Apparently, the researchers of TrendMicro I’m not on vacation yet. Indeed, over the course of the past week they have identified a series of scams which have involved, despite themselves, some of the most famous brands in the world.
By impersonating trusted brands (such as Apple, Airbnb e Booking) scammers have been spreading links phishing via email or text messages, leading the potential victim to malicious sites via links.
These websites are designed to steal some user information such as:
- Email address
- Credit Card Number
- Tax ID code
and other sensitive data.
Once this type of “loot” has been obtained, cybercriminals can exploit them directly (as in the case of credit card numbers) or resell them in packages on the Dark Web.
In other cases, as we will see later, cybercriminals unleashed a certain level of creativity, creating plausible campaigns that are increasingly difficult to detect.
Three brands targeted by scammers: Here’s how Apple, Airbnb and Booking are exploited by cybercriminals
As for the brand Applefor example, last week a fake poll.
Pretending to be the IT giant, some scammers direct the user to a site, convincing him that he has won a gift and that he must manage its delivery by providing contact details.
The delivery form requires the entry of some data, going far beyond theaddress and asking for details regarding the credit card of the victim.
With regard to Airbnb e Booking, other refined strategies have been identified. With so many people planning their vacations, these two brands are currently in the spotlight – an opportunity not to be missed by cybercriminals.
There is talk of sites with names that recall the aforementioned brands, with variations that mislead less attentive users. Cases are referred to as sites with strange numbers or letters in theURL: in this sense it is good to consider that the two legitimate sites are Airbnb.com e Booking.com.
Also in this case, the coveted prize is the data of the unwary victims, with possible identity theft and credit cards.