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Toys that can spy on kids are called a growing concern - Click Here

Learn tactics NJ utility scammers use and how you can avoid them - Click Here

New tools to help NJ home-buyers assess flood risk - Click Here - flooddisclosure.nj.gov

Deer face hazards not just on roads, but in backyards - Click Here

FAFSA delay complicates college entry - Click Here

Baby lounger sold on Amazon deemed unsafe - Click Here

Mysterious dog illness hits East Coast, but not NJ - yet - Click Here

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A Bee note: For the latest information, that has to do with New Jersey, on the left side of the Home page, click on "Passaic County" or Wayne Township NJ" to see the latest information.

A Bee Reminder:
..... It is very important that you take your Key Bobs inside your house. It is also important that you lock your cars even in your own driveways. Also it is important that you turn off your cars when getting gas or running into the store. This will cut down on your vehicles from getting stolen!!

Bumbly bee note: This items listed below that do not have who it was printed by, comes from either New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell Weekly Bulletin or from Life Lock.

CDC says eye drops linked to infections:

By: Mike Stobbe
Associated Press

NEW YORK - U. S. health officials are advising people to stop using over-the-counter eye drops that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections.
..... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday [02/01/2023] night sent a health alert to physicians, saying the outbreak includes at least 55 people in 12 states, one died.
..... Disease investigators have linked the infection, including some found in blood, urine and lungs, to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Many of the patients said they had used the product, which is a lubricant used to treat irritation and dryness.
..... The infections were all caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Investigators detected that kind of bacteria in open EzriCare bottles, but further testing was underway to see if the strains matched.
..... EzriCare said it is not aware of any evidence definitively linking the outbreak to the product, but that it has stopped distributing the eye drops. It also has a notice on its website urging consumers to stop using the drops.

LG to invest $4.5 billion in US battery operation:
..... LG Energy Solution will invest more than $4.5 billion in U.S. battery production by 2025 as more automakers commit to churning out electric vehicles sooner than anyone had expected.
..... The Korean company, which has a joint venture with U.S. automaker General Motors, said the investment will help crate 10,000 jobs, including subcontractors.
..... GM and LG are currently building a $2.3 billion battery factory in Lordstown Ohio, near Cleveland, that will employ about 1,000 people when it is completed in 2022.
..... General Motors has vowed to make its entire global fleet largely electric by 2035, even changing its corporate logo to include the likeness of an electric plug.

FTC Warns of Unemployment Benefit Scams

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned of threat actors sending phishing emails and text messages purporting to be from state workforce agency (SWA) websites. These emails contain links that, if clicked, direct users to spoofed unemployment benefit websites requesting users to enter personally identifiable information (PII) or other sensitive information. This data can be used to apply for unemployment benefits and/or commit identity theft.

The NJCCIC encourages users to educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics employed by threat actors in order to reduce victimization. Users are advised to look for signs of spoofing , refrain from clicking on links and attachments from unknown or unverified senders, confirm the legitimacy of a request via an alternate means of communication before taking action, navigate directly to official websites, and exercise caution when divulging information. We also advise victims of PII compromise and identity theft to review the NJCCIC Informational Report Compromised PII: Facilitating Malicious Targeting and Fraudulent Activity.

COVID-19-Themed Phishing Campaigns Continue

Threat actors continue to use COVID-19 themes in phishing emails in order to deliver malware or steal credentials. The NJCCIC has received an increased number of incident reports regarding these and similar-themed phishing attempts, consistent with open-source reporting. At this time, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized five internet domains impersonating biotechnology companies that have been involved in COVID-19 vaccine development. The fake sites were used to collect visitor’s personal information to facilitate further cyberattacks. According the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), roughly 372,000 Americans have reported financial losses of over $365 million due to COVID-19-related scams since the onset of the pandemic.

One reported campaign includes a link to a fictitious survey associated with receiving the vaccine. Some variations of this campaign may also offer a prize upon completion, such as a gift card or a free iPad. If clicked, the user is redirected to a domain controlled by threat actors in an attempt to harvest credentials. Some red flags associated with this campaign includes misspelled URLs, grammatical errors, and a sense of urgency to comply with the request.

Image Source: Inky

A similar campaign distributes fake notification emails that claim a coworker(s) has been diagnosed with COVID-19. These emails state that the recipient is required to review and complete sections of the associated policies and guidelines, or that changes have been made to these documents. The email portrays a sense of urgency and threatens that those who fail to complete the required sections will be regarded as non-compliant. The link directs the user to a compromised collaboration platform or document management tool such as SharePoint in an attempt to steal credentials. Unlike the previously-mentioned campaign, these emails are well-crafted and have very few, if any, grammatical errors. Upwards of 50 percent of attacks target user credentials, as detailed in Cofense’s Annual State of Phishing report. Oftentimes, one set of credentials is used as a single sign-on (SSO) option and could provide threat actors with access to several platforms. Additionally, users may reuse credentials across multiple accounts, providing threat actors the opportunity to compromise multiple accounts using one password, often exposed in data breaches.

US opens probe of steering problems in Honda sedans:
..... The U.S. government's auto safety agency is investigating multiple complaints about steering failures that could affect more than 1.1 million Honda Accord sedans.
..... In documents posted Monday, [05/10/2021] the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it received 31 complaints about the problem, and Honda has 77 more. Owners complained about a loss of steering control and the cares veering from their intended travel path. Two crashes and two injuries were reported.
..... The probe covers Accords from the 2013 through 2015 model years. The agency opened the probe after getting a petition from an owner in October of last year. [2020] It will investigate how often the problem happens., how many vehicles are affected, and the safety consequences of the problem. The probem could lead to a recall.

Trust in Government Online

Over the past month, the NJCCIC responded to a number of incidents involving fraudulent websites impersonating legitimate government websites in NJ and other states. A number of these sites were hosted overseas using newly created domains, while others were hosted on hacked websites of victim organizations in the US. Unsuspecting individuals were lured to these sites as a result of various phishing and SMiShing messages they received. Each of the fraudulent sites convinced unsuspecting victims that they were visiting an official government website and prompted them to enter their login credentials and/or sensitive information. Undoubtedly, that information will be used by the threat actors to perpetrate additional crimes.

The NJCCIC has reported on numerous phishing, vishing, and SMiShing schemes and provided good practices for protecting yourself from becoming a victim; however, cybercriminals continue to evolve and adjust their tactics, and some of these schemes have become more sophisticated and difficult to detect by the general public. Not everyone can be a Sam Spade or be expected to fully analyze every message they receive. To ensure websites are from an official government organization, they should provide the public with some assurance by using a .GOV top-level domain (TLD), as in NJ.GOV, FBI.GOV, CDC.GOV, etc. It is still very common for government organizations to use alternative TLDs, such as .US or .ORG, for their official websites; therefore, the lack of a .GOV TLD does not – by itself – indicate a malicious or spoofed site.

Beyond schemes to defraud, many authoritative-looking domains and websites are created to spread misinformation and disinformation, as we have seen over the past several years regarding elections, vaccines, and many other topics. Some authoritative-looking domains are registered solely for malicious purposes.

All levels of government have a responsibility to provide accurate information and provide trusted services to the public. An effective step in that direction is migrating vanity and other government domains using .COM, .NET, .ORG, etc. TLDs to .GOV, particularly now that .GOV TLDs are managed by the US Department of Homeland Security and are free to verified government organizations. For more information on migrating your public sector domain to .GOV, see https://home.dotgov.gov . Unfortunately, even if all government organizations migrate to a .GOV TLD, nefarious individuals and groups will continue to target the public with ever evolving cyber threat schemes.

The NJCCIC recommends users exercise caution when providing sensitive information either into a website or in response to a received communication. Always verify the source of a request, ensuring websites visited are official and navigating to them directly (not via links received via email or SMS text message). If you fall victim and your personally identifiable information (PII) or account credentials are compromised, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of the information and data exposure. If personal information is revealed that could facilitate identity theft, the NJCCIC recommends placing a freeze on your credit profile. Credit freezes prevent anyone from opening a new credit account or line of credit using your information, and are free and do not impact your credit score. If financial information is revealed in a cyber threat scheme, inform your banking institutions immediately and notify them if you discover unauthorized purchases or changes to your account. Additionally, request new cards and/or account number where appropriate. If credentials – the combination of username/email address and password – are revealed, immediately change your password for the associated account(s) currently using the same password and enable multi-factor authentication, if it is not already in use. If you are unable to access your account with a password reset, contact the online service to alert them of the compromised account. Additional information and recommendations can be found in the NJCCIC product Identity Theft and Compromised PII and the NJCCIC Account Security Webpage.

New Ford models can get software updates via Internet:

..... Ford says it is starting to send out over-the-Internet software updates to some of its newer models as it match electric car maker Tesla.
.....At present the updates are only available to about 100,000 owners of 2021 model year F-150s, Mustang Mach-Es and the upcoming Bronco, but Ford plans to spread the tech across its entire lineup as models are updated. It plans to make 33 million vehicles with the capability by 2028.
..... The updates can fix software glitches in nearly all of the vehicles' computers, and will be able to make recall repairs, offer new features and cut warranty claims, said Alex Purdy, the company's connectivity business director.
..... Ford says there are about 80 different computers in its most sophisticated vehicles that control everything from the infotainment center to breaks and transmission shifts.

Supreme Court: Mortgage overseer structure unconstitutional:

..... The Supreme Court on Wednesday [06/23/2021] gave the president greater power to fire the head of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ruling that the agency's structure violates the separation of powers principles in the Constitution.
..... Writing for a majority of the court, Justice Samuel Alito said that as the justices explained in a case last year, [2020] "the Constitution prohibits even 'modest restrictions; on the President's power to remove the head of an agency with a single top officer."
.... The ruling paves the way for President Joe Biden to remove Mark Calabria, who was nominated to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump.

Judge dismisses antitrust lawsuits against Facebook:

..... A federal judge on Monday [06/28/2021] dismissed antitrust lawsuits brought against Facebook by the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of state attorneys general, dealing a significant blow to attempts by regulators to rein in tech giants.
.... U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled Monday [06/28/2021] that the lawsuits were "legally insufficient" and didn't provide enough evidence to prove that Facebook was a monopoly. The ruling dismisses the complaint but not the case meaning the FTC could refile another complaint.
.... "These allegations - which do not even provide an estimated actual figure or range for Facebook's market share at any point over the past ten years - ultimately fall short of plausibly establishing that Facebook holds market power,: he said.
..... The U.S. government and 48 states and districts sued Facebook in December 2020, accusing the tech giant of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors and seeking remedies that could include a forced spin-off of the social network's Instagram and WahtsApp messaging services.

High court won't hear florist's case:

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - the Supreme Court on Friday [07/02/2021] declined to take up the case of a florist who refused to provide services for a same-sex wedding, leaving in place a decision that she broke sate anti-discriminations laws.

..... Justice Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have agreed to hear the case and review the decision. Four Justices are needed for the court to take a case..
..... In 2018 the high court ordered Washington sate court to take a new look at the case involving florist Barronelle Stutzman and her Arlene;s Flowers business. That followed the justices; decision in a different case involving a Colorado baker who declined to make a cake for a same-sex wedding.
.... After that review, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that state courts did not act with animosity toward religion when they ruled Stutzman broke the state's anti-discrimination laws by refusing to provide flowers for the wedding of Rob Ingersoli and Curt Freed.

China's Xi attacks calls for technology blockages:

..... Chinese leader Xi Jimping on Tuesday [07/06/2021] attacked calls from some in the U.S. and its allies to limit their dependency on Chinese suppliers and block the sharing of technologies.
..... In a speech to representatives of leftist political parties in more than 100 countries, Xi said China's ruling Communist Party has succeeded in raising the country from poverty and created a new model of development.
..... Such experiences should be shared and no country should :obstruct the development of other countries and harm their people's lives through political manipulation," Xi said.
..... Decoupling has become a byword from some in the U.S. and elsewhere for ending dependency on Chinese supply lines, especially for high-tech products such as smartphones and computers.

China criticizes us moves to expand financial sanctions:

BEIJING - China's government on Friday [07/09/2021] criticized new U.S. moves to reduce access to American financial markets and said it will protect Chinese companies but gave no indication of possible retaliation.
..... The S&P Dow Jones Indices and FTSE Russell removed more Chinese companies from their indexes after President Joe Biden expanded a blacklist of companies that are off limits to American investors. Such indexes are the basis for billions of dollars of investment in stocks and bonds.
..... A foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, accused Washington of "abusing national power and generalizing the concept of national security to support Chinese enterprises for no reason."

Ford, Argo Al to deploy autonomous vehicle on Lyft network:

..... For motor Company and a self-driving vehicle company it partly owns will join with the Lyft rid-hailing service to offer autonomous rides on the Lyft network.
..... The service suing Ford vehicles and a driving system developed by Pittsburgh-based Argo Al will begin in Miami later this year [2021] and start in Austin, Texas, in 2022. It will stat with human backup drivers and go fully autonomous at an unspecified date.
..... The cars will gather data to lay the groundwork to deploy 1,000 robotaxis on the Lyft network in multiple markets during the next five years, the companies said Wednesday [07/21/2021] in a statement.

US looking into whether Ford was slow to recall cameras:

..... U.S. highway safety regulators are investigating whether Ford acted quickly enough when it recalled more than 620,000 vehicles last year [2020] to fix faulty rear-view cameras.
..... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says it will look into whether the automaker should have recalled more vehicles.
..... documents posted Friday [08/06/2021] on the agency's website say Ford began the recall on September 23 [2020] because the backup camera displays can show a blank or distorted image.
..... The recall covered multiple Ford and Lincoln models form 2020 including the F-Series pickup, the nation's top-selling vehicle.

US probing whether Mercedes vans can roll away unexpectedly:

..... The U.S. government's highway safety agency is investigating whether some Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans can shift out of park and unexpectedly roll away.
..... The problem by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers an unknown number of vans from the 2019 model year. The agency says it has 11 complaints about the problem including eight crashes and one injury.
..... Some of the complaints say the gearshift indicator shows that the vans are in park, but they were able to roll away. One hit a house in Salt Lake City in September of 2020.

