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N2K Networks

Deception, influence, and social engineering in the world of cyber crime.

Hacking Humans

This week, our hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joe Carrigan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maria Varmazis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (also host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠T-Minus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with another chicken update for everyone. Dave’s got the story of a Monotype font-licensing shakedown that totally backfired — automated claims, mass messages, and scary warnings that all unraveled when a typography-savvy employee proved every allegation was wrong, leaving Monotype empty-handed. Joe’s story is on a massive Walmart robocall scam targeting millions of customers. Fake calls, using AI voices claiming a pricey PlayStation 5 order, tricked people into giving personal info. The FCC is cracking down on SK Teleco, the U.S. voice provider behind the calls, threatening to cut them off from U.S. networks if they don’t act fast to stop the scam. Maria has the story on TSA warnings for travelers: avoid plugging phones into public USB ports and skip unsecured airport Wi-Fi. Hackers can sneak malware through USBs or intercept data over open networks, so TSA and the FCC recommend using portable chargers, charging-only cables, or a VPN to stay safe while traveling. Our catch of the day comes from a Microsoft looking email which says the user has been flagged. 

Resources and links to stories:

 
⁠Monotype font licencing shake-down

 Millions of Walmart customers victims of major scam

 FCC Demands Cessation of Walmart-Impersonation Robocalls

 VIA ELECTRONIC DELIVERY AND CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

 Is charging your phone at the airport safe?

 An Open Letter

 Man behind in-flight Evil Twin WiFi attacks gets 7 years in prison

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Don’t let public ports bite.

Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes. 

The use of similar-looking characters in a phishing URL to spoof a legitimate site.

CyberWire Glossary link: ⁠https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/homograph-phishing⁠

Audio reference link: “⁠Mission Impossible III 2006 Masking 01⁠,” uploaded by DISGUISE MASK, 28 July 2018.

Homograph phishing (noun) [Word Notes]

Welcome in! You’ve entered, Only Malware in the Building. Wrap yourself in a warm blanket, pour your favorite mug of tea, and join us each month as we unwrap the season’s juiciest cyber mysteries. Your host is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Selena Larson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Proofpoint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ intelligence analyst and host of their podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DISCARDED⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Inspired by the residents of a building in New York’s exclusive upper west side, Selena is joined by her co-hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠N2K Networks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Keith Mularski⁠⁠⁠⁠, former FBI cybercrime investigator and now Chief Global Ambassador at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Qintel⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Being a security researcher is a bit like being a detective: you gather clues, analyze the evidence, and consult the experts to solve the cyber puzzle. On this episode, we explore Remote access, real cargo: cybercriminals targeting trucking and logistics. From clever schemes to protect shipments to the tools cybercriminals use, our guests discuss how organizations can safeguard physical goods in an increasingly connected world—because even during the season of hustle and bustle, the threats don’t take a holiday.

Yippee-ki-yay, cybercriminals! [OMITB]

This week, our hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joe Carrigan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maria Varmazis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (also host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠T-Minus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up from listener John Helt having some chicken withdrawal, Foghorn Leghorn excluded. You are welcome, John, you now have your chicken updates! And, we share how a fish went shopping. 

Maria shares some research (including her own) on using AI chatbots to phish the elderly. Joe’s got two stories today. First up, he talks about the Myanmar army continuing their raids on scam centers. Joe also shares a piece on two men found guilty of engaging in an extensive fraud scheme of ACA plan subsidies involving over $233 million from the federal government. Dave's story helps keep scammers out of your stockings this holiday season. Our catch of the day comes from the phishing subreddit about a text a la Strong Bad. 

Resources and links to stories:

 Black neon tetra: Credit card fraud

 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We set out to craft the perfect phishing scam. Major AI chatbots were happy to help.

 Can AI Models be Jailbroken to Phish Elderly Victims? An End-to-End Evaluation

 Can AI Models be Jailbroken to Phish Elderly Victims? An End-to-End Evaluation

 Myanmar’s military launches raid on second major online scam center

 President of Insurance Brokerage Firm and CEO of Marketing Company Convicted in $233M Affordable Care Act Enrollment Fraud Scheme

 Keep scammers out of your stockings this holiday season

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

A fish commits credit card fraud (inadvertently).

Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes. 

Software designed to prevent cheating in video games. 

CyberWire Glossary link: ⁠https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/anti-cheat-software⁠

Audio reference link: “⁠The BIG Problem with Anti-Cheat⁠,” by Techquickie, YouTube, 5 June 2020

Anti-cheat software (noun) [Word Notes]

Please enjoy this encore of Hacking Humans. 

