victims: The scammers act so genuine and they frame the incidents so realistic, victims don't realise that they are trapped in this scam. They suffer severe financial loss and psychological trauma.
Recommendations:
- Verify Identities: It is important to verify the identity of any individual, especially if they demand personal information or payment. Contact the official agency directly using verified contact details to confirm the authenticity of the communication.
- Education on Personal Information: Provide education to people to protect their personal identity numbers like Aadhaar and PAN card number. Always emphasise the possible dangers connected to sharing such data in the course of phone conversations.
- Report Suspicious Activity: Prompt reporting of suspicious phone calls or messages to relevant authorities and consumer protection agencies helps in tracking down scammers and prevents people from falling. Report to https://cybercrime.gov.in or reach out to helpline@cyberpeace.net for further assistance.
- Enhanced Cybersecurity Measures: Implement robust cybersecurity measures to detect and mitigate phishing attempts and fraudulent activities. This includes monitoring and blocking suspicious phone numbers and IP addresses associated with scams.
Conclusion:
In the Customs Scam fraud, the scammers pretend to be a custom or any government official and sometimes threaten the targets to get the details such as Aadhaar, PAN card details, screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available balance in their account. The phone numbers used for these kinds of scams were analysed for any suspicious activity. It is found that all the phone numbers look authentic concealing the fraudentent activities. The interactions made with them reveals that they create fearness and urgency between the individuals. They act as if they are genuine officer’s and ask for money to resolve this issue. It is important to stay vigilant and not to share any personal or financial information. When facing these kinds of scams, report and spread awareness among individuals.
