FlagThis - #fraud

Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has issued a warning about a significant increase in subscription scams that are cleverly disguised as legitimate online stores and enticing mystery boxes. This new wave of scams is characterized by its unprecedented sophistication, employing high-quality website design, targeted advertising, and social media exploitation to deceive unsuspecting users. Over 200 fake retail sites have been identified as part of this operation, all designed to harvest credit card data and personal information from victims globally. These sites offer a wide range of products, including clothing, electronics, and beauty items, making it harder for users to distinguish them from genuine e-commerce platforms.

This scam network leverages social media platforms, particularly Facebook, where cybercriminals deploy sponsored ads and impersonate content creators to lure victims. A key component of this fraud is the evolution of the "mystery box" scam, which promises surprise items for a nominal fee but conceals hidden subscription models in the fine print. Victims are often unknowingly enrolled in recurring payment plans, with charges ranging up to 44 EUR every 14 days, disguised as loyalty benefits or exclusive shopping privileges. The scammers exploit the human fascination with the unknown, offering boxes supposedly left at post offices or bags found at airports, requiring a small payment to claim ownership, with the primary objective being collecting financial information.

Bitdefender's investigation reveals that these schemes utilize complex payment structures and convoluted terms to confuse users, transforming a seemingly one-time purchase into recurring charges. To evade detection, scammers employ techniques such as multiple ad versions, Google Drive-hosted images for easy replacement, cropped visuals to bypass pattern recognition, and homoglyph tactics to obscure malicious intent. Many of these fraudulent sites remain active, continuously targeting users globally, with specific campaigns observed in Romania, Canada, and the United States. The connection between these scams and a Cyprus-registered address raises suspicions of a coordinated operation involving offshore entities.


References :

• cyberpress.org: Subscription-Based Scams Exploit Users to Harvest Credit Card Data
• securityonline.info: Bitdefender exposes a sprawling web of subscription-based scams that blend professional-looking websites, social media manipulation, and
• cybersecuritynews.com: A significant wave of subscription-based scams is sweeping across the internet, specifically designed to steal credit card information from unsuspecting users.
• hackread.com: Bitdefender uncovers a massive surge in sophisticated subscription scams disguised as online shops and evolving mystery boxes. Learn…
• www.cysecurity.news: Cybersecurity researchers at Bitdefender have uncovered a sharp increase in deceptive online subscription scams, with fraudsters disguising themselves as legitimate e-commerce platforms and mystery box vendors.
• gbhackers.com: Subscription-Based Scams Targeting Users to Steal Credit Card Information

Classification:

• HashTags: #onlinescams #phishing #aifraud
• Target: Online Shoppers
• Feature: Subscription traps
• Type: Hack
• Severity: Medium

Tolling agencies throughout the United States are currently grappling with an escalating cybersecurity threat: deceptive text message scams known as smishing. These scams involve cybercriminals sending text messages that impersonate toll payment notifications, tricking individuals into clicking malicious links and making unauthorized payments. These messages often embed links that, if clicked, take the victim to a phishing site impersonating E-ZPass, The Toll Roads, FasTrak, Florida Turnpike, or another toll authority.

These scams are part of a sophisticated campaign leveraging platforms, most recently a PhaaS platform called Lucid. This platform enables cybercriminals to launch large-scale phishing campaigns with minimal effort. Cybercriminals behind this scheme are exploiting legitimate communication technologies like Apple iMessage and Android RCS to bypass traditional spam filters and deliver their malicious messages at scale.

The phishing messages typically claim unpaid toll fees and threaten fines or license suspension if recipients fail to respond. The Lucid platform offers advanced features such as dynamic targeting, device-specific focus, and evasion techniques. These features allow attackers to tailor campaigns for iOS or Android users, block connections from non-targeted regions, and prevent direct access to phishing domains.


