Covid fraud: £34.5m stolen in pandemic scams – BBC News
Covid fraud: £34.5m stolen in pandemic scams BBC News
Tag Archive for: Scams
Feds Indict North Korean Hackers for Years of Heists and Scams
Most surprising, perhaps, is the extent of the hackers’ alleged schemes as cryptocurrency scammers and even would-be entrepreneurs. The indictment outlines how the North Koreans—specifically Kim Il—made plans to launch a cryptocurrency token scheme called Marine Chain, which would sell a blockchain-based stake in marine vessels including cargo ships. According to the British think tank the Royal United Services Institute, Marine Chain was identified by the United Nations as a North Korean sanctions-evasion scheme in 2018; it’s not clear if it ever got off the ground.
In another cryptocurrency theft scheme, the hackers are charged with creating a long list of malicious cryptocurrency apps with names like WorldBit-Bot, iCryptoFx, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, Ants2Whales, and CryptoNeuro Trader, all designed to surreptitiously steal victims’ cryptocurrencies. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an advisory Wednesday about the malware family integrated into those apps known as AppleJeus, warning that the malicious apps have been distributed by hackers posing as legitimate cryptocurrency firms, who sent the apps in phishing emails or tricked users into downloading them from fake websites. Security firm Kaspersky had warned about versions of AppleJeus as early as 2018.
The indictment demonstrates the United States’ growing willingness to indict foreign hackers for cyberattacks and cybercriminal schemes that don’t merely target US institutions, says Greg Lesnewich, a threat intelligence analyst at security firm Recorded Future. For some of the charges, he points out, Americans were impacted only as the holders of cryptocurrency stolen from international exchanges. “It’s an expansion of what the US is willing to prosecute for, even if the victims aren’t US entities,” he says.
At the same time, Lesnewich says the long arc of the crimes the indictment describes also show North Korea has expanded its ambitions to use and steal cryptocurrency in any way that might help fund its sanctions-starved government. “They’re using very ingenious methods to steal cryptocurrency now,” says Lesnewich. “They’re clearly putting some of their ‘best’ people on…
Australian Cyber Security Centre warns of significant increase in business email compromise scams | St George & Sutherland Shire Leader
A Queensland farmer who has been scammed to the tune of $90,000 is warning others to be on the lookout for similar activity.
Noel and Suzi Rockliff, of Dalby, thought nothing of it when they received their usual email from Arrow Energy at the end of July reminding them to make their quarterly payment for land they lease from the company, together with details of changes to the bank account money was to be credited into.
They only realised they’d been involved in a fraudulent transaction when they received communication from Arrow a week later asking why they hadn’t met their payment commitment.
The fake cover letter accompanying the email received by the Rockliffs, which appeared similar to advice from other companies they deal with.
“We receive similar messages regularly from other businesses and didn’t think to check,” Mr Rockliff said. “It was identical to the usual message we receive and didn’t ring any alarm bells.”
They immediately contacted their bank and the police, who confirmed that the money hadn’t gone to Arrow Energy.
“The police told me when they looked into it, that account had cleared a couple of hundred thousand dollars,” Mr Rockliff said.
The matter is currently under investigation by Dalby CIB, who were contacted for comment on the case.
“We have had our computer checked by an IT specialist who confirmed it was highly unlikely that our machine had been compromised,” Mr Rockliff said.
The real invoice received by the Rockliffs is almost identical to the fake one on the right.
The family met with Arrow Energy five weeks ago to negotiate a way forward and said they had been understanding of the situation.
“At this stage they’ve put everything on hold for 12 months pending the police investigation, and we haven’t lost any money yet, but I’m not sure how it will end.
“I’ve paid my next quarterly payment, by cheque, that was due at the start of November.
“Furthermore, we’ll make future payments by credit card rather than by direct debit.”
Australian Cyber Security Centre head Abigail Bradshaw said there had been a significant increase in the use of business email compromise scams by cyber-criminals.
“In the 2019-20 financial year there were 4255 reports of BEC scams reported…
