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Show notes
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. This week's follow-up stories involve a puppy scam, a memorable road trip, fresh eggs, chickens, and an unexpected rat encounter. Joe examines two cases highlighting the real-world financial impact of fraud, including a vendor payment scam that cost a Maine town nearly $190,000 and a report on growing state-level fraud losses. Maria discusses a highly targeted espionage campaign that maintained access to a stock exchange executive's Outlook account, while quietly exfiltrating sensitive information. Dave explores how criminals are using AI-generated deepfakes of executives to convince employees to authorize fraudulent payments. Our Catch of the Day comes from listener Piet-Auke Boekema, who uncovered a LinkedIn scammer offering to sell cybersecurity certifications without requiring the exams.
Resources and links to stories:
- Residents of Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii lost the most to fraud schemes. How other states compare
- Harpswell loses $189,199 to vendor payment scam
- Espionage Campaign Targeted Stock Exchange Executive for Five Months
- The Deepfake Boss Scam: How to Verify Requests Before It's Too Late
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at [email protected].