Massive Losses Define Epidemic of ‘Pig Butchering’

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2022 16:35:28 +0000

U.S. state and federal investigators are being inundated with reports from people who’ve lost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in connection with a complex investment scam known as “pig butchering,” wherein people are lured by flirtatious strangers online into investing in cryptocurrency trading platforms that eventually seize any funds when victims try to cash out.

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The Unsexy Threat to Election Security

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2019 17:01:41 +0000

Much has been written about the need to further secure our elections, from ensuring the integrity of voting machines to combating fake news. But according to a report quietly issued by a California grand jury this week, more attention needs to be paid to securing social media and email accounts used by election officials at the state and local level.

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“Stole $24 Million But Still Can’t Keep a Friend”

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 00:52:34 +0000

Unsettling new claims have emerged about Nicholas Truglia, a 21-year-old Manhattan resident accused of hijacking cell phone accounts to steal tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies from victims. The lurid details, made public in a civil lawsuit filed this week by one of his alleged victims, paints a chilling picture of a man addicted to thievery and all its trappings. The documents suggest that Truglia stole from his father and even a dead man — all the while lamenting that his fabulous new wealth brought him nothing but misery.

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Busting SIM Swappers and SIM Swap Myths

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2018 05:49:37 +0000

KrebsOnSecurity recently had a chance to interview members of the REACT Task Force, a team of law enforcement officers and prosecutors based in Santa Clara, Calif. that has been tracking down individuals engaged in unauthorized “SIM swaps” — a complex form of mobile phone fraud that is often used to steal large amounts of cryptocurrencies and other items of value from victims. Snippets from that fascinating conversation are recounted below, and punctuated by accounts from a recent victim who lost more than $100,000 after his mobile phone number was hijacked.

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Alleged SIM Swapper Arrested in California

Credit to Author: BrianKrebs| Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:58:17 +0000

Authorities in Santa Clara, Calif. have arrested and charged a 19-year-old area man on suspicion hijacking mobile phone numbers as part of a scheme to steal large sums of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The arrest is the third known law enforcement action this month targeting “SIM swappers,” individuals who specialize in stealing wireless phone numbers and hijacking online financial and social media accounts tied to those numbers.

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