Tag: Scams

Sale shoppers urged to walk, not run, this sale season amidst Black Friday scams

Revolut, the global financial app with over 2.5 million customers in Ireland, warns that euphoria and urgency experienced by shoppers seeking to score a deal may come at a cost.

David Eborne, Head of Financial Crime at Revolut shares types of scams shoppers should be weary of:

  • Fake websites: Scammers use the latest and greatest tech to set up fake retailer websites so that they look exactly like genuine online retail stores. Some of the fake stores will send you the product you purchased but their real goal was to obtain your personal and card data.
  • Selling fake goods: Some sites sell luxury items like popular jewellery or clothing brands, or electronics at very low prices. Sometimes shoppers will receive the item they paid for but they will be fake or other times they will receive nothing at all.
  • Temporary fake sites: A newer version of online shopping scams involves the use of social media platforms to set up fake online stores. The stores open for a short time and then disappear after some sales are made.
  • Social media advertising: Scammers use social media to advertise their fake website. Often they use “Swipe up” features and put a time pressure against it to create a sense of urgency.

The Safest Way to Shop Online
For many customers, a fear when shopping online is to have their card details stolen. However, David says this risk can be mitigated by using Revolut’s single-use virtual disposable cards. The cards provide users with a temporary, randomly generated card number, CVV, and expiration date to be used for a single transaction. Once the transaction is completed, the virtual card is automatically deleted, reducing the risk of unauthorised transactions, and safeguarding personal and financial information. David also advises that if a purchase is not received or was misrepresented by the seller, then customers should raise a dispute via the Revolut app.

Last year, over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Revolut customers in Ireland spent €1.5m on more than 30,000 virtual disposable cards – a year on year increase of 136% as compared to the same timeframe in 2021.

Across the industry, fraudsters stole €84.6m through frauds and scams in 2022, an increase of 8.8% on 2021. The data from BPFI also reported a 19% decrease in authorised push payments (APP fraud) transactions in 2022 compared to 2021*. David encourages even more customers to use virtual disposable cards to help with security when shopping online.

David Eborne, Head of Fraud Operations at Revolut, says: “Black Friday shoppers are regularly left deflated and out of pocket after being duped by online scammers, particularly when under time pressure to buy an item.

“At Revolut, our top priority is to help avoid online fraud to keep you and your money safe. Protected by a 2,500-strong, 24/7 fraud prevention team, in 2022 we prevented our customers from falling victim to more than €220M in potential fraud. Our sophisticated fraud detection systems constantly monitor for high risk transactions to keep you safe while you continue saving, sending and spending with ease.”

Brits set to lose £800m to online shopping scams this festive season

Britons are being warned to stay alert this year with shopping scams expected to surge over the next two months during the festive season, which could cost the nation over £800 million. 

It comes as new research released today reveals that over 13 million Britons have been victim to an online shopping scam in the last year which has amounted to a loss of £1.4 billion. 

With over £800 million lost during the festive shopping season alone, cybersecurity experts are urging Brits to take measures to avoid losing cash to scammers as clothes, gifts and tech all top the list of popular scam buys. 

The research, conducted among 2,000 UK adults by Censuswide and commissioned by F-Secure, a global leader in cybersecurity, found that of those that had been scammed, those aged under 25 were hit the hardest financially, losing as much as £245 during the Christmas shopping period while two–fifths of 25-34 years old, more than any other age group, are most likely to fall victim to scam.

The research found the top 10 shopping scams are:

1. Fashion item 16%

2. Gifts 16%

3. Tech or IoT devices 15%

4. Beauty 13%

5. Food 13%

6. Sport gear 12%

7. Furniture or home dec 12%

8. Vehicles 12%

9. Travel 12%

10. Concert tickets / event tickets 11%

Further findings revealed men are slightly more likely to be scammed (28%) than women (21%).

The loss isn’t just hitting British pockets, the impact is also hitting the UK economy as the research revealed shopping scams are likely disproportionately affecting smaller retailers – which could force them out of business as more than half (56%) of Britons admit they now avoid shopping with small, independent online businesses, feeling more secure shopping with well-known brands.

However, the reality is that scams can occur with any sized retailer. Small independents accounted for 27% of the UK’s scams last year, only marginally more than large online platforms (such as Amazon and eBay) 23% and large retailers 21%. 

Tom Gaffney, F-Secure, said: “The next couple of months are the biggest shopping weeks of the year which we anticipate cybercriminals to try and take advantage of, particularly as the cost-of-living crisis may mean shoppers are looking for deals, but not necessarily safely. 

