Researchers at ESET describe varied sorts of scams launched by customers of Telekopye, a telegram bot that assists in crafting social engineering assaults.
The scammers name their victims “mammoths,” so ESET has dubbed the scammers “Neanderthals.” The primary sort of rip-off is just monetary knowledge theft through phishing websites.
“On this state of affairs, Neanderthals pose as sellers and attempt to lure unsuspecting Mammoths into shopping for some non-existent merchandise,” the researchers write. “When a Mammoth exhibits curiosity within the merchandise, the Neanderthal persuades the Mammoth to pay on-line reasonably than in particular person. If the Mammoth agrees, the Neanderthal gives a hyperlink to a phishing web site supplied by Telekopye and thoroughly crafted to resemble the cost web page of the respectable on-line market itemizing the reputed merchandise. In contrast to the respectable net web page although, this web page asks for a web based banking login, bank card particulars (generally together with steadiness), or different delicate info. If the Mammoth enters this knowledge, the phishing web site mechanically steals it.”
In one other sort of rip-off, the Neanderthals pose as patrons curious about an merchandise being bought on-line.
“They present curiosity within the merchandise a Mammoth is promoting and declare they already paid through the offering platform,” the researchers write. “The Neanderthals proceed to ship the Mammoths e-mail or SMS messages (created through Telekopye) with a hyperlink to a rigorously crafted phishing web site (additionally created through Telekopye), claiming the Mammoth must click on this hyperlink with a view to obtain their cash from the platform. The remainder of the state of affairs is similar to the Vendor rip-off with slight variations throughout dialog.”
The scammers are additionally starting to launch actual property scams focusing on individuals curious about renting flats.
“In the course of the preparation stage, Neanderthals write to a respectable proprietor of an house, pretending to have an interest and ask for varied particulars, corresponding to further photos and what sort of neighbors the house has,” the researchers write. “The Neanderthals then take all this info and create their very own itemizing on one other web site, providing the house for lease. They lower the anticipated market value by about 20%. The remainder of the state of affairs is equivalent to the Vendor rip-off state of affairs – the Neanderthal waits for a Mammoth to point out curiosity, and directs the Mammoth to pay a reservation price through a hyperlink that, in fact, truly factors to a phishing web site.”
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ESET has the story.