Peloton acknowledges subpoenas, SEC investigation:

..... Peloton has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland security for documents and other information related to its reporting of injuries associated with its exercise equipment.
..... The company also said Friday [08/27/2021] that the Securities and exchange Commission is "investigating our public disclosures concerning these matters."
..... In May, [2021] Peloton recalled about 125,000 of its treadmills less than a month after denying they were dangerous despite the death of at least one child and injuries to 29 users.
..... The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned on April 17 [2021] that people with children and pets should immediately stop using the Tread+.

Unvaccinated face far more risk

By: Lauran Neergaard
Associated Press

..... New U.S. studies released Friday [09/10/2021] show the COVID-19 vaccines remained highly effective against hospitalizations and death even as the delta variant swept the country.
..... One study tracked over 600,000 COVID-19 cases in 13 states from April through mid-July. [2021]
..... As delta surged in early summer, [2021] those who were unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
..... "Vaccination works," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC's director, told a White House briefing Friday. [09/10/2021] "The bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn.
..... So-called "breakthrough" cases in the fully vaccinated accounted for 14% of hospitalizations and 16% of deaths in June and July, [2021] about twice the percentage as earlier in the year.[2021]
..... Walensky said Friday [09/10/2021] that well over 90% of people in U.S. hospitals with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

US opens probe into ram diesel trucks; engines could stall

..... U.S. Safety regulators are investigating fuel pump failure in more than 600,000 diesel Ram trucks that could cause the engine to stall or lose power. the probe covers Ram 2500, 3500, 4500 and 5500 heavy-duty trucks with 6.7-liter cummins turbodiesel engines.
..... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Monday [10/18/2021] that it received 22 complaints and two filed reports of engines stalling due to high-pressure fuel pumps failing. Agency documents say it has no reports of crashes or injuries.

Toyota unveils first EV since 2014

..... Toyota, the top-selling automaker in the U.S., is rolling out its first fully electric vehicle in eight years.
..... The company on Tuesday [04/12/2022] unveiled the battery-powered BZ4X small SUV, which starts at $42,000 and can go up to 252 miles per charge.
..... The bZ4X which will be sold globally, adds to the 38 electric vehicle models now on sale in the U.S., with more than 120 expected by 2025.
..... It is Toyota's first EV since 2014, when it last sold an electric version of the RAV4.

Employment Scams Continue

The NJCCIC received reports indicating an increase in employment scams. Scammers advertise fake employment opportunities through the same avenues legitimate employers use to seek talent, such as legitimate job boards. Within the last week, at least two identified employment scams were associated with a NJ medical facility that fell victim to a cyberattack and subsequent breach last year. Victims reported that these scams impersonated various departments and legitimate individuals, including recruiters, talent acquisition, human resources, and department managers. The scammers contacted the victims via LinkedIn regarding a work-from-home position, conducted interviews, and began communicating in non-traditional channels. In one instance, a fraudulent check payment was sent to the victim to establish a home office in order to establish credibility so the victim would complete hiring documentation and provide sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). In another incident, the scammer sent funds to set up a home office using a peer-to-peer mobile payment app, then asked the victim to purchase gift cards and provide the codes to the "equipment supplier." The gift card codes were sent to the scammer instead.

The NJCCIC recommends job seekers examine potential offers by contacting the human resources department directly via official contact information and conduct research online to determine if others have reported a scam before responding or providing sensitive information. Additionally, the NJCCIC recommends reporting the scam directly to the posting job board and the Federal Trade Commission and, in the event of theft or PII compromise, contact your local law enforcement department. Further recommendations and reporting resources can be found on the Fight Cybercrime webpage and the Employment Scams NJCCIC product.

Ransomware Attacks Continue to Target Education Sector

Ransomware attacks continue to plague the education sector in New Jersey and across the United States. These disruptive attacks have caused schools to cancel classes and exams, often spreading throughout districts, and in some cases, impacting municipalities or police departments. Roughly 1,000 schools in 62 districts were impacted by ransomware attacks in 2021. Though the number of reported ransomware attacks targeting the education sector are lower than this time last year, the FBI indicated that over half of all reported ransomware incidents targeted K-12 organizations. Analysts have also indicated that the cost of a ransomware attack, from ransom demands to recovery, has significantly increased.

The education sector has risen to a number of challenges over the last few years in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and conforming to the ever-changing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, evolving physical threats, and increasing dependency on online services. The switch to online learning during the pandemic caused many districts to lower their cybersecurity barriers so that students and educators could access networks from various devices. This, coupled with a vast trove of data, high-tempo operations, and limited cybersecurity funding, has caused the education sector to be perceived as low-hanging fruit and an attractive target to cybercriminals. Cyberattacks on K-12 organizations not only disrupt students’ education, but they also have major implications on sensitive personal information and communications, such as email and virtual classroom platforms, and school budgets, ultimately impacting local taxes throughout the districts. Continue reading…

BlackCat Ransomware Updates

BlackCat, active since at least November, is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) that uses a cybercriminal business model that includes access brokers, operators, and affiliates. The attack vectors used in BlackCat operations include exploiting remote access connections, using compromised accounts for network access, and exploiting Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities. BlackCat is also known for engaging in “double extortion,” a tactic in which threat actors steal victim network data and threaten to publicly expose the data if a ransom payment is not received. In efforts to further shame victims and convince them to pay ransoms, the BlackCat group is now publishing victim data on individual sites and making the data searchable.

The NJCCIC recommends businesses and organizations implement cybersecurity best practices to combat ransomware, including a comprehensive data backup plan, cybersecurity user awareness training, endpoint detection and response, and multi-factor authentication for network access. Other ransomware risk mitigation strategies can be found in the NJCCIC technical guide. For more information on the BlackCat ransomware threat group, review the Microsoft Security blog post. BlackCat indicators of compromise (IOCs) are provided in the FBI FLASH.

Beware of Job Scams

Job vacancies are advertised on popular online employment boards and websites, in newspapers and other publications, or directly via communications such as email, social media, or SMS text messaging. Threat actors may spoof company websites and post fraudulent job vacancies to pose as legitimate employers. They may also target job seekers with scams to click links to fraudulent employment websites, open attachments falsely labeled as resumes or other employment information, deliver malware, steal funds, participate in illegal activities such as money laundering, or collect personally identifiable information (PII) that can be used to commit further malicious activity and fraud. Tactics and techniques used in job scams include urgent requests to respond, offers that are “too good to be true," and the impersonation of human resources recruiters, talent acquisition personnel, and department managers. Examples of job scams include work-from-home or remote work, nanny, caregiver, virtual personal assistant, mystery shopper, job placement service, and government and postal positions.

Job scams are increasing, as the Federal Trade Commission reported receiving more than double the number of job scams in 2021 compared to 2020, and more than 16,000 complaints have been filed in the first quarter of 2022. The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of job scams targeting individuals in New Jersey, especially students at colleges and universities who may be more open to flexible, remote work opportunities and the promise of quick cash. Young adults , especially high school and college students and university graduates, typically lack real-world experience in the professional workforce and could be more inclined to fall for job scams. Threat actors are targeting new graduates or current students seeking summer employment or upcoming fall positions. In the example above, the job vacancy and subject line convey a sense of legitimacy from a trusted source by claiming to be for a personal assistant position in the fall for the Federal Work Study Program, despite the “Employment” display name and the Gmail sender email address. Victims who viewed the message on a mobile device saw only the spoofed display name and not the associated Gmail email address; therefore, they may be more inclined to deem the communication legitimate. Additionally, the email includes an attachment that contains more information about the purported position along with instructions to respond back to an AOL account with their full name, address, phone number, age, and email address. One victim stated that once they submitted their information, they received a text message from an unknown number to confirm their identity. Threat actors can use the submitted information to contact victims and commit further malicious activity and fraud. The FBI warned of the use of stolen PII and deepfakes to apply for remote work positions, such as information technology and computer programming, database, and software-related job functions with access to PII, financial data, corporate databases, and proprietary information. During the interviews, the threat actors posing as applicants used voice spoofing or voice deepfakes in which the visual actions, such as lip movement, were not in alignment with auditory actions.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations reduce victimization by educating themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics. Users are advised to avoid clicking links and opening attachments from unknown senders and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If a message’s legitimacy is unknown, contact the sender via a separate means of communication – such as by phone – before taking any action. Navigate to websites directly by manually typing the URL into a browser, instead of clicking on links delivered in communications, to ensure you are visiting the legitimate website and verify the posted job opening. In addition, job seekers are advised to research potential employers and businesses before responding or providing sensitive information. Requests for PII, such as a Social Security number or bank account number for direct deposit, should be considered a red flag when requested at the beginning of the application process. Also, be wary of interviews conducted remotely and over email only. If hired, ask for an employment manual or handbook, as threat actors typically are not able to provide these documents. Please review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC informational report for additional recommendations and resources, including information on credit freezes and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on accounts.

BEC and Gift Card Scams Continue

The NJCCIC continues to receive incident reports of business email compromise (BEC), such as invoice and gift card scams, attempting to steal personally identifiable information (PII), harvest account login credentials, or extort funds. Threat actors impersonate trusted entities, such as a CEO or fellow employee, often by establishing an email address with the employee’s name and utilizing display name spoofing in the messages. Threat actors are also using a new tactic in which the spoofed email domain contains a legitimate subdomain, but it is appended by a second subdomain (eg., Johnsmith@xyz[dot]org@gmail[dot]com, where "xyz[.]org" is not the actual email domain). The sender’s email address is often truncated in the viewing screen, especially on mobile devices, obscuring the full sender domain. The threat actor may send an invoice remittance or request the purchase of gift cards and corresponding codes.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. It is highly advised that users refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links, or opening attachments from unknown senders, and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication, such as by phone, before taking any action. Navigate directly to legitimate websites and verify websites prior to providing sensitive information. Keep systems up to date and implement security controls that help prevent account compromise, including establishing strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available, and choosing authentication apps or hardware tokens over SMS text-based codes. Also, refrain from posting sensitive information online to reduce your digital footprint . Users who suspect their PII has been compromised should review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, including credit freezes and enabling MFA on accounts. These types of scams may be reported to the Federal Trade Commission, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, and the NJCCIC.

Beware of Scams Capitalizing on Public Interest

Cybercriminals often leverage public interest and current events to conduct financial fraud and disseminate malware. These attacks may be initiated by social engineering tactics, such as phishing, SMiShing, or vishing. On August 24, the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan (2022 SDRP) was announced and has already garnered significant attention from the public. The FBI warns that cybercriminals may target individuals seeking to enroll in the federal student aid program with phishing emails, fraudulent websites, texts, or phone scams using student loan relief as a lure. Emails may use display name spoofing to appear as a known or trusted entity and attempt to convince the potential victim to click a link or open an attachment with intentions of stealing sensitive information, user credentials, or installing malware. There is never any cost to apply for the federal student aid program through the Department of Education or its trusted partners.

Additionally, recent reporting indicates that cybercriminals are attempting to steal relief funds by capitalizing on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts. Analysts discovered attempts to file fraudulent claims or exploit generous donors by sending phishing emails and social media posts containing URL links to cloned or fake charity websites used to harvest user credentials and financial data.

The NJCCIC recommends all users educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from clicking links, opening attachments, providing monetary funds, or sharing sensitive information with any unverified channels. Additionally, users are encouraged to navigate directly to URLs and verify the legitimacy of any charity they would like to donate to. Further information regarding debt cancellation, eligibility, and other specifics of the 2022 SDRP program can be found on the Federal Student Aid website. Additional resources to verify charities can be found in the Federal Trade Commission’s Before Giving to a Charity article, CharityWatch.org, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Volunteer and Donate webpage.

Stay Cyber Safe This Holiday Season

During the 2021 holiday season, consumers spent approximately $886.7 billion, an increase of over 14 percent from the previous year. On Cyber Monday 2021 alone, consumers spent approximately $10.7 billion. This year, total sales are expected to moderately increase given the rising costs of goods and services due to inflation and other factors, and consumers may choose to spread out their holiday shopping over a longer period of time. While predictions for total sales are debated, one thing is certain - cybercriminals will continue their efforts to target online shoppers and marketplaces for financial gain. As consumers may be increasingly motivated to find deals, specials, and discounts when purchasing gifts this year in particular, it is vital to maintain awareness of the many cyber threats posed by these individuals and groups. Threat actors may target victims through a variety of methods, including compromised or spoofed websites, phishing campaigns, social media ads and messages, or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Reviewing the common attack vectors detailed in this article, along with tips and best practices, will help to combat the threats posed by cybercriminals this holiday season. Continue reading…

Fraudulent PayPal Order Confirmation Phishing Emails

The NJCCIC observed emails sent to New Jersey State employees impersonating PayPal. These emails claim that an order for a product – often a smartphone – made through PayPal has shipped. The email includes supposed transaction information, often in the hundreds of dollars, and informs the recipient to call the provided number if they did not authorize the purchase in order to report and block the transaction. If called, however, the recipient may be prompted to provide personal or financial information, PayPal account credentials, or access to the user’s device. These can be used by threat actors to compromise accounts, steal funds, access user device information including passwords, and conduct subsequent malicious activity. While this campaign did not employ display name spoofing to appear as though the sending address is from PayPal, other campaigns may include these tactics. These emails may be more likely to bypass email security tools and be delivered to a user's inbox as they do not contain malicious attachments or links.

The NJCCIC advises against calling numbers provided via email and instead, research the company’s official phone number to verify account information; never disclose account passwords; verify transaction information via official websites or apps; and dispute charges using official channels. Users who receive this or similar emails are advised not to respond and to report the communication to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC. Additionally, maintain awareness of these and other common social engineering tactics to lower the risk of victimization.

Google Translate Phishing Campaigns

Consistent with open-source reporting , the NJCCIC observed multiple Google Translate phishing campaigns targeting New Jersey State employees in an attempt to steal users' account login credentials. Threat actors create spoofed emails to make fraudulent emails appear legitimate and from a trusted source. In the example above, the subject line includes the target’s email address followed by “Message Failure Delivery Notice!” to create a sense of urgency that may result in a user taking action. The emails contain links that include a string of random characters followed by “translate.goog.” This creates the impression that the website is not in the English language, will be translated through Google Translate, and the link bypasses security controls because the URL is viewed as a legitimate Google domain. The link, if clicked, ultimately directs targets to spoofed websites translated by Google Translate to ultimately steal user credentials.

