Hackers Are Targeting Facebook Users Using Copy Infringement Scam
- Written by Ari Denial Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
Hackers are emailing fake copyright infringement notices to Facebook users to obtain their Facebook account credentials.
“This email says that a Facebook account has been suspended. The reason given is that a photo uploaded to the account’s page has violated Facebook’s copyright infringement policy,” said Avanan , a Cloud and Email Security company.
The link in the email leads to a credential-harvesting site, not a page controlled by Meta Platforms Inc. Potential victims have 24 hours to file an appeal using the link or their Facebook accounts will be suspended permanently.
“The best phishing emails are believable and play on urgency. Though this email has a sender address that clearly does not come from Facebook, it’s otherwise fairly believable,” said Jeremy Fuchs, a cybersecurity analyst at Avanan.
“That’s where the hackers try to get you. And they are having success, as evidenced by the waves of these emails we’re seeing. When we see a number of similar attacks spoofing the same brand, we know that the hackers are getting people to bite,” said the researchers.
The researchers are unsure of how successful the emails have been, but it’s evident that the hackers got some sort of success. Hackers keep sending phishing emails only when their campaign proves to be working and they’re sending this copyright infringement email explosively.
The cybersecurity researchers suggested users hover over any link before clicking on it to see if it’s from a reliable source. They also suggested double-checking the sender’s address so you know if the email came from an official ID. Accessing your Facebook account directly instead of clicking on any third-party links is also a great practice that prevents credential harvesting.
Netflix, Disney+, and Other Streaming Giants Are All Set to Fight Piracy
- Written by Ari Denial Cybersecurity & Tech Writer
“There is at least $29.2 billion in lost revenue each year due to online TV and film piracy in the US. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of jobs are being lost in the entertainment industry as a result of spiraling global visits to such sites,” stated Motion Pictures Association (MPA) .
According to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), “There is a range of provisions in criminal and civil law which may be applicable in the case of password sharing where the intent is to allow a user to access copyright-protected works without payment.”
“Where these provisions are provided in civil law, it would be up to the service provider to take action through the courts if required,” they added.
Netflix already started testing the add-on fee ($3) for password sharing with different households in Peru, Costa Rica, and Chile last year. If reports are to be believed, Netflix plans to introduce this change in the US early this year. Users who share passwords with friends and family who don’t live in the same household will have to pay an additional fee. Account activity, device IDs, and IP Addresses will be taken into account to enforce this practice.
