Tag: support scam
-
Tips on researching tech support scams
At one end of the attack spectrum there are attacks that cleverly exploit features of modern processors. At the other end, there are tech support scams that, through some basic social engineering, aim to convince the victim that their PC is infected (or even that their ‘IP address is spreading viruses’) and then charge a…
-
Tips on researching tech support scams
At one end of the attack spectrum there are attacks that cleverly exploit features of modern processors. At the other end, there are tech support scams that, through some basic social engineering, aim to convince the victim that their PC is infected (or even that their ‘IP address is spreading viruses’) and then charge a…
-
Advertisements on Blogspot sites lead to support scam
In our research for the VBWeb tests, in which we measure the ability of security products to block malicious web traffic, we recently noticed some sites hosted on Google ‘s Blogspot service that presented the user with a warning about a malware error and a telephone number which they were urged to call in order…
-
Compromised site serves Nuclear exploit kit together with fake BSOD
Support scammers not lying about a malware infection for a change. During our work on the development of the VBWeb tests, which will be started soon, we came across an interesting case of an infected website that served not only the Nuclear exploit kit, but also a fake blue screen of death (BSOD) that attempted…
-
VB2014 preview: Tech Support Scams 2.0: an inside look into the evolution of the classic Microsoft tech support scam
Jérôme Segura looks at recent developments in malicious cold calls. In the weeks running up to VB2014 (the 24th Virus Bulletin International Conference), we are looking at some of the research that will be presented at the event. Today, in the final entry in this series, we look at the paper ‘ Tech Support Scams…
-
Tech support scammers won’t give up
M3AAWG workshop to deal with fighting telephony abuse. For security researchers like myself, receiving a call from a tech support scammer is usually a good opportunity for a bit of fun. Indeed, telephone conversations with scammers can be quite hilarious as a recent recording by blogger Troy Hunt shows. Of course, for those who are…
-
Phone support scams: an old scam with some new tricks
Files in Prefetch directory supposedly show malware infections. Telephone support scams have been going on for quite a long time, and have received a fair amount of publicity, which often makes me wonder if there are still people who fall for them. A call I received last week proved that the callers haven’t given up.…
-
Phone support scammers attempt repeat business
Previous victims contacted again and tricked into ‘renewing’ service. Phone support scammers have found a new way to make easy money: by calling back people whom they have previously tricked into paying for their services, and tricking the same innocent users into paying for a ‘renewal’ of the service. As someone who regularly works from…