In another example, the above campaign is capable of stealing users’ credentials, creating backdoors for remote access, logging keystrokes, and deploying ransomware. The subject line includes “You,” the target’s email address, followed by “received a share document via Onedrive!” It purportedly shares a document via OneDrive, which OneDrive is misspelled, and tries to convince the target to take action to view the document. The emails also contain links with a string of random characters followed by “translate goog.”

Another campaign uses social engineering to steal credentials and other information, log keystrokes, deploy ransomware, and exfiltrate data. The subject line contains “Warning: Mail Quota Exceeded (97% Full) UPDATE” to create a sense of urgency to update storage. Other subject lines in this campaign include the target’s email address followed by Password reset !!!” or “Password update – FINAL NOTICE!”. The emails also contain links with a string of random characters followed by “translate goog.”

The NJCCIC recommends all users educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from opening attachments or clicking links delivered in suspicious or unexpected communications, even those from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy of the message, contact the sender via a separate means of communication, such as by phone or in person, before taking any action. Additionally, navigate directly to official and legitimate websites and only submit account credentials to official websites. Users whose accounts have been compromised are advised to immediately change their password, as well as for any other account that uses the same password. Users are encouraged to enable any form of multi-factor authentication (MFA) offered while choosing a more secure method (authentication app, biometric, or hardware token) where available.

Online Banking Phishing Campaigns

Image 1: Capital One Phishing Email

The NJCCIC observed multiple phishing campaigns targeting New Jersey State employees attempting to steal users’ online banking credentials. In one campaign, threat actors distributed emails using display name spoofing to impersonate Capital One and prompted users to verify their accounts (Image 1). The fraudulent email poses as a security alert, notifying the user that their Capital One account was logged into from an unknown location, and requests the victim to validate and update their account. The email contains links to the legitimate Capital One website to add legitimacy; however, the link to update the user’s account leads to a fraudulent website using stolen branding and displaying the login screen for Capital One. If account credentials are submitted, a login prompt is displayed, and the credentials are stolen in the background.

Image 2: Fraudulent American Express Verification Website

In another campaign, emails impersonating American Express request users to click on an embedded link to confirm their account information, stating that their account will be suspended if the information is not verified. The link leads to a website that requests several data points from the user, including bank card information, email address and password, Social Security number, bank PIN, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and place of birth (Image 2). There is very limited text box input validation, which allows users to enter any characters into these fields and continue on through the “verification” process. After the user submits their information, they are redirected to the official American Express website while their information is sent to the threat actors behind the campaign.

Image 3: M&T Bank Phishing Email

Lastly, another phishing campaign distributed messages impersonated M&T Bank, using display name spoofing and a convincing sender email address. The subject line reads, “Your Immediate Action is Required on Your Account From M&T Bank.” The email body contains a reference to an “Important Notice,” prompting the user to click the link to navigate to the “Resolution Center” (Image 3). The link directs the user to a fraudulent website appearing as a login page for M&T Bank. If account credentials are submitted, they are stolen in the background while a login error is displayed to the user.

The NJCCIC advises against responding to or clicking links in unexpected emails from unverified senders. Users are encouraged to navigate directly to official websites to log in to their account and verify any requests to provide information or resolve issues. If a user submitted account credentials on a fraudulent website, they are advised to change their password, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and notify their banking institution. If information was submitted on a fraudulent website that could be used for identity theft purposes, review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, consider freezing your credit , and file a police report. Additionally, phishing emails and other malicious cyber activity can be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC.

SMiShing Texts Claim “Package Cannot Be Delivered”

Image 1. SMiShing text message

The NJCCIC observed SMiShing texts claiming that a package cannot be delivered due to incorrect address information. Smishing is a form of social engineering that exploits SMS text messages and may contain email addresses, phone numbers, or links to webpages. Threat actors often take advantage of current events and times of the year, such as the holiday season, to target potential victims. In the above example (Image 1), the threat actor attempts to entice the user to click on a link in order to address an issue with a package delivery, capitalizing on the busy holiday season.

When clicked, the link directs the user to a convincing webpage imitating the United States Postal Service (USPS) and requests personal information such as name, physical address, email address, and phone number (Image 2). The website, created on December 20 and registered with NameSilo, contains multiple processes and redirects, one of which appears to post collected information to a Chinese IP address (Image 3). These techniques are frequently used by various threat actors, and the URLs associated with these schemes often change.

Image 2. Malicious landing page impersonating USPS

Image 3. Source: Urlscan.io

The NJCCIC advises users to navigate directly to official websites and avoid clicking links delivered in SMS text messages from unknown contacts. Additionally, refrain from providing sensitive information to unverified websites. SMS text scams can be reported by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM). Further recommendations and resources can be found in the Don't Take the Bait! Phishing and Other Social Engineering Attacks NJCCIC informational report.

67K DraftKings Accounts Compromised in Credential Stuffing Attack

Sports betting company DraftKings released a data breach notification last week alerting customers that over 67,000 customer account records were exposed due to a credential stuffing attack. A cyberattack discovered on November 18 caused the breach, resulting in the theft of over $300,000 from DraftKings users. Credential stuffing attacks occur when cybercriminals obtain information such as usernames and passwords and use the credentials in attempts to log in to different types of accounts. For this reason, this attack is effective against users who use similar passwords on multiple platforms.

The NJCCIC received reports of breached DraftKings accounts based in New Jersey due to compromised credentials assessed to have been acquired from a depreciated DraftKings server and sold on the dark web. Compromised accounts were confirmed to have been sold on the dark web for $10 to $35 per account along with instructions on how to obtain money from the victim. Affected accounts were identified after cybercriminals placed $5 deposits into the compromised accounts, changed the account passwords, established multi-factor authentication (MFA) on a phone number controlled by the cybercriminal, and withdrew large sums of money from the victims’ connected bank accounts. In response to this cyberattack, DraftKings conducted an internal investigation, required affected customers to change their passwords, locked down breached accounts, implemented fraud alerts, and restored any funds confirmed to be lost due to the cyberattack.

In an abundance of caution, the NJCCIC recommends that DraftKings customers reset their passwords and enable MFA on all accounts where applicable. Additionally, users are urged to monitor their credit statements and report suspicious activity, as well as refrain from reusing passwords on multiple platforms to reduce the effectiveness of credential stuffing attacks.

New IcedID Campaign Distributes Malware Through Fake Zoom Installer

Phishing website used in this campaign – Source: Cyble

On January 5, Cyble Research & Intelligence Labs published its discovery of a phishing campaign targeting users of the Zoom application. In this campaign, threat actors created a convincing webpage, explorezoom[.]com, that resembles an official Zoom domain and distributes IcedID malware. The phishing page encourages users to download a file called ZoomInstallerFull.exe, which is presented as a legitimate Zoom installer. However, this file is a concealed version of the IcedID malware that also downloads the Zoom application to obfuscate the malicious nature of the installer. IcedID, also known as BokBot, is a trojan used to steal banking credentials and is commonly distributed to businesses through phishing emails containing malicious Microsoft Office file attachments. In addition, IcedID may act as a loader, with the ability to download additional malicious files. IcedID is not typically distributed through fake websites, making this phishing campaign an unusual method to spread this malware.

The NJCCIC advises users to only download software from the application’s official website or legitimate vendors and avoid pirated software from unofficial sources, such as Torrent and Warez websites. Additionally, users are urged to avoid opening suspicious links or email attachments without verifying the authenticity of the sender. More information and technical details can be found in the Cyble article.

Job Scams Likely to Increase

The NJCCIC assesses with high confidence that threat actors will use current events, including recent mass layoffs , in their social engineering schemes to target and exploit individuals seeking employment. The combination of job seekers announcing they are open to work through online platforms and employers increasingly depending on online forms of communication increases the attack surface. Threat actors are taking advantage of job seekers by impersonating legitimate employers and recruiters and requesting personal or financial information as part of the application process or job offer with the intent to steal personally identifiable information (PII) or monetary funds, potentially commit identity theft and fraud, and launch other cyberattacks. These job-related scams are also highlighted as part of Identity Theft Awareness Week, which runs from January 30 to February 3, and serves to provide tips on reducing the risk of victimization and recovering from identity theft. Continue reading…

Real Estate Wire Transfer Scams

Earlier this month, the NJCCIC reported on an aggressive phishing campaign targeting several New Jersey State agencies that regularly communicate with law firms. Aside from law firms, other parties involved in real estate transactions—including agents, title agencies, and buyers—are still at risk of being targeted. Unlike generic phishing scams, business email compromise (BEC) phishing scams are a highly targeted form of social engineering, often incorporating preliminary reconnaissance on potential victims and using various impersonation techniques to pose as someone the target should trust. The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of real estate scams, specifically wire transfer scams, impacting law firms and buyers. According to the FBI’s 2022 Business Email Compromise and Real Estate Wire Fraud report , the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received BEC-related complaints with claimed losses exceeding $2.4 billion in 2021 compared to $360 million in 2016. Threat actors are likely to change tactics and increase their targeting as spring approaches. Continue reading...

SIM Swapping Attacks

A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a physical, removable smart card that contains subscriber identification data and authenticates a subscriber on a mobile device to a specified wireless carrier network. SIM cards contain data, such as user identity, location, mobile phone number, network authorization data, personal security keys, contact lists, and stored text messages. They also provide indirect access to the subscriber’s accounts, such as wireless carrier, email, social media, financial banks, and digital payment systems. For account security, subscribers typically set up phone calls or SMS text messaging as a second factor for multi-factor authentication (MFA) to log into accounts, recover account passwords, and receive account notifications for changes and updates. An embedded SIM (eSIM) card has similar functionality and security protections as a SIM card; however, eSIM cards are not removable and must be programmed. Also, for eSIM card-supported devices and wireless carriers, subscribers can easily switch between multiple mobile phone numbers using one mobile phone. We further discuss SIM swapping attacks, tactics, SIM swapping protections, and recommendations. Continue reading…

Tax Season Scams

Cybercriminals often take advantage of specific times of the year, and with tax season underway, threat actors are quick to launch social engineering campaigns conducted via email, phone, and SMS text messages. These social engineering attempts may impersonate legitimate tax services or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information or credentials. Additionally, the NJCCIC received reports of tax preparation offices targeted by cybercriminals in attempts to compromise networks and siphon employee and customer information.

Threat actors often seek out tax information, including W-2 information and personally identifiable information (PII) – such as Social Security numbers (SSNs), dates of birth, bank account or credit card numbers, and drivers’ license numbers. With this information, threat actors can file fraudulent tax returns to collect refund money and engage in other identity theft schemes.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization and consider filing taxes early in the season to reduce the chances of threat actors filing fraudulent tax returns and stealing refunds. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, SMS text messages, or social media channels to send or request personal or financial information. Please review the Beware of Tax Scams NJCCIC product to learn more about common tax scams—including tax identity theft, IRS impersonation scams, and fraudulent tax preparer scams—and cybersecurity best practices to help protect your identity, data, and tax refunds. Additional tax scams and consumer alerts can be found on the IRS website and the Norton blog post.

Vishing Scams

The NJCCIC recently received multiple reports of vishing schemes. In these calls, the scammer attempts to gain trust and legitimacy by sharing some of the recipient’s personal details; however, this information is typically a collection of aggregated publicly available details easily found online. This information may include first and last name, age, address, place of employment, education history, and family member information. Some of this information may be outdated or pertain to a partner instead of the call recipient. The scammer may then attempt to convince the recipient to provide additional personal details, purchase fraudulent goods or services, or grant access to their account or device. The phone numbers used in vishing campaigns vary and change frequently, and scammers often spoof official phone numbers to appear legitimate. Vishing calls may be persistent, and potential victims may be contacted multiple times a day.

One vishing report recently received by the NJCCIC detailed a campaign in which the caller claimed to be a Medicare representative. The following phone numbers and transcript were observed in this campaign:

888-383-2017
833-386-2609
833-426-1857
833-426-1866
833-426-1775
888-393-0766

“Hi there, gate. This is Glenda and I'm at Healthcare Health Center. Is this Robert? Is this Robert I'm speaking with? All right, perfect. Well, Robert, the reason why I'm calling is to provide your info, information, and options on your Medicare supplemental plan.”

The NJCCIC highly recommends users refrain from answering unexpected calls from unknown contacts. When receiving unsolicited phone calls, do not respond to any requests for sensitive information or access. If suspicious inquiries are made from individuals claiming to represent a trustworthy organization, hang up and call the organization back using the official phone number found on their website. The NJCCIC encourages those targeted by vishing scams to report the incident to the NJCCIC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

US probes reports of steering glitch on newer Honda Civics

..... U.S. Auto safety regulators are investigating complaints form Honda Civic drivers that the cars' steering can stick, causing a momentary increase in effort and increasing the risk of a crash.
..... The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers an estimated 238,000 Civic from the 2022 and 2023 model years.
..... The agency says it has 145 complaints about the problem, which happens mostly at highway speeds. The complaints came over the past 11 months and occurred mostly on vehicles with low miles.
..... NHTSA has no reports of crashes or injuries from the problem.
..... The company says most of the Civics should be under warranty, and that if any owner feel something is not right, they should contact their dealer.

CDC, FDA say General Mills four linked to salmonella outbreak

..... The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for disease Control & Prevention have linked Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour with a multislate salmonella outbreak. The two agencies announced the finding Monday [05/01/2023] after the FDA found that five of nine cases in the outbreak had exposure to raw Gold Media flour. a sample taken at the General Mills plant in Kansas city, Missouri, was found to have the strain of salmonella affecting people in the outbreak, the FDA said.
..... General Mills issued a voluntary nationwide recall on April 28, [2023] of 2-. 5- and 10-pound bags of the flour with a "Better If Used By" dater of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2023, according to the recall.

