The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) once again warned iPhone and Android users in the United States to delete any text which appears remotely as a scam, according to a report of Forbes. According to the Federal Agency, the scam “can go from state to state” and if it was not already in the city where you live, there is a good chance that it will be there soon.
The Modus Operandi of the crooks is simple. The victim first receives a text of the harmless appearance of a toll agency, declaring that they owed money for unpaid tolls which were to be paid immediately. By clicking on the said payment link, the victim is taken on a page that encourages them to enter information from their bank account or credit card account.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also warned that if a similar text is sent to a user’s phone, “this is probably a scam”.
“Not only does the crook try to steal your money, but if you click on the link, it could get your personal information (such as the driving license number) – and even steal your identity,” said FTC.
FBI officials recommended that people who are trying not to be due should check their account using the “legitimate website of the toll service [or] Contact the telephone number of the customer service for the toll service “. Subsequently, they must delete one of the texts received because the malicious links for them could be dangerous for their privacy.
Read also | The chances of asteroids the size of the football field colliding with the earth have further increased
Who is behind?
According to the report, Chinese cybercrimin groups are the most likely culprits that are constantly developing and updated these “commercial phishing kits”. These kits include models designed specifically to usurp the identity of toll operators in several states.
In addition to the scam of the toll authority, these cybercriminals have used similar tactics to usurp the identity of maritime companies, tax agencies and immigration services, often targeting new individuals in a country or in positions vulnerable. Their only objective is to steal the details of the payment card, add them to mobile portfolios and make fraudulent purchases or whiten money through the screens. “”
In particular, this is not the first time that Chinese pirates have been involved in the sophisticated fraud racket. In December, a group of malicious actors, known as “Typhon de Sel” and considered based in China, infiltrated large American telecommunications companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, to spy on customers.
FBI officials recommended that people looking for improved communication safety plan to use mobile phones that receive timely updates to the operating system, devices with managed encryption and protected accounts by two -factor -resistant phishing authentication.
