Incident Response, Malware, TDR

Phishing scam tricks users by acting as fake child sex offender alert

A recently identified phishing email scam preys on parents' fears of their child's safety.

The scam, identified in a KnowBe4 blog post, says it's a “Neighborhood Safety Warning” about a new child predator moving into the recipient's neighborhood.

The subject line grabs a victim's attention by saying, “Alert: There is a child predator living near you!” The email then goes on to say this information is based on the victim's zip code.

A provided link for more information is included. The link does bring victims to a legitimate website that sells reports on sex offenders, but it also simultaneously infects victims' devices with malware.

Earlier this month, a more sophisticated phishing attack targeted LinkedIn users to try and steal their credentials. Symantec said the scam masqueraded as a “security update,” but instead led victims to a phony LinkedIn login page.

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