Four Chinese nationals living in Sydney, Australia, were charged for their alleged role in a cyber enabled investment scam that swindled more than US$100 million from victims world-wide, especially in the U.S., according to a statement released by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Four Chinese nationals living in Sydney were charged for their alleged role in a cyber enabled investment scam. (Photo: Australian Federal Police, License)The suspects “employ a sophisticated mix of social engineering techniques, including the use of dating sites, employment sites and messaging platforms to gain the victims’ trust before mentioning investment opportunities.”
Social engineering fraud refers to scams which manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information which can then be used for criminal financial gain, Interpol said.
Once deceived, victims are directed by the attackers to both fraudulent and legitimate investment applications that deal in foreign exchange and cryptocurrency, which have been maliciously manipulated to show a false positive return on investments.
The alleged Chinese cyber criminals recruit victims to subscribe to a financial investment service, and manipulate the data provided through online trading platforms to encourage further investments, while concealing the fact that the clients’ money has actually been stolen, the news release said.
Authorities in the U.S. earlier this year warned Australian officials about links…
