Category: Scam
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Smashing Security podcast #467: How ShinyHunters hacked the world’s biggest universities
Smashing Security podcast #467: How ShinyHunters hacked the world’s biggest universities Welcome to the largest educational data breach in history – affecting nearly 9,000 institutions, every Ivy League university, and 30 million students mid-finals. When Canvas’s parent company refused to pay and announced they had deployed “security patches” instead, the hackers were less than impressed.…
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Sri Lanka makes 37 arrests as it raids another scam centre
Sri Lanka makes 37 arrests as it raids another scam centre You don’t need to live near a scam compound for it to wreck your life. Americans lost $5.8 billion to crypto investment scams last year alone – and a raid in Sri Lanka this month shows exactly how the operations behind them keep finding…
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AI and cryptocurrency scams are costing Americans billions, FBI reports
AI and cryptocurrency scams are costing Americans billions, FBI reports The fraud landscape has been changed by AI and cryptocurrency in a way that should concern organisations and individuals alike. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Life imprisonment for Cambodian scam compound operators – but will it make a difference?
Life imprisonment for Cambodian scam compound operators – but will it make a difference? Cambodia has taken a dramatic step in its fight against scam compounds that have imprisoned innocent people, and forced them to work as virtual slaves defrauding victims via the internet around the world with romance scams and dodgy investment schemes. Read…
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Nigerian romance scammer jailed after being caught out by fellow fraudster
Nigerian romance scammer jailed after being caught out by fellow fraudster A Nigerian fraudster spent years posing as a woman online, romancing unsuspecting American men out of their savings – until he accidentally tried the same trick on a fellow scammer, who told him to “learn how to do a clean job.” The recovered chat…
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Fake Dubai Crown Prince tracked to Nigerian mansion after $2.5M romance scam
Fake Dubai Crown Prince tracked to Nigerian mansion after $2.5M romance scam When a Romanian businesswoman fell for a fake Dubai Crown Prince in a $2.5 million romance scam, investigators tracked the fraudster to his Nigerian mansion – only to discover he was masquerading as a campaigning philanthropist. Read more in my article on the…
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Smashing Security podcast #452: The dark web’s worst assassins, and Pegasus in the dock
Smashing Security podcast #452: The dark web’s worst assassins, and Pegasus in the dock In episode 452, a London-based YouTuber wins a landmark court case against Saudi Arabia after his phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware — exposing how a single, seemingly harmless text message can turn a smartphone into a round-the-clock surveillance device. Plus,…
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Operation Heracles strikes blow against massive network of fraudulent crypto trading sites
Operation Heracles strikes blow against massive network of fraudulent crypto trading sites In a significant crackdown against online cybercriminals, German authorities have successfully dismantled a network of fraudulent cryptocurrency investment sites that has targeted millions of unsuspecting people across Europe. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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From fake lovers to sextortionists: 260 scammers arrested in Africa
From fake lovers to sextortionists: 260 scammers arrested in Africa INTERPOL has announced the arrest of 260 alleged romance scammers, sextortionists, and online fraudsters as part of a multi-national operation across Africa. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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FBI warns seniors are being targeted in three-phase Phantom Hacker scams
FBI warns seniors are being targeted in three-phase Phantom Hacker scams The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says that the elderly are more at risk from falling victim to online fraud and internet scammers than ever before. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Smashing Security podcast #427: When 2G attacks, and a romantic road trip goes wrong
Smashing Security podcast #427: When 2G attacks, and a romantic road trip goes wrong Graham warns why it is high time we said goodbye to 2G – the outdated mobile network being exploited by cybercriminals with suitcase-sized SMS blasters. From New Zealand to London, scammers are driving around cities like dodgy Uber drivers, spewing phishing…
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Smashing Security podcast #425: Call of Duty: From pew-pew to pwned
Smashing Security podcast #425: Call of Duty: From pew-pew to pwned In episode 425 of “Smashing Security”, Graham reveals how “Call of Duty: WWII” has been weaponised – allowing hackers to hijack your entire PC during online matches, thanks to ancient code and Microsoft’s Game Pass. Meanwhile, Carole digs into a con targeting the recently…
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Smashing Security podcast #417: Hello, Pervert! – Sextortion scams and Discord disasters
Smashing Security podcast #417: Hello, Pervert! – Sextortion scams and Discord disasters Don’t get duped, doxxed, or drained! In this episode of “Smashing Security” we dive into the creepy world of sextortion scams, and investigate how crypto wallet firm Ledger’s Discord server was hijacked in an attempt to phish for cryptocurrency recovery phrases. All this…
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Smashing Security podcast #415: Hacking hijinks at the hospital, and WASPI scams
Smashing Security podcast #415: Hacking hijinks at the hospital, and WASPI scams He’s not a pop star, but Jeffrey Bowie is alleged to have toured staff areas of a hospital in Oklahoma, hunting for computers he could install spyware on. We dive into the bizarre case of the man accused of hacking medical networks and…
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Smashing Security podcast #413: Hacking the hackers… with a credit card?