Job Scams Continue

Image Source: Trend Micro

The NJCCIC continues to observe social engineering schemes targeting individuals seeking employment, often referred to as job scams. Increases in layoffs and job cuts exacerbate this issue; layoffs in the financial sector alone increased roughly 419 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022. Cybercriminals can more easily target individuals who declare they are seeking employment via social engineering platforms. Additionally, solely using online forms of communication throughout the hiring process makes it more difficult for individuals to identify red flags.

In these job scam schemes, cybercriminals target job seekers by creating and posting fraudulent job postings or profiles through trusted professional online employment boards and websites, such as LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Indeed, and Monster, or via social media platforms like Facebook. Threat actors impersonate legitimate recruiters and employers, spoof company websites, and directly communicate with targets through email, social media, or SMS text messaging. Once contact is established with a job seeker, the cybercriminal will often request personal, account, and/or financial information as part of the application process with the intent to obtain personally identifiable information (PII), gain unauthorized account access, or steal monetary funds, which may potentially result in identity theft.

Examples of job scams include work-from-home or remote work, nanny, caregiver, virtual personal assistant, mystery shopper, job placement service, and government or postal positions. In a recent incident reported to the NJCCIC, an individual was initially contacted via Facebook for a data entry job posting. The individual requested a Zoom call, but the hiring manager declined the call and requested that further communications and the interview be conducted via Telegram. During the Telegram call interview, the hiring manager requested the applicant's PII, including a photo of the front and back of the individual’s driver’s license, and then instructed them to open a Green Dot Visa card for direct deposits. At this point, the individual became aware that this could be a scam and ceased communications.

Red flags indicating a job opening or offer may be a scam include vagueness from the employer or hiring manager about the position; the job sounding “too good to be true”; upfront requests for personal and financial information, such as Social Security number, driver’s license number, or banking information for direct deposits; requests for money prior to receiving a job offer; a sense of urgency to respond or accept a job offer, and the use of unofficial communication methods, such as personal email accounts, noncompany email domains, and apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Job seekers are advised to examine potential offers by contacting the company’s human resources department directly via official contact information and research potential employers and businesses online to determine if others have reported a scam. Navigate to websites directly for authentic job postings by manually typing the URL into a browser instead of clicking on links delivered in communications to ensure the visited websites are legitimate. Additional information on job scams can be found on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website.

If victimized, report the scam directly to the respective job board or organization, the FTC, and the NJCCIC. If PII compromise is suspected or detected, contact your local law enforcement department. Review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, including credit freezes and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on accounts.

Facebook Scams Continue to Compromise Accounts

Image Source: Facebook

The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of compromised social media accounts, including Facebook. Threat actors impersonate Facebook, target both individuals and organizations who have Facebook business pages, and use social engineering tactics through social media platforms and emails to send fraudulent messages or notifications in an attempt to deceive potential victims into clicking on phishing links or attachments, divulging sensitive information (such as account credentials, personally identifiable information (PII), or financial information), and/or installing malware to gain unauthorized access to the Facebook account. Examples of scams include false claims that the target violated Facebook’s Community Standards, warnings impacting the account if action is not taken, and notifications about friend requests, messages, events, photos, and videos. The communication purportedly creates a sense of legitimacy and urgency to convince the victim to divulge PII, financial information, and, in some cases, a copy of the driver’s license as proof of identity. Messages may also direct the target to log in with social media, email, or bank account credentials/ information.

Once an account is compromised, threat actors can change account information such as name, birthday, email address, and phone number and lock the victim out of their account by updating the password and multi-factor authentication method. They can also impersonate the victim, communicate with the contacts in the victim’s address book, and engage in further malicious activity, such as conducting social engineering attacks, sending harassing messages to contacts, posting information and/or images that violate the platform’s terms and conditions and/or acceptable use policies, and threatening extortion. Scams can also result in identity theft and financial loss.

In the above scam, threat actors impersonate Facebook and send notifications to Facebook business page administrators that their page has been disabled. The notification contains a link to view more details about the violation that, if clicked, directs the target to an interface with Facebook branding and prompts them to enter their account credentials and other personal information.

The latest Facebook scam plays on emotions and claims that someone they know just died. The threat actors identify themselves as a close friend or family member of the target and send them a message with phrases such as “look who just died,” “so sad,” or “I know you known him.” The message contains a link appearing to be a legitimate news article. If clicked, the target is prompted to enter their Facebook credentials to review further details. These credentials are sent to the threat actors in the background and used to compromise the account and send the same message to the victim’s friend list. Additionally, the threat actors can steal personal information—such as email addresses, phone numbers, and birthdates—to access non-Facebook accounts and may potentially access financial information to steal funds. In some cases, the malicious link installs malware on the victim’s computer to access passwords, photos, and files.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication – such as by phone through official and legitimate sources – before taking action or disclosing sensitive information. Additionally, set up alerts, avoid password reuse, maintain unique passwords for each online account, and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), choosing biometrics and authentication apps over SMS text-based codes where available. Furthermore, refrain from posting sensitive information and images online to reduce your digital footprint.

If victimized, report the scam directly to the respective social media platform, the FTC, and the NJCCIC. If PII compromise is suspected or detected, contact your local law enforcement department. Review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, including credit freezes and enabling MFA on accounts.

Announcements

Beware of Skimmers and Infostealers Targeting E-Commerce

A growing number of cyberattacks were discovered targeting retailers and online consumers as summer sales heat up. Though the holiday season remains the most profitable time for retailers, sale events are often launched in the slower summer months to increase revenue. Consumers often take advantage of these summer sale events including semi-annual sales; Independence, Memorial, and Labor Day sales; Father’s Day and graduation gifts; back-to-school sales, and Christmas in July sales. Akamai researchers identified a new, large-scale, Magecart-style web skimming campaign, designed to steal personally identifiable information (PII) and credit card information from e-commerce websites. Distinct from traditional Magecart campaigns, however, this campaign uses new techniques to hijack legitimate commerce websites in order to serve as improvised command-and-control (C2) servers, using the host victim’s website to further facilitate malicious code distribution.

Cybercriminals use various evasion techniques during the campaign, masking the attack to resemble popular third-party services and allowing it to go undetected for over a month. This attack may potentially exploit known vulnerabilities found in websites’ digital commerce platforms such as Magento, WooCommerce, WordPress, and Shopify, or in vulnerable third-party services used by the website. These attacks cannot be detected by popular web security methods, such as web application firewalls (WAFs), and are executed on the client side, prolonging the attack. This may result in tens of thousands of victims and damage the reputations of victimized organizations. Additionally, consumers’ PII and credit card information are at risk of being stolen or further sold on dark web forums.

Threat actors are also targeting online sellers in a new phishing campaign to distribute Vidar information-stealing (infostealer) malware. They impersonate a customer of an online retailer claiming that they were charged a large dollar amount after an alleged order did not go through. These complaints are sent to online store administrators via email or website contact forms and contain a link to a fake Google Drive page that prompts the user to download a malware-laden PDF file. Threat actors target online sellers to steal admin credentials in order to gain access to eCommerce websites and facilitate further cyberattacks.

Infostealers are remote access trojans (RATs) designed to gather information from a system. Infostealers gather login information, like usernames and passwords, and are frequently used to further facilitate ransomware attacks. The NJCCIC and other cybersecurity firms have indicated a steady increase in attempts to distribute infostealers, such as Redline Stealer, Vidar, and Raccoon Stealer. Vidar is capable of stealing browser cookies, browser history, saved passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, text files, Authy 2FA databases, and capturing screenshots of the active Windows screen. Redline Stealer is a powerful data collection tool, capable of extracting login credentials from a wide range of sources, including web browsers, FTP clients, email applications, Steam, instant messaging clients, and VPNs. Raccoon Stealer steals personal information, including email addresses, identification numbers, bank account information, and cryptocurrency information. Cybercriminals can use this stolen information to commit identity theft, financial fraud, and other crimes.

The NJCCIC recommends online retail customers minimize their risk of data exposure by using electronic payment methods, virtual cards, or setting charge limits to their credit cards. Online customers are encouraged to use credit cards over debit cards when shopping online as they often have better consumer fraud protections. Additionally, many financial institutions offer payment charge notifications for every transaction that occurs on an account. Enabling these notifications may make it more likely that a customer will notice a fraudulent transaction as soon as it occurs and can notify their bank. If a customer discovers fraudulent activity on their account, lock the affected card if this option is available, notify the banking institution immediately, and request a new payment card.

Furthermore, we advise merchants to conduct thorough security due diligence reviews of third-party services and resources. To protect websites against Magecart attacks, website administrators are recommended to, by default, block access to sensitive information entered into web forms and stored cookies. Only vetted scripts developed in-house should have access to sensitive data. Security practitioners are advised to consider using tools and technologies that provide behavioral and anomaly detection of in-browser activity. In addition, establish good patch management, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all administrative accounts at a minimum, and implement a WAF. Additional details can be found in the Akamai Security Report and the BleepingComputer article.

Uptick in Direct Deposit Scams

The NJCCIC recently received multiple incident reports from organizations targeted with direct deposit scams in an attempt to change bank account information for direct deposit payments for payroll to facilitate fraud. Threat actors primarily target K-12 school districts; however, all organizations, regardless of sector, are at risk. In the above campaign, threat actors impersonate an employee, often by registering an email address using the employee’s name and utilizing display name spoofing in the email messages. The fraudulent emails are typically sent to payroll or human resources departments and request direct deposit change forms. In some cases, the threat actors locate an organization’s direct deposit change form online and include a filled-out form in the email. The threat actor intends to divert an employee’s payroll check to an account under their control. These emails may have noticeable red flags, such as spelling and grammatical errors; however, they may be well-crafted and more difficult to identify as suspicious.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication – such as by phone through official and legitimate sources – before taking action, disclosing sensitive information, and/or transferring funds. All users are encouraged to maintain awareness of common red flags found in malicious email messages, such as display name spoofing tactics.

Additionally, we highly advise organizations to implement procedures to prevent unauthorized direct deposit changes, such as requiring two levels of approval and verbal agreement from the requesting employee.

Malicious JScript file. Image Source: Any.Run

The NJCCIC advises users to ignore and delete these phishing emails, report the activity to their IT department if applicable, and avoid releasing these types of correspondence to their inbox from a quarantined environment. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links or opening attachments from unknown senders, and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication, such as by phone, before taking action. Phishing emails and other malicious cyber activity can be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center ( IC3) and the NJCCIC.

Additionally, organizations are advised to implement filters at the email gateway to identify and block emails using known phishing tactics and those from suspicious IP addresses, create an email gateway rule to flag communications in which the “reply” email address is different from the “from” email address, and identify emails that originate outside their network by marking them with an “external email” tag in the subject and body since these emails should be given additional scrutiny. Furthermore, create a policy and procedure to identify and report business email compromise (BEC) scams, including periodic employee awareness training; establish policies and procedures that require any requests for highly sensitive information or large financial transactions be authorized and approved by multiple individuals via a secondary means of communication beyond email; and implement Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) to reduce the risk of email spoofing. Further information can be found in the SPF Technical Guide.

Gift Card Scam Lures

The NJCCIC observed multiple campaigns identified as gift card scams attempting to convince New Jersey State employees to purchase gift cards to extort funds. The emails are primarily from free email providers instead of corporate domains. Threat actors may spoof the sender’s display name, which may differ from the sender’s email address in the header information. Additionally, they may contain a reply-to address that is different than the sender’s email address. Subject lines contain keywords such as “touching base,” “favor,” and “check in,” and the fraudulent requests typically begin with a brief message inquiring if the potential victim is available. In the above campaign, threat actors request the recipient to let them know when they receive the email because they would like to ask them something. Similar campaigns may, for example, apologize for bothering the potential victim and inquire if they order from Amazon.

If the intended target replies, the scammer sends a request urging the potential victim to purchase gift cards and respond with the numbers found on the back of the cards. If submitted, the threat actors can use the gift card’s funds without the physical card since the funds are not linked to a specific person or entity. Additionally, victims typically will not be able to recover the funds used for purchasing the gift cards – even if the purchase was made by credit card – because the victim initiated the transaction, resulting in significant monetary losses.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links or opening attachments from unknown senders, and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication, such as by phone, before taking action. We remind users to refrain from complying with requests to purchase gift cards and sending the numbers to someone without first verifying the request via a separate means of communication. These are unusual requests or demands, typically portraying a sense of urgency, and should be handled with increased suspicion.

If gift card information is sent, immediately contact the company who issued the gift card to inquire if the funds are still on the gift card and can be frozen. We encourage users to report cyber incidents via the NJCCIC Cyber Incident Report Form, the FTC Complaint website, and the FBI’s IC3 website . Additionally, users who send unsolicited emails or messages through online platforms may violate account policies and terms of use and should be reported to the sender’s email provider or associated online platform. Additional information can be found in the FTC resource.

QR Code Phishing Campaigns

The NJCCIC recently observed two phishing campaigns in which threat actors included suspicious links via QR codes. Quick Response (QR) codes are square barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones to quickly send users to a website, download an application, or direct payments. The use of QR codes increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as restaurants and other businesses transitioned to using online menus and resources to decrease the likelihood of patrons spreading germs via hard copies. The popularity of QR codes remains, and with it comes the adoption by cyber threat actors to deliver malicious links to their targets. These recently reported phishing campaigns included emails impersonating IT departments and used lures of updates to, or maintenance of, 2FA (two-factor authentication, also known as multi-factor authentication). While one campaign inserted the QR code directly in the body of the email, another included a PDF attachment where the QR code was provided. Separately, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently reported on a QR code fraud scheme in which scammers placed fake QR code stickers on top of legitimate ones in order to send drivers to fraudulent sites to pay for parking. In January 2022, the FBI released a Public Service Announcement, Cybercriminals Tampering with QR Codes to Steal Victim Funds, which provides tips to protect yourself from these scams.

The NJCCIC advises users to avoid scanning QR codes included in emails, even those that appear to be sent from known or trusted contacts, without first verifying the legitimacy of the communication. Additionally, follow the recommendations found in the BBB and FBI reports to avoid falling victim to a QR code scam, including looking for signs of tampering and reviewing the associated URL before navigating to the website. Users are encouraged to educate themselves and others on this and similar scams to prevent future victimization.

