Researchers are warning consumers to beware after revealing an increase in scams using phishing emails and vishing scams to steal money.
Avast recorded a 14% increase in refund and bill fraud between October and November 2022, with a further 22% increase in December.
The former works in a manner similar to traditional tech support scams that combine email and phone vectors to trick victims.
“Refund scams can have a variety of scenarios, including fraudulent emails warning users that they have been charged twice for a service or product,” notes Avast’s report. “These emails also contain links for users to request refunds or provide phone numbers for users to call fake support.”
Once the call is answered, the fraud agent persuades the victim to download remote access software and open a bank account so they can “verify that the refund is in progress.” However, the real goal is to deplete the funds in that account.
Invoice fraud is more one-sided, primarily in that businesses are billed for items they never ordered.
“The main reason this scam works is because the bill looks legitimate and unsuspecting employees don’t check it to make sure it isn’t real. and just make the payment,” Avast said.
Security vendors also noted a significant increase in tech support fraud in the last two months of 2022. The risk of UK consumers being exposed to such fraud increased by 11% in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter, he claims.
“By the end of 2022, human-centric threats are on the rise, such as scams that make you think your computer is infected or charge you for something you didn’t order. It’s human nature to try to regain control of a problem, and that’s where cybercriminals thrive.”
“When people are confronted with a surprising pop-up message or email, it’s a good idea to take some time to think before acting calmly. is difficult.”
