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When scammers try to steal sensitive information or bank details through phishing, they are increasingly impersonating Yahoo to trick their victims, new research finds.
Experts from Check Point Research analyzed the most imitated brands in the fourth quarter of 2022. According to the report, one-fifth (20%) of all phishing attacks that occurred in October, November and December 2022 impersonated Yahoo, which rose 23 places to become the most counterfeited brand of the period.
Commonly, scammers create emails informing victims that they have won an “award” or “prize money” after a contest organized by Yahoo. To receive the award or payment (usually in hundreds of thousands of dollars), victims are asked to share their personal information (opens in new tab)including bank details.
DHL, Microsoft and LinkedIn
The email also warns victims not to talk to people about it due to “legal issues”.
In general, the technology industry is the most imitated, Check Point Research continues. DHL was the second most imitated brand, accounting for 16% of all attacks.
The fourth quarter of the year is the holiday season, with Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year all reasons for more shopping and thus more DHL imitation.
With 11%, Microsoft rounded out the top three. After dropping slightly lower on the list, LinkedIn returned to fifth place, accounting for 5.7% of all phishing attacks.
Phishing remains one of the most popular (and successful) forms of cyberattacks and cyberfrauds. By preying on gullible and distracted users, criminals can trick them into disclosing a lot of sensitive information. In some cases, they are even capable of downloading and executing various malware, which can lead to even more dangerous attacks, such as ransomware.
The best way to protect against phishing is to always be vigilant when receiving emails and don’t believe anything without checking its authenticity.