These are the most damaging scams around, according to Google so be on your guard

Date:
Sun, 17 Nov 2024 09:02:00 +0000

Description:
Google reveals most common scam techniques used against victims.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Google has released a scam advisory 'Cloaking' is being used by threat actors AI is helping scammers take advantage of popular events

Google has revealed a new report outlining the most common techniques threat actors are using against victims, highlighting a practice known as Cloaking
as a way to deceive users into disclosing sensitive information.

The technique uses tools called cloakers to show different content to different users based on identifying information such as IP addresses. Often, cloaking will involve showing one version of a landing page or website to search engines and bots, and another version to real human users.

Cloaking is specifically designed to prevent moderation systems and teams
from reviewing policy-violating content which enables them to deploy the scam directly to users, Laurie Richardson, Vice President, Trust & Safety at
Google wrote in the report. Scareware and malware

Cloaking does have some legitimate uses, such as for advertisers who want to prevent their pages from being scraped by bots, or who want to hide their strategies from competitors. However, Google has observed scammers using cloaking tools to redirect users who click an ad to scareware sites .

This then tricks users into believing their device is infected with malware, or that their account has been blocked due to unauthorized activity - which tricks them into a false customer support site, to which they reveal
sensitive information.

The landing pages often mimic well-known sites and create a sense of urgency to manipulate users into purchasing counterfeit products or unrealistic products. Google says.

Other techniques outlined were the exploitation of major events. Scammers
take advantage of significant events such as elections, sports fixtures, or humanitarian disasters. The well established technique is being bolstered by AI tools , which are able to quickly respond to breaking news and advertise false products and services.

Elsewhere, Google also flagged fake charity scams, which aim to defraud
people looking to donate to relief efforts and set up appeals to seem legitimate, with AI tools being used to produce huge amounts of content to overwhelm users to deceive them into clicking malicious links.

"Preventing user harm from malicious scams requireseffective
cooperationacross the online ecosystem," Richardson concluded. "Bad actors
are constantly evolving their tactics and techniques...weresharpening our detectionand enforcement techniques to meet these threats, enhancing ourproactive capabilities, and ensuring we have robust and fair policies in place to protect people." You might also like Take a look at our pick of the best malware removal software Google rolls out its smart AI scam detector for the Pixel Phone app Check out our choices for best antivirus software



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/these-are-the-most-damaging-scams-aroun d-according-to-google-so-be-on-your-guard


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