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User Security
Cyber Attacks DOGE Fog Hackers Ransomware attack User Security

'Fog' Attackers Mock Victims With DOGE Ransom Notes

 

Fog ransomware assaults over the last month have included a new ransom note mentioning the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and enticing victims to propagate the malware to other PCs, Trend Micro said earlier this week. 

Analysis of the latest samples of Fog ransomware, which were published to VirusTotal between March 27 and April 2, 2025, found that they propagated via the transfer of a ZIP file containing an LNK file disguised as a PDF called "Pay Adjustment." This shows that attacks were carried out via phishing emails to employees.

Once the "Pay Adjustment" LNK file is clicked, a PowerShell script named stage1.ps1 is executed, which retrieves multiple payloads from a hacker-controlled domain. These include the ransomware loader cwiper.exe, a bring-your-own-vulnerable-driver (BYOVD) privilege escalation tool named Ktool.exe, a QR code image directing to a Monero wallet, a ransom letter called RANSOMNOTE.txt, and more malicious PowerShell scripts. 

Ktool.exe extracts the vulnerable Intel Network Adapter Diagnostic Driver iQVW64.sys to the %TEMP% folder, passing the target process ID (PID) and a hardcoded key as arguments. Lootsubmit.ps1 and Trackerjacker.ps1 are PowerShell scripts that collect and exfiltrate system information such IP addresses, CPU configurations, MAC addresses, and system geolocations. 

Before dropping the Fog ransomware, the ransomware loader checks to ensure it is not in a sandbox environment. It also drops dbgLog.sys, which tracks encryption-related activities, and readme.txt, an additional ransom note. This ransom note is identical to those found in past Fog ransomware assaults. 

Odd political references

While the final ransom note, readme.txt, is identical to prior attacks, the initial ransom note, RANSOMNOTE.txt, refers to DOGE and includes the names of specific individuals involved with the department. 

The note reads, "Give me five bullet points on what you accomplished for work last week," and refers to emails sent to federal employees in February as part of a DOGE campaign. The note further offers to decrypt the user's data for free if they deliver the malicious files to another person or manually execute the malicious PowerShell commands on someone else's PC. 

Earlier this year, the DoNex ransomware group followed a similar tactic, promising payment to targets in exchange for sharing sensitive company data or spreading the malware throughout their organisation. The PowerShell script also contains bizarre political references, such as the statement "The CIA didn't kill Kennedy, you idiot." The script also launched several politically orientated YouTube videos, including an episode of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”
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User Security
Cyber Fraud Deepfakes Financial Scam Hong Kong Police User Security

Eight Arrested Over Financial Scam Using Deepfakes

 

Hong Kong police have detained eight people accused of running a scam ring that overcame bank verification checks to open accounts by replacing images on lost identification cards with deepfakes that included scammers' facial features. 

Senior Superintendent Philip Lui Che-ho of the force's financial intelligence and investigation division stated on Saturday that the raid was part of a citywide operation on scams, cybercrime, and money laundering that took place between April 7 and 17. Officers arrested 503 persons aged 18 to 80. Losses in the cases surpassed HK$1.5 billion (US$193.2 million. 

Officers arrested the eight suspects on Thursday for allegedly using at least 21 Hong Kong identification cards that were reported lost to make 44 applications to create local bank accounts, according to Chief Inspector Sun Yi-ki of the force's cybersecurity and technology crime branch. 

“The syndicate first tried to use deepfake technology to merge the scammer’s facial features with the cardholder’s appearance, followed by uploading the scammer’s selfie to impersonate the cardholder and bypass the online verification process,” Sun said. 

Following the successful completion of online identification checks at banks, thirty out of the forty-four applications were accepted. In half of the successful attempts, artificial intelligence was used to construct images that combined the identity card's face with the scammer's. The others just substituted the scammer's photo for the one on the ID.

Police claimed the bank accounts were used to apply for loans and make credit card transactions worth HK$860,000, as well as to launder more than HK$1.2 million in suspected illegal proceeds. Sun said the force was still looking into how the syndicate obtained the ID cards, which were claimed lost between 2023 and 2024. On suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, police detained the six men and two women and seized numerous laptops, phones, and external storage devices. 

