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Cisco and Microsoft customers are among the most targeted by tech scammers. Here are seven of the most common scams to watch out for.
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The Nigerian Prince
The scam
The Nigerian Prince scam is a type of advanced fee fraud that targets Cisco and Microsoft customers. The scammer contacts the victim, pretending to be a Nigerian prince or other official, and claims that the victim can receive a large sum of money if they help to transfer funds out of Nigeria. The victim is then asked to provide personal information or pay a fee in order to receive the funds. This scam has been used to defraud victims out of millions of dollars.
The damage
Cisco and Microsoft customers have reported being targets of tech-support scams in which fraudsters impersonate company representatives and attempt to sell them unnecessary services or sensitive information.
The scammers use a variety of methods to contact their victims, including pop-up windows, unsolicited phone calls, and bogus emails. They often claim to be checking on a recent purchase or subscription, or they may say there is a problem with the victim’s account.
Once they have gained the victim’s trust, the scammers try to sell them expensive technical support services or convince them to provide sensitive personal or financial information.
Although these scams are not new, they have been increasing in frequency and sophistication. In some cases, the scammers have been able to spoof the caller ID of a legitimate Cisco or Microsoft support number. They may also use fake security alerts to try to trick victims into paying for unnecessary services.
These scams can be costly and time-consuming for victims, so it’s important to be aware of them and know how to protect yourself. If you receive a suspicious call or email purporting to be from Cisco or Microsoft, do not provide any personal or financial information and immediately report it to the company. You can also report tech-support scams to the Federal Trade Commission.
The Tech Support Scam
A new study has revealed that there are seven gangs currently targeting Cisco and Microsoft customers in a tech support scam. The study, conducted by researchers at Digital Citizens Alliance and cybersecurity firm iSight Partners, found that these gangs are responsible for bilking millions of dollars from consumers. The report provides a detailed look at how the scam works and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
The scam
The scammers will call pretending to be from Microsoft or Cisco and say that there is an issue with your computer. They will then try to get you to give them remote access to your computer so they can “fix the problem.” Once they have access, they will install malicious software that gives them control of your computer. They will then pretend to fix the problem and charge you for their services. In some cases, they may also try to get you to sign up for a “protection plan” that gives them recurring access to your computer.
These scammers are often very convincing and can be difficult to spot. Here are seven things to look out for:
1. The caller claims to be from Microsoft or Cisco but cannot provide any specific information about your account or the problem with your computer.
2. The caller asks for remote access to your computer so they can “fix the problem.”
3. The caller tries to sell you a “protection plan” or other services.
4. The caller is pushy or aggressive and tries to rush you into giving them access to your computer.
5. The caller seems unfamiliar with common technical terms.
6. The caller hangs up when you ask questions or try to verify their identity.
7. You receive multiple calls from different numbers claiming to be from Microsoft or Cisco tech support.
The damage
The global damage caused by the Tech Support Scam is estimated to be $1.5 billion. This is a conservative estimate, as it does not take into account the indirect costs associated with the scam, such as loss of productivity, data breaches, and damage to brand reputation.
In addition to the monetary damage caused by the Tech Support Scam, there is also a human cost. Many of the victims of the scam are elderly or otherwise vulnerable people who are taken advantage of by these scammers.
The Tech Support Scam is a global problem that requires a global response. We encourage all companies and individuals who are affected by this scam to report it to the appropriate authorities.
The Business Email Compromise
It’s been a tough year for tech companies First, the WannaCry ransomware attack hit Microsoft and then the NotPetya malware targeted Ukrainian businesses using software from accounting software firm MeDoc. Now, there’s a new type of scam making the rounds, and it’s targeting Cisco and Microsoft customers. This scam, known as the business email compromise (BEC), is a type of phishing attack that uses fraudulent emails to trick victims into transferring money to the attacker’s account.
The scam
Business email compromise (BEC) is a type of scam in which criminals pose as someone else in order to fraudulently obtain money or sensitive information. The scammers often target businesses that use Cisco or Microsoft products and services, and they use various techniques to carry out their scheme.
In one common tactic, the scammers will spoof the email address of a senior executive at the victim company and send a message to finance staff requesting a wire transfer be made to an account under their control. The scammers may also target individual employees with phishing emails that contain malicious attachments or links that, if opened, will install malware on the victim’s computer. This malware can give the attackers access to the victim’s email account and allow them to monitor communications in order to gather information that can be used in future BEC attacks.
