"False Flag" Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks often include some form of "update your security information" ruse to trick you into disclosing your personal and financial information--or even to hand over access to everything on your computer and home network as well. A Huffington Post report today warns of one such scheme targeting Netflix users:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/03/netflix-phishing-scam-customer-support_n_4892048.html

 

The article provides several important tips on protecting yourself from such scams--as well as a good, short video exposing the inner workings of this one in particular.

 

Note that Netflix is far from the only false flag for these schemes. Twitter got hit by a simple, earlier scheme of this type as well:

 

https://blog.twitter.com/2009/gone-phishing

 

What's more, here on the Norton Community Forums, we Gurus frequently hear from our fellow customers who have been contacted "by a Norton representative" who claims that the customer's Norton software has alerted them to a malware attack. The representative tells them that their Norton subscription includes Norton assistance in rooting out the malware, and asks the user to allow them remote access to their computer. The fake tech works for a few minutes--supposedly removing the infection, but in reality searching the users computer for financial data just like the attacks described above, and sometimes installing "back door" software that will allow them to continue controlling the victim's computer at will. Don't be fooled: Norton does not contact us in that way. Ignore these scammers and, if you got any identifying information from them (like a web link in an email, or a Caller ID number from a phone call), come here and report it to Norton:

 

http://community.norton.com/t5/Tech-Outpost/bd-p/Tech_Outpost

 

Remember--each of us is the first line in our cyberdefense!

 

V/R,

--DistEd2