NEXT time you get an email from WhatsApp, Microsoft or DHL, think again.
The three are among the most ripped off brands used by conmen to trick people out of their money, experts have revealed.
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Delivery service DHL comes out on top, with its name misused in almost a quarter of scam emails, according to Check Point Research.
It’s followed by Microsoft in 20% of phishing attacks and WhatsApp at 11%, as crooks try to lure users with familiar logos and companies.
WhatsApp has shot up from 6th place to 3rd overall.
But DHL has overtaken Microsoft as the number one at a time when we’re relying on home deliveries more than ever during the pandemic, showing just how opportunistic cyber criminals are.
Such attacks are sneaky, as criminals try to gain your trust by imitating well-known brands.
They are getting even better at it too, using similar web addresses to the real thing and ripping off official websites so you can tell no difference.
Once you land on the fake site, forms are used to steal your user details and payment info.
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“This quarter, for the first time, we’ve seen global logistics company DHL top the rankings as the most likely brand to be imitated, presumably to capitalise on the soaring number of new and potentially vulnerable online shoppers during the year’s busiest retail period,” said Omer Dembinsky, from Check Point Research.
“Older users in particular, who are less likely to be as technologically savvy as younger generations, will be shopping online for the first time and might not know what to look for when it comes to things like delivery confirmation emails or tracking updates.
“Furthermore, the rise in COVID cases has people relying on the shipping service more, and cyber criminals are likely trying to capitalise on people choosing to stay in doors more.”
Google, Amazon, FedEx, Roblox, PayPal and Apple all made the top ten in the latest results.
Experts also found that popular social media sites are being spoofed more often too.
They remind people the best way to protect themselves is to be careful when handing over sensitive information.
“Think twice before opening email attachments or links, especially emails that claim to be from companies such as DHL, Microsoft or Whastapp, as they are the most likely to be impersonated.”
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In other news, personalised smart guns, which can be fired only by verified users, may finally become available to U.S. consumers this year.
Tech giant Microsoft is trying to make the world more woke by rolling out an “inclusiveness” checker in its Word software.
And a federal anti-trust case against Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has been given the go-ahead.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