On Hacking Humans, ⁠Dave Bittner⁠, ⁠Joe Carrigan⁠, and ⁠Maria Varmazis⁠ (also host of N2K's daily space podcast, T-Minus), are once again sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines to help our audience become aware of what is out there. Our hosts discuss and ponder whether or not diamonds are the original cryptocurrency, as well as diving further into Yubikeys for organizations. Maria shares the story of a 66-year-old woman who lost her $2 million retirement savings to a romance scam on Match.com, highlighting the rise in such scams and efforts to pass the Online Dating Safety Act to protect users. Joe's story is on the Madoff Victim Fund's final $131.4 million payout, bringing total recoveries to $4.3 billion for victims of Bernard Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme, which collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. Dave's got the story on allegations that the PayPal Honey browser extension not only fails to deliver the best deals but also hijacks affiliate revenue from influencers by replacing their links with its own, sparking backlash and controversy. Our catch of the day comes from Reddit and Dave and Maria do their best impressions yet, as a scammer chats up an unsuspecting victim. 

Resources and links to stories: 

 ⁠Online dating scammers bilk more money each year. A bipartisan bill seeks to stop them at the source.⁠

 ⁠Madoff fraud victims get $4.3bn as fund completes payouts⁠

 ⁠Honey’s deal-hunting browser extension is accused of ripping off customers and YouTubers⁠

You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show ⁠here⁠.

Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠.

Nice to meet you, I'm a scammer.

Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes. 

Malware, in the guise of ransomware, that destroys data rather than encrypts.

CyberWire Glossary link: ⁠https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/pseudoransomware⁠

Audio reference link: “⁠Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn | the Dark Knight⁠,” by YouTube, 2 November 2019.

Pseudoransomware (noun) [Word Notes]

This week, our hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joe Carrigan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maria Varmazis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (also host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠T-Minus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up on China sentencing five members of a violent Kokang-based gang to death for running brutal scam compounds in Myanmar. And in related news, China has also extradited alleged scam kingpin She Zhijiang, a major figure behind one of Southeast Asia’s largest fraud hubs, as Beijing intensifies its crackdown on global cyber-fraud networks. Listener Jon reports a new twist on sextortion, where scammers used an unsolicited FaceTime call to capture an image, generate an AI-manipulated obscene photo, and then extort an employee using publicly scraped contact lists. Joe’s story is on Anthropic’s claim that attackers jailbroke its Claude model to carry out what it calls the first AI-orchestrated cyber-espionage campaign, a narrative now being challenged by researchers like Dan Goodin and Dan Tentler, who argue the attack was far less “autonomous” than advertised and comparable to long-standing hacking tools rather than a breakthrough in offensive AI. Dave’s story is on a new phishing scam where attackers use the contact info displayed on a lost iPhone’s lock screen to send fake “Find My” texts claiming the device was found, luring victims to a spoofed Apple login page to steal their Apple ID and bypass Activation Lock. Maria has the story on Zimperium’s Mobile Shopping Report, which shows that during the holiday season mobile threats surge across mishing, fake retail and payment apps, and app-level vulnerabilities—making this the peak time for scammers to exploit shoppers with spoofed texts, malicious apps, and insecure SDKs hidden inside legitimate shopping tools. Our catch of the day comes from the phishing subreddit as someone is impersonating a woman who is sick with cancer asking for the victim to take care of their money. 

Resources and links to stories:

 
⁠⁠⁠⁠China sentences 5 to death for building, running criminal gang fraud centers in Myanmar's lawless borderlands

 Man Accused of Running Southeast Asia Scam Compound Is Extradited to China

 Disrupting the first reported AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign

 Researchers question Anthropic claim that AI-assisted attack was 90% autonomous

 Lost iPhone? Don’t fall for phishing texts saying it was found

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Lost iPhone, found trouble.

Please enjoy this encore of Word Notes. 

A browser configuration control that prevents accessing resources within a private network.

CyberWire Glossary link: ⁠https://thecyberwire.com/glossary/trusted-platform-module⁠

Audio reference link: “⁠TPM (Trusted Platform Module) - Computerphile⁠,” Computerphile, 23 July 2021

Trusted Platform Module (TPM) (noun) [Word Notes]

This week, our hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joe Carrigan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maria Varmazis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (also host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠T-Minus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some big chicken news from Joe! Dave’s story is on Meta’s internal documents revealing it projected up to 10% of its 2024 revenue, worth billions, would come from fraudulent or banned ads across its platforms. Maria has the story on how Howler Cell at Cyderes uncovered a systemic “Bring Your Own Updates” risk in Windows updaters, where attackers can hijack trusted, signed update clients like Advanced Installer to deliver malicious code that evades detection and could lead to large-scale supply-chain attacks. Joe has the story on a new scam called “ghost tapping,” where fraudsters use near-field communication devices to secretly charge tap-to-pay cards and mobile wallets in crowded places. Victims often don’t notice until small, unauthorized withdrawals add up, prompting the BBB to warn consumers to use RFID-blocking wallets, verify charges before tapping, and monitor accounts for suspicious activity. Our catch of the day is on an application to the Council of the Ecliptic. 

Resources and links to stories:

 
⁠Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show

 Ghost-tapping scam targets tap-to-pay users

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Tap, pay…and prey.

Enjoy this special encore episode.
A programming technique where the developer doesn't specify each step of the algorithm in code, but instead teaches the algorithm to learn from the experience.

machine learning (noun) [Word Notes]

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