tr-23-072-001 - X-Industry - Red Sky Alliance2024-03-28T19:30:00Zhttps://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/feed/tag/tr-23-072-001When AI is no longer your Friendhttps://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/when-ai-is-no-longer-your-friend2023-03-15T13:00:00.000Z2023-03-15T13:00:00.000ZJim McKeehttps://redskyalliance.org/members/JimMcKee<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10997392868,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10997392868,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10997392868?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="250" /></a>Most of us have had or heard from a friend who has been the target of an email scammer pretending to be a friend in distress who needs money wired out of town or out of the country. Now scammers are using the telephone to inform you that your loved one is in distress. And the caller may sound “just like” your friend/relative. At that moment, your instinct would be to do anything to help them escape danger, including wiring money. My father was a victim of such a scam, but he called me first for advice. His “friend in trouble” was not in Scotland with a stolen wallet, passport, and a lump on his head; he was at his vacation home in Florida. A quick call to that residence and speaking with his friend foiled that scam.</p>
<p>Stop, think, and confirm before you do or commit to doing anything.<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a></p>
<p>A recent report from The Washington Post featured an elderly couple, Ruth and Greg Card, who fell victim to an impersonation phone call scam. Ruth, 73, got a phone call from a person she thought was her grandson. He told her she was in jail, with no wallet or cell phone, and needed cash fast. As any other concerned grandparent would, Ruth and her husband, 75, rushed to the bank to get the money. It was only after going to the second bank that the bank manager warned them that they had seen a similar case before that ended up being a scam, and this one was likely a scam, too.</p>
<p>This scam is no longer an isolated incident. The report indicates that in 2022, impostor scams were the second most popular racket in America, with over 36,000 people falling victim to calls impersonating their friends and family. Of those scams, 5,100 of them happened over the phone, robbing over $11 million from people, according to FTC officials.</p>
<p>Generative AI has been in the media because of the increasing popularity of generative AI programs, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and DALL-E. These programs have been mostly associated with their advanced capabilities that can increase user productivity. The same techniques used to train those helpful language models can be used to train more harmful programs, such as AI voice generators.</p>
<p>See: <a href="https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/ai-voice-replication-may-place-you-on-the-couch">https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/ai-voice-replication-may-place-you-on-the-couch</a></p>
<p>These programs analyze a person's voice for patterns that make up their unique sounds, such as pitch and accent, to recreate it. Many of these tools work within seconds, producing a sound virtually indistinguishable from the original source.</p>
<p>What can you do to prevent yourself from falling for the scam? The first step is being aware that this type of call is possible. See above: Stop, think, and confirm before doing anything.</p>
<p>If you get a call for help from one of your loved ones, remember that it could be a robot talking instead. To make sure it is actually a loved one, attempt to verify the source. I would hang up the phone immediately. If you are concerned, ask the caller a personal question that only your loved one would know the answer to. This can be as simple as asking them the name of your pet, family member, or other personal facts.</p>
<p>You can also check your loved one's location to see if it matches up with where they say they are. Today, it is common to share your location with friends and family, and in this scenario, it can come in extra handy</p>
<p>You can also try calling or texting your loved one from another phone to verify the caller's identity. You have your answer if your loved one picks up or texts back and does not know what you are talking about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. For questions, comments, or assistance, please get in touch with the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or <a href="mailto:feedback@wapacklabs.com">feedback@wapacklabs.com</a> </p>
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<li>Reporting: https://www. redskyalliance. org/ </li>
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<p> </p>