The accused range in age from 24 to 41, with the mastermind and main members of the ring allegedly belonging to local triad gangs. Lui urged the public against renting, lending, or selling access to their bank accounts to anyone.

The 333 men and 170 women arrested during the citywide raid were discovered to be engaged in 404 crimes, the most of which were employment frauds, financial swindles, and internet shopping scams. They were caught for conspiracy to defraud, gaining property by deception, and money laundering. Two cross-border money-laundering operations were busted in coordination with mainland Chinese authorities over the last two weeks. 

Lui claimed that one of the syndicates laundered alleged illicit earnings from fraud operations by hiring tourists from the mainland to purchase gold jewellery in Hong Kong. Between last December and March of this year, the syndicate was discovered to have been involved in 240 mainland scam instances, resulting in losses of 18.5 million yuan (US$2.5 million). 

“Syndicate masterminds would recruit stooges from various provinces on the mainland, bringing them to Hong Kong via land borders and provide hostel accommodation,” the senior superintendent stated.

Syndicate members would then arrange for the recruits to purchase gold jewellery in the city using digital payment methods, with each transaction costing tens to hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. On Tuesday last week, Hong Kong police apprehended three individuals who had just purchased 34 pieces of gold jewellery for HK$836,000 per the syndicate's orders. Two of them had two-way passes, which are travel documents that allow mainlanders to access the city. The third suspect was a Hong Konger.

On the same day, mainland police arrested 17 persons. The second cross-border syndicate arranged for mainlanders to create accounts in Hong Kong using fraudulent bank, employment, and utility bill documents. Police in Hong Kong and the mainland arrested a total of 16 persons in connection with the investigation. From December 2023 to April, the syndicate was involved in 61 scam instances in the city, resulting in losses of HK$26.7 million. Accounts were created to receive the scam money.
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User Security
Android devices Fraudulent Sites Malicious Campaign malware SpyNote User Security

SpyNote Malware Targets Android Users with Fraudulent Google Play Pages

 

The notorious SpyNote malware is making a comeback thanks to a novel campaign. This remote access trojan has many malicious features and is also quite challenging to remove from an infected Android smartphone.

According to security researchers, this time it is being spread through fake websites hosted on recently registered domains; the sites in question imitate Google Play Store app pages with incredibly accurate detail in order to deceive users into downloading infected files rather than the apps they're looking for.

The fraudulent sites include comprehensive details such as image carousels with screenshots of the supposed programs in issue, install buttons, and code traces, all of which are common visual aspects used to create an illusion of legitimacy. 

When a user clicks on the install button on one of these fake sites, JavaScript code is run, resulting in the download of a malicious APK file. This dropper APK calls a function to launch a second, embedded APK. This secondary payload contains the malware's basic functionality and allows it to communicate with the threat actors' command and control (C2) servers via hardcoded IP addresses and ports.

SpyNote can support both dynamic and hardcoded connections since the command-and-control parameters are incorporated in its DEX files. Additionally, the DNS settings and SSL certificates indicate that these malicious websites were deployed in a methodical and automated manner, which suggests that someone with access to a malware-as-a-service tool created them. 

SpyNote is a particularly malicious piece of malware because of its many features and capabilities: it can remotely activate a phone's camera and microphone, intercept text messages, call logs, and contacts; log keystrokes, including credentials and 2FA codes; track your GPS location; record phone calls; download and install apps; remotely wipe or lock devices, and avoid its own removal by abusing Android's accessibility services. 

Aggressive permission requests, which also enable SpyNote to continue operating even after rebooting, are mostly responsible for this. In order to keep running in the background, it can also exempt itself from battery optimisation, conceal its app icon, and relaunch itself immediately after a reboot. According to DomainTools LLC, the internet intelligence firm that uncovered this most recent campaign, a factory reset is frequently the only method to fully eradicate the malware due to its persistent nature.
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User Security
Cyber Crime Hospital Devices Medical Tool threat report User Security

Hospital Equipments Can be Used as Murder Weapons, Swiss Experts Warn

 

Swiss specialists have issued a grave warning that cyber attackers could use hospital devices to commit murder. In an alarming new research from Zurich-based cybersecurity firm Scip AG, specialists showed how they were simply able to hijack medical devices in a major healthcare facility and exploit them remotely. 

