Although they do not usually occupy the forefront of the daily information spree, the amount of news about digital scams is growing: users who had their electronic wallet robbed or received a “twin” card to make online purchases from large entities, such as the CNV, from which thousands of data from their clients were stolen. These crimes grow to such an extent that a recent survey revealed that 11% of the Argentines consulted suffered firsthand when their bank account or credit card was stolencloned and abused by cybercriminals.
The field work published in May was prepared by the consultants WIN and Voices! and showed that this problem is worse, given that, in similar investigations carried out before the pandemic, the people who acknowledged having been a victim of these formats reached 8%. Put into figures, experts mention that, globally, in 2021, the amount “billed” for thefts, fraud and credit card scams was US$ 33 billion. But by 2022 it already amounted to US$ 36 billion.
This same situation is reflected in other ways. For example, in another study published by those responsible for Google Argentina Earlier this year: according to the portal’s statistics, the search “online security” grew 20% during 2022, the same as the words “password security”. Others, even more specific, such as “password manager”, the inquiries tripled. “All this reflects the interest of Argentines to know, understand and access the tools available to protect themselves and acquire better digital security habits,” the company concluded.
consolidation
“We believe that 2023 is the year in which cybercrime is consolidating as a true professional industry,” he assured PROFILE Gabriel Zurdo, CEO of the firm BTR ConsultingSpecialized in cybersecurity. The reasons for growth There are several in this criminal field: “Since the pandemic, many people have joined – for various reasons – digital procedures and transactions. From the apps that had to be shown with permits to leave the neighborhood to the increase in online purchases. And also receive money and pay for some work using one, or several, of the many digital wallets available. This phenomenon involved adding a large mass of people to the world of online transactions, often with no digital experience, and who define themselves as potential targets highly exposed to this type of crime,” Zurdo commented.
According to this expert, today an “average” person has, on his mobile device, of three or more applications that serve as payment platforms. To this is added another statistic that suggests that –in the AMBA area– they steal around nine thousand devices every day, and that many of them have no, or minimal, security measures implemented. “This is how we began to understand the magnitude of the problem of economic cybercrime, both personally and corporately,” says Zurdo. And his prognosis is sad: “This crime trend will continue to worsen.”.
Among the reasons that explain the aggravation there are some. On the one hand, many developers and companies that launch applications to make transactions and that store “sensitive” information are not up to date with secure software best practices. According to the BTR expert, about one in forty applications available in stores does not exceed the minimum security standard.
But, on the other hand, even those that do comply are usually violated because the user himself does not “set” in a proper way. In other words, “there are still too many people who they don’t even put a PIN on their smartphone. And the data recorded by consulting security companies show that 61% of people use the same –and unique– password to enter the different applications. “If that password is stolen, all of your accounts will be compromised.”
In addition, this type of cybercrime is becoming more easy of “execute”. Partly because the tools necessary to attempt it have become more popular and easier to use, even adding artificial intelligence techniques and veritable malware rental services that can be hired and even used by hacker trainees.
Lefty also warns that now all smartphone users are attractive targets And not just the “rich”. “There are extreme criminal gangs that aim to break banks but there are others that target clients, others that specialize in industrial sub-headings. The truth is that today everyone from the CEO to the cadet of an organization can be an interesting target for the cyber-scam”.
On the other hand, according to the experts, also the large technology companies that provide popular services They have a lot of homework to do. From improving the insecure use of some free marketplaces, to scammers who easily set up a fake online store and they sell, via instagram. And they can also add new security actions by popular search engines that display ads for fake sites prominently in the results, making it easier for the unwary to click through and start falling victim to a real scam.
Do you have an email (from your bank)
Earlier this year ESET Latin America, a company specializing in digital security, conducted a survey in countries in the region, including Argentina, asking users with what frequency Receive scam attempts and where the scammers contacted you from. 81% of the participants stated that in the last 12 months they received at least one attempt to deceive them, but they detected it in time, while 6% of the people admitted having fallen into this trap. Several of these attempts are made from supposedly official mailboxes of both public and private banks.
“Regarding the consequences for the victims, 11% lost personal information, 7% money, and 4% access to their accounts,” he explained to PROFILE Camilo Gutierrez Amayaboss of research laboratory from ESET. And he conceded that the number of scams has been increasing for years, but the pandemic accelerated these situations. But, in addition, “now they are more targeted and prominent scams. And they take advantage of the fact that a large number of users simply feel safe and that they are not going to be the target of this type of attack, and that we can all be a target of hacking”. The first way to prevent is at this point: be aware account account that all people, including the reader of this note, may also be targets of digital fraud.