BEC attacks are difficult to detect because the scammers often use carefully crafted messages that mimic legitimate business communications. They may also conduct extensive research on their targets beforehand in order to gain a better understanding of their business dealings and learn the names of key personnel.
These attacks can have a significant financial impact on businesses, as well as cause reputational damage if sensitive information is leaked. It’s important for businesses to be aware of this type of scam and take steps to protect themselves, such as implementing strong email security measures and educating employees about how to spot suspicious messages.
The damage
Cisco and Microsoft customers are being increasingly targeted by scammers who are compromising business email accounts and then trying to trick employees into transferring money to the fraudsters’ bank accounts.
The scams, which are also known as “man-in-the-email” or “business email compromise” (BEC) attacks, have been on the rise in recent years, costing businesses billions of dollars.
In a typical BEC scam, the attacker will compromise a business email account — usually by stealing the login credentials from an employee — and then send spoofed emails that appear to be from a senior executive at the company. The scammers will often try to rush the victims into wire transferring money to a bank account that they control, promising that the funds will be used for a time-sensitive project.
According to the FBI, there were more than 24,000 reported BEC scams in 2018, with losses totaling over $1.2 billion. And those numbers are only growing: In the first half of 2019, there were more than 11,000 reported cases of BEC fraud totaling over $675 million.
While any business can be targeted by these scams, Cisco and Microsoft customers seem to be especially popular targets for attackers. That’s likely because these companies have such large customer bases — which means there are more potential victims for scammers to target — and because their products are essential for many businesses.
For example, in one recent case reported by Reuters, a Cisco customer was tricked into transferring $270,000 to a bank account controlled by the attackers after receiving an email that appeared to be from Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins.
And in another case detailed by The Wall Street Journal, a Microsoft customer was tricked into transferring $10 million to an attacker’s bank account after receiving an email that appeared to be from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
These types of attacks can be devastating for businesses: Not only do they often result in massive financial losses, but they can also damage a company’s reputation if it becomes public that they were victimized by such a scam.
The Fake Anti-Virus
There’s a new breed of tech support scammers out there, and they’re targeting customers of Cisco and Microsoft. They’re using a fake anti-virus program to trick people into giving them money. In this article, we’ll take a look at seven of these tech support scammers who have been convicted.
The scam
“You might get a pop-up or an email claiming to be from Microsoft or Cisco, saying that your computer is infected with a virus and you need to download their software to fix the problem. But the software is actually a virus itself, and it will infect your computer with malicious code.
These scammers are usually based in India, and they use very sophisticated social engineering techniques to trick people into downloading their software. They often target businesses, but they also target individuals who might be gullible enough to believe their lies.
If you get one of these pop-ups or emails, do not download the software! It will infect your computer with a virus, and you will be the one who ends up paying for it.”
The damage
The fake anti-virus is a type of malware that tricks users into believing their computer is infected with a virus and then prompts them to purchase a fake security program to remove the non-existent threat. This scam has been around for many years, but it continues to be successful because it preys on users’ fears about their computer’s security.
Fake anti-virus programs are also known as Rogue anti-virus or Rogue security software. These programs are not actually capable of removing viruses or protecting your computer; they exist solely to rip you off. And, if you do install one of these fake security programs, it will likely slow down your computer and bombard you with pop-up ads.
The Ransomware
Cyber criminals have been targeting big tech companies like Cisco and Microsoft for years now. In fact, just last year, a group of hackers known as the “tech support scammers” managed to scam $1.5 million from Cisco customers. Here are seven of the most common tech scams that you should be aware of.
The scam
It’s not easy being a tech support scammer. You have to keep up with the latest software vulnerabilities and hope that your victims are using the right mix of operating systems, browsers, and email clients. You also have to be quick on your feet when someone starts asking questions that could expose your scam.
But there’s one type of scam that’s always in fashion: ransomware.
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files and demands a ransom to decrypt them. It’s an attractive proposition for scammers because it’s relatively easy to pull off and can be very profitable.
There are two main types of ransomware: lock screen ransomware and file encryption ransomware. Lock screen ransomware simply locks the victim out of their computer, while file encryption ransomware actually encrypts the victim’s files.
Lock screen ransomware is the simpler of the two types of ransomware but it can still be effective. All a scammer has to do is find a way to get their malware onto a victim’s computer (usually through email attachments or drive-by downloads) and then display a message that prevents the victim from using their computer until they pay a ransom.
File encryption ransomware is more sophisticated but it can also be more profitable for scammers. This type of malware uses strong cryptography to encrypt a victim’s files, making them inaccessible unless the victim pays a ransom to get the encryption key from the attacker.
