Security Awareness Training Blog

Social Engineering Blog

Latest social engineering news, analysis, tactics the bad guys are using and what you can do to defend your organization.

Business Email Compromise Attack Leads to Millions in Non-Profit Loss

A business email compromise attack at Illinois’s Office of the Special Deputy Receiver led to a loss of $6.85 million, Ray Long at the Chicago Tribune reports. Long describes the Office ...
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Obvious, but Probably Effective: Konni RAT Screensaver

A North Korean threat actor is targeting users in Russia with a New Year’s Eve-themed phony screensaver file, the Record reports. Researchers at Cluster25 spotted the activity, and say ...
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Shoulder Surfing is Still a Thing for Successful Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering isn’t concerned with either novelty or elegance. All that matters is whether it works. ESET’s Jake Moore described a case in point for We Live Security: all someone ...
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5 Notable Obscure Phishing Scams

I love that KnowBe4’s customers are among the most knowledgeable and educated people in the world in avoiding phishing scams. KnowBe4’s products help its customers to educate and test ...
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New Nigerian Phishing Scams Target U.S. Military Families with Needed “Services”

With loved ones potentially a half a world away, scammers prey on families with scams that offer to assist with communication, care packages, leave, and more.
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Having an Efficient Security Awareness Training Program

I love that KnowBe4’s customers are among the most knowledgeable and educated people in the world in avoiding phishing scams. KnowBe4’s products help its customers to educate and test ...
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Spam Calling Rates Spike Globally

Spam calls in the US spiked in October, according to Truecaller’s annual Global Spam Report. The report observed that Truecaller customers in the US received 3,115,861 spam calls in ...
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$148 Million Lost to Gift Card Scams in 2021 (So Far)

A US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data spotlight has found that people in the US lost $148 million to gift-card-related scams in the first nine months of 2021. The spotlight also found ...
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Netflix is the Latest Impersonated Brand in Ongoing Subscriber Targeting Scams

With the increased interest in and availability of movie and TV streaming services, plenty of new scams are popping up attempting to steal personal details and credit card information.
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Answer 4 Simple Questions To Avoid a Social Engineering Attack

I am usually not a man of a few words. I am the opposite. I write hundreds of pages a month and talk non-stop in person. But lately, I have been trying to be better at saying more with ...
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Socially Engineering Your Way to Customer Data

US telecommunications company Cox Communications has disclosed a data breach that exposed some customers’ information, BleepingComputer reports. The company said in a breach notification ...
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2021 Security Hints & Tips for Holiday Travels

The holiday season may be closer to "normal" this year, and that means your users will be even more focused on holiday activities - including travel. Cybercriminals will undoubtedly be ...
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New Phishing Campaign has Fake DHL Shipping

Researchers at Avanan have spotted a new phishing campaign that’s impersonating DHL with phony shipping notifications. The emails inform the recipients that they need to update their ...
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Bitcoin Scam Videos on Instagram are Part of an Elaborate Account Takeover Scam

This elaborate scam uses social engineering to trick victims into sending the hacker Bitcoin while holding Instagram accounts hostage.
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FBI: Cyber Attacks Target Organizations Involved in Mergers and Acquisitions

A new notification from the FBI warns organizations of attacks at the perfect time when organizations are spending money, new people are being introduced, and operations are in flux.
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Avoid Donating to Charity Scammers During Giving Tuesday 2021

Giving Tuesday is a great way for organizations and people to give back. However, this gives cybercriminals opportunities to take advantage of you with charity scams.
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SEC Warns of Spoofed Emails Impersonating Their Employees

Scammers are impersonating the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with spoofed phone calls and other communications that attempt to steal money and personal information from ...
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Phishing Campaign Targets TikTok Influencers

Phishing emails are targeting large TikTok accounts with phony copyright warnings or offers for account verification, according to researchers at Abnormal Security.
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'Fake Ransomware' as a Form of Social Engineering

Attackers are exploiting a vulnerability in a WordPress plugin to deface several hundred websites with phony warnings of ransomware, the Record reports. Researchers at Sucuri found that ...
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Social Engineering, Persistence, and a Few Phone Calls is All it Takes to Steal $1 Million

The story of a Swiss investor who was convinced they were purchasing pre-IPO shares of AirBnB is the cautionary tale of how little it really takes to turn someone into a victim.
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