The Indiana Department of Revenue ( DOR ) and the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) are warning folks of fraudulent emails impersonating Attack.Phishing either revenue agency and encouraging individuals to open files corrupted with malware . These scam emails use tax transcripts as bait Attack.Phishing to entice Attack.Phishing users to open the attachments . The scam is particularly problematic for businesses or government agencies whose employees open the malware infected attachments , putting the entire network at risk . This software is complex and may take several months to remove . This well-known malware , known as Emotet , generally poses as Attack.Phishing specific banks or financial institutions to trick Attack.Phishing individuals into opening infected documents . It has been described as one of the most costly and destructive malware to date . Emotet is known to constantly evolve , and in the past few weeks has masqueraded as Attack.Phishing the IRS , pretending to be Attack.Phishing “ IRS Online. ” The scam email includes an attachment labeled Attack.Phishing “ Tax Account Transcript ” or something similar , with the subject line often including “ tax transcript. ” Both DOR and IRS have several tips to help individuals and businesses not fall prey to email scams : Remember , DOR and the IRS do not contact customers via email to share sensitive documents such as a tax transcript . Use security software to protect against malware and viruses , and be sure it ’ s up-to-date . Never open emails , attachments or click on links when you ’ re not sure of the source . If an individual is using a personal computer and receives Attack.Phishing an email claiming to be Attack.Phishing the IRS , it is recommended to delete or forward the email to phishing @ irs.gov orto investigations @ dor.in.gov Business receiving these emails should also be sure to contact the company ’ s technology professionals .

The Internal Revenue Service today warned the public of a tax transcript scheme via a surge of fraudulent emails impersonating Attack.Phishing the IRS . The emails offer Attack.Phishing tax transcripts , or the summary of a tax return , as bait Attack.Phishing to entice Attack.Phishing users to open documents containing malware . The scam email carries an attachment labeled “ Tax Account Transcript ” or something similar , and the subject line uses some variation of the phrase “ tax transcript. ” The IRS said the scam Attack.Phishing is especially problematic for businesses whose employees might open the malware because it can spread throughout the network and potentially take months to successfully remove . Known as Emotet , the well-known malware generally poses as Attack.Phishing specific banks and financial institutions in its effort to trick Attack.Phishing people into opening infected documents . However , in the past few weeks , the scam Attack.Phishing has been masquerading as Attack.Phishing the IRS , pretending to be Attack.Phishing from “ IRS Online. ” The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team ( US-CERT ) issued a warning in July about earlier versions of the Emotet in Alert ( TA18-201A ) Emotet Malware . US-CERT has labeled the Emotet Malware “ among the most costly and destructive malware affecting state , local , tribal , and territorial ( SLTT ) governments , and the private and public sectors. ” The IRS reminds taxpayers it does not send unsolicited emails to the public , nor would it email a sensitive document such as a tax transcript . Taxpayers should not open the email or the attachment . If using a personal computer , delete or forward the scam email to phishing @ irs.gov . If seen while using an employer ’ s computer , notify the company ’ s technology professionals .

Email is great for keeping in touch with friends and family and quickly conversing with colleagues but it ’ s not without its pitfalls . Scammers approach Attack.Phishing people via email to encourage them to hand over private or sensitive information about themselves or the company they work for . “ The most prevalent threats we see targeting consumers today are phishing attacks Attack.Phishing predominantly via email , where scammers try to trick Attack.Phishing people into sharing private information or access to money , ” Jessica Brookes , director of EMEA consumer at McAfee , told the Press Association . “ The first thing you should know about phishing Attack.Phishing is that it almost always involves a form of ‘ social engineering ’ , in which the scammer tries to manipulate Attack.Phishing you into trusting them for fraudulent purposes , often by pretending to be Attack.Phishing a legitimate person or business . Secondly , if an email doesn ’ t seem legitimate , it probably isn ’ t ; it ’ s always better to be safe than sorry. ” Here are four of the most popular scams circulating today : 1 ) The CEO Scam This scam Attack.Phishing appears as Attack.Phishing an email from a leader in your organisation , asking for highly sensitive information like company accounts or employee salaries . The hackers fake Attack.Phishing the boss ’ s email address so it looks like Attack.Phishing a legitimate internal company email . That ’ s what makes this scam so convincing – the lure is that you want to do your job and please your boss . But keep this scam in mind if you receive an email asking for confidential or highly sensitive information , and ask the apparent sender directly whether the request is real , before responding . 2 ) The Lucky Email How fortunate ! You ’ ve won a free gift , an exclusive service , or a great deal on a trip abroad . Just remember , whatever “ limited time offer ” you ’ re being sold , it ’ s probably a phishing scam Attack.Phishing designed to get you to give up your credit card number or identity information . The lure here is something free or exciting at what appears to be little or no cost to you . 3 ) The Urgent Email Attachment Phishing emails that try to trick Attack.Phishing you into downloading a dangerous attachment that can potentially infect your computer and steal your private information have been around for a long time . This is because they work . You ’ ve probably received emails asking you to download attachments confirming a package delivery , trip itinerary or prize . They might urge you to “ respond immediately ” . The lure Attack.Phishing here is offering you something you want , and invoking a sense of urgency to get you to click . 4 ) The Romance Scam This one can happen completely online , over the phone , or in person once initial contact is established . But the romance scam always starts with someone supposedly looking for love . The scammer often poses as Attack.Phishing a friend-of-a-friend via email and contacts you directly . But what starts as the promise of love or partnership , often leads to requests for money or pricey gifts . The scammer will sometimes spin a hardship story , saying they need to borrow money to come visit you or pay their phone bill so they can stay in touch . The lure here is simple – love and acceptance . Brookes added : “ It is everyone ’ s responsibility to be aware and educate each other – we need to share knowledge and collaborate to protect ourselves against the current threats we face as people living in a connected world . ”

