THE £170 ‘SCAM KITS’ FLEECING 500 BRITS A DAY
Fraudsters buy cheap online tools to steal IDs
CROOKS can buy scam kits to access the identities of one million Britons, and the tools to con them, for as little as £170.
The easily available packages use fake emails to take control of computers, usernames and passwords, a Mirror investigation found.
Nearly 500 people a day fall victim to identity fraud, according to Cifas fraud prevention service figures.
And we found some of the sophisticated tools in the scam kit can be bought online for as little as £1.58.
Cyber-security expert Simon Migliano said: “It’s possible to start a criminal career in online fraud for less than the price of a coffee.”
He added: “Fraudsters can buy an impressive set of hacking tools that would permit a cyber-crime spree, from infecting people with malware to hacking wi-fi networks, all with a view to commit identity theft.
PHISHING
“This is an alarmingly low barrier of entry to fraud. Some sellers even throw in a free hacking manual.”
Criminals set up and sell phishing pages for around £2. These are fake log-in pages for popular online retailers such as Amazon and Tesco.
They are spread by spam emails sent to unsuspecting consumers. Crooks can buy genuine email addresses in bulk on the dark web.
Fraud cost Britain £6.8billion last year, the UK Fraud Costs Measurement Committee’s annual fraud indicator showed. There were 600 million scam attempts in 2017, with three in four people targeted, Santander UK research found.
Two in three received phishing emails. We also found names, addresses, bank card details and even passwords being openly offered online as a “free sample” by criminals hoping to sell thousands more.
And research by top10vpn.com, which reviews virtual private networks, found the cost of hacking tools are dropping on the dark web.
Research chief Mr Migliano said: “Online fraud is increasing year on year. There’s certainly a correlation.
“It’s easier than ever for criminals to get their hands on powerful malware. [They] can buy everything off-the-peg on the dark web.”
There were some 3.6 million fraud cases and two million computer misuse offences in the 12 months to September 2017, the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed.
Mass marketing fraud is calculated to be costing £4.5billion a year, and identity fraud costs £1.3billion.
Labour MP Anna Turley, who sits on the Commons Business Select Committee, said: “It’s horrifying to think of how many Brits have had usernames and passwords stolen.
“It’s also deeply worrying that this fraud is so cheap and accessible. The Government must urgently take action to tackle this and to beef up our defence against cyber crime.”
Have you been a scam victim? Contact us at 0800 282 591 or mirrornews@mirror.co.uk.
6.8bn The overall cost in pounds of fraud in Britain last year
600m The number of scam attempts in 2017, three in four people targeted
3.6m The number of fraud cases in the 12 months to September 2017
1.3bn Calculated annual cost in pounds of identity theft in the UK