Kaspersky: Fraudsters with fake claims

Kaspersky experts have identified a new online fraud scheme designed to trick people into believing they are owed compensation. Under the guise of offering compensation for personal data leaks, scammers prompt them to purchase “temporary social security numbers » worth about $9 each. Victims were found in Russia, Algeria, Egypt and the UAE, among other countries.

Privacy and data protection are among the most talked about topics in recent years. This is not surprising, as are the penalties imposed on companies that have experienced data breaches. This, like any other topic that catches the eye, could not help but attract scammers who look forward to making money at the expense of others.

Kaspersky

Kaspersky experts have identified a brand new scheme that exploits these privacy issues. The plan includes a allegedly owned by the Privacy Fund, which was established by the US Trade Commission. As mentioned, the fund issues compensation to those who may have suffered a leak of personal data and is available to citizens of any country in the world.

For those who are interested, the site offers to check if there has ever been a leak of data of each user. For this purpose, the user must provide his full details (name, phone number and social media accounts). Once this is done, a notification appears stating that the user has been leaked, which may include data such as photos, videos and contact information, allowing the user to receive thousands of dollars in damages. However, scammers do not just ask the user to enter a credit card number and wait for the amount of compensation to be credited. Users must also enter their social security number (SSN - a nine-digit number issued to US citizens, as well as permanent and temporary employees in the US).

In every possible scenario - whether it is the absence of SSN or the introduction of a valid existing SSN - the site warns of errors and offers to sell a temporary one for $ 9. Upon agreement, the victim is redirected to this payment form in Russian or English with the purchase price set in rubles or dollars respectively. This form depends on the IP address of the victim.

"The scammers themselves are probably Russian-speaking, as implied by the demand for ruble payments, plus the suspicious similarity of the system to other easy money offers that often entice residents of Russia and the CIS. The electronic bait in these designs varies - gifts, surveys, and even part-time work as a taxi driver - but they tend to be in Russian (as are some of the previous links). The essence is always the same: the great promise of enough and easy money, followed by a demand for payment for a cheap service, whether it is a Commission, a "guarantee" of payment, or a temporary SSN. The new system is quite current and is related to the provision of compensation for data leaks. "Once some organizations started paying users, the scammers decided that there was a financial opportunity for them as well," said Tatyana Sidorina, a security expert at Kaspersky.

To stay protected from the potential risks of cyber fraud, Kaspersky experts advise:

Don't trust payment offers. If someone promises you a large cash payment for something seemingly aas far as participating in a survey, it's almost certainly a scam. And if you're asked to pay something to get the money, you can be doubly sure it's a scam.
Use reliable sources. Look for the organization to see if it really exists and if it exists, check its website carefully. Pay attention to the language: a reliable organization will not publish text full of errors and typographical errors.
Use a reliable security solution.

Here you can find detailed information about the fraud.

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