Threat Management

Hackers steal $50k from Australian real estate agency

Cyber criminals have stolen $50,000 from an Australian real estate agency after one of its employees was duped by social engineering.

Fraud investigators informed Hutchinson Real Estate in Broome, Australia that the attackers likely made their way into the company's network after an employee clicked on a malicious link on Facebook or one located in a phishing message in their web-based email, according to a report by Real Estate Business.

Once there, hackers managed to change the bank account details of one of the company's clients which were located on a “pre-entered list” of recipients that normally receive scheduled payments.

After doing so the attackers were able to direct three of the payments to a different bank account, but, to hide their tracks, would change the bank details back to the original address.

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