“We would urge everyone to be extra vigilant at this time of year and follow our tips before making any purchase online. Scams are becoming increasingly more difficult to spot but consumers can do very simple things to check they are safe when they’re shopping.”

With a quarter of online shoppers admitting they’re not confident they can spot a dodgy site, here are F-Secure’s top tips to stay safe when shopping online:

 

  • Use an online checker such as F-Secure’s ‘Online Shopping Checker’ to identify if a website is legitimate.

  • Always use a credit card where possible because you might stand a better chance of getting your money back with credit card cover.

  • If you’ve not heard of a site before, do your research, check social media and reviews – but be wary of too many five stars as fake reviews can be purchased.

  • If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate stores tend to offer competitively priced offers. If you encounter an online store with exceptionally low prices, pay extra attention to other potential indications of a scam

F-Secure’s new Online Shopping Checker allows shoppers to test any online store’s URL to confirm its legitimacy. The free tool detects the reliability of the store and shows trust ratings before making a purchase. The same technology is included as ‘Trusted Shopping’ in F-Secure’s Browsing Protection: F-Secure Online Shopping Checker | F-Secure

Supervalu Facebook scam to be aware of

Facebook is riddled with scams and to be honest it looks like Facebook does not care about it either, the latest scam is a page claiming to be Supervalu Ireland Fans and offering 540 gift bags for winners and in order too sign up you need to enter with your Google account and BANG they have got you.

From reading the page alone they are celebrating their 54nd birthday and if this does not give it away well you deserve anything you get from there, we contacted the company about it and they posted this on their own page..

Supervalu facebook scam – techbuzzireland

We have been made aware that there is a fake page circulating called ‘SuperValu Ireland Fans’. We can confirm that we have no affiliation with this page. If you see this Facebook page we would advise you NOT to interact. Do not click on any links or share any personal info. Thank you to those who brought this to our attention. Our official Facebook page will never ask you to click on any links.

We will obviously not be linking the scam page but you are now aware about it. But as always so many seem to just fall for it. You have been warned.

HP Wolf Security report: Daily QR “Scan Scams” Phishing Users on their Mobile Devices

HP Ireland has today issued its latest quarterly HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report, showing hackers are diversifying attack methods, including a surge in QR code phishing campaigns. By isolating threats on PCs and mobile devices that have evaded detection tools, HP Wolf Security has specific insight into the latest techniques being used by cybercriminals in the fast-changing cybercrime landscape. To date, HP Wolf Security customers have clicked on over 25 billion email attachments, web pages, and downloaded files with no reported breaches.

From February 2022, Microsoft began blocking macros in Office files by default, making it harder for attackers to run malicious code. Data collected by the HP Threat Research team shows that from Q2 2022, attackers have been diversifying their techniques to find new ways to breach devices and steal data. Based on data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security, the research found:

  • The rise of QR scan scams: Since October 2022, HP has seen almost daily QR code “scan scam” campaigns. These scams trick users into scanning QR codes from their PCs using their mobile devices – potentially to take advantage of weaker phishing protection and detection on such devices. QR codes direct users to malicious websites asking for credit and debit card details. Examples in Q4 included phishing campaigns masquerading as parcel delivery companies seeking payment.
  • HP noted a 38% rise in malicious PDF attachments: Recent attacks use embedded images that link to encrypted malicious ZIP files, bypassing web gateway scanners. The PDF instructions contain a password that the user is tricked into entering to unpack a ZIP file, deploying QakBot or IcedID malware to gain unauthorised access to systems, which are used as beachheads to deploy ransomware.
  • 42% of malware was delivered inside archive files like ZIP, RAR, and IMG: The popularity of archives has risen 20% since Q1 2022, as threat actors switch to scripts to run their payloads. This is compared to 38% of malware delivered through Office files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

“We have seen a rise in scan scams, malvertising, archives and PDF malware recently, and we would encourage everyone to look out for emails and websites that ask to scan QR codes and give up sensitive data, as well as PDF files linking to password-protected archives. Being aware of the signs to watch out for is the first line of defense when it comes to detecting and eliminating any breaches, it ensures these threat actors don’t gain access to sensitive data and move throughout systems,” explains Val Gabriel, Managing Director of HP Ireland.

In Q4, HP also found 24 popular software projects imitated in malvertising campaigns used to infect PCs with eight malware families – compared to just two similar campaigns in the previous year. The attacks rely on users clicking on search engine advertisements, which lead to malicious websites that look almost identical to the real websites.

“While techniques evolve, threat actors still rely on social engineering to target users at the endpoint,” comments Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, HP Inc.

