The fine print of fraud.This week, Maria Varmazis and Joe Carrigan, joined by friend of the show Michele Kellerman, dig into the latest social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits making headlines. Dave Bittner is tied up covering RSA, but will be back next week. First up, a follow-up from listener Bruce, who was hit with hundreds of spam emails in what looks like a subscription bombing attack, overwhelming Google’s filters before tapering off; his local hospital saw an even bigger wave, showing how alarming these attacks can be for seniors and other vulnerable users.Joe’s got the story of the UK sanctioning Xinbi, a Chinese-language cryptocurrency marketplace accused of profiting from scam centers in Southeast Asia, marking Britain’s first action against the platform. Michele shares the FBI’s takedown of 11 people in Los Angeles who ran a $17 million “house stealing” mortgage fraud scheme targeting elderly homeowners, highlighting the rising risk of title and refinance fraud for seniors. Maria dives into a new fake CAPTCHA scam that tricks Windows PC users into downloading malware, showing how even simple web prompts can be weaponized by cybercriminals. Our catch of the day is an email on Medicare, but what makes it fake? Tune in to find out!
Resources and links to stories:
Email Bombing
UK sanctions crypto-linked marketplace Xinbi amid crackdown on Southeast Asia scam centres
UK sanctions Chinese crypto marketplace tied to scam compounds
FBI arrests 11 in LA over alleged $17m real estate, loan fraud
Don’t Press Those Keys! How to Spot the New “Captcha Scam”
Windows PCs targeted by hackers in a fake CAPTCHA scam to spread malware — Outlook account credentials are at risk
Blood Cancer United
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