Smashing Security podcast #413: Hacking the hackers… with a credit card? A cybersecurity firm is buying access to underground crime forums to gather intelligence. Does that seem daft to you? And over in Nigeria, even if romance scammers would like to update their LinkedIn profiles, just how easy is it to turn a new leaf…
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Smashing Security podcast #411: The fall of Troy, and whisky barrel scammers
Smashing Security podcast #411: The fall of Troy, and whisky barrel scammers Renowned cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt falls victim to a phishing attack, resulting in the exposure of thousands of subscriber details, and don’t lose your life savings in a whisky scam… All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the “Smashing…
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Smashing Security podcast #410: Unleash the AI bot army against the scammers – now!
Smashing Security podcast #410: Unleash the AI bot army against the scammers – now! A YouTuber has unleashed an innovative AI bot army to disrupt and outwit the world of online scammers, and a New York Times investigation looks into the intricate web of global money laundering. All this and more is discussed in the…
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Smashing Security podcast #407: HP’s hold music, and human trafficking
Smashing Security podcast #407: HP’s hold music, and human trafficking Journey with us to Myanmar’s shadowy scam factories, where trafficked workers are forced to run romance-baiting and fake tech support scams, and find out why a company’s mandatory hold time for tech support could lead to innocent users having their computers compromised. All this and…
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Fake police call cryptocurrency investors to steal their funds
Fake police call cryptocurrency investors to steal their funds Have you had a phone call from police about your cryptocurrency wallet? Be on your guard – you could be about to be scammed. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Smashing Security podcast #405: A crypto con exchange, and soaring ticket scams
Smashing Security podcast #405: A crypto con exchange, and soaring ticket scams From shadowy Bitcoin exchanges to Interpol’s most wanted, Alexander Vinnik was the alleged kingpin behind BTC-e, a $4bn crypto laundering empire. Learn more about him, and how he became a geopolitical pawn between the US, France, and Russia. Plus! Hear how concert-goers are…
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Thailand cuts power and internet to areas of Myanmar to disrupt scam gangs
Thailand cuts power and internet to areas of Myanmar to disrupt scam gangs Well, this is a different approach to the scam problem… The government of Thailand has cut the power supply to areas near its border with Myanmar that are known to host brutal scam compounds. These heavily-guarded fraud factories house armies of people,…
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Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for role in $50m internet scam
Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for role in $50m internet scam A California man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that saw over 50 individuals and organisations lose millions of dollars. Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog. Graham…
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Smashing Security podcast #401: Hacks on the high seas, and how your home can be stolen under your nose
Smashing Security podcast #401: Hacks on the high seas, and how your home can be stolen under your nose An Italian hacker makes the grade and ends up in choppy waters, and hear true stories of title deed transfer scams. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security”…
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No, Brad Pitt isn’t in love with you
No, Brad Pitt isn’t in love with you No, Brad Pitt isn’t in love with you. A French woman was duped into believing a hospitalised Brad Pitt had fallen in love with her. The scammers even faked a “breaking news” report announcing the revelation of Brad’s new love… Read more in my article on the…
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Pastor’s “dream” crypto scheme alleged to be a multi-million dollar scam
Pastor’s “dream” crypto scheme alleged to be a multi-million dollar scam Imagine trusting your pastor with your savings, only to find out he’s running a crypto scam. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Tech support scams leverage Google ads again and again, fleecing unsuspecting internet users
Tech support scams leverage Google ads again and again, fleecing unsuspecting internet users It’s not a new technique, but that doesn’t mean that cybercriminals cannot make rich rewards from SEO poisoning. Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley