When crooks try to steal sensitive information or banking data via cheatthey have increasingly impersonated Yahoo to try to trick their victims, new research has claimed.
Experts at Check Point Research analyzed the most frequently imitated brands in the fourth quarter of 2022. According to the report, one in five (20%) of all phishing attacks occurred in October. , 11 and 12 of 2022 impersonated Yahoo, rising 23 places to become the most counterfeited brand during this period.
Typically, crooks will create an email notifying victims that they’ve won a “prize” or a “bonus” after a contest hosted by Yahoo. In order to receive a prize or payment (often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars), victims are required to share personal information (opens in a new tab)including bank details.
DHL, Microsoft and LinkedIn
The email also warned victims not to tell people about the matter because of “legal issues”.
In general, the technology industry is the most impersonated industry, Check Point Research added. DHL is the second most impersonated brand, accounting for 16% of all attacks.
The fourth quarter of each year is the holiday season, with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year all driving up shopping and hence DHL impersonation.
With 11%, Microsoft made the top three. After a brief drop further down the list, LinkedIn is back in fifth place, accounting for 5.7% of all phishing attacks.
Phishing remains one of the most popular (and successful) phishing and hacking formats. By preying on gullible and distracted users, criminals can trick them into providing a lot of sensitive information. In some cases, they can even cause them to download and run various malware, which can lead to even more dangerous attacks, such as ransomware.
The best way to protect against phishing is to stay vigilant when receiving emails and not trust anything without double-checking for authenticity.