<p><a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/scammers-are-using-ai-to-impersonate-your-loved-ones-heres-what-to-watch-for/">https://www.zdnet.com/article/scammers-are-using-ai-to-impersonate-your-loved-ones-heres-what-to-watch-for/</a></p></div>Achtung! Cyber Bust in Germanyhttps://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/achtung-cyber-bust-in-germany2023-03-14T11:40:00.000Z2023-03-14T11:40:00.000ZBill Schenkelberghttps://redskyalliance.org/members/BillSchenkelberg<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10997026087,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10997026087,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10997026087?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="250" /></a>North Rhine-Westphalia Polizei reported on 06 March 2023, that they have disrupted an international cybercrime gang which has been blackmailing large companies and institutions for years, raking in millions of euros and US Dollars. Working with law enforcement partners including Europol, the US FBI and authorities in Ukraine, police in Duesseldorf said they were able to identify 11 individuals linked to a group that has operated in various guises since at least 2010.</p>
<p>The gang allegedly behind the ransomware, known as DoppelPaymer, appears tied to Evil Corp, a Russia-based syndicate engaged in online bank theft well before ransomware became a global scourge.</p>
<p>See: <a href="https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/russian-evil-corp-criminals-possibly-evolved-into-cyber-spies">https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/russian-evil-corp-criminals-possibly-evolved-into-cyber-spies</a></p>
<p>Among its most prominent victims were Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) and Duesseldorf University Hospital, whose computers were infected with DoppelPaymer in 2020. A woman who needed urgent treatment died after she had to be taken to another city for medical treatment.</p>
<p>See: <a href="https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/nhs-under-constant-attack">https://redskyalliance.org/xindustry/nhs-under-constant-attack</a></p>
<p>Ransomware is the world’s most disruptive cybercrime. Gangs mostly based in Russia break into networks and steal sensitive information before activating malware that scrambles data. The criminals demand payment in exchange for decryption keys and a promise not to dump the stolen data online. In a 2020 alert, the FBI said DoppelPaymer had been used since late 2019 to target critical industries worldwide including healthcare, emergency services and education, with six and seven figure ransoms routinely demanded.</p>
<p>An analyst stated DoppelPaymer has published data stolen from about 200 companies, including in the US defense sector, which resisted payment. DoppelPaymer’s suspected connection through Evil Corp to the Russian FSB, the successor to its infamous KGB spy agency, “the bust could provide law enforcement with some exceptionally valuable intel,” the German police said.<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a></p>
<p>The chief of the cybercrime department with North Rhine-Westphalia state police, said at least 601 victims have been identified worldwide, including 37 in Germany. Europol said victims in the United States paid out at least 40 million euros (US$42.5 million) to the gang between May 2019 and March 2021 to release important data that was electronically locked using the malware. The group specialized in “big game hunting,” he said, and ran a professional recruitment operation, luring new members with the promise of paid vacation and asking applicants to submit references for past cybercrimes. Police agencies conducted simultaneous raids in Germany and Ukraine on 28 February 2023, seizing evidence and detaining several suspects. Three additional suspects could not be apprehended as they were beyond the reach of European law enforcement, the plice said.</p>
<p>German police identified the fugitives as Russian citizens Igor Turashev, 41, and Irina Zemlyanikina, 36, and 31-year-old Igor Garshin, who was born in Russia but whose nationality was not immediately known. Turashev is wanted by US authorities since late 2019 in connection with cyberattacks carried out using a predecessor to DoppelPaymer, known as BitPaymer, that is linked to Evil Corp. The US government offered a US$5 million reward in 2019 for information leading to the capture of its alleged leader, Maxim Yakubets.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/germany-%E2%80%93-hacker-group-responsible-for-more-than-600-attacks-worldwide-identified/ar-AA18jXec">Germany – Hacker group responsible for more than 600 attacks worldwide identified (msn.com)</a></p>
<p>Red Sky Alliance is a Cyber Threat Analysis and Intelligence Service organization. For questions, comments or assistance, please contact the office directly at 1-844-492-7225, or <a href="mailto:feedback@wapacklabs.com">feedback@wapacklabs.com</a> </p>
<p>Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:</p>
<ul>
<li>Reporting: https://www. redskyalliance. org/ </li>
<li>Website: https://www. wapacklabs. com/ </li>
<li>LinkedIn: https://www. linkedin. com/company/64265941 </li>
</ul>
<p>Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings:</p>
<p>REDSHORTS - Weekly Cyber Intelligence Briefings</p>
<p><a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5504229295967742989">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5504229295967742989</a></p>
<p><a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> <a href="https://redskyalliance.org/main/search/search?q=doppelpaymer">https://redskyalliance.org/main/search/search?q=doppelpaymer</a></p></div>