Hackers seek the personal information of unsuspecting victims by sending them email links, credit cards, advertisements and online purchases, with the ultimate goal of siphoning money from their bank accounts.
According to experienced members of EL.AS., electronic scams are the most common type of fraud, which "bloom" during the holiday season and increase dramatically during this period.
The police describe the main online scams as follows:
Fishing for personal information. Phishing usually takes place when an email is sent from a real, legitimate company and contains a suspicious link or attachment.
Credit card fraud. These scams are carried out using the phishing method for sensitive data through Internet. Personal data, especially bank account details, are obtained, usually via hyperlinks to fictitious bank websites.
"Nigerian" Scams. In this case, an email is sent informing you that someone needs your help to transfer a large sum of money (or inheritance) for a promised large reward.
For online shopping. Post an offer because it's too good to be true for a limited time. Notifying people by email that they have won a large amount of money in an online lottery.
Offering loans. Posting on social networking sites to get soft loans from unauthorized institutions.
Through online advertising. Posting fraudulent ads online for renting a house, finding a job, buying or selling goods, etc.
Anyone who has been a victim of online fraud is invited to report it to the Directorate of Electronic Crime Prosecution (tel.: 11188, email: ccu@cybercrimeunit.gov.gr) or to the national police or judicial authorities.
With the proliferation of electronic devices in all aspects of daily life and the wide range of online activities, all users are potential victims of fraud. The term online phishing scam essentially means "fishing" of users, where the hacker's goal is to "fish" personal data and information from the victim. The National Cyber Security Team, which participates in the annual European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC), advises users to be extra cautious.
According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group's latest research, a total of 2022 phishing attacks were observed in the third quarter of 1.270.883, 23,2% of which involved the financial sector.
Email attacks increased by 1.000% in the third quarter of 2022. In recent years, phishers have tended to focus on banking, financial and monetary services, e-commerce customers, social media and email credentials.
The three most common phishing methods are: email phishing, which has become mainstream, the smishing via mobile SMS messages and the visit via voicemail messages. In all of the above cases, a malicious user posing as a banking institution, electrical goods store, or public service asks the recipient to confirm important personal information.
“Holiday periods such as Easter provide the perfect opportunity for phishing attacks to increase as online shopping increases. Hackers are taking advantage of both the increased demand for online shopping and company promotions to defraud the public and extort personal data and money," notes Stella Tsitsoula, Communications Director of the National Cyber Security Team.
He pointed out: “The cyber attacks that have been carried out by the pretenders are very dangerous.
Users can follow some simple tips to be aware of scams and stay digitally safe:
1. No need to click on links or attachments. Even if you don't click, you can look at the link in an ambiguous message to see where it came from. If the message appears to be from someone you know, contact them in another way, such as by email or phone, to confirm the message.
2. Update your security software (anti-virus). Using the latest version of your security software will ensure protection against current threat trends.
3. strong uniques codes. Complex and unique passwords and two-factor authentication make it harder for third parties to access personal data.
4. Be aware of common scams Tenders for well-known companies and bribery for large sums of money are common fraud methods.
5. Secure networks Financial transactions and online shopping should only be done on secure networks or VPNs and only through official websites of banking institutions.
Using and transacting online should not be treated with fear. With the right security measures in place, users can protect their personal data and browse safely.
However, if you may have fallen victim to a phishing attack, there are a few things you should do immediately.
Immediately change the passwords for the affected accounts and for all sites that use the same password.
Also make sure multi-factor authentication is enabled on each account.
If you have shared credit card or bank account information, contact your bank immediately. Whether a user becomes aware of a scam directly through the loss of some money or indirectly through indications on their device, they should act as soon as possible. In case of fraud, you should indeed contact the cybercrime unit as well as the bank provider.
Fake nude photos of women appear online via the Telegram messaging service.
Several Greek women have been upset by the recent appearance of fake nude photos of themselves online via the Telegram app. According to complaints reported through the Telegram messaging service, more than 100.000 nude photos of women from Instagram, Facebook or Only Fans, which have been tampered with or illegally downloaded from the platform, have surfaced online. The "edited" nude photos of women, most of whom are minors, have been processed through artificial intelligence systems so that their clothing can be removed.
According to study, photos are modified into realistic images and videos based on a real-life template. This has been done in the past, but in the last few days various groups have been created with defenseless women in Greece, called "naked ex photo exchanges" and others!
