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Category Archives: Security Education

CISA releases an alert to warn consumers about scams to acquire money or personal data

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2023/03/15/beware-bank-related-scams

Bad actors taking advantage of SVB collapse for social engineering attacks as suspicious domains are being registered

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cybercriminals-exploit-svb-collapse-to-steal-money-and-data/

https://isc.sans.edu/diary/Incoming+Silicon+Valley+Bank+Related+Scams/29630/

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

Bank failure fraud: Be wary of communications (emails, links, advertisements, SMS messages, etc.) that may be coming concerning bank failures

As with any other high profile event, bad actors are expected to prey on the fears of consumers concerning Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The most convenient will be the registration of bogus domains for data or credential theft. A whole gambit of attacks are expected to businesses and consumers. Be VERY cautious, but there is no reason to panic. Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Your bank is not going to call you. Don’t give out ANY personal information or even confirm the existence of your account with any particular bank.
  • You will likely get an email from your financial institution as an FYI, but there should not be a call to action. If there is, call your bank using the number you know; not one on the email.
  • Mind family members. Elderly family members may be good targets for fraud.
  • Your financial institution will not text you about this. There should be no action needed via text. If you have any questions about a text you or a family member has received, call your bank using the number you know. Do not reply to the text of take call claiming to be your bank.
  • Businesses may be impacted by the failures. You may have a vendor that used that bank. Contact the vendor using the contact information you know.

More information from the FDIC:

    Article from ABC News (tips on how to keep your money safe)

    LastPass completes investigations into their most recent breaches and shares findings. You can read them below but we’ll detail them in coming days about necessary actions

    https://blog.lastpass.com/2023/03/security-incident-update-recommended-actions/
    Booking.com (function(d, sc, u) { var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0]; s.type = ‘text/javascript’; s.async = true; s.src = u + ‘?v=’ + (+new Date()); p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); })(document, ‘script’, ‘//cf.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js’);

    ISC: Turkey and Syria earthquake devastation prompts scammers and malware

    https://isc.sans.edu/diary/Earthquake+in+Turkey+and+Syria+Be+Aware+of+Possible+Donation+Scams/29518/

    China’s AI is deeply concerning to FBI Director Christopher Wray

    https://www.securityweek.com/fbi-chief-says-hes-deeply-concerned-chinas-ai-program

    JIT for Black Friday shopping: FBI releases tips to help protect your systems, your data and your money safe

    https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/on-the-internet

    Watch those Black Friday emails about “big box” stores or well-known brands

    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/phishing-kit-impersonates-well-known-brands-to-target-us-shoppers/

    IRS issues warning about the rise fake IRS themed SMS messages

    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/irs-warns-americans-of-massive-rise-in-sms-phishing-attacks/

    Geek Squad email scams are back

    They’re back, so the effort has to bear some fruit for someone. There’s a lot of good advice out there about them so I won’t rehash them all. It’s best to know that they’re fake. Just delete them and move on. I would think that all age groups have been a victim of this kind of fraud, but the elderly may be especially susceptible. Educate your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and their friends.

    Some recent articles about them:

    https://www.makeuseof.com/geek-squad-email-scam/

    What is Geek Squad Email Scam and How to Avoid It?

    If you’ve fallen prey to these, don’t hide that. Tell someone. Report it to your local police and/or file a report online with the FTC here: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/

    It might also be a good time to revisit these great tips concerning Online Privacy and Security

    https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/online-privacy-and-security