Category Archives: Web Fraud 2.0

Hacked Hotel Phones Fueled Bank Phishing Scams

February 4, 2015

A recent phishing campaign targeting customers of several major U.S. banks was powered by text messages directing recipients to call hacked phone lines at Holiday Inn locations in the south. Such attacks are not new, but this one is a timely reminder that phishers increasingly are using lures blasted out via SMS as more banks turn to text messaging to communicate with customers about account activity.

Treasury Dept: Tor a Big Source of Bank Fraud

December 5, 2014

A new report from the U.S. Treasury Department found that a majority of bank account takeovers by cyberthieves over the past decade might have been thwarted had affected institutions known to look for and block transactions coming through Tor, a global communications network that helps users maintain anonymity by obfuscating their true location online.

‘Microsoft Partner’ Claims Fuel Support Scams

November 14, 2014

You can’t make this stuff up: A tech support company based in the United States that outsources its work to India says its brand is being unfairly maligned by — wait for it…..tech support scammers based in India. In an added twist, the U.S.-based tech support firm claims that the trouble is related to its admittedly false statements about being a Microsoft Certified Partner — a common claim among telephone-based tech support scams.

Feds Arrest Alleged ‘Silk Road 2’ Admin, Seize Servers

November 6, 2014

Federal prosecutors in New York today announced the arrest and charging of a San Francisco man they say ran the online drug bazaar and black market known as Silk Road 2.0. In conjunction with the arrest, U.S. and European authorities have jointly seized control over the servers that hosted Silk Road 2.0 marketplace.

Who’s Behind the Bogus $49.95 Charges?

September 22, 2014

Hardly a week goes by when I don’t hear from a reader wondering about the origins of a bogus credit card charge for $49.95 or some similar amount for a product they never ordered. As this post will explain, such charges appear to be the result of crooks trying to game various online affiliate programs by using stolen credit cards.