References :

• aboutdfir.com: Have you ever received an odd text message on your phone, purporting to be from a toll provider or package delivery service? If you have a U.S. cell phone, chances are you’ve encountered one of these SMiShing attempts—cybercriminals’ latest ploy to trick you into giving up your personal
• www.cysecurity.news: Tolling agencies throughout the United States are battling an escalating cybersecurity threat that is causing deceptive text message scams, which are often called smishing, to escalate.
• Cyber Security News: Beware! Phishing Scam Uses Fake Unpaid Tolls Messages to Harvest Login Credentials
• gbhackers.com: Beware! Fake Unpaid Tolls Messages Used in Phishing Attack to Steal Login Credentials
• www.bleepingcomputer.com: E-ZPass toll payment texts return in massive phishing wave
• BleepingComputer: An ongoing phishing campaign impersonating E-ZPass and other toll agencies has surged recently, with recipients receiving multiple iMessage and SMS texts to steal personal and credit card information.
• The DefendOps Diaries: The Toll Payment Text Scam: A Modern Cybersecurity Threat
• blog.knowbe4.com: Upgraded Phishing-as-a-Service Platform Drives a Wave of Smishing Attacks
• cybersecuritynews.com: A sophisticated cybercriminal operation has emerged targeting toll payment services across multiple regions, with evidence suggesting this campaign will continue expanding globally.
• Cyber Security News: Toll Payment Services Abused in Large-Scale Hacking Campaign
• gbhackers.com: Threat Actors Exploit Toll Payment Services in Widespread Hacking Campaign
• securityonline.info: Resecurity report details escalation of smishing by China-based Smishing Triad targeting toll payments in US and UK.
• securityonline.info: Smishing Triad Expands Fraud Campaign, Targets Toll Payment Services
• www.scworld.com: Toll payment service-targeted schemes by Smishing Triad escalates
• Cisco Talos Blog: Cisco Talos has observed a widespread and ongoing financial theft SMS phishing (smishing) campaign since October 2024 that targets toll road users in the United States of America.
• krebsonsecurity.com: China-based SMS phishing kits are enjoying remarkable success converting phished payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google. Until recently, the so-called “Smishing Triad†mainly impersonated toll road operators and shipping companies.
• www.silentpush.com: Smishing Triad is a Chinese eCrime group systematically targeting organizations in at least 121 countries with SMS phishing “smishing†campaigns.
• bsky.app: SilentPush has published a profile of Chinese cybercrime group Smishing Triad. The group is massive, with operations across 121 countries. The report also looks at the group's new phishing kit, named Lighthouse.
• gbhackers.com: Chinese eCrime Group Targets Users in 120+ Countries to Steal Banking Credentials
• www.silentpush.com: Smishing Triad: Chinese eCrime Group Targets 121+ Countries, Intros New Banking Phishing Kit
• blog.talosintelligence.com: Have you received a suspicious text that seemed to be from a toll road service? Discover how this widespread smishing scam is targeting U.S. drivers and uncover the actors behind it in our latest blog post:
• Cisco Talos: Have you received a suspicious text that seemed to be from a toll road service? Discover how this widespread smishing scam is targeting U.S. drivers and uncover the actors behind it in our latest blog post:
• cyberpress.org: “$5 SMS Scam Alert: Toll Road Users Targeted in New Phishing Campaignâ€
• Daily CyberSecurity: Nationwide Smishing Scam Targets Toll Road Users, Stealing Payment Data
• Cyber Security News: Cisco Talos has uncovered an ongoing financial theft campaign targeting toll road users across the United States through SMS phishing, or “smishing,†attacks. This campaign, active since October 2024, impersonates toll payment services to steal sensitive user information.
• gbhackers.com: Cybersecurity researchers at Cisco Talos have uncovered a large-scale smishing campaign targeting toll road users across the United States.

Classification:

• HashTags: #Smishing #TollScams #Cybersecurity
• Company: US Tolling agencies
• Target: Motorists
• Attacker: Smishing Triad
• Feature: SMS Phishing
• Type: Phishing
• Severity: Medium

A China-based cybercriminal group known as the Smishing Triad is behind a surge in smishing campaigns targeting consumers in the US and UK. The group is exploiting toll payment services by sending fraudulent text messages that appear to originate from legitimate toll collection agencies such as FasTrak, E-ZPass, and I-Pass. These deceptive messages claim unpaid toll bills or payment requests, tricking users into divulging sensitive personal and financial information. Tolling agencies throughout the United States are battling this escalating cybersecurity threat, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance.

