Cybercriminals exploit the Israel conflict

Cybercriminals take advantage of any opportunity to do harm. The conflict in Israel has provided them with such an opportunity. Cybersecurity experts have discovered a new phishing campaign in which hackers attempt to exploit the emotions of donors interested in helping the victims after the outbreak of the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Most of these messages are targeting users in Russia, Sweden, and Romania. According to Bitdefender experts: "Despite thousands of victims and a real need for humanitarian assistance, cybercriminals continue their unscrupulous fraudulent attacks, pretending to be both victims and representatives of fake charities. The fraudulent messages are similar to those observed by Bitdefender experts during the war in Ukraine, requesting cryptocurrency donations and advance fees. As the war continues, this type of scam will reach even more users worldwide, while attackers refine their "stories' and donation requests based on the evolving conflict (...) Bitdefender cybersecurity experts have uncovered a new phishing campaign in which scammers try to exploit the empathy of the online community in the context of this devastating war to gain financial benefits. According to the research, the fraudulent messages, through which cybercriminals take advantage of the online community's empathy in the context of this devastating war to obtain financial benefits, have been sent to users since October 13, 2023, with the majority directed at users in Russia (27%), Sweden (15%), and Romania (10%). "The best way to stay safe and help for real is to turn to reputable charities, and those requesting donations in crypto, bank transfers, and gift cards should be a strong warning sign and should be avoided at all costs. Never respond to unsolicited emails, even if you know they are a scam. This will only confirm the validity of the email address to the attackers and expose you to more attacks in the future," emphasize Bitdefender experts. Cybersecurity experts recommend users to be vigilant when receiving messages for charitable purposes or accessing such websites to help those in need, as the risks of losing their financial and personal data are very high, especially during this period.