As summer draws to a close, banking institutions and their customers face a new wave of targeted phishing attacks - and industry experts predict these incidents will only increase in the months ahead.
In recent days, both Wells Fargo Bank and TD Canada Trust alerted customers of targeted cyberheists, or spear attacks. And in Idaho, the Attorney General and the Idaho Bankers Association issued their own consumer warning about the schemes, which included fraudulent phone calls to numerous consumers in the state feigning to be from Wells. In addition to Wells, the Idaho AG's Office also warned that targeted voice and text attacks had been linked to Idaho's Boise Federal Credit Union and Home Federal Bank.
"These messages are designed to reach as many potential victims as possible," said Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. "The senders do not know anything about you or your card. Many people who have received the messages do not have accounts with the bank or credit union purportedly sending the message."
The calls and texts, often referred to as vishing and smishing, reportedly told consumers their credit and/or debit cards had been compromised, and then asked recipients to call a phone number to provide personal banking information to have the cards reactivated.
"Your bank will never contact you to ask for your account number," Wasden said. "Your bank already knows your account number. These messages are 'phishing' attempts by people trying to steal your account information so they can steal your money."…
"Banks and their customers are among the biggest targets of phishing and spear-phishing," said Dave Jevans, head of the Anti-Phishing Working Group. "Banks represent about 55 percent of phishing attacks, and payment services such as PayPal are 25 percent. So, 80 percent of all phishing is targeted at banks and payment services." And that should be alarming.
For the complete story click here: Phishing Schemes: The New Wave
Cybercrimes like phishing scams will only continue to evolve and get more sophisticated—the bad guys won’t even sleep while they can still “earn an easy buck”. The time to proof up your employees against cybercrime is now; the means is with Internet security awareness training. Take a free phishing security test!
Stu Sjouwerman
KnowBe4
In recent days, both Wells Fargo Bank and TD Canada Trust alerted customers of targeted cyberheists, or spear attacks. And in Idaho, the Attorney General and the Idaho Bankers Association issued their own consumer warning about the schemes, which included fraudulent phone calls to numerous consumers in the state feigning to be from Wells. In addition to Wells, the Idaho AG's Office also warned that targeted voice and text attacks had been linked to Idaho's Boise Federal Credit Union and Home Federal Bank.
"These messages are designed to reach as many potential victims as possible," said Attorney General Lawrence Wasden. "The senders do not know anything about you or your card. Many people who have received the messages do not have accounts with the bank or credit union purportedly sending the message."
The calls and texts, often referred to as vishing and smishing, reportedly told consumers their credit and/or debit cards had been compromised, and then asked recipients to call a phone number to provide personal banking information to have the cards reactivated.
"Your bank will never contact you to ask for your account number," Wasden said. "Your bank already knows your account number. These messages are 'phishing' attempts by people trying to steal your account information so they can steal your money."…
"Banks and their customers are among the biggest targets of phishing and spear-phishing," said Dave Jevans, head of the Anti-Phishing Working Group. "Banks represent about 55 percent of phishing attacks, and payment services such as PayPal are 25 percent. So, 80 percent of all phishing is targeted at banks and payment services." And that should be alarming.
For the complete story click here: Phishing Schemes: The New Wave
Cybercrimes like phishing scams will only continue to evolve and get more sophisticated—the bad guys won’t even sleep while they can still “earn an easy buck”. The time to proof up your employees against cybercrime is now; the means is with Internet security awareness training. Take a free phishing security test!
Stu Sjouwerman
KnowBe4
