This discussion dives into the alarming rise of social engineering scams, spotlighting a jury duty con that defrauded a victim out of $12,000. Listeners will learn about a prison-based scheme using spoofed identities to siphon cryptocurrency, as well as a job interview that turned into a hacking attempt through obfuscated code. The hosts also tackle the implications of Apple’s new AI feature, which may inadvertently aid scammers, and share tips on navigating tech scams, emphasizing the need for heightened cybersecurity awareness.
41:52
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Jury Duty Scam
Two individuals, including an inmate, defrauded a Sarasota woman of $12,000 using a jury duty scam.
The inmate used a smuggled cellphone, spoofed law enforcement identities, and Bitcoin transfers.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Code Challenge Scam
During technical job interviews, be cautious of code challenges.
Review code carefully and use secure environments like virtual machines (VMs).
question_answer ANECDOTE
Power Dynamics in Interviews
Job seekers are more likely to comply with unusual requests due to the power imbalance.
This makes them vulnerable to scams.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
On Hacking Humans, Dave Bittner, Joe Carrigan, and Maria Varmazis (also host of N2K's daily space podcast, T-Minus), are once again sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines to help our audience become aware of what is out there. This week we jump right into stories, Maria shares Apple’s new AI feature and how it is unintentionally rewording scam messages to make them appear more legitimate and flagging them as priority notifications, raising concerns about increased susceptibility to scams. Joe has two stories this week, the first focuses on two individuals, including an inmate using a smuggled cellphone, being charged with defrauding a Sarasota woman of $12,000 in a jury duty scam involving spoofed law enforcement identities and Bitcoin transfers, with authorities urging vigilance against such schemes. Joe's second story is on a LinkedIn job interview turned hacking attempt when a technical challenge contained obfuscated code designed to gather crypto wallet information from the user's computer; the scam highlights the importance of carefully reviewing code and using secure environments like virtual machines during such evaluations. Finally Dave has the story on a prolific voice phishing crew manipulating legitimate Apple and Google services to deceive victims, leveraging advanced phishing kits, social engineering tactics, and automated tools like "autodoxers" to target cryptocurrency holders and high-value individuals for significant financial theft. Our catch of the day comes from listener Keefe, who shares a voicemail from one suspicious sounding Walmart voice.
Hacking Humans