Png pacemakers, insulin pumps, and painkiller drips can all be automatically converted into twisted weapons of assassination.

“We could have overdosed patients with lethal amounts of drugs within minutes,” said Marc Ruef, head of research at Scip. “And we even hacked the monitors to fake the vital signs so no one would know it had happened.”

One expert admitted to hacking his own pain pump during a hospital stay, simply out of boredom. But the situation is far more serious, as perpetrators might not only silently kill victims in their beds, but they could also hide their tracks by showing completely normal health indicators. This isn't the first red flag either. A German university warned last year that pacemakers might be a 'perfect target for assassination.’

Johannes Rundfeldt, a cybersecurity expert and spokesperson for the independent expert organisation AG Kritis, claimed that this even applies to really powerful people, like world leaders, who may be subtly removed using a heart-hacking device.

“These can involve individual attacks on individuals: heads of state, generals, ministers, or similar individuals.How would we even prove it?...A sudden cardiac arrest wouldn't raise suspicion – and hackers leave no fingerprints,” Rundfeldt stated.

Cyber attacks have recently crippled entire hospitals, not simply devices. In January, cybercriminals took down a clinic in Lower Saxony, western Germany, and demanded a ransom to restore equipment. The first instance of a patient's death being specifically connected to a cyberattack occurred in 2020. 

Prosecutors in Cologne stated that a female patient from Düsseldorf was set to receive critical care at Düsseldorf University Hospital in Germany when the September 9 attack disrupted systems. The ransomware attack struck the hospital at night, encrypting data and rendering computer systems inoperable. When Düsseldorf could no longer provide care, she was moved 30 kilometres away to another hospital for life-saving therapy. 

Ciaran Martin, former CEO of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, stated at the time: "If confirmed, this tragedy would be the first known case of a death directly linked to a cyber-attack.”

“It is not surprising that the cause of this is a ransomware attack by criminals rather than an attack by a nation state or terrorists. Although the purpose of ransomware is to make money, it stops systems working. So if you attack a hospital, then things like this are likely to happen. There were a few near misses across Europe earlier in the year and this looks, sadly, like the worst might have come to pass.”
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User Security
Cyber Fraud Frankenstein fraud Identity Theft Online Safety Synthetic Identity Fraud User Security

Frankenstein Scam: Here's How to Safeguard Yourself Against Synthetic Identity Fraud

 

Identity theft is not always as straightforward as acquiring one person's information; stolen identities can be put together from several sources. This rising crime, known as synthetic identity fraud or "Frankenstein fraud," involves combining someone's Social Security number with information from other people to establish a new, fake identity.

To safeguard yourself from this and other types of identity theft, look into the finest identity theft protection services. Criminals frequently target the most vulnerable people, including children, the homeless, and the elderly. The offender can then use his new name to borrow money. If a fraudster succeeds, the real owner of the SSN may be held liable.

Modus operandi

Synthetic identity fraud requires patience on the part of the criminal, especially if they use a child's Social Security number. The identity is created by combining a valid Social Security number with an unrelated name, address, date of birth, phone number, or other piece of identifying information to make a new "whole" identity. Criminals can buy Social Security numbers on the dark web, acquire them from data breaches, or defraud people using phishing attacks and other frauds. 

Synthetic identity theft thrives because of a basic vulnerability in the American financial and credit systems. When a criminal creates a synthetic identity to request for a loan, the lender often denies credit because there is no record of that identity in their system. The thieves anticipate this because youngsters and teenagers may have little credit or a limited history, and the elderly may have poor credit scores. 

When an identity applies for an account and is reported to a credit bureau, it is shared with other credit agencies. That conduct is sufficient to allow credit bureaus to identify the synthetic identity as a real person, even if there is minimal activity or evidence to corroborate its authenticity. Once the identity has been established, the fraudsters can begin borrowing credit from lenders.