The Indiana Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service is warning individuals and businesses about emails that use tax transcripts as bait Attack.Phishing to entice Attack.Phishing users to open attachments . These scams are problematic for businesses or government agencies whose employees open the malware infected attachments , putting the entire network at risk . This well-known malware , known as Emotet , generally poses as Attack.Phishing specific banks or financial institutions to trick Attack.Phishing individuals into opening infected documents . It ’ s been described as one of the most costly and destructive malware to date . Both the DOR and IRS have several tips to help individuals and businesses stay clear of these scams : - The DOR and IRS do not contact customers via email to share sensitive documents such as a tax transcript - Use security software to protect against malware and viruses , and make sure it ’ s up-to-date - Never open emails , attachments , or click on links when you ’ re not sure of the source If you receive Attack.Phishing an email claiming to be Attack.Phishing the IRS , delete it or forward the email to phishing @ irs.gov < mailto : phishing @ irs.gov > . If the email claims to be Attack.Phishing from the DOR forward it to investigations @ dor.in.gov < mailto : investigations @ dor.in.gov > . Emotet is known to constantly evolve , and in the past few weeks has masqueraded as Attack.Phishing the IRS , pretending to be Attack.Phishing “ IRS Online ” . The scam email includes an attachment , with the subject line often including “ tax transcript ” .

`` Since this afternoon , I have been unable to use Teamviewer through a TalkTalk connection , '' said the first user that complained about the block , saying that TeamViewer works fine from his mobile 4G connection , but not his home TalkTalk line . Tens of other users followed suite and shared similar experiences . As it became clear to all that TalkTalk had banned TeamViewer on its network , the company admitted the issues through a representative . Apologies for the confusion , but I can confirm that we have implemented a number of network changes that have blocked a number of applications including Teamviewer We constantly monitor for potentially malicious internet traffic , so that we can protect our customers from phishing Attack.Phishing and scamming activities . As part of this work , we have recently blocked a number of sites and applications from our network , and we ’ re working hard to minimise the impact on our customers . We are working with teamviewer and other 3rd parties on implementing some additional security measures that would enhance the security to all customers of these services but we will continue to block any sites/applications reported by customers to reduce the opportunity for fraud to take place . The issues the TalkTalk representative was referring to are a wave of scams that have hit TalkTalk customers over the past year . The data of millions of TalkTalk customers leaked Attack.Databreach online in 2015 when the company experienced three separate data breaches Attack.Databreach in the same year . Scammers have been using some of the leaked TalkTalk data to target the ISP 's customers during the past two years . Several topics on the TalkTalk forums detail such events , which all start with a phone call from one of the scammers . In many cases , the scammer has an Indian accent , poses as Attack.Phishing a TalkTalk employee , and asks users to install TeamViewer to assist customers with a technical issue or to fix Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability security errors . TeamViewer , which is a legitimate app used worldwide by tech departments , allows the scammer to access the victim 's computer and install malware such as keyloggers or backdoor trojans right under the unsuspecting victim 's nose . In some cases , parts of the TeamViewer app has even been embedded in malware directly , as to simplify the process of stealing data Attack.Databreach via a legitimate communications channel , disguising the data theft operations Attack.Databreach under TeamViewer traffic . Apps like TeamViewer , Supremo , and LogMeIn , have all been used as part of tech support scams for years . The only surprise is TalkTalk 's pro-active reaction , which comes two days after the BBC ran a story documenting the operations of an Indian scam call center that was specifically targeting TalkTalk customers . Anticipating criticism from customers , other news outlets , and a possible sanction from government agencies , TalkTalk decided to take a pro-active approach and fight the scammers by blocking some of the apps they used . For its part , TeamViewer has been very accommodating , saying in a statement published yesterday that the two companies are in `` extensive talks to find a comprehensive joint solution to better address this scamming issue . '' In an email , a TeamViewer spokesperson told Bleeping Computer they expect to reach a consensus with TalkTalk , who is `` aware that this not a TeamViewer specific issue , '' and both companies are working to `` bring about additional measures to thwart scamming . '' Imagine if Team Viewer and other such remote software would give a big red alert explaining that their software is often used by criminals stating they were from ISPs , Microsoft or some security tech as the first window seen when opening the software .