“Organisations should deploy strong isolation to contain the most common attack vectors like email, web browsing and downloads. Combine this with credential protection solutions that warn or prevent users from entering sensitive details onto suspicious sites to greatly reduce the attack surface and improve an organisation’s security posture.”

HP Wolf Security runs risky tasks like opening email attachments, downloading files and clicking links in isolated, micro-virtual machines (micro-VMs) to protect users, capturing detailed traces of attempted infections. HP’s application isolation technology mitigates threats that might slip past other security tools and provides unique insights into novel intrusion techniques and threat actor behavior.

The full report can be found here: https://threatresearch.ext.hp.com/hp-wolf-security-threat-insights-report-q4-2022/

How to avoid getting scammed with cryptocurrency?

Scammers always try to steal your money, for which they keep on finding new ways all the time. The cryptocurrency industry is spread on a large scale, which has led to the development of frauds that have created a lot of opportunities for fraud. The past year has broken its records in terms of cryptocurrency crime. If you too are more interested in crypto, then it will be important for you to be aware of the many ways the risks are involved. Read on if you want to know more about crypto scams, how to prevent them, and how to avoid them. If you are looking for a safe and secure trading platform for Bitcoin, you may visit https://quantum-ai.trading/  which will make your trading journey hassle-free.

How to spot cryptocurrency scams?

Let’s first of all you should know how you can detect crypto scams:

 

  • Non-existent whitepaper: A cryptocurrency may have its whitepaper as this is one of the most important aspects whenever the initial coin is introduced. Through the whitepaper, we need to be clear about how the cryptocurrency is designed as well as how it works. If you don’t understand that white paper, you have to tread very carefully. 

 

  • Guaranteed Returns: If you make financial investments, they can never guarantee you returns for the future, because that investment can go down or up. If someone promises to offer crypto, then understand that it will be a risky way for you to earn money, in which only you will have to face loss. 

 

  • Anonymous Member: Many investments are made only with businesses, you may be able to trace who is behind them. This means that anyone looking to drive an investment can easily get an active social media presence. Even if you can’t find out who is running the system, you have to be very careful.

 

  • Excessive Marketing: All businesses that want to promote themselves. But at the same time, many people commit fraud with these digital currencies that it attracts – such as offline promotions, payment influencers, and online advertisements etc. It is intended to reach the greatest number of people in an amount of time and raise money quickly. Stop and do more study if you believe a cryptocurrency offering’s marketing is pushy or makes grandiose claims sans any evidence.

Cryptocurrency investment scams

 

  • Giveaway scam: This is a place where scammers promise to multiply the crypto sent, which is considered a form of giveaway scam. A sense of authenticity and urgency can be created with clever messaging that mimics a legit account on social media. Users may transfer money rapidly in the expectation of immediate rewards because they believe this occasion is a “once in a long life” occurrence.

 

  • Cloud mining scams — Cloud mining simply refers to those companies that allow you to rent mining hardware for a fixed fee that is considered part of the projected revenue. Theoretically, this would enable individuals to mine remotely sans having to invest in costly mining hardware. But a lot of cloud mining businesses are frauds or, at worst, unproductive, meaning you waste money or make less than they promise.

 

  • Phishing Scams — Phishing scams Crypto are scamming that purport to be related to your wallet online and that target your information. Your wallet i.e., private keys is targeted by scammers so that they can access your wallet and steal your funds. The same main way they work is that it can be similar to many phishing attacks and can also be related to fake websites. To entice readers to an especially designed website, they send an email asking for their private key data. The digital coin that is stored in those wallets is stolen once the hackers have access to this information.

 

An Average of $189K Was Lost Daily to Crypto Scams and Hacks Since the Beginning of the Year

The crypto scam epidemic has worsened recently, costing investors billions of dollars. According to a BanklessTimes.com analysis, as of August  2022, crypto scams had lost roughly $42B. That translates into a daily loss of an average of $189K a day.

“While there are many legitimate players in the cryptocurrency space, there are also many scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims,” says BanklesTimes CEO Jonathan Merry. He adds, “These incidences will continue growing as the crypto asset market becomes increasingly popular. This alarming trend results from scammers taking advantage of unwitting investors looking to make a quick buck or oblivious to the threats lurking in the space.”

Leading Forms of Crypto Scams

Crypto scams come in all shapes and sizes, but the most common ones in 2022 are exit scams and exploits. Exit scams are when a company suddenly disappears with its investors’ money, while exploits are when hackers take advantage of security vulnerabilities to steal people’s cryptocurrency.