Prevention tips

Synthetic identity fraud may seem frightening, but there are actions you can take to limit how thieves can utilise your identifying data. 

Freeze your credit report: No one can open new credit lines in your name since a credit freeze stops creditors from viewing your credit reports. Unless your credit is first unfrozen with each of the major credit agencies, this also applies to you. 

Although the procedure for freezing a child's credit is a little more complicated, freezing their credit is also one of the greatest ways to cut off the source of synthetic identity fraud, which mostly depends on obtaining the Social Security numbers of children and the elderly. In a similar vein, you may help stop someone from using your Social Security number without your knowledge by freezing it.

Check credit reports regularly: If you do not freeze your credit reports, make sure to check them on a regular basis for any questionable activity. Be especially aware of any other names, residences, or employers associated with your credit file. You can also join up for free credit monitoring, such as Capital One's CreditWise, which searches the dark web for your personally identifiable information. 

Additionally, you can utilise an identity theft protection service to automate reviewing your credit reports or to alert you if your information is compromised in a breach. AnnualCreditReport.com also offers a free weekly credit report.
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User Security
Bank Scam Cyber Fraud Data Leak Financial Scam Fraudulent Message User Security

Five Ways to Identify a Bank Fraud And Stay Safe

 

It is not unusual for your bank to try to contact you. However, some of those emails and phone calls are simply scammers taking advantage of your trust in your bank to scam you. In general, you should be extremely sceptical of any unexpected messages. 

Modus operandi

You receive a phone call claiming to be from your bank informing you of a problem with your account. This is typically used for security purposes, such as informing you when someone is unlawfully accessing your account or has stolen your identity. 

Their response is to ask you to transfer all funds to a safe account' while the problem is resolved. The problem is that no one is attempting to access your account, and you are sending money directly to the crooks. The funds are then moved swiftly to other accounts around the world. 

Additionally, bank transfer scams might be the most common telephone, or vishing, scam, but they are far from the only one. Others may attempt to gain remote control of your computer by claiming there is a problem with your internet connection or that you have a virus.

In reality, they use this time to install malware on your computer and steal your personal information. Another strategy is to claim you're eligible for a refund or compensation but have received too much. You will then be asked to return the difference. 

How to detect a scam  

Urgency:  Fraudulent mails can generate a sense of urgency or mislead you into acting quickly. They may warn you about account termination, blocking your ATM card, or missing out on a limited-time promotion. Be wary of messages that urge you to take immediate action. 

Sender information: Legitimate banks usually send messages from certain phone numbers or email addresses. Be wary of messages from unknown phones or addresses that use generic greetings such as "Dear Customer" instead of your name. 

Personal data: Real banks would never request critical information such as your password, CVV code, OTP (One Time Password), or entire account number over SMS or email. If a message prompts you to update or verify such information, do not answer and instead contact your bank immediately. 

Grammatical errors: Legitimate bank messages are usually well-written and formatted. Typos, grammatical errors, and unprofessional language can all be indicators of a fake message. 

Verify: If you are unsure regarding a message, always contact your bank immediately using their official contact information (phone number or website) to enquire about its legality.

Better safe than sorry

The Federal Trade Commission reports that last year, fraud cost consumers over $12.5 billion. You can take measures to make it difficult for a bad actor to leave with anything, even though it could be simple for them to contact you by email, text, or social media. It's wise to use caution when dealing with something as important as your finances.
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User Security
Cyber Crime Pressure Tactics Ransom Payment ransomware attacks User Security

Turning The Screws: Pressure Techniques Used by Ransomware Outfits

 

Over the past ten years, ransomware attacks have increased in frequency and sophistication. While exploits like social engineering and unpatched software may help with an initial breach, it's the coercive tactics that force victims to make rash and emotionally charged decisions, like paying the ransom. 

Below are three of the most common tactics used by ransomware perpetrators to persuade victims into complying with their extortion demands.

