Cyber Crime
Top 10 Daily Cybercrime Brief by FCRF [24.10.2024]: Click here to Know More
Important global cybercrime news has been curated by Futurecrime Researchers to keep you informed about various types of digital fraud occurring worldwide and to provide insights into the best mitigation strategies. Read below to learn more in detail.
1. NGO Owner Duped in Cyber-Fraud, Loses Rs1.16 Lakh
In a cyber-fraud incident, 49-year-old NGO manager Nagall Malkanna lost Rs1.16 lakh after a scammer posed as an army officer offering to donate for orphans. The fraudster requested Malkanna’s account details and transferred Rs10 before withdrawing Rs15,000 and Rs1,01,000. Hayathnagar police are investigating the case.
2. Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing Issues Warning on Diwali Firecracker Sale Scams
As Diwali approaches, Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing has warned of a rise in online firecracker sale scams. Scammers are posting fake ads offering discounts on firecrackers, luring buyers to fraudulent websites. Police urge the public to verify seller authenticity and report suspicious ads through helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
3. Ministry Study Projects Cyberfraud Losses Could Reach 0.7% of GDP
Indians could lose over Rs1.2 lakh crore to cyber frauds in the next year, as projected by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. A study highlights mule bank accounts, used for illegal transactions, as major contributors, potentially causing a 0.7% GDP loss.
4. Kashmir Cyber Police Warns Public of Phishing Links on Social Media
The Cyber Police Kashmir has warned the public about phishing links circulating on Telegram, urging users to stay vigilant. These malicious links can compromise personal accounts and send inappropriate content to contacts. The police advise avoiding suspicious links on Telegram or any social media platform to protect digital security.
5. 84-Year-Old Cyber Fraud Victim Recovers Rs53 Lakh in Hyderabad
Hyderabad cybercrime police refunded Rs53 lakh to an 84-year-old victim after fraudsters tricked him into paying Rs2.88 crore. The case, filed in September 2024, led to the funds being frozen and partially refunded by court order. Police urge the public to report suspicious calls via helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
INTERNATIONAL
6. DHS Cyber Crimes Center Expands Global Reach with Four New Roles
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) has created four international liaison roles in Ottawa, London, Sydney, and The Hague to strengthen efforts against transnational cybercrime. This expansion will enhance the Homeland Security Investigations-led Cyber Crime Unit’s ability to disrupt criminal networks and protect global communities.
7. Nottingham Detective Wins Prestigious International Award for Cybercrime Investigation
Detective Inspector Mark Booth from Nottinghamshire received a prestigious award at the Home Office’s International Digital Investigation Awards in Liverpool. He won the Collaboration & Partnership Working Category for his exceptional ability to collaborate with partners, effectively tackling cybercrime and safeguarding vulnerable individuals through digital investigation efforts.
8. Gophish Framework Leveraged in Phishing Campaigns to Install Remote Access Trojans
A phishing campaign targeting Russian-speaking users uses the Gophish toolkit to deliver DarkCrystal RAT (DCRat) and PowerRAT. The attack involves malicious documents or HTML-based infections, which execute JavaScript and PowerShell loaders, compromising victims’ machines. The malware conducts reconnaissance, steals data, and connects to remote servers for further commands.
9. Security Vulnerability in Styra’s OPA Reveals NTLM Hashes to Remote Attackers
A security flaw in Styra’s Open Policy Agent (OPA), tracked as CVE-2024-8260, could have exposed NTLM hashes, enabling attackers to bypass authentication or crack passwords. The vulnerability, affecting OPA’s CLI and Go SDK, was patched in August 2024. It involved improper input validation and SMB traffic exploitation.
ALSO READ: Woman Duped of Rs 87,000 in Lounge Scam at Bengaluru Airport: Here’s How the Fraud Unfolded
10. Ransomware Gangs Exploit LockBit’s Notoriety to Intimidate Victims in Latest Strikes
Threat actors are abusing Amazon S3 Transfer Acceleration for ransomware attacks, exfiltrating data to S3 buckets using hard-coded AWS credentials. Disguised as LockBit, the ransomware targets both Windows and macOS, encrypts files, and pressures victims to pay. AWS has suspended compromised accounts, and 30 ransomware samples were detected.