Security researchers at Kaspersky recently reported a new, unique fraud, where hackers tricked people into revealing their personal data by offering compensation to scam victims.
Online scammers continue to trick people, and they do not seem to draw the line even when it comes to those who were already made victims by online criminals. According to researchers from Kaspersky Labs, there is currently a new, unique online fraud that tricks victims of personal data fraud into thinking that they are being compensated for their loss.
Researchers claim that hackers are posing as a data protection service to offer people money, and the ability to purchase a ‘temporary US Social Security number.’ Each SS number is worth $9, according to the offer. Hackers are supposedly targeting people all over the world, including the UAE, Egypt, Russia, Algeria, and a number of other countries. Meanwhile, scammers are posing as the US Trading Commission-owned Personal Data Protection Fund. The fund offers monetary compensation to those who lost personal data in a data leak, and it is available to people around the world. All that the victims need to do is provide their social media accounts, first name, last name, and phone number. When the data is collected and entered into the Fund’s systems, the system shows whether or not the user has been a victim of a data leak, what data is included, and alike. The user can then receive thousands of dollars in compensation.#Fraudsters use data protection #website to #hack people https://t.co/HP4fKhodej | #technology #technews #artificialintelligence #AI #RPA
— Express Computer (@ExpComputer) January 21, 2020
Scammers decided to use the concept to pose as the employees of the Fund and ask for a lot more than the information that the real Fund would require. They were known to ask for details such as bank card numbers, social security numbers, and potentially other information. If the user doesn’t have an SSN, the hackers even offer to sell them one for $9.
Researchers say that the scammers are mostly Russian speakers, confirmed by the fact that they asked for payment in rubles. In addition, similar scams were performed in the past, including giveaways, secret retirement savings, surveys, and alike.
In the end, the scam is the same in concept as any other — the victim is offered a lot in exchange for a bit of money and perhaps some sensitive data. Since the victims were already damaged in a data leak, they do not even suspect that another attack is targeting them immediately afterward.
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