1. Fear and humiliation 

Fear is a potent emotion that threat actors use. When a victim's documents are encrypted, the message is usually clear: pay the ransom or lose your data forever. In addition to the fear of data loss, cybercriminals use the threat of humiliation to demand ransom in order to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information such as company files, financial data, or personal images. 

Cybercriminals sometimes go one step further by threatening legal action, especially in highly regulated sectors like healthcare or finance: Pay the ransom, or we'll denounce you to the authorities. Due to the increased pressure, victims are compelled to take action out of fear about possible legal action. 

2. Deadlines and ultimatums

Most ransomware demands include a tight deadline to intensify the pressure. Attackers usually give victims a deadline, like 48 hours, to comply, frequently along with a clear warning of the repercussions. Some ransomware programs show a countdown meter, which acts as a continual reminder that time is running out, to further exacerbate panic. Attackers may raise the stakes, such as making some of the stolen material publicly available, or double the ransom if the deadline is missed.

3. False hope and fake assurances 

False promises are another tactic used by ransomware operators to trick victims into believing there is a possible solution. However, victims are merely coerced into complying by this hope. Attackers may provide a solution like a trial decryption tool to "prove" their solution works, a discount for speedy payment, or an extension on the payment deadline—tactics intended to strengthen the notion that paying the ransom would result in a complete recovery.

In reality, just 4% of individuals who pay are able to restore all their data. Furthermore, criminals frequently say that if the ransom is paid, the stolen data will be completely destroyed and the victim will be left alone. However, 78% of victims who pay report recurring attacks, proving that these assurances are nothing more than intentional deception. 

Mitigation tips 

The following are some best practices that can help organisations in handling these pressure tactics: 

Preparedness:    Ransomware attacks can happen to anyone. Employers must provide clear instructions and techniques for their employees to follow, as well as teach them how to respond and report in stressful situations while remaining calm and composed. 

Avoiding impulsiveness:  Avoid making decisions primarily based on emotional factors such as anxiousness or desperation. Evaluate all available information and investigate possible solutions and alternatives. 

Not making a payment right away: Don't ever give in to the urge to pay. Speak with law enforcement, cybersecurity experts, and skilled ransomware negotiators, or get advice from cyber insurance companies. Investigate backups and other recovery options. Online decryptors may even be accessible for some ransomware strains.
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User Security
Data Breach Data Leak Ransomware attack Retirement Service Firm United States User Security

Ransomware Attack on Retirement Services Firm Exposes Thousands of US School Data

 

A ransomware assault targeting retirement service firm Carruth Compliance Consulting has resulted in a data breach affecting dozens of school districts and thousands of individuals in the US. Carruth Compliance Consulting (CCC) administers retirement savings accounts for public schools and non-profit organisations.

Carruth announced on its website on January 13, 2025, that it had detected suspicious activity on its computer systems on December 21, 2024. An investigation revealed that hackers gained access to company networks between December 19 and December 26, and stole some files. 

The company claims that private information such as name, Social Security number, financial account information, and, in specific circumstances, driver's license numbers, medical billing information, W-2 information, and tax filings were among the hacked files. Free identity restoration and credit monitoring services are being provided to affected consumers. 

A relatively new ransomware organisation called Skira claimed responsibility for the Carruth attack this week, claiming to have taken about 469 gigabytes of data, including databases, source code, and the data the company had included in their customer notification. Only four additional victims are listed on Skira's Tor-based leak website as of this writing; the first victim was revealed in December 2024. 

While Carruth has not disclosed the number of impacted organisations and individuals, dozens of school districts and institutions across multiple states have confirmed in recent weeks that they have been affected by the cybersecurity issue. School districts notified state attorneys general that Carruth was unable to identify affected individuals, and each educational institution is seeking to identify current and former employees whose personal information was provided with the retirement services provider. 

To date, nine school districts in Maine have reported identifying more than 20,000 individuals affected by a data breach, as mandated by the attorney general. The Carruth data breach comes just weeks after it was revealed that hackers may have stolen the personal information of millions of students and instructors in the United States and Canada after a cyberattack on education software and services company PowerSchool.
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