• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Jobs
  • Career
    • Cyber Security Training
    • Work from Home
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • Remote Work – Six Ways to Keep Your Data Safe When Working Remotely
  • Field Guide
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Deals
  • News
AskCyberSecurity.com

AskCyberSecurity.com

Cyber Security News & Information

  • Home
  • Data Privacy
    • Gamers
    • Government Cyber Security
      • Legislation
      • Standards
        • What are the risks of computer security?
        • Medical Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Security
    • Data Breaches
    • Scams
    • Malware
  • Software
    • Apps
    • Web Browsers
  • Glossary
    • Cyber Security Acronyms
  • About Ask Cyber Security
    • Authors
    • Contact Us
  • VPN
    • How Do I Know If My VPN is Working?
    • Best Free VPN iPhone
    • Why Use a VPN?
    • NordVPN vs IPVanish
    • Private Internet Access Download
    • Best VPN for Streaming
      • TikTok VPN
    • VPN Porn
    • Computer Security Software – What You Really Need
  • Tutorials
AskCyber Home » News » News » Cyber Security News Update 05/03/2019

Cyber Security News Update 05/03/2019

2019-05-03 by Max

Scammers have been taking advantage of Google AdWords to have their numbers replace the correct support lines for Amazon, PayPal, and other online services. The scammers leverage the trust that search engine users place in their results and have been using the numbers to have Google Play cards sent to their accounts. This purchase is to “verify” that their account is still under the owner’s control, and the scammer says that they’ll be reimbursed after the transaction goes through. Apparently, the scam only works on mobile devices where ads are subject to less scrutiny and the ads are able to pass through the automated measures that are supposed to stop them. Why exactly mobile ads would have less stringent safeguards against exploits like this isn’t clear, nor has it been clarified. The ads were reported to Google by BleepingComputer, and Google has since taken steps to remove the ads and stop their spread. As of now, there will no be any repayment to customers who have been scammed.
Source: Scammers deceive PayPal, Amazon and eBay clients through fake customer support numbers

In an unsurprising turn, hackers are turning to jailbroken and cracked devices to infect their users with malware. This makes sense, as someone who buys a cracked Amazon Firestick is incapable of going to Amazon itself for assistance and is unlikely to notify a law enforcement agency of their problem. Malicious actors have included payloads that steal user credentials, financial information, and other data. They also use the infected devices as jumping off points to get into the rest of the owner’s Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This is especially dangerous, as IoT devices are already incredibly vulnerable to being rolled up by a single infected device. Now, attackers can leverage the owner willingly allowing an infected device on to their network and giving it the access it needs to deliver its payload relatively unmolested. The malware doesn’t stop at just physical devices, but the content that streams to it is also infected. This is also true for devices that are bought legally but then tuned into illicit broadcasts and apps. Devices that find themselves streaming content from illegal sources rapidly find themselves infected with malware and that spreads to other connected IoT services and devices. Users can find their WiFi network compromised within minutes of beginning a stream, and from there attackers are able to pose as legitimate apps such as Netflix to further spread their attack. This sort of malware infection is a devious way of spreading a potential attacker’s reach, as they may be able to spread beyond the initial user. These attacks usually start with an offer of free content that entices the user to go with an app that has not been checked or is not available through standard means. Roughly 1 in 3 of websites offering this sort of app or streaming service attempt to hack their users as soon as they land on the website.
Source: Hackers are Targeting Piracy Apps to Install Malware and Steal Data

Filed Under: News

About Max

Max is a Data Privacy Coordinator at a major global law firm and a science fiction author residing in the Philadelphia area. He has been writing for https://www.askcybersecurity.com since early 2017.


LinkedInTwitterFacebook

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

We Don't Share or Sell Your Info

Web Browsers

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Google Removes 70 Malicious Browser Add-ons from Chrome Web Store

Firefox 75 Reports Your Browser Settings to Mozilla

Categories

Cyber Security Field Guide

Computer Security While TravelingGet Our Cyber Security Field Guide - Available on Amazon!

Recent Posts

Airline Supply Chain Hack: Saturday Sitrep

Cloud Security Consultant – Location Negotiable

Vaccines for Sale on Dark Web Marketplaces

Cyber Information Systems Security Manager 2

Google Says Advertisers Don’t Need to Track Individual Across the Web

IPVanish

IPVanish VPN

Cyber Security News

Cloud Security Consultant – Location Negotiable

… [Read More...] about Cloud Security Consultant – Location Negotiable

Vaccines for Sale on Dark Web Marketplaces

… [Read More...] about Vaccines for Sale on Dark Web Marketplaces

Google Says Advertisers Don’t Need to Track Individual Across the Web

… [Read More...] about Google Says Advertisers Don’t Need to Track Individual Across the Web

Malaysia Airlines Reports Data Breach

… [Read More...] about Malaysia Airlines Reports Data Breach

More Cyber Security News

Tags

amazon Android app Apple bitcoin China chrome CISA credit card Cyber Attack DHS Equifax Europe Facebook facial recognition FBI Firefox FTC games GDPR Google Government hacker identity theft India iPhone Iran IRS LinkedIn Microsoft North Korea PayPal phishing phishing email ransomware Romance Scam Russia smartphone tax scam TikTok tutorial VPN WhatsApp WiFi Windows

Government

FTC Releases Cyber Threat Video Playlist

Malware Found on US Government Funded Phones

UK NCA Reaches Out to Youth to Deter Cybercrimes

Texas DOT Hit by Ransomware Attack

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Newsletter Signup
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Search

Why Use a VPN?

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review

NAVIGATION

  • Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy
  • Gamers
  • Scams
  • Malware

MEMBER NJCCIC

New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell

STAY CONNECTED

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Copyright © 2021 · AskCyberSecurity.com · METRONY, LLC

Go to mobile version