Web services company Yahoo was the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks in the last three months of 2022. This is according to the latest report from cyber security firm Check Point. Brand Phishing Reportwhich highlights the brands that threat actors copy the most to entice people to reveal their personal data.
The report states that 20% of brand phishing attempts impersonate Yahoo. This is allegedly the result of phishing campaigns in which cybercriminals send emails such as “Yahoo Award” and “Award Promotion,” “Award Center,” “Info Winning” or “Award Winning.”
The content of the email informed the recipients that they had won millions of dollars courtesy of Yahoo. However, to be able to claim it, They had to send their personal information and banking details – a clear race to steal the victim’s sensitive data. The email even goes so far as to tell recipients not to tell people about winning a prize because of legal issues.
DHL is the second most counterfeited brand in Checkpoint’s report at 16%While Microsoft is in third place with 11 percent. Other brands that made the list include Google, LinkedIn, VTransfer, Netflix, FedEx, HSBC and WhatsApp.
Finally, the study found that technology was the industry most likely to be imitated by fishers in 4Q’22, followed by shipping and social networks.
To protect yourself from phishing attacks, always be careful when opening links or downloading attachments from unsolicited emails as they may contain malware. Also, make it a habit to check the URL of the site you’re on. For example, if the URL doesn’t start with yahoo.com, it’s likely fraudulent. Finally, if available, enable two-factor authentication to ensure that threat actors can’t infiltrate your account even if you accidentally give them your username and password.
Source: Check point security.
