Scams news stories - Page 2

Malware and scams continue to plague thousands of New Zealanders, laying $3.3 million to waste in just three months.

Scammers too band together in clans to automate and streamline fraudulent operations.

For cybercriminals, it is the season to scam millions of dollars from unsuspecting people and companies. 

Almost a fifth of New Zealanders have experienced a scamming event when shopping online.

"If you control the amount of information you release, you can reduce the chance of someone stealing your identity.”

"What’s most alarming is that multiple scammer groups are bidding for keywords on Google Ads, which is likely a signal of the success."

Despite best intentions, most New Zealanders overlook key steps to protect sensitive data.

More than 150 premium SMS scam applications have been discovered as part of a campaign dubbed “UltimaSMS” using Instagram and Tik Tok.

“Tech support scams are effective because they prey on fear, uncertainty and doubt to trick recipients into believing they face a dire cybersecurity threat."

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen cybercriminals leverage COVID-19-related trends as lures in their phishing campaigns."

"Attackers are making millions of dollars with this scam," according to Sophos.

The mobile malware infects and steals data from the phones of unsuspecting victims.

Consumers think banks, retailers and mobile operators need to do more to protect them and their personal information from fraudsters.

The number of cybersecurity incidents in the second quarter of 2021 has risen to more than 1,350, accounting for $3.9 million in direct financial losses.

According to Avast, many New Zealanders are exposing themselves to unnecessary online risks and cyber threats through careless digital practices.

Scammers have been looking for ways to amplify DDoS attacks.

Olympic-related phishing websites are designed to steal users credentials.

These scams are specifically designed to trick unsuspecting consumers to share personal information or engage in behaviour that puts their privacy at risk.

"You might find the love of your life online but unfortunately, there are also bots and fraudsters looking for prey on dating platforms."online

Tactics used by fraudsters to victimise users online have evolved over time, from pure cold calling to more sophisticated ploys.

"Organisations need to re-evaluate the communications channels they use to interact with customers to better establish trust. With fraudsters monopolising open channels such as SMS and email, these channels cannot be relied upon."

The top scams related to the pandemic, including vaccine-oriented, financial relief, and tech support scams.

“Today scam is more than just solitary fraudulent web pages, it’s an entire industry with advanced technologies under the hood."

Tessien has found a growing trend of SMS scams impersonating meal kit delivery companies.