Cyber criminals are known for constantly coming up with new ways to scam us.
And while you might think everyone will spot an attempted attack, you might be surprised. We’ve seen a lot of intelligent people – including many business leaders – getting caught in their net over the years.
One of their latest scams is absolutely retro… and it seems to be why people are falling for it.
Cybercriminals are returning to basics: they’re sending out USB drives in the mail. 😯
The packaging and branding on the flash drives suggest that they are from Microsoft (they are not).
The story is that an updated version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus is on the drive, and it needs to be installed asap.
As Microsoft has confirmed, this is a complete lie, of course, and it’s warning people that it would never send out unsolicited packages.
The problem is that if you plug the drive into your computer, it will pretend to detect a “virus”, and a pop-up will ask you to call a support line.
While on the call, the scammers at the other end will tell you that they will remove the virus but need your payment details to help complete your subscription setup.
The scam is as old as the hills, but we can see how the mixture of the physical USB, the belief it’s from Microsoft, and the fake support line can be compelling for someone who’s busy and just wants to get back to work.
At this point in time, people expect elaborate, clever attacks to happen through our email, and they let down their guard with this mix of events.
Play it safe and warn everyone on your team about this scam.
Now is also an excellent time to review the staff training and security software you use to protect your business. The one is just not the same without the other.
Meeting Tree Computer can help with that. Get in touch here to schedule a quick, no strings attached call. You can reach us at (845) 237-2117. In just 15 minutes, you’ll know how we can help.
