Today it was reported through several sources that a new Cybercrime-as-a-Service option is available: creation of fake scanned passports, ID cards, driver's licenses and fake scanned utility bills from various companies, that can help attackers bypass the identity verification processes used by banks, online service providers and payment processors, according to researchers from Russian cybercrime investigations firm Group-IB.
Using image manipulation software to change the photo, name and other details on a scanned ID is obviously not a new practice, but services that automate the whole process and produce high-quality results are new on the "cybercrime supermarket".
The service has templates for passports, ID cards and driver's licences for the U.S., Canada, Russia, the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and other European Union countries. It also has templates for bank statements, credit cards -- front and back -- and utility bills from banks and utility companies operating in those countries. Scans of U.S. passports are the most expensive product and cost US$11 each. Other scanned documents are priced at $7.99 or $9.99 each.
You can imagine how easy spear-phishing attacks get when you can support your fraudulent request supported with a fake ID. Security Awareness Training is definitely a must for people that deal with this kind of thing regularly.
