Latest news with #fraudsters
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Public urged to watch out for ticket scams ahead of Oasis and Electric Picnic
Social media posts advertising tickets for Oasis or Electric Picnic should be treated with a healthy amount of suspicion. Oasis will play two sold-out gigs in Dublin in the middle of August, while Electric Picnic will return at the end of next month. Advertisement Bank of Ireland is warning that it is expecting scammers to be highly active ahead of those major events. The bank said some red flags include pressure to buy quickly, unusually low prices, and no opportunity to meet in person. Bank of Ireland said fraudsters are increasingly targeting music fans with social media posts, and said its purchase fraud is up by almost a fifth in the first six months of this year, compared to 2024. Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, Nicola Sadlier, said: "With these gigs coming up, including the likes of Electric Picnic, we believe fradusters will be highly active. "We want customers to enjoy the music and not fall victim to fraud. Scammers know how much people want to see popular bands or attend festivals and they're using that to trick people inot handing over their money." Sadlier said people should not be embarrassed to get in touch with the bank if they have been scammed. "Get in touch and we will do our best to recover those funds for you as soon as we become aware, no judgment at all."
Fast Company
21 hours ago
- Fast Company
The evolution of digital identity: Beyond device fingerprinting
Imagine a world where your identity isn't defined by a password or a fingerprint scan, but by the invisible trail you leave as you move through life: the coffee shops you frequent, the rhythm of your typing, even the way you hold your phone. This isn't science fiction. It's the next chapter in digital identity, where verification evolves from static snapshots to living, breathing narratives. As fraudsters weaponize AI and deepfakes, the race is on to build systems that don't just authenticate what you are, but how you exist in the world. The stakes have never been higher. Traditional defenses like passwords, device fingerprints, and even biometrics are being outpaced by fraud farms that rotate devices weekly and spoof locations with military-like precision. The solution to the identification conundrum lies in rethinking identity itself: not as a fixed marker, but as a dynamic story written across time, space, and behavior. THE FALL OF STATIC IDENTIFIERS Early digital identity systems treated verification like a Polaroid, a momentary snapshot of device specs or IP addresses. But just as DNA eclipsed fingerprinting in forensics, modern fraud demands deeper insights. Traditional methods like device fingerprints and biometric checks are increasingly inadequate. Device fingerprints falter as fraudsters reset hardware or utilize virtual machines, with data indicating a staggering 70% evasion rate through weekly device rotations. Biometric spoofing, now easily executed with AI-generated deepfakes, bypasses liveness checks in 92% of instances. Moreover, behavioral anomalies, such as simultaneous logins from New York and Lagos with valid credentials, often slip through detection systems unnoticed. As fraud techniques grow more sophisticated, the need for robust, adaptive, and real-time fraud alerts becomes ever more critical. And analysts are beginning to realize that continuity matters more than any single data point: Do login locations align with historical movement? Does typing cadence match past behavior? Is the device's 'digital DNA' consistent across sessions? These questions redefine security as a longitudinal puzzle, not a one-time checkbox. THE RISE OF AMBIENT AUTHENTICATION Today's most advanced fraud prevention systems don't rely on any single signal. Instead, they weave together multiple data points into a persistent thread of identity. Location intelligence, for instance, now operates with apartment-level precision, allowing platforms to tie devices to specific real-world addresses. This helps detect anomalies, like delivery drivers who 'teleport' between distant cities, or accounts that cluster in known fraud farms. Behavioral biometrics add another layer by analyzing subtle user-specific patterns—such as the pressure used to grip a phone during a selfie or the angle it's held while scrolling. These dynamic traits evolve naturally and are nearly impossible to spoof at scale. Cross-device binding further strengthens identity validation by linking smartphones, laptops, and even Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices through shared network fingerprints. When a user's phone, TV, and car all connect through the same home router, it forms a web of corroborating signals that's hard to fake. The result is a dramatic improvement in both security and user experience. THE FUTURE IS INVISIBLE Looking ahead, digital identity will increasingly dissolve into the background as a silent, adaptive guardian that works in sync with our daily lives. As it does so, it will be shaped by three trends. First, AI-powered threat detection is becoming remarkably sophisticated, analyzing everything from typing cadence to geographic movement to detect anomalies. By cross-referencing biometrics, device metadata, and behavioral history, advanced systems can flag synthetic identities and stop account takeovers before they cause damage. Second, decentralized identity solutions are giving users more control over their data. Enabled by blockchain, these systems allow individuals to verify traits, such as age or citizenship, without exposing sensitive personal details. Governments are taking note: The EU's eIDAS 2.0 framework mandates interoperable digital wallets for cross-border use by 2026, and in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security is backing mobile driver's licenses (mDLs) as a secure, decentralized form of verification. Third, privacy-enhancing technologies are gaining traction in response to tighter regulations