CROOKS GET PERSONAL
Online crooks are getting ever more sophisticated in their attempts to snare victims.
I’ve previously detailed how they create fake news sites, sometimes imitating the Mirror’s website, with fictitious stories about celebrities making money from Bitcoin trading.
If you click on the links you’re directed to scam sites promising millions if you invest.
Now a huge data leak has allowed scammers to target potential victims in a far more personal way.
Having got details such as names, mobile phone numbers and email addresses, they send text messages that look like links to reports from a legitimate news source.
Unlike the fake news stories that plague sites such as Facebook, these link to sites with individual URLs, so the scammers know who has responded.
If you then click from the fake news site to the supposed Bitcoin trading platform, you’ll be faced with more lies about riches – but with a twist.
Because the scammers know who has clicked through to the site, the registration form will be pre-filled with details such as your name and email address.
Victims are then told that all they have to do is add their bank details, pay a deposit and the money will start rolling in.
According to cybersecurity company Group-IB the data on almost 250,000 people has been exploited in this way, the bulk – 147,000 – being from Britain.
“The bad guys got smarter in a bid to increase the success rate of their fraudulent operations,” said Ilya Sachkov, chief executive of the Singaporebased company.
“Using personal data allows them to carry out targeted attacks and make a victim’s journey easier and smoother, which levels up the overall effectiveness of the scheme.
“In general, many people tend to underestimate the risks of their names, phones or emails circulating online until bad things happen.
“In fact, such a huge amount of sensitive data in the wrong hands opens up a whole new world of opportunities for fraudsters.”
Data leak has helped crooks to personalise their attacks