Google offers refunds for buyers of fake Virus Shield app
Google is offering full refunds to buyers of the Virus Shield app which briefly topped the Android charts last week - but turned out to offer no protection whatsoever.
Scams
Cybercrime evolves as criminal gangs join forces with spies – report
Hackers targeting sensitive information or stealing from retailers work at such speed that customers often notice data breaches first - and for the first time, cybercriminals are ‘teaming up’ with spies, according to a new report.
“Virus Shield” app is top‑selling hit – but does absolutely nothing
Armed with an impressive-looking shield logo, security app Virus Shield shot to the top of the sales charts on Android last week. There was one, tiny, problem: the app was a fake.
“You have cancer” phishing attack shows how low cybercriminals will go
A “particularly unpleasant” phishing email purporting to be the results of a blood count report showing that the recipient may have cancer is circulating. It seems to be sent from a government health care organization - but it's a malware-laced scam.
More Mystery Shopper Misery
'Highly-paid' mystery shopper assignments where you're sent cashier's checks upfront can end up costing you a lot of money.
The Billgate Foundation – the fall for money, eh many…
Recently it was announced that Satya Nadella will be Steve Ballmer’s successor as CEO of Microsoft. Of course for the cybercriminals this is the time to dust off and polish the good old Microsoft Lottery scam and update it.
Five ‘new friends’ to avoid like the plague on social networks
Befriending the wrong person on Facebook can hand a criminal the tools for an identity theft attack - and on LinkedIn, talking to the wrong ‘recruiter’ can lead to disaster.
How cybercriminals ‘market’ email attacks – and why LinkedIn lures are today’s prize phish
Cybercriminals ‘manage’ phishing emails using techniques similar to those used by marketing agencies, including the use of ‘test audiences’ to see how effective a particular email is, according to an email security specialist.
Netflix phish, tech support scam, same phrying pan
Yet another innovative tech support scam, using Netflix phishing to get remote access to the victim's system.
Cisco offers $300,000 for “visionary” solutions to defend ‘Internet of Things’
Networking giant Cisco has launched a “grand challenge” to invent a security solution for the “internet of things” - a broad term used to describe connected devices from industrial equipment to cars to smart home appliances.
Mark Brooks: How to spot an online dating scammer – and why it’s getting tougher
Mark Brooks of OnlinePersonalsWatch works with many online dating sites - and says that all of them are plagued by fake profiles, scammers and criminals looking for money, not love. A few simple steps can help ensure you don't fall for a fake...
Scams: Tech Support, Accident Insurance, PPI, Oh My My
It's not just fake tech support: call centre cold-callers are operating various kinds of insurance scams, too.
Tinder dating app gave away exact locations of users for months
Smartphone dating app Tinder revealed more about its users than they might have wished over a period of several months last year - revealing their location to other app users to an accuracy of around 100 feet, according to The Verge’s report.
QR codes pose hidden danger to smartphone users, researchers claim
The increasing use of QR codes as a way to add interactive elements, apps and websites to display advertising, competitions or print magazines could pose a risk to smartphone users, Australian researchers at Murdoch University have warned
Belkin’s ‘Smart Home’ system has security flaws which could ‘black out’ homes – or start fires
Belkin’s WeMo home automation systems contain multiple vulnerabilities which could allow attackers to remotely control devices attached to a WeMo system - for instance, blacking out lighting in a home, or even starting fires, researchers have claimed.
Tax Scams, Malware, Phishing and a 419
A roundup of scam information, including a tax scams article, email with a link to malware, a phish, and the worlds laziest 419.
Worldwide cost of identity theft could be $5 billion per year, Microsoft survey finds
A Microsoft survey of 10,000 consumers found that the worldwide annual cost of identity theft and phishing could be as high as $5 billion - and the cost of repairing damage to people’s reputation online could be even higher.
Half of children left exposed to online threats as parents fail to use built‑in controls
Less than half of parents use parental controls on internet-enabled devices bought for their children - leaving millions of youngsters potentially exposed to online threats, according to new research.
American law firm admits entire server of legal files fell victim to Cryptolocker
A small American law firm has admitted that every document on a server at the North Carolina company has fallen prey to the Cryptolocker ransomware, according to a report by local station WSO CTV.
Facebook’s ‘A Look Back’ video used as bait for malware, report claims
A fake version of Facebook’s 10th anniversary celebration video page, ‘A Look Back’ is spreading via the social network, with users directed instead to another website, where they are prompted to download files.