These campaigns utilize tactics that make it difficult for consumers to protect themselves, primarily by spoofing Sender IDs (SIDs) via SMS, iMessage, and other instant messaging (IM) platforms. The attackers impersonate legitimate organizations, creating a sense of urgency to prompt immediate action from the recipients. The lower spam protection of SMS compared to email makes these IM channels a fertile ground for exploitation, leading to a higher likelihood of victims falling for the scam. The attackers’ objectives include financial gain and the theft of personal and financial data for future exploitation.

The scale of the campaign is significant, with the use of over 60,000 impersonation websites, complicating efforts by platforms like Apple and Android to block these fraudulent activities effectively. These fraudulent websites mimic official toll payment portals, tricking users into entering payment details or personal information, which is then harvested for financial fraud and identity theft. Federal and state agencies have issued warnings, advising individuals to verify toll-related claims through official websites and avoid clicking on links in unsolicited text messages. Consumers are also advised to report suspicious messages to authorities and enable security features on smartphones.


References :

• www.cysecurity.news: Tolling agencies throughout the United States are battling an escalating cybersecurity threat that is causing deceptive text message scams, which are often called smishing, to escalate.
• BleepingComputer: Toll payment text scam returns in massive phishing wave
• gbhackers.com: Beware! Fake Unpaid Tolls Messages Used in Phishing Attack to Steal Login Credentials
• www.bleepingcomputer.com: The E-ZPass toll payment texts return in massive phishing wave
• Cyber Security News: Beware! Phishing Scam Uses Fake Unpaid Tolls Messages to Harvest Login Credentials
• The DefendOps Diaries: The Toll Payment Text Scam: A Modern Cybersecurity Threat
• www.bleepingcomputer.com: An ongoing phishing campaign impersonating E-ZPass and other toll agencies has surged recently, with recipients receiving multiple iMessage and SMS texts to steal personal and credit card information.
• gbhackers.com: Threat Actors Exploit Toll Payment Services in Widespread Hacking Campaign
• securityonline.info: Smishing campaigns exploiting toll payment systems to deceive consumers into disclosing sensitive information, often linked to popular platforms like FasTrak, E-ZPass, and I-Pass.
• Cyber Security News: In a sophisticated cybercrime operation, the Smishing Triad, a China-based group, has been identified as the orchestrator behind a surge in smishing campaigns targeting consumers in the US and UK.
• blog.knowbe4.com: Upgraded Phishing-as-a-Service Platform Drives a Wave of Smishing Attacks
• cybersecuritynews.com: Threat Actors Leveraging Toll Payment Services in Massive Hacking Attack
• securityonline.info: Smishing Triad Expands Fraud Campaign, Targets Toll Payment Services
• www.scworld.com: Toll payment service-targeted schemes by Smishing Triad escalates
• blog.talosintelligence.com: Unraveling the U.S. toll road smishing scams
• DataBreaches.Net: E-ZPass toll payment texts return in massive phishing wave
• Blog: Unpaid toll-themed smishing campaign gives victims no free ‘E-ZPass’
• Cisco Talos: Have you received a suspicious text that seemed to be from a toll road service? Discover how this widespread smishing scam is targeting U.S. drivers and uncover the actors behind it in our latest blog post:
• Cisco Talos Blog: Cisco Talos has observed a widespread and ongoing financial theft SMS phishing (smishing) campaign since October 2024 that targets toll road users in the United States of America.
• krebsonsecurity.com: China-based purveyors of SMS phishing kits are enjoying remarkable success converting phished payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google. Until recently, the so-called “Smishing Triad” mainly impersonated toll road operators and shipping companies.
• www.silentpush.com: Smishing Triad: Chinese eCrime Group Targets 121+ Countries, Intros New Banking Phishing Kit
• bsky.app: SilentPush has published a profile of Chinese cybercrime group Smishing Triad. The group is massive, with operations across 121 countries. The report also looks at the group's new phishing kit, named Lighthouse.
• gbhackers.com: Smishing Triad has targeted numerous countries, including but not limited to UK, Canada, and USA.
• www.silentpush.com: Smishing Triad is a Chinese eCrime group systematically targeting organizations in at least 121 countries with SMS phishing “smishing” campaigns.

Classification:

• HashTags: #Smishing #PhishingAttack #Cybersecurity
• Company: Various Toll Payment Services
• Target: Consumers using electronic toll collection systems
• Attacker: Smishing Triad
• Product: Toll Payment Services
• Feature: SMS Phishing
• Type: Phishing
• Severity: High