Utility Company Impersonation Scams

Many business and residential utility customers are targeted daily by impersonation scams. For example, threat actors take advantage of extreme weather events, such as the recent increases in temperature, to target electric utility customers. Threat actors impersonate the utility company through in-person, phone, and online tactics, claim the utility bill is past due, and threaten to disconnect services unless a payment is made immediately. Customers are pressured to make payments via prepaid debit cards (such as Green Dot, MoneyPak, or Vanilla), wire transfers, cash apps (such as Venmo or Zelle), gift cards, or cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin). However, legitimate utility companies typically accept a check or credit card payment. Additionally, threat actors may claim that the regular payment portal for the utility company is currently offline, but the target can submit payment through another portal via a link or QR code. This fraudulent payment portal creates a false sense of legitimacy by using spoofed domains, impersonation, and stolen branding.

Scammers may visit the target’s home or place of business in person, claim to be a utility company collector, present fraudulent identification, and ask for personal information, including account number or Social Security number. However, legitimate employees wear a uniform, visibly display a company ID badge, drive a company car with the utility company's logo, and visit during a pre-scheduled appointment with the customer. Additionally, if customers receive an urgent call from their utility company's trusted customer service number claiming termination of services for non-payment and that someone will arrive in 15 minutes to disconnect service, slow down the conversation before making any quick decisions and verify the information through official sources, as the phone number may be spoofed. Also, threat actors are targeting customers who use search engines to contact their utility companies. The search engine results may contain fraudulent websites with fake phone numbers that, if called, will put unsuspecting customers at risk for threat actors to collect personal and financial information. Furthermore, service disconnections are not immediate; there is a multi-step process, including payment arrangement options and multiple notifications to the customer, typically by mail and noted on their regular monthly bill.

Online tactics of phishing and SMiShing attempt to convince the target to immediately take action, such as responding or calling a fraudulent phone number, disclosing sensitive information, or making payment. Traditional attack techniques of malicious links or attachments are often detected by email security, forcing threat actors to pivot to QR codes as the primary attack method in various schemes. QR codes, sent through unsolicited communications or posted in publicly accessible locations, may appear to be associated with a reputable brand or organization and could direct targets to phishing websites, fraudulent payment portals, and unsuspecting malware downloads. In one campaign, the threat actors persuade their victims to withdraw money from their financial accounts and transfer it to them using a QR code and cryptocurrency ATM to avoid service disconnection. Once the funds are deposited into the ATM to purchase cryptocurrency, the QR code with the embedded address is scanned, and the money is transferred to the threat actors.

The NJCCIC recommends users remain vigilant of these and similar impersonation scams. We advise users to refrain from answering unsolicited or unexpected communications, especially those containing QR codes. Additionally, do not provide personal or financial information or transfer money, especially in cryptocurrency, to unverified entities. If suspicious, locate your utility bill or navigate directly to the utility company's official website or the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Utility Contact Info webpage to contact the utility company and confirm the legitimacy of the communication. Users may also sign up and check their online customer accounts to receive helpful alerts and verify service status, including service disconnections. Additional information and recommendations can be found in the Impersonation Scams NJCCIC product and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s Scammers Pretend to Be Your Utility Company article.

Scammers Are Banking On Consumers’ Interest in Pre-Black Friday Deals

Consumers are taking advantage of popular retailers’ early access and pre-Black Friday deals. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), nearly half of consumers began holiday shopping before November last year. Similar trends are expected this year as a recent NRF survey revealed that 39 percent of shoppers plan to start shopping earlier than they typically do this holiday season. Retailers and consumers are both feeling the strain of inflation. As a result, more sales events are being held to accommodate and attract customers planning to spread out their holiday shopping to manage associated costs.

According to a study conducted by Barclays, nearly half of the surveyed consumers admitted feeling pressured to make purchases quickly during Black Friday sales to avoid missing out on the best deals. The study further revealed that 42 percent of the participants were willing to buy from unknown vendors for a great deal rather than shop from trustworthy websites.

Balsam Hill scam Facebook ad. Image Source: Trend Micro

Cybercriminals are very active during this time of year, taking advantage of consumers engaged in online shopping, anticipating package deliveries, and often overwhelmed with additional plans. Scammers may send out fake order confirmations, issue phony tracking numbers, and set up fake websites impersonating legitimate retailers or promoting nonexistent ones to victimize shoppers. Between October 1 and November 1 this year, Trend Micro identified 34,896 URLs related to Black Friday scams – 10 percent more than what was observed during the same period last year. Additionally, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received complaints regarding fake holiday shopping advertisements and decoration purchases. For example, scammers were observed impersonating Balsam Hill , a legitimate company that sells Christmas decorations, using the company’s name and branding to create copycat versions of the real Balsam Hill website. These fake websites were promoted via shared social media advertisements.

As you prepare for the holidays, keep in mind these basic best practices:

Navigate to official websites and applications to make purchases, update information, or track a package’s status.
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is! Avoid navigating to websites via shared social media posts.
Check reputation and ratings prior to purchasing from an unknown retailer and verify the payments page is secure.
If you have accidentally revealed your online account or banking details, change your passwords immediately, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA), and inform your banking institution.
Additional information and recommendations regarding holiday scams can be found in the NJCCIC informational report, “Stay Cyber Safe This Holiday Season.”

Honda, BMW, Subaru among 528K cars recalled:

By: Zoe Wells
USA Today

..... The national Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued multiple recalls last week, [11/17/2023] nearly 250,000 Honda Vehicles for a manufacturing error in the connecting rod baring.
..... Are you looking to see if any recalls were issued on your vehicle? If the car isn't listed below, owners can check USA Today's automotive recall database or search the NHTSA's database fro new recalls. the NHTSA website allows you to search for recalls based on your vehicle identification number, or VIN.
..... Here are the vehicles recalls published by the NHTSA from November 11 to 18. [2023]

Honda recall:
Connecting rod bearing error

..... Honda is recalling 248,999 of its 2015-2000 Acra TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey error in the connecting rod bearing. The connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and damage the engine. a damaged engine may cause it to stall, which increases the risk of a fire, crash, and injury, according to an NHTSA report.
..... Dealers will inspect and repair the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are anticipated to go out by January 2, 2024. Should owners require assistance, they can reach Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. the recall number are XG1 and GGO.

BMW Recall:
Camshaft timing bolts

..... BMW is recalling 155,627 vehicles because of camshaft timing bolts that can losses. The aluminum bolts on the vehicle that seal the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) may gradually loosen over time. If the VANOS that hold bolts loosen, it can increase the risk of injury and crash because the engine may stall, according to an NHTSA report.
..... Dealers will offer complimentary replacement of the four VANOS bolts. Letters alerting owners will be sent out on December 12. [2023] a second letter will be sent out when the solution is figure out. Owners can get in contact with BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Recalled vehicles:
* 2010-2012 BMW I Series
* 2010-2012 BMW 3 Series
* 2010-2011 BMW 5 Series
* 2010-2011 BMW X3
* 2010-2011 BMW Z4

Subaru Recall: Rear-view image

..... Subaru is recalling 95,830 of its 2021 Crosstrek, 2022 Forester and 2021-2023 Legacy and Outback vehicles because of review image problems. A defective weld might make some water pour into the inhibitor switch, which can cause it to malfunction. an inhibitor switch that is not functional can result in the failure of reverse lights to illuminate the rearview camera image to display, raising the likelihood of a collision, according to an NHTSA report.
..... Dealers will replace the inhibitor switch at no change. Notification letters will be sent out January 8, 2024.
..... Owners can reach Subaru at 1-800-782-2783. the recall number is WRQ-23.

Beware of Card Skimming This Holiday Shopping Season

The number of reported card skimming incidents increased 20 percent during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. More specifically, New Jersey is one of several states with the most significant increases in skimming incidents, with at least a 50 percent year-over-year increase in incidents occurring during the first half of 2023. Based on this trend, the upcoming holiday shopping season means increased card skimming opportunities for threat actors to capture and steal customer data and financial information through various digital and physical realms, such as stores, restaurants, gas stations, and ATMs. Threat actors continue to seek out better methods to conceal their attacks and evade various security measures. This stolen data has severe consequences for consumers and businesses, including loss in revenue, legal damages, compliance issues, cross-site contamination, identity theft, fraud, and subsequent malicious activity.

Magecart attacks are a type of web-based data skimming operation used to capture customer payment card data from the checkout pages of online stores. These attacks are accomplished by gaining access to the targeted website (either directly or through a supply chain attack), injecting malicious JavaScript code into the checkout page to skim the desired data, and sending the information back to a threat actor-controlled server. Once payment card data is stolen, it can be used by the threat actors to make fraudulent purchases or sell on dark web or other marketplaces. These attacks continue to be prevalent, with a new campaign observed abusing 404 error pages and targeting many large organizations in the retail and food industries. Manipulating the website’s default 404 error page to hide malicious code is one of the more advanced obfuscation techniques seen before and creates challenges for detection and mitigation. Similar to the recent uptick in Magecart attacks, the Kritec campaign is ramping up its activity in time for the holiday shopping season based on the number of newly registered domain names attributed to the threat actor. In this skimming campaign, threat actors create compelling customized templates in local languages that make detection difficult.

Card skimming is not just limited to online transactions. Threat actors can discretely install small card-reading devices in point-of-sale (POS) terminals to steal card information. These devices can be installed at stores, restaurants, and gas stations. This past year, the Walmart retailer has been a frequent target of card skimming at 16 different US locations. Also, skimming devices were found on two gas pumps at a Delaware BP gas station. Threat actors are also targeting ATMs and shifting in terminal types and locations of card compromises. Non-bank ATMs at convenience stores and gas stations are becoming more prevalent than bank ATMs. In September 2023, skimming devices were discovered at an ATM inside a Wawa convenience store in Cinnaminson, NJ and may have been installed for two months prior to its discovery.

The NJCCIC recommends organizations and users educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Website administrators are urged to use only vetted first-party code, ensure hardware and software are up to date, use a web application firewall (WAF) to block and alert for potential code injection attacks, block unauthorized transmission of personal data by implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP), and schedule routine website scans to identify changes in JavaScript code composition.

The NJCCIC recommends using credit cards over debit cards for purchases, as credit cards often have greater consumer protections that limit a victim’s liability if fraudulent purchases are made. Navigate directly to known, secure, and encrypted websites and designate/monitor one credit card for purchases, if possible. We highly encourage enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on every account that offers it, including any online shopping websites.

Before you use a POS device or ATM, check to see if the machine has been tampered with. Refrain from using a machine that looks damaged or loose—you can also tug around the keyboard to scan for an overlay. When you do use the machine, cover your pin as you enter it so an overhead camera cannot record you. Additionally, keep an eye on your card at all times (if possible), retain receipts, monitor account statements carefully, and notify the financial institution immediately of any discovered discrepancies. Furthermore, many financial institutions offer payment charge notifications for every transaction on an account. Enabling these notifications may make it more likely that a customer will notice a fraudulent transaction as soon as it occurs and can notify their bank.

If victimized, lock the affected card if this option is available, notify the financial institution immediately, and request a new payment card. Also, review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, including credit freezes and enabling MFA on accounts.

US probing engine fires in Toyota RAVE SUVs:
..... The U.S. government is investigating complaints of engine compartment fires in Toyota RAV 4 small SUVs. the investigation could affect nearly 1.9 million vehicles.
..... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating after getting 11 fire complaints involving the 2013 through 2018 model years.
..... In documents posted Monday, [03/01/2021] the agency says fires start on the left side of the engine compartment. A terminal on the 12-volt battery may short to the frame, causing loss of electrical power, engine stalling or a fire.

IMPORTANT: Barnes & Noble says shopper info may have been taken in hack:
..... Barnes & Noble said the personal information of its shoppers may have been stolen after its computer systems were hacked.
..... The bookseller told customers in an e-mail Wednesday [10/14/2020] that hackers could have had access to their e-mail address, name, phone number, home address and a list of books or other products they have purchased.
..... The company said hackers didn't access credit card numbers and other payment information because it was encrypted.
..... Barnes & Noble said it learned of the hack on October 10. [2020]
..... Barns & Noble declined to say how many customers may have been affected by the hack.

IMPORTANT: US investigates fire reports in Chevy Bolt electric vehicles:
..... The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle can catch fire.
..... The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers nearly 78,000 Bolts made by General Motors from the 2017 through 202 model years.
..... The agency says in documents posted on its website Tuesday [10/13/2020] that it has three reports of fires that began under the rear seat while the cars were parked and unattended.
..... One person suffered smoke inhalation.
.... The fire damage appeared to be concentrated in the battery compartment area, spreading into the passenger area.
.... GM says it's cooperating with the probe and conducting its own investigation.
..... "The safety of our products is the highest priority for the entire GM team," the statement said. the company would not comment when asked whether the vehicles should be parked outside until the cause of the fires is determined.

IMPORTANT: US probes Mercedes vans for possible unwanted acceleration:
..... U. S. Auto Safety regulators are investigating speed sensor problems with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter full-size vans that could cause unwanted acceleration.
..... The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers about 160,000 Sprinter 2500 and 3500 vans from the 2011 through 2018 model years.
..... The agency says it has 44 complaints of rear wheel speed sensor problems that caused large fluctuations in speed and erratic transmission shifting.

IMPORTANT: Carnival Corporation hacked: guest and worker information accessed:
..... Carnival Corporation says it was the victim of a ransomware attack that likely got some personal information about the cruise company's guests and employees.
..... The attack was first detected Saturday. [08/15/2020] The attack accessed an encrypted portion of technology systems for one of the cruise line's brands and certain data files were downloaded, the company said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
..... Carnival operates Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises. Holland America Lines and other lines.

