Members of the public are more likely to be hacked on their birthday than any other day of the year, research by cybersecurity platform TitanHQ shows.
The company has warned internet users about some less commonly known phishing scams and advised people on how to protect themselves from being attacked online.
In addition to better-known scams involving fake invoices, requests for personal and payment information from fraudsters purporting to be the target’s bank, and fraudulent threats of legal action for unpaid taxes, the tricks listed below are catching many people out.
The Happy Birthday email
Phishing emails usually harp on a message of urgency (i.e, your password is about to expire) to rush users through a desired call to action before thinking about what they are really doing.
However, another less commonly known approach is to hit them in a vulnerable moment in which they have their guard down.
In a new trend that exploits flattery, attackers send targeted victims an email on their birthday. These are no generic attacks as the attackers must actually know when your birthday is. The email contains a birthday greeting that invites the user to click on a link to see the e-birthday card that a loved one sent.
Sometimes even going as far as to tell the victim they have an Amazon gift card waiting for them that someone purchased for their birthday. Of course, there is no e-card or voucher, just a weaponised malware payload such as ransomware…