and growing user concerns. GDPR-compliant tools like zero-knowledge proofs make it possible to verify information without revealing it, balancing compliance with user trust. These innovations close security gaps and improve the user experience. Traditional ID checks introduce friction and lead to high abandonment rates. In contrast, AI-driven workflows reduce verification time, while ambient authentication slashes false positives and account takeovers (ATOs) dramatically. As digital identity becomes more adaptive and transparent, the trade-off between security and convenience starts to disappear. As identity shifts from a checkpoint to a story told in motion, the winners won't be those who build higher walls, but those who design systems smart enough to recognize us without asking. This shift demands a new mindset: one that prioritizes continuity over credentials, and patterns over passcodes. In a world of deepfakes and disposable devices, it's not who you say you are that matters—it's how you move through the world that proves it.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Commonwealth Bank's fresh alert for millions over mass text message
A scam warning has been issued by the Commonwealth Bank following a mass text message 'campaign' by fraudsters. Aussies have already lost $119 million to scams this year, with phishing scams responsible for the biggest increase in losses. The latest text scam, which purports to be sent by the bank, claims your Award points are about to expire. It then urges you not to 'miss out' and requests you to click on a suspicious link to redeem your points. Commonwealth Bank said the fraudulent SMS message campaign may also try and trick you by asking you to call a phone number, reply to the message to activate a link, or share sensitive details, including your banking credentials. RELATED Aussie small business owner faces 'devastating' $80,000 hit after Meta suspends accounts Centrelink's 'balancing' move could provide cash boost or expose debt Common neighbour problem plaguing Aussie houses 'These messages might seem legitimate, and may even show up in the same thread as real messages from us, however, they are not from CommBank,' the major bank said. 'We will not ask you to redeem points via a link in an email or SMS message.' Commonwealth Bank said customers should only access their digital banking from the CommBank app or by navigating directly to the CBA website, never via a link in a text message. 'Be suspicious of any message that asks you for sensitive information, or to complete tasks like updating software, or giving remote access via email or text,' it said. Customers can contact the bank by visiting it's official losses increase to $119 million Australians lost about $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, according to Scamwatch data released by the National Anti-Scam Centre. Despite a 24 per cent drop in overall scam reports to 72,230, reported losses increased 28 per cent compared to the same time last year. The biggest increase came from phishing scams, which are where scammers impersonate entities such as government agencies or financial institutions like the major banks. This made up $13.7 million in financial losses, compared to $4.6 million in early 2024. 'Scams are affecting Australians of all ages, often beginning with an unprompted or unexpected contact via social media and other digital platforms,' ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said. The banking sector recently rolled out 'confirmation of payee', which is designed to combat scam losses by telling customers when a payment recipient's name does not match other account in to access your portfolio
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Courier fraud 'takes legs out of victim confidence'
Dozens of victims of courier fraud have been conned out of an average of £16,000 in the past year across Bristol and Somerset, according to fraud sees criminals pretend to be trusted officials, including fraud investigators, police officers and bank workers. They claim to be investigating businesses such as jewellers or currency exchanges for fraud, and ask for help securing are then tricked into buying high-value goods and handing them over to criminal couriers posing as Bounds, a fraud protect officer at Avon and Somerset Police, said the crime "almost takes the legs out of victims in order to feel confident in themselves". Avon and Somerset Police said the crime has affected 37 people in the force area in the past year. Nationally, fraudsters have taken more than £21m in the same period. Police said they worked to raise awareness of the issue last week, speaking to almost 1,000 taxi drivers, as well as jewellers and couriers, to help them spot the signs and report of the victims are elderly, police said, but they added people from 30 to 40 years old were victims between January and said the fraudsters may also encourage victims to withdraw large amounts of cash at their Bounds said: "The criminals are really sophisticated and with changes in technology we know they are becoming more and more convincing. "It's not about someone being fooling or falling for a fraud, it's that they are so convincing and they use psychological tactics."She explained fraudsters are using phone numbers which appear as the same as a victim's bank, and urged people to not use caller ID to verify who is said fraud has a "massive impact" on victims. "A lot of people previously thought it was a financial impact but the victims I see every single day, the impact is so much wider than that."It takes confidence away from people and makes them far more untrusting and nervous in all kinds of interactions in their life."
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Police arrest gang behind trading scam on social media
Dubai Police said on Sunday that it had arrested a gang behind a trading scam on social media. The suspects falsely claimed to represent reputable trading and investment platforms, targeting victims through phone calls and social media advertisements.