Announcement
The OVC Release Fraud Alert:
Scammers Target Senior Citizens, Claim to be DOJ

..... The Office of Justice Programs' Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) released a fraud alert after receiving reports regarding a pishing (voice-phishing) scam in which individuals claiming to represent the Department of Justice (DOJ) are contacting private citizens in order to obtain user's personal information. The scam appears to primarily target senior citizens. Those who receive these or similar calls are urged to avoid providing any personal or financial information and to report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) via their website or by calling 877-FTC_HELP (877-382-4357). Fraud can also be reported to the FBI for law enforcement action at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud . The National elder Fraud Hotline is a resource created by OVC for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older. Reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible, and within the first 2 to 3 days, can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. For more information about the hotline, please visit stopeldeerfraud.ovc.opj.gov

Data of 10.6 Million MGM Reports Guests
Has Been Discovered on a Hacker forum

WHAT HAPPEN?
..... Data Security researchers discovered an online database containing the personal information of 10.6 million MGM Reports guests, including celebrities, reporters, government officials, and tech company executives, on a hacker forum. The database is reportedly from a security incident that occurred last summer [2019] in which data was obtained through unauthorized access to a cloud server.

Breached data include:
* Full names
* Dates of birth
* Home addresses
* Phone Numbers
* E-mail addresses

..... MGM reportedly contacted affected guests when the incident was discovered last summer, [2019] however the data has now appeared on well-known hacking forums. MGM has said that the exposed information was old and believes that the breached data is from guest stays from 2017 and earlier. While no payment information or passwords are part of the exposed data, the personal information could be used in phishing attacks, password resets, and other nefarious activities.

Honda hit by cyberattack:
..... Japanese carmaker Honda said Tuesday [06/09/2020] it was hit by a cyberattack that disrupted its business in several countries, though it expects the impact to be contained.
..... The company said there was no breach of data, but that it is working to "minimize the impact and to restore full functionally of production, sales and development activities."
..... "At this point, we see minimal business impact," the company said.
..... Production in Japan is back to normal. after being disrupted Monday [06/08/2020 morning and it is also expected to resume Tuesday [06/09/2020] in North America.
..... Production at Honda's U.K. factory in Swindon has been suspended during the COVID-19 lockdown and the attack is not expected to significantly alter tis plans to resume operations this week.

Healthcare and Public Health Sector Threat Analysis Report

Due to the recent wave of ransomware attacks impacting hospitals and medical centers in New Jersey and around the United States, the NJCCIC updated its Healthcare and Public Health Sector Threat Analysis Report, which includes information on the sector’s cyber risks, cybersecurity considerations, and recommendations.

The NJCCIC assesses with high confidence that the cyber threat and overall risk to the Healthcare and Public Health Sector is high and increasing.

Many critical infrastructure sectors have been increasingly targeted by disruptive cyberattacks as bad actors find new ways to use and monetize data. One such sector affected by the rise in cyberattacks is the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector. The attack surface of the HPH Sector is large and includes medical devices and software and patient records, including Protected Health Information (PHI).

Due to legacy systems and irregular software updates, medical devices remain a viable vector of approach for cybercriminal operations. Historically, healthcare institutions have been perceived as having weak cybersecurity controls, making them desirable targets for threat actors. Unpatched and end-of-life (EOL) operational technology systems and Internet of Things devices, such as office automation equipment, printers, VoIP phones, and networking devices, may be used as initial access points into vulnerable networks or for lateral movement and pivoting. Exploitation of vulnerable medical devices, such as intravenous pumps and ventilators, can adversely impact healthcare facilities’ operational functions, patient safety, data confidentiality, and data integrity. Because this attack vector remains a potential access point and has yet to be exploited, this writing will focus on the theft and exploitation of PHI. However, it is important to address vulnerabilities found within medical devices to avoid potentially catastrophic outcomes for patients relying upon these life-enabling devices. Continue reading . . .

Breach Notification

ZeroedIn Technologies LLC

ZeroedIn Technologies, a data analytics company providing services to clients including Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, disclosed a data breach on November 27. Personally identifiable information (PII) for nearly 2 million people was exposed after hackers gained unauthorized access to systems, and reports indicate that New Jersey residents are among those impacted. While the company determined which systems were affected during the breach, they were unable to confirm which specific files were accessed. Affected systems contained sensitive information, including full names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. ZeroedIn Technologies will provide impacted individuals with guidance on protecting themselves against identity theft and fraud and offer 12 months of credit monitoring and fraud assistance services at no cost.

Beware of Gift Card Scams

It is commonplace for consumers to purchase gift cards as a present, especially for special occasions or the holidays. Threat actors seek to exploit this common task in gift card scams. For example, threat actors initiate fraudulent requests by spoofing a known or trusted person—such as a person in leadership or a position of authority within an organization, a friend, or a loved one—to make the request appear more legitimate. They also create a sense of urgency with a fake story or emergency to convince the recipient to act quickly without verifying. These fraudulent requests may be sent through email, SMS text messages, and social media platforms.

The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of gift card scams from New Jersey citizens and organizations. For example, an employee received an email sent from an external account purportedly from the CEO, who was attending a meeting out of state. The CEO requested their phone number to perform a task. The employee provided their phone number and then communicated through SMS text messages. The request was to purchase two $500 Apple gift cards, to which the victim complied and submitted the back of the gift cards. The request was identified as a scam when the victim was asked for the remaining balances. Continue reading . . .

Mobile Device Risks

According to the Verizon 2023 Mobile Security Index white paper, the number of diverse endpoints is increasing, especially those that are mobile or using mobile connectivity. Mobile devices offer users convenience, connection, control, and content, both personally and professionally. However, they transmit and store data and could be exploited by threat actors to compromise networks, devices, or accounts. Unpatched vulnerabilities in mobile devices increase the risk of compromised devices and cyberattacks. Additionally, mobile devices routinely connected to a home network can have further implications when subsequently connected to corporate networks and may introduce additional vulnerabilities and risks. Therefore, it is vital for users to employ cybersecurity best practices and ensure mobile devices currently in use are properly protected and secured.

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) raises software security awareness and provides quality information regarding risks and vulnerabilities. OWASP posted an initial release of the top 10 mobile risks of 2023, including inadequate supply chain security, insecure authentication/authorization, insecure communication, inadequate privacy controls, and security misconfiguration. These risks are evident in the recent vulnerabilities highlighted below.

Security researchers discovered a credential-stealing vulnerability, dubbed AutoSpill, in the autofill functionality of Android mobile password manager apps. This vulnerability is a concern when both Android calls a login page via WebView and a password manager is used. Affected password managers include 1Password, LastPass, Enpass, Keeper, and Keepass2Android. DashLane and Google Smart Lock are also affected if the credentials are shared via a JavaScript injection method. This vulnerability does not require phishing or malicious in-app code.

Additionally, vulnerabilities in Qualcomm and MediaTek 5G modems, collectively dubbed 5Ghoul, impact many 5G Android and Apple smartphone models, routers, and USB modems. Threat actors do not need the target’s SIM card, as the attack can occur before the NAS authentication step. Therefore, they can impersonate a legitimate 5G base station using known Cell Tower connection parameters and cause temporary service disruptions and network downgrades to the 4G domain, potentially introducing more vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities highlight the implications for mission-critical environments dependent on cellular service.

Furthermore, a Bluetooth authentication bypass vulnerability, CVE-2023-45866, was discovered in the Bluetooth protocol. Threat actors trick Bluetooth devices into pairing with a fake keyboard to connect to Android, Apple, and Linux devices without user confirmation. They can then inject keystrokes to install apps, run malicious code, and more.

Zero-day exploits pose a significant security risk as threat actors take advantage of vulnerabilities in software or apps that may be unknown to the vendor. Threat actors exploit these vulnerabilities before the vendor can release security patches or updates. Zero-day exploits may bypass device security measures, potentially resulting in data theft and exfiltration or the installation of malware.

Threat actors may also employ zero-click attacks, which do not require user interaction, such as opening malicious attachments or links. Instead, zero-click attacks rely on unpatched vulnerabilities in messaging, SMS text messaging, or email apps. These apps allow threat actors to hide manipulated data in text or images to exploit vulnerabilities and execute malicious code without user knowledge.

A critical concern of unpatched vulnerabilities is data leakage, which refers to the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data from an organization to an external recipient. It is typically due to unencrypted connections, weak mobile security settings, or when apps have excessive permissions that permit access and share user data without consent. Data leakage exposes personal or corporate data, which leads to privacy breaches and regulatory implications.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations research reviews and assess the risks of using software, applications, and services. Review permissions and privacy policies, download applications from official trusted sources, and keep apps and devices up to date. Additionally, apply cybersecurity best practices and review the NJCCIC instructional guides and the National Cybersecurity Alliance webpage for configuring privacy and security settings. Please review the User Beware: Your Smartphone Is Tracking Your Every Move, Mobile Device Security, and SIM Swapping Attacks NJCCIC products for additional information on the risks associated with using mobile devices and associated apps, including user tracking, information exposure, and additional recommendations.

The NJCCIC further recommends reviewing and applying the recommendations in the How Big Is Your Footprint? NJCCIC Product to reduce your digital footprint and publicly-accessible information. Personally identifiable information may be accessed or stolen without your knowledge or permission and can be used to commit identity theft, fraud, cyberattacks, and other malicious activity.

Increase in State-Sponsored and State-Aligned Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks attributed to state-sponsored and state-aligned advanced persistent threats (APTs) continue to spike. Recent activity includes Russian threat groups APT 28 and APT 29. APT 28, also known as Fancy Bear and associated with Russia's General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), was discovered leveraging a Microsoft Outlook zero-day identified as CVE-2023-23397 . These campaigns, first identified by Ukrainian cybersecurity analysts, primarily targeted the critical infrastructure of NATO countries and entities that provide an informational advantage in diplomatic, economic, and military affairs. APT 29, also known as Cozy Bear and associated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), was recently observed extensively exploiting CVE-2023-42793, targeting servers hosting JetBrains TeamCity software.

In addition, there has been a notable increase and a change in tactics in cyberattacks launched by Chinese state-aligned threat groups. Nearly two dozen critical infrastructure organizations across the US, including an oil and gas pipeline and a Hawaii-based water utility, were compromised by APTs affiliated with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) within the past 12 months. Notably, Volt Typhoon focuses on targets within the Indo-Pacific region, including Hawaii. CISA’s Executive Director, Brandon Wales, voiced concerns that China’s attempts to compromise US critical infrastructure may be, in part, to pre-position themselves to cause disruption or destruction in the event of a conflict to either prevent the US from projecting power into Asia or to cause misdirection and societal chaos inside the US which may impact decisive action if faced with multiple crises. FBI Director Christopher Wray also recently raised concerns regarding the current threat level, stating that he has “never seen a time where all the threats, or so many of the threats, are all elevated, all at exactly the same time.”

The NJCCIC strongly recommends organizations apply available updates immediately after appropriate testing. Additional mitigation measures include exercising vigilance, using strong passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA). Further recommendations and technical details can be found in the Joint Cybersecurity Advisory and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advisory.

Bank Impersonation Scams

Threat actors continue to research their targets, impersonate trusted entities, and initiate communications through email, phone calls, and SMS text messaging to convince them to take action, such as divulging information or transferring funds. In bank impersonation scams, threat actors seek personal information, account numbers, passwords, and PINs. If threat actors gain access to bank accounts, they can update personal and financial information. Additionally, they can set up fictitious travel notices or memos to spend money outside the normal spending location and evade detection. Furthermore, threat actors will test accounts to see if they are being monitored. If threat actors perform a fraudulent transaction and the activity is not detected, they will perform additional transactions. Despite banks using Early Warning services to help fight bank fraud, bank impersonation scams are increasing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that bank impersonation was the top reported text message scam in 2022, and reports of this scam increased nearly twentyfold since 2019. The most popular choices of major banks used in impersonation scams included Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Chase, and Citibank.

The NJCCIC observed multiple emails sent to New Jersey State employees attempting to lure potential victims with urgent bank account notifications to capture login credentials. In the example above, the email conveys a sense of legitimacy by using stolen Bank of America branding. However, upon further inspection, the display name is spoofed with “Bank of America Alert,” while the sender’s email address of iolevron5886[@]live[.]com is from a Microsoft Live.com account and not from a Bank of America domain. The purported account verification notification warns of temporarily limited account access due to unauthorized login attempts or billing failures.

To regain account access, threat actors convince the target to click one of the highlighted links that, if clicked, directs users to a credential phishing website, hxxp://bank0famericaverifyandvalidatey0urinf0rmati0nsecurely0nlinej[.]wordpress[.]com. This malicious link is part of the WordPress domain, contains a Bank of America reference, and utilizes zeros in place of the letter “o.” Credentials entered on this page are sent to the threat actors in the background.

Threat actors may also target victims in vishing campaigns by posing as bank employees, verifying personal and financial information, and claiming fraudulent activity has occurred on the account. In a recent vishing campaign, threat actors posed as a Wells Fargo Bank representative to verify that the target had opened a bank account and deposited a $1,000 check. When denied by the target, the threat actors further claimed that two pending Zelle payments were using this fraudulent account, and they could not stop the transactions. They advised the target to contact Zelle directly and provided a contact number, which was not verified by the target. The target spoke to the purported Zelle representative, who advised them that they could not cancel the transactions unless the target created a Zelle account. Once suspicions grew, the target contacted the real Wells Fargo fraud department through trusted sources. They were advised that this was indeed a scam since there was no record of a new account or pending transactions.

Image Source: WJLA-TV/Renee Roberson

Another bank impersonation scam involved threat actors making small, intentionally suspicious charges on stolen credit or debit card numbers, triggering a legitimate SMS text message from the target’s bank. To appear more legitimate, the threat actors immediately called the target, impersonating Bank of America and spoofing their phone number. They guided the target through steps to supposedly reverse the charges through their Zelle account. The threat actors convinced the target to perform tasks, such as opening the mobile banking app, creating a new contact, and naming the contact. The target was given a supposed claim number for the charge reversal, and they received a Zelle confirmation text message. However, the purported account number entered was actually a phone number, resulting in additional funds unintentionally being transferred to the threat actors.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. It is highly advised that users refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links, and opening attachments from unknown senders and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If you are unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication – such as by telephone – obtained from trusted sources before taking any action. If correspondence contains requests for account changes or is otherwise suspicious, contact the bank directly before providing sensitive information or funds. Additionally, check accounts regularly, ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on accounts, and treat Zelle like cash payments, sending money to only people you know and trust. Report suspicious activity to the respective bank immediately and the FTC, FBI’s IC3, and the NJCCIC to limit proliferation.