A recently discovered strain of botnet malware has infected over 600,000 Android devices , as stated by the security researchers . Researchers have also found that the malware poses as Attack.Phishing a guide that wants to help gamers with online games like FIFA and Pokemon Go . These guides are actually a malicious software named FalseGuide . It ’ s been discovered that FalseGuide was hiding in over 40 different guide apps and that the oldest one was posted more than three years ago on 14th of February 2014 . Some of the infected apps reached over 50,000 downloads , as claimed by Check Point security . The researchers also said that all of those devices can now be considered infected . The aim , as claimed by experts , was to create a ‘ silent botnet , ’ that would later be used for adware purposes . Cyber criminals are well known for their use of botnets and most often these botnets are made of a series of infected devices which include computers , as well as IoT ( Internet of Things ) devices including DVRS , CCTV cameras , Smart TVs , Smart cars and Smart Switches , etc . Most of the malware that infects these devices are stealthy preventing users from detecting them , which in return allows the malware to remain undisturbed on the device . In the FalseGuide ’ s case , the malware managed to receive the administrator privileges , which means that the user can not get rid of the infection . After administrator privileges , the malware proceeded to register to a cloud-based messaging service to receive further instructions . This way , malware can be used to provide its creator a full access to the device or even to allow them to launch DDoS attacks . After the discovery of these malicious apps , Google has done what they could to take them off the Play Store , but the apps already downloaded are still posing a problem . Furthermore , investigations revealed that there were two people behind the scheme going by ( probably fake ) names of Nikolai Zalupkin and Sergei Vernik . It ’ s believed that the gaming guides were selected because they ’ ve been very popular lately , and also because they do not require much time and effort when it comes to feature implementation and development . This means that with a small amount of effort , hackers could reach a wide audience if by using the popularity and success of the original games . Experts also stated that “ Mobile botnets are a growing trend since early last year , growing in both sophistication and reach , ” and that “ This type of malware manages to infiltrate Google Play due to the non-malicious nature of the first component , which only downloads the actual harmful code. ” That ’ s why users should not rely on their app stores to protect them , since there far too many apps available to be verified . Just last week , a Dutch cyber security firm called Securify uncovered a Trojan called ‘ BankBot , ’ that was used for financial frauds against Android users . The Trojan was discovered on Google Play Store leading to the conclusion that even official apps stores are not safe from cyber criminals and malware .

When it comes to phishing scams Attack.Phishing , the general concept is that cyber criminals will only send Attack.Phishing a link to trick Attack.Phishing users into logging in with their social media or email credentials . But since that is an old school trick , the malicious threat actors are aiming at much more than your Facebook or Gmail password . Recently , we discovered a sophisticated phishing campaign Attack.Phishing targeting Apple users . The aim of this attack Attack.Databreach is to steal Attack.Databreach their Apple ID , credit card data , a government issued ID card , and or passport . That ’ s not all , the scam also asks users to provide it with access to their device webcam to take their snap for verification purposes . It all starts with users receiving Attack.Phishing an email in which the sender poses as Attack.Phishing one of the officials from Apple Inc . The email alerts the user that their iCloud account is on hold because of an unusual sign in activity through an unknown browser and in case they didn ’ t log in from the device mentioned in the email they need to click on a link to change the password . Those who understand how phishing scams Attack.Phishing work will know how to ignore it , but unsuspecting users may fall for it and be tricked Attack.Phishing into clicking the link and giving away their personal and financial information . Upon clicking the link users are taken Attack.Phishing to the phishing page which looks exactly like Attack.Phishing the official Apple ID login page . The users then are then asked to enter their Apple ID and its password to proceed . Once the users are logged in , they are taken to another page which asks users for their credit card details including cardholder name , card number , expiration date , CVV code and ED secure password . Upon giving this info , the users are asked to click the next tab . Remember by now the scammers have got your Apple ID login credentials and credit card information . Because criminals will remain criminals , the more you feed them the more they will ask for . Once the “ next ” tab is clicked , users are invited to enter their personal information including full name , date of birth , country , state , city , address , Zip code and phone number . This is done to use user information for further scams like identity theft and social engineering frauds . Once your personal information is handed over to the criminals , the page asks users to click the “ finish ” tab , but they aren ’ t done yet . Upon clicking the Finish tab users are taken to another page asking them to upload their password , a government issued identity card or the driver license – both sides . The users can click skip to avoid uploading their government issued documents but then they need to allow the website to access their device ’ s camera and microphone to take a snap of them . The users can also click the “ Skip ” tab , and the page will redirect them to the official Apple ID website . Good news is that Google Chrome has already detected the scam and marked the phishing domain as “ Deceptive. ” However , the bad news is that Firefox , Opera , and Safari browsers didn ’ t show any warning messages to their users therefore if you are using these browsers be vigilant .

