Scammers impersonate cyber security firms

A syndicate scam has been found impersonating a range of services typically provided by a cyber security company, charging high prices for very little work.

The fake firm has been mirroring cyber security company Malwarebytes. The California-based firm was made aware of the scammers by its own researchers.

The syndicate, Tech Kangaroos, seems to be profiting from impersonating cyber security companies, attracting unsuspecting customers and charging extreme fees for little or nothing in return.

The group had stolen images from the companies it has been impersonating when creating its own websites that, large phone number and boilerplate text aside, had a similar look and feel.

Malwarebytes senior researcher Jérôme Segura was speaking to SCMagazineUK.com when he said that the scam was discovered through a search engine. He explained:

“These scams are particularly effective because they have a ‘phishing’ element to them. People looking for the legitimate brands will inadvertently come across those fake sites and be lured into talking with tech support agents, who are essentially trained con artists.”

He added that this is not the first time that this type of scam has occurred, but that they are not active in pursuing perpetrators who are using their reputation and branding to trick innocent people.

This example of yet more trickery in the cybersphere only highlights the need for internal help when it comes to protecting company data. Businesses need to address the risk that cyber threats possess and ensure that sufficient IT security recruitment plans are in place.