Telephone-oriented attack delivery, which combines telephone fraud with spam emails, is on the rise in the US. Fake free tickets for concerts and video streaming sites the most used "lures' '. The Proofpoint report 04 Nov 2021 L. O. There are 60 million Americans who report losing money - about $ 29.8 billion between 2020 and 2021 - due to telephone fraud. It is the result of "Toad" campaigns - telephone-oriented attack delivery - a cyberattack technique that combines old-fashioned telephone fraud with unwanted email as an initial communication vector. It emerges from a Proofpoint research that tens of thousands of telephone cyber attacks occur every day. Dual modality threats The threats detected are of two types, explains a note: the first is the traditional fraud of call centers, such as false technical support, aimed at the theft of money. The second leverages call centers to distribute malware that could be used for secondary compromises. According to Proofpoint, such an attack can cost the victim up to $ 50,000. "The malware distributed in some of the campaigns - the research said - could lead to ransomware and represent an even greater risk for companies". Proofpoint researchers observed an increase in attacks that exploit a robust ecosystem of call center-based email threats. These attacks focus on the victims calling the attackers directly and initiating the interaction. Email fraud supported by call center customer service agents is profitable, and in many cases, victims lose tens of thousands of dollars directly from their bank accounts. There are two types of dangerous activities observed regularly by Proofpoint. One uses legitimate free remote assistance software to steal money, while the second uses hidden malware in the form of a document to compromise a computer and lead to further malware. The latter attack methodology is often associated with the BazaLoader malware, frequently referred to as BazaCall. Both types of attacks are what Proofpoint considers telephone-oriented attack delivery. How the scam works Attackers email the victim claiming to be representatives of companies such as concert ticket sellers, cybersecurity services, Covid-19 support funds, or online retailers of various kinds, promising refunds for bad purchases, software updates, or financial support . The emails contain a telephone number for customer assistance: when victims call him for support, they are connected directly to a malicious call center employee. Here the attack begins. Call center threats Attackers for financial extortion use as decoy invoices associated with companies such as Amazon, Paypal, or security software. When an individual calls the number listed in the email, the actor will direct them to install remote access software such as AnyDesk, Teamvier, Zoho, and provide them with access to interact with the machine, under the guise of being customer service. . Often, the victim is asked to log into their bank account to get a refund, or purchase gift certificates. Once the attacker is connected, she darkens the screen to hide his activities and could modify the Html of the bank's web page to show a different amount or directly attempt to steal money.
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Cybercrime is an alarm on call center scams. In one year, 30 billion dollars were stolen