Author Archives: BrianKrebs

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter Target Resellers of Hacked Accounts

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Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter this week all took steps to crack down on users involved in trafficking hijacked user accounts across their platforms. The coordinated action seized hundreds of accounts the companies say have played a major role in facilitating the trade and often lucrative resale of compromised, highly sought-after usernames. Continue reading Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter Target Resellers of Hacked Accounts→

‘ValidCC,’ a Major Payment Card Bazaar and Looter of E-Commerce Sites, Shuttered

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ValidCC, a dark web bazaar run by a cybercrime group that for more than six years hacked online merchants and sold stolen payment card data, abruptly closed up shop last week. The proprietors of the popular store said their servers were seized as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation designed to disconnect and confiscate its infrastructure. Continue reading ‘ValidCC,’ a Major Payment Card Bazaar and Looter of E-Commerce Sites, Shuttered→

U.K. Arrest in ‘SMS Bandits’ Phishing Service

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Authorities in the United Kingdom have arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly operating an online service for sending high-volume phishing campaigns via mobile text messages. The service, marketed in the underground under the name “SMS Bandits,” has been responsible for blasting out huge volumes of phishing lures spoofing everything from COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts to PayPal, telecommunications providers and tax revenue agencies. Continue reading U.K. Arrest in ‘SMS Bandits’ Phishing Service→

The Taxman Cometh for ID Theft Victims

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The unprecedented volume of unemployment insurance fraud witnessed in 2020 hasn’t abated, although news coverage of the issue has largely been pushed off the front pages by other events. But the ID theft problem is coming to the fore once again: Countless Americans will soon be receiving notices from state regulators saying they owe thousands of dollars in taxes on benefits they never received last year. Continue reading The Taxman Cometh for ID Theft Victims→

Arrest, Seizures Tied to Netwalker Ransomware

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U.S. and Bulgarian authorities this week seized the darkweb site used by the NetWalker ransomware cybercrime group to publish data stolen from its victims. In connection with the seizure, a Canadian national suspected of extorting more than $27 million through the spreading of NetWalker was charged in a Florida court. Continue reading Arrest, Seizures Tied to Netwalker Ransomware→

International Action Targets Emotet Crimeware

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Authorities across Europe on Tuesday said they’d seized control over Emotet, a prolific malware strain and cybercrime-as-service operation. Investigators say the action could help quarantine more than a million Microsoft Windows systems currently compromised with malware tied to Emotet infections. Continue reading International Action Targets Emotet Crimeware→

DDoS-Guard To Forfeit Internet Space Occupied by Parler

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Parler, the beleaguered social network advertised as a “free speech” alternative to Facebook and Twitter, has had a tough month. Apple and Google removed the Parler app from its stores, and Amazon blocked the platform from using its hosting services. Parler has since found a home in DDoS-Guard, a Russian digital infrastructure company. But now it appears DDoS-Guard is about to be relieved of more than two-thirds of the Internet address space the company leases to clients — including the Internet addresses currently occupied by Parler. Continue reading DDoS-Guard To Forfeit Internet Space Occupied by Parler→

New Charges Derail COVID Release for Hacker Who Aided ISIS

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A hacker serving a 20-year sentence for stealing personal data on 1,300 U.S. military and government employees and giving it to an Islamic State hacker group in 2015 has been charged once again with fraud and identity theft. The new charges have derail… Continue reading New Charges Derail COVID Release for Hacker Who Aided ISIS→

Joker’s Stash Carding Market to Call it Quits

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Joker’s Stash, by some accounts the largest underground shop for selling stolen credit card and identity data, says it’s closing up shop effective mid-February 2021. The announcement came on the heels of a turbulent year for the major cybercrime store, and just weeks after U.S. and European authorities seized a number of its servers. Continue reading Joker’s Stash Carding Market to Call it Quits→

Microsoft Patch Tuesday, January 2021 Edition

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Microsoft today released updates to plug more than 80 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, including one that is actively being exploited and another which was disclosed prior to today. Ten of the flaws earned Microsoft’s most-dire “critical” rating, meaning they could be exploited by malware or miscreants to seize remote control over unpatched systems with little or no interaction from Windows users. Continue reading Microsoft Patch Tuesday, January 2021 Edition→