Details on this new scam demonstrate how cybercriminal gangs are working to try use new mediums and social engineering methods to trick users into becoming victims.
Receiving a bogus email pretending to be from Amazon is old news. We’ve seen countless impersonation emails over the last year alone. But this latest email-based attack documented by security researchers at Armorblox tells the tale of a phishing email that becomes a vishing (voice phishing) attack to trick potential victims into giving up personal details.
According to Armorblox, victims receive a realistic-looking Amazon email stating the recipient ordered a 77” TV (which are very expensive!).
Source: Armorblox
The real brilliant part is with the “View or Manage Order” button – it’s nothing but an image with no URL linked to it whatsoever. Instead, you’ll note, there’s a message stating “If you did not place this order, please contact us at XXX-XXX-XXXX.”
This is where the phishing attack becomes a vishing attack.
When the victim calls the phone number (which is redirected to a disposable Google Voice number), a live person answers the call pretending to be from Amazon. They ask the victim for the order number, their name, and then verify credit card details before they cut the call short on purpose and block the victim’s number.
This kind of social engineering shows just how far the bad guys will go to establish credibility to lower someone’s defenses. Since most users are aware of phishing attacks, educating them via Security Awareness Training about vishing attacks is also necessary to keep the organization safe from all attack vectors.
