Data for Nothing: Fraudsters Use Fake Gift Cards to Lure Consumers into Handing Over Personal Data
Kaspersky Lab experts have
discovered the distribution of an unusual fraudulent scheme that tricks users
into parting with their time and their data, for no return. By creating fake
websites for the free generation of gift cards, cybercriminals are able to
“sell” users’ data to third party partner sites, to which they redirect
victims.
While industry and law enforcement agencies from around the world
are busy fighting against cybercrime, criminals themselves are constantly
looking for new ways of earning money – other than just malware. Offering
something valuable free of charge is always an enticing piece of marketing, and
criminals can take advantage of this.
Websites that offer customers the option of freely generating gift
cards for well-known companies --- like iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, or Steam
--- are nothing new. For example, legitimate apps like Tokenfire and Swagbucks
buy card codes from vendors, to then give them to clients as a reward for
certain activities. Criminals have apparently recognized the popularity of such
websites and have decided to deceive users using a simple algorithm.
When on the fake site, the user is asked to select the gift card
he/she wants in order to receive the code. After that, the fraudulent mechanism
is set in motion. To get the generated code, however, the user needs to prove
that he/she is not a robot. To do this, the user has to follow the suggested
link and complete various tasks, the number and type of which are determined by
the partner network to which the user is redirected. For example, he/she may be
asked to fill in a form, leave a phone number or email address, subscribe to a
paid SMS-message, install adware, and so on.
The result is predictable: either victims get tired of doing
endless tasks, or they finally get the useless code. The earnings for criminals
range from a few cents per every click on a desired link, to several dozen
dollars for filling in a form or subscribing to paid services. Thus, the
criminals make a profit virtually for nothing, getting paid from the user’s
actions on the websites of third-party partners, who, for their part, also
benefit by getting access to personal data which can be used for private
purposes.
“The success of these new fraud schemes is based on criminals
exploiting the drive of users to get something for free. However, at best they
will spend hours of personal time doing worthless tasks, and at worst - lose
money without receiving anything in return. So, if you want to get your hands
on a free gift card, try to earn it on legal and trustworthy sites,” said
Lyubov Nikolenko, web content analyst at Kaspersky Lab.
“We have to always
be alert when we are shopping on the internet. If everybody knows and follows
cybersecurity rules, cybercrime would become unprofitable and
Internet-criminals might change their specialty and become lawful programmers,
system administrators, and designers. Yes, it sounds like a utopia, but at
least we have to try,” said Siang Tiong
Yeo, general manager at Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asia.
To avoid falling for cybercriminals’ fraudulent schemes and losing
personal data, Kaspersky Lab researchers suggest that users follow a few simple
rules.
- Remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch and always treat offers that seem too tempting to be true with skepticism.
- Check the HTTPS connection and domain name when you open a webpage. This is especially important when you are using websites which contain sensitive data – such as sites for online banking, online shops, email, social media sites etc.
- Never share your sensitive data, such as logins and passwords, bank card data etc., with a third party. Official companies will never ask for data like this via email.
- Do not spread questionable links among your friends.
- Check with the company if it really is giving out gift codes, and whether the site is its official partner. To do this, contact the official support service by reaching out on the official website of the company.
- Use a reliable security solution with behavior-based anti-phishing technologies to detect and block spam and phishing attacks, such as Kaspersky Total Security, which blocks fake gift card sites.
To learn more about the mechanism of gift cards generator fraud
schemes, read our blogpost on Securelist.com.
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