The Saxon Ministry of Health and Social Affairs was exposed to a phishing attack! They had a plan, they had patience and they had courage. Criminals, whose identities are still unknown, phished the Saxon Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and transferred more than 225,000 euros to their own account. The Leipziger Volkszeitung (LVZ) states an amount of exactly 225,862.33 euros!
Yes, you heard right. Our story begins in Dresden, where those responsible fell for an all-too-familiar scam - phishing.
What exactly is a phishing attack?
Phishing is a form of digital manipulation in which attackers pose as trusted organizations or individuals and attempt to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing sensitive information. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as spoofed emails, text messages, phone calls, or websites. The scammers lure victims into either downloading malware or sharing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details or, in our case, account information.
The phishing attack on the Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs
But how could the Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs fall for such a trick? It seems that the scammers had a precise plan and carried out their operation carefully.
In February, the ministry received a correct invoice from a supplier in Lower Saxony who had commissioned the construction of protective fences to contain African swine fever. In March, ministry officials received a fake email from the fraudsters claiming the account number had changed. The ministry then transferred the balance of the bill to the wrong account. Sounds incredible, right?
A fatal mistake
The ministry appears to have made a serious mistake. Typically, changes to account information should be reviewed by at least two people. In addition, the alternative contact method should be used to confirm the correctness of the information. In this case, however, no alternative contact method was used and so the fake information was assumed to be true.
The consequences of the attack
The exact amount of damage is not yet known, but it is estimated that the fraudsters were able to steal more than 225,000 euros. An impressive sum, but fortunately only a small part of the overall budget for building the fence. Since the outbreak of swine fever in 2020, more than 700 kilometers of fence have been built, for which the Free State of Saxony has spent around 23 million euros.
A new system is intended to remedy the situation
In response to the incident, a new system is to be introduced that will make it much more difficult to change data such as account numbers. This new system could play a critical role in preventing future phishing attacks and limiting the financial damage to the department.
Conclusion: This case clearly shows how important it is to be constantly on guard and always handle sensitive information with caution. Even authorities and organizations that are normally considered secure are not immune to phishing attacks. It is essential that both individuals and organizations continue to educate themselves and stay up to date on security measures to prevent such scams. Phishers are just waiting for the next opportunity, and we shouldn't give it to them.
Also read: When you can use ChatGPT and when not! A fact check!
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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 )