Cyber Monday is here ! If you avoided the retail stores and skipped their Black Friday deals , do n't worry , you 'll get another chance for major savings today . From clothing to travel to exclusive online-only deals , Cyber Monday still has tons to offer . But just in time for the Cyber Monday shopping rush , watch out for sinister phishing scams Attack.Phishing that are making the rounds . With more online shoppers this time around - searching every nook and cranny of the web in search of the best Cyber Monday deals - crooks are again looking to dupe Attack.Phishing unsuspecting bargain hunters . Stop and Think , Did I order this ? One of the most effective tools for a cybercriminal is the phishing scam Attack.Phishing . This is when a scammer poses as Attack.Phishing a trustworthy entity and tries tricking Attack.Phishing you into clicking on a malicious link . Their ultimate goal , of course , is to steal Attack.Databreach your sensitive information such as credit card details , usernames and passwords . With this year 's holiday online shopping numbers projected to be the biggest ever , millions of items will be processed and shipped . With this surge in shipping activity , consumer protection groups are warning everyone to watch out for fake delivery notices and package verification scams . For example , if you receive Attack.Phishing an email from `` Amazon '' saying that you have a pending delivery that needs verification from you , then that is most likely a phishing scam Attack.Phishing . Other email phishing scams Attack.Phishing may also pretend to provide Attack.Phishing you with a link for shipping updates or special discount coupons and offers . Another popular ploy is the phantom order scam . These alarming emails are meant to get you clicking by pretending Attack.Phishing you ordered thousands of dollars of merchandise . But before you click that link , look out , these deceitful messages can be extremely convincing . Fake delivery and shipping notifications can look just like Attack.Phishing the real thing , using real logos and art from company websites . These cybercriminals will even set up Attack.Phishing fake websites that look like Attack.Phishing the real deal to lure Attack.Phishing you into giving away your personal information and credit card details .

Aspiring Netflix users who don ’ t want to actually pay for the popular video on demand service are being targeted with a new type of ransomware . Detected as Netix by Trend Micro , the ransomware is hidden in an executable ( Netflix Login Generator v1.1.exe ) that poses as Attack.Phishing a software for creating valid Netflix login credentials . The file is usually offered for download on sites sharing crackers and free access to paid online services . Users who download and run the file will be faced with the above screen . Clicking the “ Generate Login ! ” button will open another one , offering a username and password . Whether the login credentials actually work or not is unknown . But the other executable dropped by the initial one does work , and it starts encrypting a variety of file types in the machine ’ s C : \Users directory , including images , videos , archive files , and Office documents . “ The ransomware employs AES-256 encryption algorithm and appends the encrypted files with the .se extension . The ransom notes demand Attack.Ransom $ 100 worth of Bitcoin ( 0.18 BTC ) from its victims , ” Trend Micro warns . The ransomware needs to connect to a C & C server to work and to receive Attack.Ransom the ransom note and warning to display : Interestingly enough , only users of Windows 7 or 10 are in danger from this particular piece of ransomware , as it won ’ t run on other versions of the OS . Victims are urged by the crooks to pay the ransom Attack.Ransom in order to receive the decryption key , but should know that even if they do , there is no guarantee they will get the key . Regularly backing up important files is the best way to assure yourself that even if you fall for social engineering approaches such as this one , you ’ ll be able to avoid paying the ransom Attack.Ransom and losing your files forever