This year’s largest heist was the Terra Classic Bank Run, which netted scammers $40B. The Ronin and Wormhole exploits are the other significant crypto scams that have happened this year. Scammers made away with crypto worth $625K and $326K from the projects.

Other common crypto scams include phishing attacks, Ponzi schemes, and fake crypto exchanges. Phishing attacks are where scammers try to steal people’s passwords and personal information by sending them fake emails or texts.

Protecting Yourself From Crypto Scams and Hacks

These scams have one thing in common: They’re designed to exploit people’s trust and greed. So if you’re considering investing in crypto, be sure to do your research first and always be aware of the risks involved.

Additionally, be vigilant when checking emails and texts. Make sure that the senders are who they say they are. Don’t click on any links or attachments unless you’re sure they’re safe.

Also, use strong passwords and two-factor authentication whenever possible. Moreover, Be careful if someone is trying to sell you a “hot” coin or investment opportunity. Finally, be careful when trading on crypto exchanges – only use trusted exchanges with good reviews online. Full story and statistics can be found here: An Average of $189K Was Lost Daily to Crypto Scams and Hacks Since the Beginning of the Year

 

Irish Consumers Face Tough Challenges in Dealing with the Aftermath of Dark Web Monitoring Scams

After a cyberattack on the Irish Health Service, Irish consumers are being affected by dark web monitoring. The health service was targeted by ransomware, which resulted in the theft of personal data from over half a million patients.

In response, the government has announced that it will be increasing its use of dark web monitoring to prevent future attacks. This decision has raised concerns among consumers about their privacy and data security.

 It is becoming more apparent that our data is being monitored and collected by unauthorised third parties without our consent or knowledge. This is a huge violation of our privacy, and we need to take action to protect our rights!

How Irish Consumers Are Affected By Dark Web Monitoring

According to a report by businessnews.ie, a well-known Irish drug lord is selling fake Covid vaccination certificates on the dark web to people who want to travel abroad but refuse to be vaccinated.

The drug lord sells the fake document for as much as €350 each. This is just one example of how Irish consumers are being affected by dark web monitoring.

The government has also announced that it will be using dark web monitoring to track down people who have illegally downloaded copyrighted material. This could result in fines or even jail time for those caught.

With the increased use of monitoring the dark web, there is a risk that more personal data will be collected without people’s consent or knowledge. This could lead to identity theft, fraud, or other crimes.

We should only use trusted websites and services, and we should be careful about the information we share online. We also need to be aware of the signs of identity theft and fraud to report it if it happens to us.

What Are The Aftermaths Of Cyber Attacks On Irish Health Service?

A report by Cyberlaw revealed that at least three-quarters of the HSE’s IT servers had been decrypted, and 70% of computing devices had been reintroduced to service. On the other hand, the HSE systems are expected to take up to six months to recover fully.

During the crisis, HSE personnel had to rely on paper records and could not access email; nevertheless, hospitals’ emergency services remained operational, the countrywide Covid-19 vaccination program was not disrupted, and testing continued to run smoothly.

Patients’ and staff’s personal and medical information was collected, with a minor amount of data (including private material on 520 individuals) being made public on the dark web.

The hackers had supplied the HSE with a decryption key that would enable them to restore their IT systems and files encrypted and locked by the attackers. The HSE announced that it would create a cyber security system to monitor its networks and go through extensive procurement procedures in response to the event.

In response to the assault, the government has announced that it will be increasing its use of dark web monitoring. This decision has generated worries among customers about their privacy and data security. The government has also promised new legislation that would make it easier to prosecute cybercriminals.

Conclusion

The cyberattack on the Irish Health Service has had some consequences for patients and staff. The incident has affected numerous Irish hospitals, and many outpatient clinics and healthcare services have been canceled because the HSE’s national and local networks have been nearly totally shut down.

As a response, the government declared its intention to be more vigilant with its utilisatsion of monitoring the dark web to protect vulnerable consumers from becoming cyberattack victims. This will likely affect how Irish consumers use the internet and their privacy.

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AIB and Revolut SMS scam sms purchase

A quick heads up on a new sms scam doing the rounds to keep your eyes open for with AIB and Revolut, in recent times this BANK OF IRELAND scam was popular and here is all the details on that and the identifier is what you need to watch out for if you do deal with your bank on your phone.

The latest message claims to come from AIB this time around and of course both AIB and Revolut have been contacted on the issue which some could fall for, most of the banks moved over to SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) so when you use your card online you will authenticate the purchase via your app on your smartphone for example.