Uptick in TOAD Campaigns

TOAD attack technique. Image source: Proofpoint

The NJCCIC detected a recent uptick in TOAD phishing campaigns that may cause substantial disruption and losses across various organizations. A telephone-oriented attack delivery (TOAD) attack uses various social engineering tactics to build trust and credibility with victims. The attack is perpetuated by threat actors leveraging a combination of business impersonation, phishing emails, and fraudulent call centers. The attacks rely on victims to call the cybercriminal directly using the phone number found in the phishing email. Successful attacks may result in credential theft, malware installation, loss of funds, and ransomware.

The messages used in observed TOAD attacks claim to originate from trusted organizations such as Norton, PayPal, McAfee, or other known companies and may include an attached invoice and details of a supposed bill or transaction fee for services. Once contact is initiated by the potential victim, the fraudulent customer service representative may attempt to obtain account credentials or convince victims to download a malicious program to “fix” a problem or provide remote access to their devices. These phishing emails may bypass email security due to limited indicators within the phishing email and the reliance upon the potential victim to initiate interaction to perpetuate the attack.

The NJCCIC advises against responding to unexpected emails from unverified senders. If a user receives this or similar messaging, contact the associated company by phone using the official phone number found on its website. The NJCCIC also reminds users that legitimate customer support will never request account credentials or unnecessary sensitive information over the phone. Users who have submitted account credentials on a fraudulent website or over the phone are advised to change their password and enable MFA . Additionally, phishing emails and other malicious cyber activity can be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC. Additional information can be found in the Keepnet Labs blog post.

Securing All Your Shiny New Connected Devices

Many people receive connected or Internet of Things (IoT) devices as gifts during the holiday season. These devices may include gaming systems, smart TVs, tablets, home security systems, and internet-capable household items like doorbells, thermostats, and coffee makers. Smart devices have gained widespread popularity due to their convenience and accessibility. Users can control their connected appliances with ease using smartphone apps or websites. However, these devices also store and transmit data, which cyber threat actors could exploit to compromise networks, devices, or accounts. Compromised connected devices combined with vulnerable home routers increase the risk of cyberattacks. Devices routinely connected to a home network, such as a corporate network-connected computer, can fall victim to or introduce additional vulnerabilities and risks, resulting in further implications. Therefore, users must employ cybersecurity best practices for the new gadgets they receive this holiday season and ensure devices and networks are adequately secured. Continue reading…

Verizon Wireless Impersonation Scams

Over the past month, threat actors increased efforts to target Verizon Wireless cellphone subscribers with social engineering tactics, impersonating Verizon Wireless technical support and fraud agents using spoofed Verizon Wireless phone numbers and SMS text messages. For example, threat actors contact the target and claim that the account has been compromised with attempts to purchase phones. Since the account is supposedly on hold due to the account compromise and failed autopayment, they try to convince the target to make a payment through Zelle that, if paid, results in stolen personal information and funds.

In another campaign, the threat actors informed the target that someone had tried to purchase thousands of dollars worth of Verizon merchandise. They advised them to change their password, which gave the threat actors access to the account, including bank account information for autopay. They also claimed they must migrate the account to another platform and issue a charge. Once the target became suspicious, the threat actors threatened to lock their phones. They were successful; however, the real Verizon Wireless was able to reactivate the phones. In a similar campaign, threat actors claimed the target’s account was locked for security purposes and sent the target a temporary password. They further claim they must migrate the phone service to a new platform and that the account is suspended. The target was requested to resubmit two Zelle payments from their bank account to reinstate it, and the threat actors would transfer it immediately into the target’s account.

Threat actors may also claim there is suspicious activity on the account and that someone is trying to add two phone lines to the account. The threat actors advise the target that they need to transfer the phone lines to another platform and assign a new account number, and the target needs to make a payment in the exact amount of the last Verizon Wireless payment, which would be transferred back to the account. Additionally, they claim Verizon Wireless has a new policy of not utilizing or sharing bank or credit card information, instead advising the target to submit payment through Zelle.

In a separate campaign, threat actors notified the target that the account was flagged for suspicious activity as several iPhones were purchased and shipped to multiple addresses, including the home address on file. The threat actors confirmed the addresses and asked if the target made these purchases, who replied no. They claimed they could not stop the shipment because it had already left the warehouse, and the target would be charged for the phones unless returned. The target further replied no and requested to reroute the one package to the home address. The target then received an SMS text message with an authorization code, which was shared with the threat actors.

The NJCCIC assesses with high confidence that threat actors will continue to use social engineering tactics to gain unauthorized access to accounts and commit further malicious activity. The prevalence of data exposed via breaches and information publicly available online highlights the importance of staying vigilant to help prevent successful social engineering attempts, account compromises, identity theft, and fraudulent activity.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. It is highly advised that users refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links, and opening attachments from unknown senders and exercise caution with communications from known senders. If you are unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication – such as by telephone – obtained from trusted sources before taking any action. If correspondence contains requests for account changes or is otherwise suspicious, contact the wireless carrier directly before providing sensitive information or funds. Additionally, check accounts regularly, ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on accounts, and treat Zelle and other peer-to-peer payment apps like cash payments, sending money to only people you know and trust. Report suspicious activity to the respective wireless carrier immediately and the FTC, FBI’s IC3, and the NJCCIC to limit proliferation.

Increase in Cryptocurrency Scams

The NJCCIC has observed increased reports of cryptocurrency scams over the past few weeks, consistent with open-source reporting . The scams begin with a sophisticated phishing attack, often initiated via social media direct messages or posts, and use a crypto wallet-draining technique to target a wide range of blockchain networks. These cryptocurrency stealers are malicious programs or scripts designed to transfer cryptocurrency from victims’ wallets without their consent. Attribution is frequently obfuscated as many of these campaigns are perpetuated by phishing groups that offer wallet-draining scripts in scam-as-a-service operations.

The cybercriminal begins the scam by creating fake AirDrop or phishing campaigns, often promoted on social media or via email, offering free tokens to lure users. The target is directed to a fraudulent website to claim these tokens, which mimics a genuine token distribution platform that requests to connect to their crypto wallet. The target is then enticed to engage with a malicious smart contract , inadvertently granting the cybercriminal access to their funds, which enables token theft without further user interaction. Cybercriminals may use methods like mixers or multiple transfers to obscure their tracks and liquidate the stolen assets. Social engineering tactics in recent campaigns include fake job interviews via LinkedIn, romance scams, and other quick cryptocurrency return promotions offered through various social media platforms.

Image source: ESET H2 Threat Report

According to ESET’s H2 Threat Report, the number of observed cryptocurrency threats decreased by 21 percent in the latter half of 2023; however, a sudden increase in cryptostealer activity was primarily caused by the rise of Lumma Stealer (78.9 percent), a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) infostealer capable of stealing passwords, multi-factor authentication (MFA) data, configuration data, browser cookies, cryptocurrency wallet data, and more. This infostealer was observed spreading via the Discord chat platform and through a recent fake browser update campaign. In this campaign, a compromised website displays a fake notice that a browser update is necessary to access the site. If the update button is clicked, the malicious payload is downloaded, delivering malware such as RedLine, Amadey, or Lumma Stealer to the victim’s machine.

The NJCCIC recommends that users exercise caution when interacting with social media posts, direct messages, texts, or emails that may contain misinformation and refrain from responding to or clicking links delivered in communications from unknown or unverified senders. Additionally, users are strongly encouraged to enable MFA where available, choosing an authentication app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. In the case of credential exposure or theft, MFA will greatly reduce the risk of account compromise. If theft of funds has occurred, victims are urged to report the activity to the FBI’s IC3 immediately, their local FBI field office, and local law enforcement. These scams can also be reported to the NJCCIC and the FTC. Further information and recommendations can be found in the FTC article, the Cryptonews article, and the LinkedIn article.

Cloud Misconfigurations
Pose Risk for Data Exfiltration and Cyberattacks

Cloud environments are rich with sensitive data and have become a prime target for threat actors. They can be large, and the multiple applications, connections, and configurations can be difficult to understand and monitor. Cloud security failures occur due to manual controls—including settings and access privileges—not being set correctly, and organizations have mistakenly exposed applications, network segments, storage, and APIs to the public. This complexity creates a risk of breach, and victims often do not know that their cloud environments have been breached. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, misconfigured cloud infrastructure resulting in data breaches cost an average of $4 million to resolve. Threat actors typically access and exfiltrate data via exploitable misconfigured systems and involve the loss, theft, or compromise of personally identifiable information (PII), which can be used to conduct subsequent cyberattacks.

Recent incidents of misconfigurations highlight cloud security risks and the need for organizations to secure their cloud environments to help prevent data from being mistakenly exposed. For example, researchers discovered a dual privilege escalation chain impacting Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) due to specific misconfigurations in GKE’s FluentBit logging agent and Anthos Service Mesh (ASM). The vulnerabilities in the default configuration of FluentBit, which automatically runs on all clusters, and in the default privileges within ASM were identified. When combined, threat actors can escalate privileges with existing Kubernetes cluster access, enabling data theft, deployment of malicious pods, and disruption of cluster operations.

Additionally, a Japanese game developer, Ateam, having multiple games on Google Play, insecurely configured a Google Drive cloud storage instance to “Anyone on the internet with the link can view” since March 2017. The misconfigured instance contained 1,369 files with personal information, including full names, email addresses, phone numbers, customer management numbers, and terminal (device) identification numbers. Search engines could index this information, making it more accessible to threat actors. Furthermore, the TuneFab converter, used to convert copyrighted music from popular streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, exposed more than 151 million parsed records of users’ private data, such as IP addresses, user IDs, emails, and device info. The exposed data was caused by a MongoDB misconfiguration, resulting in the data becoming passwordless, publicly accessible, and indexed by public IoT search engines.

The NJCCIC advises organizations to secure cloud services properly, remain vigilant with unsolicited and suspicious communications, especially after exposed information, keep systems up to date and apply patches as they become available and after appropriate testing, enable strong endpoint security, enforce cyber hygiene , segment networks, apply the Principle of Least Privilege, encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit, create and test continuity of operations plans (COOPs) and incident response plans, and establish a comprehensive data backup plan that includes performing scheduled backups regularly, keeping an updated copy offline in a separate and secure location, and testing regularly. Organizations are advised to engage in pre-emptive threat hunting, conduct vulnerability scanning and ransomware readiness assessments, and adhere to cybersecurity best practices.

FBI Warns of New Tech Support Scam Targeting Senior Citizens

The FBI recently released a public service announcement, which warned of an uptick in the use of courier services to collect money and valuables from targets of scam activities. In such social engineering attempts, scammers may use a multi-layer approach to impersonate a US Government official, a tech support worker, and an employee of a financial institution to convince potential victims that trusted sources are speaking to them.

In one scheme, threat actors inform victims that their financial accounts have been hacked or are at risk of being hacked and advise them to protect their funds by liquidating their assets, often into gold or other precious metals. Victims are then convinced to meet with a courier at their home or public locations to hand off the requested assets. In some instances, passcodes may be given to the victim to add authenticity to the scam.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from clicking on online pop-up notifications, calling numbers displayed on unverified websites, or sharing personal information such as home addresses and account numbers with an unknown caller. The US Government and other legitimate businesses will not advise liquidating assets to purchase precious metals. If victimized, users are encouraged to report the activity to the FBI IC3 and the NJCCIC.

Sextortion and Romance Scams:
Dodging Cupid’s Malicious Arrow

As Valentine’s Day approaches, threat actors may attempt to prey on individuals seeking companionship or romance. The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of sextortion incidents in which victims are threatened with the release of compromising or sexually explicit photos or videos if they do not pay an extortion demand. Some sextortion threats are not credible, as threat actors are unable to provide proof of such photos or videos. However, there is an increase in reported sextortion incidents in which threat actors pretended to be trusting potential love interests. In several recent incidents, threat actors posed as attractive females to target their victims, build trust, and convince them to send compromising or sexually explicit photos or videos.

Threat actors use social engineering tactics to lure their victims via email, text message, chat, and video chat apps (such as Snapchat, WhatsApp, Skype, and Kik), social media platforms (such as Instagram, Facebook, and Wizz), or dating apps (such as Grindr and Hinge). They may initiate communication through one of these platforms and then move to other platforms. They build trust with their victims and convince them to divulge personal information—such as phone numbers, family members, employers, and social media account information—before threatening to post the photos or videos to the victim’s social media platforms or release them to family members, friends, or employers. They may also threaten to upload explicit photos or videos to various pornographic websites if payment is not made. Extortion payments are typically demanded to be sent via Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, MoneyGram, Bitcoin, Coinbase, or gift cards. Similar to sextortion, threat actors may engage in romance scams by posing as potential love interests and building trust with a victim to establish a relationship quickly. Eventually, they may create a fake emergency and request the victim send money to help. They may also encourage victims to make cryptocurrency investments that turn out to be scams

Sextortion and romance scams continue to be successful as threat actors change tactics to coincide with trends and topics of interest to increase their likelihood of a reward or payout. To help counteract these scams, the New Jersey Senate passed legislation last year to make sextortion a third-degree crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. For victims who are minors or adults with developmental disabilities, the offense would be a second-degree crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $150,000 fine.

The NJCCIC recommends users educate themselves and others on this and similar scams to prevent future victimization. Please review the Beware of Sextortion and Romance Scams NJCCIC product. The NJCCIC also advises against paying ransoms of any kind, as these scams are typically not considered credible threats unless photos or videos are provided. Users are advised to inspect questionable requests for typical indicators of these scams, exercise caution with unsolicited communications, and refrain from providing photos or videos, personally identifiable information (PII), financial information, or funds. Users are encouraged to report cyber incidents via the NJCCIC Cyber Incident Report Form, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website, and their local police department. Users are also advised to report scams or abuse to associated email providers, social media platforms, or dating apps, especially if there is a violation of terms and conditions or acceptable use policies.