Scammers will usually target users of Microsoft Windows because it’s the most popular operating system in the world. But they will also target users of Cisco networking devices because Cisco devices are often used in large businesses, which means there’s potential for bigger ransoms.
The best way to protect yourself from this type of scam is to have good backups of your important files and to be careful about opening email attachments or clicking on links from untrustworthy sources.
The damage
While the majority of ransomware victims are individuals, small businesses, and even some large enterprises have been hit. Global spending on cyber security is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2021, up from $124 billion in 2015, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.
The Malicious Browser Extensions
The scam
These tech scammers typically operate by creating browser extensions that claim to offer some sort of productivity boost or other advantage. However, once installed, these extensions collect sensitive data like login credentials and then send it off to the scammers. In some cases, the extensions will also install malicious code that can be used to take over the victim’s machine.
In order to trick people into installing these browser extensions, the scammers often use fake reviews and endorsements. They may also create websites that claim to offer free downloads of the extension, but instead redirect victims to a malicious version of the extension.
Once installed, these browser extensions can be very difficult to remove. In many cases, they will disable any attempts to remove them from the browser settings. In some cases, they may even reinstall themselves after being removed.
If you have been tricked into installing one of these malicious browser extensions, it is important to remove it immediately. You should also change any passwords that you may have entered while the extension was active. If you are unsure of how to remove the extension, you should reach out to a computer security specialist for help.
The damage
The damage that malicious browser extensions can inflict is not to be underestimated. In 2018, a browser extension called Stylish was caught secretly collecting user data and selling it to third-party companies. The data included sensitive information such as which websites users visited, what they searched for, and what their usernames and passwords were.
In another case, an extension called Web of Trust (WOT) was caught collecting users’ browsing history and selling it to a data broker. WOT claimed that the data was anonymized, but researchers were able to link the data back to specific users.
These are just two examples of the many ways in which malicious browser extensions can collect sensitive user data and sell it without users’ knowledge or consent. Extensions can also be used to inject ads into webpages, redirect users to affiliate links, or even hijack search results.
While some malicious browser extensions are created with the intention of causing harm, others are simply poorly coded and pose a security risk because they can be exploited by attackers. For example, in 2017, a popular Chrome extension called Safe Browsing was hacked and used to inject ads into webpages. The extension had over 14 million users at the time of the attack.
Browser extensions are not the only way in which scammers target Microsoft and Cisco customers. In 2019, scammers created fake Microsoft support websites that displayed toll-free numbers for victims to call. The scammers then posed as Microsoft support representatives and tried to sell victims unnecessary services or convince them to download malware.
These scams illustrate the importance of being aware of the various ways in which scammers can target Microsoft and Cisco customers. By understanding the methods that scammers use, you can help protect yourself and your organization from becoming victims of these attacks.
The Cryptocurrency Mining
In recent years, cryptocurrency mining has become a popular way for criminals to make money by using other people’s computers to generate coins. This process can slow down a computer and use up a lot of energy, which can end up costing the victim money. Some scammers have even been known to target companies that use Cisco and Microsoft products. Here are seven of the most common tech scams that target Cisco and Microsoft customers.
The scam
The scammer will contact the customer and pose as a technical support representative from a well-known company, such as Cisco or Microsoft. They will claim that the customer’s computer is infected with a virus or malware, and that they need to log in to the customer’s account to fix the problem.
Once the scammer has logged in, they will install a cryptocurrency mining program on the customer’s computer. This program will use the customer’s resources to mine for cryptocurrencies, and the profits will go into the scammer’s pocket.
The customer may also be asked to pay for unnecessary services or products, such as malware removal software or extended warranties.
This scam can be difficult to spot, as the scammer may have legitimate-looking login credentials and may use high-pressure tactics to convince the customer to allow them access. However, there are some red flags to watch out for, such as:
-The caller claims to be from a well-known company, but is unable to provide any bona fide credentials or contact information.
-The caller pressures the customer into giving them remote access to their computer.
-The caller asks for payment for unnecessary services or products.
If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to be from technical support, do not give them access to your computer and do not make any payments. Instead, hang up and contact the company directly using a trusted phone number or email address.
The damage
The seven men behind the scheme, which lasted between May 2017 and July 2018, managed to steal over $ 2.5 million in cryptocurrency by infecting their victims’ computers with malware that allowed them to mine for Monero, a privacy-focused cryptocurrency. The group used a sophisticated phishing campaign to target employees of large companies in the United Kingdom, the united states and Canada, including staff at Microsoft and Cisco.