Both AIB and Revolut are now aware of the issue and have responded with their usual lines seen below

Revolut – Thank you for sharing this with us. We can confirm that the message wasn’t sent by us. Please don’t share any details via this link and remember that we’ll never ask you to provide any details via a link sent in SMS. Stay safe!

AIB – Hi Jim, This is a fraudulent text message. If you clicked on the link, please call on 01 2695022 or +353 12695022 from abroad, 7 days a week, 8am to midnight. If possible, please forward the text message to us on the following link: aib.ie/security-centr Thanks ^CK

Source 

Tips To Identify Forex Broker Scams

Late last year, the FBI made their largest catch yet – 47 illicit Forex operations that had previously caused traders to lose millions of dollars. 

Among those targeted in the FBI’s most recent global sting operation were financial institutions of various kinds as well as private investors. Even when divided 47 ways, “millions of dollars” still seems like a substantial sum. But take into account that the worldwide Forex market transacts $5,1 trillion per day. 

Considering how many transactions are taking place daily, across different international boundaries all over the place, it seems sensible that the seas are full of “a lot of sharks,” as U.S. Attorney General James Comey recently warned reporters. 

You should keep in mind that at any given time, the market might erupt and spew lava all over your cash. You should also be aware that every investment with significant risks also has the potential for huge profits. Also, it should be noted that as the Forex market is the world’s largest financial market, there are many scammers who want to misappropriate investors’ money. In order to prevent those kinds of malpractices while trading Forex investors need to be careful. What, then, are these so-called Forex scams? Because trading in the forex market, also known as the foreign exchange currency marketplace, is such a dangerous and unpredictable venture, it has been dubbed a hoax on occasion. The kindest thing investors can say about Forex is that it resembles gambling more than “real” investment, although even this is harsh. 

 

There are several ways to identify Forex broker scammers, including Forex broker reviews, like XM Forex broker review which allows investors to get more information about the regulations of the brokers and the way the service providers work. In this article, you can get more information about Forex scams and how it works. It’s interesting to know for what reasons are there so many scammers and fraudsters working in the Forex industry? For obvious reasons, such as the great potential for payoff. In other words, why do criminals choose to operate in the frantic, hectic, unpredictable Forex market rather than other, more steady, staid investment and trading venues?

How Do Forex Brokers Scam Investors?

Traditional forex scams and developing scams are the two main types of forex fraud. Data security may serve as a good comparison in this situation. When it came to stealing confidential information, thieves had only one option: break into the building where it was being stored and take the physical copy files!

Data breaches are being reported on a regular basis, and the vast majority of them occurred online. Cybercriminals don’t even have to leave their sofa to steal confidential information that’s half a globe away. Scams that adapt in reaction to new technology or FBI raids are known as evolving scams. For the sake of this article, we’ll examine each form of forex scam one by one.

A list of bogus forex brokers or a list of the worst forex brokers would be fantastic. Scam Forex brokers, on the other hand, change their names, identities, and virtual locations on a regular basis.

Using a stop-loss order, stop hunting is a frequent risk management strategy in the world of investments. An order with a stop-loss condition isn’t limited to foreign exchange trades. It’s fairly frequent across a wide range of investment categories.

The point-spread fraud is a “classic” that may be seen in many other kinds of investment trading, not only forex.

In order to pull off the point-spread scam, brokers adjust the spread between the bid and ask prices using the forex platform. This raises the broker commission and eats away at any gains made by the unwary forex trader. While point-spread forex scams aren’t as common as they previously were, it doesn’t mean they’re gone.

Another traditional Forex scam is the signal-seller scheme, which is practiced not only in the world of forex but also in other industries. According to the scam’s theory, certain people (human or automated) are “Forex experts,” and they are privy to information regarding currency pairings, Forex patterns, and market movements (the “signal”).

A forex broker will only acquire access to churning-type activity if a customer enables the broker to trade on the customer’s behalf (for example, by signing a discretionary agreement). The forex broker may then say they were only doing their job and blame the client’s losses on the usually turbulent currency market.

It’s important to remember that churning is difficult to detect and much more difficult to demonstrate. Nevertheless, if the fraudster is discovered and proved guilty, he or she will be subject to hefty penalties and SEC repercussions. Meanwhile, you’ll have to come up with creative ways to make up for the financial damage caused by churning.

Scammers that prey on the currency market are evolving along with it. FX fraudsters have had plenty of new chances open up with the emergence of online forex brokers, automated digital algorithms, and computer technology. However, you may be shocked to learn that only some of the most recent and sophisticated forex scams make use of sophisticated technology to achieve their objectives.