Spear-Phishing Spear phishing is a sophisticated scam technique where fraudsters craft highly personalised messages using information they’ve collected about you. This information can come from various sources, including data breaches that have exposed your personal details and public social media profiles where you’ve shared information. By piecing together these bits of data, scammers can build a detailed profile of their target. They then use this information to create messages that appear highly credible, often including your full name, address, date of birth and details about your workplace. The inclusion of such specific personal information makes these messages seem much more legitimate, increasing the likelihood that you’ll trust and respond to them.
AI Generated Images and Videos AI-generated images and videos have become powerful tools for fraudsters, enabling the creation of highly convincing visual content for various scams. These technologies are being exploited to create fake profiles and identities, fabricate product images for online shopping scams, manipulate evidence for insurance fraud, generate misleading charity campaign materials, and produce deceptive content for investment schemes. The hyper-realistic nature of these AI-generated visuals makes it increasingly difficult for people to distinguish between authentic and fraudulent content, posing significant risks across multiple sectors. To protect yourself from AI-generated image and video scams, it’s crucial to approach online content with scepticism and verify information through official channels. In addition:
WhatsApp Scams WhatsApp scams have continued to evolve in recent years, with fraudsters employing various tactics to deceive users. Common red flags include:
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Messages with spelling or grammar errors
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Requests to click links or download apps
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Solicitations for personal data or money
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Impersonation of known contacts
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Offers related to lotteries, jobs, or investments
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Attempts to build trust before requesting sensitive information
These scams typically involve phishing attempts, encouraging users to click on
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Be wary of unusual details in images or videos, especially those related to financial transactions or personal information requests. Unusual details could include blurry areas of the image or strange features, particularly around hands, eyes and background objects. Use reverse image searches to check the authenticity of profile pictures or product images.
To protect yourself from spear phishing attempts:
suspicious links, enter personal information on fraudulent websites, or transfer money to scammers’ accounts. The effectiveness of these schemes often relies on exploiting trust, as messages may appear to come from contacts in the victim’s list, lowering their guard against potential threats. Recently, scammers have started making voice calls via WhatsApp to try to convince the user that what they are saying is genuine. These calls are typically made at a time of the day when the user is likely to be busy, such as during the morning school run, with the aim of making the user feel rushed and flustered, increasing the chances that they will give out personal information.
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Adjust your social media privacy settings to limit public access to your personal information.
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Be cautious about entering personal details on unfamiliar websites.
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Use the website haveibeenpwned.com to check if your data has been compromised in known data breaches.
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Stay informed about the latest deepfake detection tools and techniques.
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Always verify the source of any visual content, particularly when it’s linked to financial decisions or sharing sensitive information.
To protect yourself:
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Be cautious of suspicious messages, especially from unknown contacts
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Verify the identity of unfamiliar senders
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Avoid opening suspicious links or files
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Refrain from forwarding unverified information
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Use the app’s reporting and blocking features when necessary
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Remember that WhatsApp is free and never requires payment
WhatsApp provides tools to help users identify potential scams, such as indicators for messages from non-contacts and information about the sender’s country of registration.
COUNTER FRAUD | SCRUTTON BLAND | 5
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