0 New Phone Scam Taking Advantage of Online Shoppers

• Scams & Privacy
• by Stuart Gunn
• 28-09-2021

  Article from Stuff.co.nz Mobile users being deluged with scam texts, 2degrees and Vodafone NZ warn Tom Pullar-Strecker10:29, Sep 29 2021   SUPPLIED One 2degrees customer reported receiving 14 different scam messages overnight. Mobile phone users are receiving large volumes of scam texts telling them they need to click on a link to have a delivery redirected, 2degrees and Vodafone are warning. 2degrees spokeswoman Andrea Brady said the scam was not unusual but the number of texts being sent out was “quite out of the ordinary”. Vodafone spokeswoman Nicky Preston said its customers were also receiving an unusually large number of scam texts.   It appeared that some people’s phones were sending the scam messages to contacts in their address book, which suggests the possibility of malware and could account for the scale of the issue.   Both companies understood Spark customers were also being targeted. “Everyone is being hit at the moment,” Brady said.   Spark has been contacted for comment. The messages appeared to start on Tuesday afternoon and many customers had received multiple scam texts overnight, Brady said. 2degrees and Vodafone cautioned people not to click on the links in the texts. TOM PULLAR-STRECKER/STUFF Vodafone NZ believes the scam messages are being propagated by customers’ phones sending out the texts to contacts in their address book, but says details are still being investigated. The scam texts were being sent from a “whole range of different numbers” which 2degrees was seeking to block, Brady said. One customer reported 14 different scam texts overnight, Brady said. She understood government cyber-security agency Cert NZ was looking at the issue. Cert NZ has been approached for comment. Preston said Vodafone was seeking to take down the websites that the scammers were directing people to visit. Vodafone believed phone customers overseas had experienced similar issues. Brady assumed scammers were seeking to take advantage of the increase in online shopping during the current Covid restrictions.

0 What Is Ransomware?

• Scams & Privacy
• by Stuart Gunn
• 18-05-2021

Ransomware is one of the most common - and increasing - types of cybercrime. Over the past year, hospitals, police forces, even oil pipelines have fallen victim. If you had a courier parcel arrive late last year, it could have been because transport company Toll was hit twice by ransomware. It can be a simple as a click on a dodgy link and software gets installed on you device or system and stops it from working properly. You will be offered the ability to free your system - for a price. This is extortion. Want to know more, this article is quite enlightening.  Lert Info sends alerts for scams and ransomware  when we are aware of them. We can include you also but you need to register for alerts - www.lert.info