Lockdown and increasing online orders are leading to a massive increase in cybercrime campaigns
Subscription traps, malware and phishing: Not only is online business booming in the run-up to Christmas, cybercrime business is also booming. The ESET security experts are currently noticing another massive increase in criminal campaigns due to the shutdown. Supposed emails from the parcel service DHL are very popular. This scam tells the recipient that a package has not received sufficient postage. To do this, the potential victim should visit a linked website and pay the difference by credit card. But the criminals just want to get sensitive information and sell it in underground forums. In addition to losing sensitive information, the scammers also signed up for a gym membership. The ESET security experts have described the current spam campaign in detail on Welivesecurity.
“Many people buy their Christmas presents online: criminals also know this and are currently very active with spam and phishing emails. The fraudsters are currently posing as parcel delivery companies, fake shops or charities,” explains Thomas Uhlemann, ESET Security Specialist. “Such emails are becoming increasingly difficult to recognize as fakes. Especially at the moment, users should check their digital mail very carefully to avoid falling into the trap.”
Tips for protecting yourself from spam and phishing emails
– If in doubt, delete the email: If in doubt, messages from unknown senders or emails with strange content should be deleted. Spammers often use false subject lines such as “Re: Your registration” and fake sender addresses.
– Do not click on links: If a spam email gets through the filters into your inbox, you should not click on links and under no circumstances should you reveal personal information such as credit card details.
– Do not open attachments: Attachments in spam emails are often disguised as supposed invoices in PDF, EXE or Word format. These should not be opened under any circumstances. In most cases, malware lurks here and gets onto the system in this way.
– Do not respond: Internet users should never respond to spam and phishing emails. Even supposed unsubscribe options should not be used. The feedback is confirmation for criminals that the address is being actively used.
– Create a second address: The private email address should only be given out in exceptional cases. For orders in online shops or registration on portals, it is better to get a second mailbox. If you get a lot of spam from this email, you can simply switch to a new one. He remains available to acquaintances and friends at the first address.
– Hide email address in forums: Users should not make their own email address public. Many forums offer individual privacy settings. There, users can specify that only certain groups of people are allowed to see the address.
– Use a security solution: Users should use a security solution that, in addition to reliable protection against malware, also offers comprehensive spam and phishing protection.
– Install updates: As ESET analyzes repeatedly show, cybercriminals rely on a lack of computer hygiene. Therefore, users should immediately install updates provided for the operating system, the installed software and hardware. It is recommended to activate the automatic update function if available.
Explanations of the current spam and phishing campaigns can be found on Welivesecurity: https://www.welivesecurity.com/deutsch/2020/12/17/weihnachten-2020-cyber
Source: pte
Article image: Eset
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )