The Weekly Top 3 are the three most relevant news stories for the week that are related to phishing scams and activities reported in the media, security blogs and security magazines on the Internet. This week, we look at phishing activities related to IRS, South African Airways and stolen bitcoins.
Scammers have started a new IRS phishing scam in an attempt to steal monies from unsuspecting taxpayers. The phishing scam began with fake IRS e-mails with the subject "CP-2000 notice". In these e-mails the scammers stated that the victim's income or payment declaration did not match with their tax returns. The e-mails continue to state that the taxpayer owed the IRS an outstanding balance towards the Affordable Care Act health coverage requirements. After reading this notice, the e-mail requested that the victim either reply to the e-mail or call the phone number in the e-mail. Once the victim replied, the scammer used the opportunity to trick the victim into sending them money or obtaining their personal, or financial information. Click Here to read more.
The South African Airlines (SAA) released a warning this week concerning several new phishing scams. The first popular scam used phishing e-mails requesting that the 'selected' customer participate in a short survey. Upon completion they would get two SAA tickets for free. However, the e-mail contained a malicious link to a fake website used by hackers to obtain personal and financial information. No other information was given concerning the second scam. However like the first scam, customers would receive a phishing e-mail containing a malicious link to a website used by the hackers to steal personal information. Click Here to read more.
Earlier this week, a man was arrested by the FBI for stealing over 10,000 usernames and passwords from users on the Dark Web. He used these login credentials to steal bitcoins from his victims. He was able to steal these bitcoins through an online phishing scheme, which began with him placing fake links to online marketplaces on dark web forums. Unknowing users clicked on these links and they were forwarded to a fake login page, which was setup to steal login credentials. Once he had the username and password, he monitored the victim's bitcoin balance and stole bitcoins. He then exchanged these bitcoins for U.S. currency, which he deposited in his bank account. Click Here to read more.
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