According to a Scam Help Desk report, the number of reports of phishing (online scams) has increased fivefold in one year. The reason for this may lie in some of the data breaches that large companies have had to deal with. For example, victims often receive fake messages from Booking.com, which suffered a data breach earlier this year.
In the first half of this year, the Fraud Desk received more than 15,000 phishing reports. During the same period last year, there were still 2,800 notifications. The number of victims has also increased. There were 443 cases this year and 124 last year.
There is a lot of money stolen through phishing, but what exactly is it?
With phishing, criminals try to “fish” for your personal information, such as usernames and passwords for banking applications. The goal is to deduct funds from your account. Victims typically receive links in emails, text messages or WhatsApp messages. For example, a common excuse is that the debit card is blocked.
In the Netherlands, nearly half a million euros have been withdrawn from victim accounts in this way in the first half of this year.
The news is getting more real and detailed
The Fraud Desk says phishing no longer always happens in emails that are obviously suspicious. Affected people reported that criminals managed to obtain large amounts of personal information, allowing them to send fairly detailed and authentic messages. According to the Fraud Desk, this has nothing to do with the number of data breaches that companies in our country have to deal with.
Companies such as Odido, Polarsteps and Booking.com have all suffered breaches. This means, for example, that a user’s phone number, email address and booking information can be used by someone who has no right to use it. Criminals can easily take advantage of this.
There are many reports about “hotels”
Especially in the case of Booking.com, victims have been receiving an alarming amount of fake news recently. This includes messages people receive via WhatsApp from someone pretending to be the hotel they booked. Affected individuals will receive a request to confirm their reservation or pay additional fees through the link provided.
In the first six months of this year, the Fraud Desk received 1,072 such cases. That’s almost ten times what it was a year ago. 90% of reports are related to Booking.com.
Booking.com told Kassa it is investing in improving online security. The company also said the increase in reports could be positive, as more people are brave enough to sound the alarm in situations of distrust.
Home batteries and solar panels are also vulnerable to fraud
Changes to home batteries, solar panels, energy savings and netting schemes appear to be popular with criminals. The number of phishing reports increased from 252 to 1,091.
The Fraud Helpdesk has a clear appeal to organizations, companies and governments. “Clients and citizens are clearly informed about their working methods so that it is easier for people to check whether requests are legitimate.”