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Federal agencies have uncovered criminal schemes that target vulnerable populations and good-natured residents.
U.S. government agencies have warned residents of a scam related to Hurricanes Helen and Milton, which aims to steal relief funds and sensitive data.
At the end of September, Hurricane Helen caused massive damage in several states and led to the death of more than 200 people. While the affected regions are beginning to recover from the consequences, Florida is already threatened by a new hurricane - Milton. In this regard, the state is evacuating residents.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the CISA agency have issued guidelines warning residents about scams related to providing relief in the aftermath of natural disasters. Fake charities that mimic the names of real-life foundations that collect donations for disaster victims.
Scammers can also pose as representatives of government agencies, offer help in exchange for money or personal data. Another form of fraud is offers to invest in the restoration of the affected territories.
Experts remind that any demands to pay for services using money transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrencies or cash are signs of fraud. Offers to pay for assistance from government agencies should be ignored, as this is always a scam. Disaster relief agencies never ask for payment for assistance.
Information security specialists are already recording fraudulent schemes that use hurricanes as bait. The family of one of the experts began to receive calls as part of the vishing scheme. In the aftermath of such disasters, the number of such cases tends to increase, with many of them related to offers of insurance or disaster recovery assistance.
After Hurricane Helen, the number of cybercriminals increased significantly, and the situation is expected to repeat itself after Hurricane Milton. There have already been cases of offers to buy flood-affected houses at suspiciously low prices. Many scammers pose as unlicensed contractors or simply looters who take advantage of people's vulnerability in a difficult situation.
Experts also report that attackers are already preparing the infrastructure for future fraudulent actions against victims of Hurricane Helen. Although no active malicious activity from the new domains was detected, experts prevented potential threats to protect victims from possible attacks.
CISA has also issued warnings about possible malicious activity, urging caution when opening emails and messages on social networks whose content and subject line are related to hurricanes. Such messages often contain dangerous links and attachments.
The authorities also have to fight misinformation and deepfakes, which are actively spreading on social networks after Hurricane Helen. It is reported that the White House has formed a special team working around the clock to counter the spread of false information.
Due to Hurricane Helen in the US state of North Carolina, 370 cell towers were damaged, and another 103 are operating on backup power. This creates significant communication problems for local residents.
Although North Carolina has seen the maximum extent of damage, other states have suffered as well. Thus, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also fell within the scope of the plan to restore communications activated by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The commission published a list of affected counties, indicating the number and percentage of cellular facilities that failed, as well as the causes of their malfunctions.
Source
U.S. government agencies have warned residents of a scam related to Hurricanes Helen and Milton, which aims to steal relief funds and sensitive data.
At the end of September, Hurricane Helen caused massive damage in several states and led to the death of more than 200 people. While the affected regions are beginning to recover from the consequences, Florida is already threatened by a new hurricane - Milton. In this regard, the state is evacuating residents.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the CISA agency have issued guidelines warning residents about scams related to providing relief in the aftermath of natural disasters. Fake charities that mimic the names of real-life foundations that collect donations for disaster victims.
Scammers can also pose as representatives of government agencies, offer help in exchange for money or personal data. Another form of fraud is offers to invest in the restoration of the affected territories.
Experts remind that any demands to pay for services using money transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrencies or cash are signs of fraud. Offers to pay for assistance from government agencies should be ignored, as this is always a scam. Disaster relief agencies never ask for payment for assistance.
Information security specialists are already recording fraudulent schemes that use hurricanes as bait. The family of one of the experts began to receive calls as part of the vishing scheme. In the aftermath of such disasters, the number of such cases tends to increase, with many of them related to offers of insurance or disaster recovery assistance.
After Hurricane Helen, the number of cybercriminals increased significantly, and the situation is expected to repeat itself after Hurricane Milton. There have already been cases of offers to buy flood-affected houses at suspiciously low prices. Many scammers pose as unlicensed contractors or simply looters who take advantage of people's vulnerability in a difficult situation.
Experts also report that attackers are already preparing the infrastructure for future fraudulent actions against victims of Hurricane Helen. Although no active malicious activity from the new domains was detected, experts prevented potential threats to protect victims from possible attacks.
CISA has also issued warnings about possible malicious activity, urging caution when opening emails and messages on social networks whose content and subject line are related to hurricanes. Such messages often contain dangerous links and attachments.
The authorities also have to fight misinformation and deepfakes, which are actively spreading on social networks after Hurricane Helen. It is reported that the White House has formed a special team working around the clock to counter the spread of false information.
Due to Hurricane Helen in the US state of North Carolina, 370 cell towers were damaged, and another 103 are operating on backup power. This creates significant communication problems for local residents.
Although North Carolina has seen the maximum extent of damage, other states have suffered as well. Thus, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also fell within the scope of the plan to restore communications activated by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The commission published a list of affected counties, indicating the number and percentage of cellular facilities that failed, as well as the causes of their malfunctions.
Source