Beware of Tax Scams

During tax season, threat actors target taxpayers and their data to file fraudulent tax returns, collect refunds, and engage in other identity theft schemes. Threat actors seek out tax information, including W-2 and personally identifiable information (PII) – such as Social Security numbers (SSNs), dates of birth, bank account or credit card numbers, and driver's license numbers. They rely heavily on social engineering tactics conducted through email, phone, and text messages. These social engineering scams attempt to appear convincing and authentic to trick recipients into disclosing sensitive information, financial data, or credentials for online accounts. If they can steal a target's data and identity, they could also steal their tax refund. For information on common tax scams and recommendations to help protect your identity, data, and tax refunds, continue reading…

From Life Lock & Norton

Data Breach Notification

Data breach exposes American Express credit cards

Why are you receiving this?

A security incident has surfaced. You may or may not have been affected, but as always, we want to make you aware of the incident and remind you that you can take steps to help protect yourself. Check to make sure that you’re responding to LifeLock alerts, updating any software you use, changing your passwords often, and always watching out for phishing attempts.

What happened?

American Express is warning card members of a third-party data breach. Several other companies that use the hacked merchant processor could also be affected. Exposed American Express Card member data includes account numbers, names, and expiration dates. If exploited, cybercriminals can use this information to commit identity theft.

We have your back.

You can feel confident knowing that your membership gives you the tools you need if your information becomes exposed from this incident or others. You’ll get an alert if we detect possible fraudulent use of your information or find it on the dark web. If you become a victim of ID theft, we work to fix it.

Any new info you’d like us to monitor?

Your plan already includes Dark Web Monitoring, so make sure your information is complete and current. Take a moment to add or update information like your email, home address, phone number, credit card numbers, and more. We’ll send you a notification if we detect your personal information on the dark web. In the event this happens, please refer to our dedicated support page.

Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack Highlights Far Reaching Impacts of Cyber Incidents

A ransomware attack impacting Change Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare technology companies in the US, showcases the cascading impacts of a cyberattack. The incident, which occurred on February 21, crippled pharmacies across the nation, including military pharmacies, CVS Health, and Walgreens, causing a significant backlog of unprocessed prescriptions. The pharmacies implemented workarounds to continue to serve patients, though some patients are being asked to pay full price for medications until claims can be processed. In addition, hospitals unable to process claims may be losing millions of dollars per day while Change Healthcare works to recover from the cyberattack. The cyber threat actors behind the attack – ALPHV/BlackCat affiliates – are alleged to have stolen sensitive personal health information (PHI) regarding patients and customers, and threatened to disclose this information if they were not paid the ransom demand. On March 5, a payment of $22 million was made to the ALPHV/BlackCat operators. It is assumed that Change Healthcare initiated this transaction.

The NJCCIC recommends reviewing the recent Cyber Threat Highlight “The Current Threat Landscape of Healthcare” for information on recent targeting of the Healthcare and Public Health sector and mitigation strategies to help reduce cyber risk. Additionally, the This is Security post “Supply Chain Security ” and Cyber Threat Highlight “ Supply Chain: Risks to Users and Organizations Continue” provide users with information on the risks associated with the supply chain and potential cascading impacts of cyberattacks.

Sophisticated Phishing Scheme Impersonating FCC, Cryptocurrency Platforms, and SSOs

Replica of the legitimate Okta SSO page for the targeted organization.
Image Adapted From: Lookout

Researchers discovered a sophisticated phishing scheme of fraudulent URLs, login pages, a sense of urgency and legitimacy, and persistent communication through mobile devices. The phishing kit revealed the creation of replicas of email/single sign-on (SSO) services and various social engineering tactics—such as phishing, vishing, and SMiShing—to impersonate an organization’s customer support, target their employees or users who are primarily in the United States, and deceive them into divulging login credentials, password reset URLs, and photo identifications.

For example, threat actors registered a domain with one character different than the legitimate Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Okta SSO page to create a phishing site. To develop a sense of legitimacy and evade detection of their phishing campaign, they convinced the target to complete a captcha using hCaptcha . Once completed, the replica of the legitimate FCC Okta SSO page loaded to prompt the target to enter their credentials. If entered, the target was sent to a purported loading page to wait while their information was verified. In the background, threat actors monitored the phishing page through an administrative console in real time to steal and use the login credentials. Then, they redirected the target to customized pages depending on the target’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) service, such as an MFA token from an authenticator app or an SMS-based token. Once entered, the threat actors captured the information and attempted to log into the FCC. At the same, the target was directed to any page or a custom page with different scenarios, such as the account being under review and advising to try to log in later at a specified date or time.

Although the phishing kit targets the FCC and impersonates their legitimate SSO page by default, it became more apparent that threat actors can potentially impersonate other organizations and brands, as evident with other discovered impersonation pages of cryptocurrency platforms—such as Binance, Coinbase, and more—and email/SSO services—including AOL, Gmail, iCloud, Okta, Outlook, Twitter, and Yahoo. This scheme seems to have similarities to Scattered Spider, including the impersonation of Okta, domain registrations of organizationname- okta.com, and homoglyph techniques, which leverage fraudulent domain names that appear legitimate due to similar-looking alphabets or characters. However, this attribution is unlikely since there are differences in the phishing kit’s capabilities and command and control (C2) infrastructure.

We recommend that users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links, or opening attachments from unknown senders, exercise caution with communications from known senders, and only submit account credentials on official websites. If unsure of the legitimacy, contact the sender via a separate means of communication, such as by phone, from trusted sources before taking action.

Compromised accounts should be logged out of all devices, and any access tokens should be revoked. The associated password should be reset and MFA enabled, choosing a more secure method (authentication app, biometric, or hardware token) where available. If you suspect your PII has been compromised, please review the Identity Theft and Compromised PII NJCCIC Informational Report for additional recommendations and resources, including credit freezes and enabling MFA on accounts. Additionally, we advise reporting suspicious or fraudulent communications to the respective entity. Impersonation scams and other malicious cyber activity can be reported to the NJCCIC.

2024 Q1 Top Ransomware Trends

The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of ransomware incidents impacting New Jersey private organizations and the public sector. Threat actors primarily targeted critical infrastructure and educational institutions, likely due to budgetary restraints, limited resources, and reliance on third-party vendors. These incidents resulted in financial losses, operational disruptions, and the loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and information systems. For the first quarter of 2024, we review the top ransomware variants reported to the NJCCIC, highlight ransomware trends, and provide recommendations to educate users and organizations to reduce the likelihood of victimization.

For the first quarter of 2024, ransomware incidents reported to the NJCCIC consisted of Akira, LockBit, and Play ransomware. There was a sharp increase in Akira ransomware attacks, particularly after the LockBit ransomware group’s takedown. Akira ransomware operators are known for their sophisticated attacks, especially against US healthcare organizations. However, after the takedown, LockBit quickly relaunched operations to stay active and focused on targeting government agencies and critical infrastructure organizations, including healthcare. Also, cyberattacks targeting ConnectWise ScreenConnect vulnerabilities were linked to both LockBit and Play ransomware. Although existing ransomware groups continue their efforts, new ransomware gangs have initiated operations in 2024.

The top attack vectors for ransomware are phishing, compromising valid accounts, and external remote services. Threat actors are using artificial intelligence at an increased rate to generate targeted and sophisticated phishing campaigns and launch successful, profitable ransomware attacks. They also exploited vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems and networks, as predicted in the mass exploitation of technologies supporting hybrid and remote work and enterprise third-party file transfer solutions, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), cloud-based storage, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) tools.

An example of an initial attack vector in ransomware incidents reported to the NJCCIC was unauthorized remote login access via a VPN service. One of the tactics used was MFA prompt bombing , in which threat actors obtained account credentials and attempted to log in multiple times. They sent an overwhelming number of MFA authentication requests, hoping that the target would be distracted and unintentionally provide access or eventually give in due to fatigue and approve the request. The target could refrain from resisting temptation and approving the multiple notifications. This observed tactic has recently evolved into the threat actors calling the target from a spoofed support number to convince them to initiate a password reset and divulge the one-time password reset code.

Once threat actors gained unauthorized access, they infiltrated the target organization, gained access to internal systems, and moved laterally to other critical systems. Once data was exfiltrated, they encrypted systems and servers, shutting down access to critical services and files containing personally identifiable information (PII) and financial information. Additionally, the ransomware incidents affected onsite backups; therefore, victim organizations had to resort to offsite backups, if available and viable for restoration.

Ransomware remains a prevalent threat as extortion tactics continue and evolve to pressure victim organizations to pay the ransom. Threat actors used extortion tactics, such as denying access to encrypted files, stealing data, and threatening a data breach by posting on public ransomware leak sites or releasing the stolen data to regulators, clients, or patients. The additional tactic of swatting to pressure the victim organization into paying the ransom and gaining media coverage raises public safety concerns.

The NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Remain vigilant, keep systems up to date, apply patches as they become available, enable strong endpoint security, and enforce cyber hygiene. Additionally, implement a defense-in-depth strategy , segment networks, apply the Principle of Least Privilege, enable MFA where available, encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit, use a VPN, create and test continuity of operations plans and incident response plans, and establish a comprehensive data backup plan that includes performing scheduled backups regularly, keeping an updated copy offline in a separate and secure location, and testing regularly. Organizations are advised to develop and enforce robust data protection policies, conduct cybersecurity training for employees, provide transparency about data collection practices, engage in pre-emptive threat hunting, conduct vulnerability scanning and ransomware readiness assessments, and adhere to cybersecurity best practices.

The NJCCIC provides further information and recommendations in the Ransomware: The Current Threat Landscape and the Ransomware: Risk Mitigation Strategies NJCCIC products. We recommend recipients of extortion calls notify their local police department immediately if they are threatened with arrest or a law enforcement response by the caller. Cyber incidents can be reported to the FBI’s IC3 and the NJCCIC.

FTC Reports $1.1 Billion in Losses from
Impersonation Scams in 2023

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report stating that over $1.1 billion in losses from impersonation scams were reported in 2023. The FTC’s report shows that 330,000 incidents were business impersonation scams, and nearly 160,000 were government impersonation scams, accounting for almost half of the frauds reported to the agency. Reports also show an increase in multi-stage impersonation scams where threat actors pose as more than one organization in a single scam. Threat actors may initially begin the scam by posing as an employee of a trusted organization and then transfer the target to someone claiming to be from a bank or government agency to add legitimacy to their scam.

Phone calls are still the top reported initial stage of impersonation scams but have seen a sharp decline compared to 2020. Emails are a close second, followed by text messages, and both have steadily increased in usage over the past few years. The below list of scams accounted for nearly half of the reported 2023 scams.

Copycat Account Security Alerts: Threat actors initiate fraudulent messages of suspicious account activity or unauthorized charges, claiming to be from a trusted organization or bank. They try to persuade their target to transfer funds or move money to a Bitcoin ATM, claiming it will help “protect” their funds.
Phony Subscription Renewals: Users receive a notice claiming that a subscription or account will auto-renew, often claiming the charge will be for a few hundred dollars. Threat actors sometimes try to convince their target to allow them to connect to their computer, making it appear that they “accidentally” refunded too much money to the target. The threat actors demand that the refund be returned, often through the purchase of gift cards.
Fake Giveaways, Discounts, or Money to Claim: Threat actors send a message about a giveaway, discount, or unclaimed money. These messages appear to be sent from organizations, such as internet service providers, retailers, or the Publishers Clearing House. These scams require purchasing gift cards or transferring funds to receive a gift or discount.
Bogus Problems with the Law: Threat actors impersonating government agents contact the target, claiming their identity has been used to commit a serious crime. They offer to help fix the problem, often by having their targets purchase gift cards or transfer funds to Bitcoin ATMs (or “safety lockers”) to protect their funds during the supposed investigation.
Made-up Package Delivery Problems: Threat actors send messages claiming to be from carrier services, stating they are having problems making the delivery. These messages will include a link to the spoofed website of the carrier’s website, which may prompt for credit card or bank account information for a small redelivery fee.

On April 1, the FTC announced a new rule regarding the impersonation of government agencies and businesses. This rule gives the agency more robust tools to fight and deter potential scammers. Due to the new rule, the FTC can file federal court cases seeking money back for victimized consumers and pursue civil penalties against those who violate the rules.

NJCCIC recommends users and organizations educate themselves and others on these continuing threats and tactics to reduce victimization. Users are advised to refrain from responding to unsolicited communications, clicking links, or opening attachments from unknown senders, and exercise caution with communications from known senders. Users are also urged to avoid calling numbers displayed in unverified emails or sharing personal information with unsolicited communications.

We remind users to refrain from complying with requests to purchase gift cards and sending the numbers to someone without first verifying the request via a separate means of communication. The US government and other legitimate businesses will not advise the purchase of gift cards, Bitcoin, or request money transfers. These are unusual requests or demands, typically portraying a sense of urgency, and should be handled with increased suspicion. If victimized, users are encouraged to report scams to the FTC, FBI’s IC3, and the NJCCIC.

Unpaid Road Toll SMiShing Scams

The FBI released a public service announcement warning of an uptick in unpaid road toll SMiShing scams. Since the scams started in early March 2024, over 2,000 complaints have been made to the FBI from at least three states, and it appears to be moving from state to state, including New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. On April 12, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority issued a statement alerting drivers that the scam had begun to target drivers throughout the state.

The fraudulent SMS text messages contain almost identical language, including a similar amount owed for the “outstanding toll amount.” However, threat actors impersonate the target state’s toll service name and change the sender’s phone number and link in the message depending on the state. This social engineering attack appears to be an attempt to trick users into providing personal and financial information.

Recommendations

Avoid clicking links, responding to, or otherwise acting on unsolicited text messages.
Confirm requests from senders via contact information obtained from verified and official sources.
Type official website URLs into browsers manually.
Report SMiShing to the FTC, FBI's IC3, and NJCCIC, and forward the message to 7726 (SPAM).

New DarkGate Campaign

Example of email included in DarkGate Campaign

The NJCCIC observed a DarkGate malware campaign being deployed via malicious software installers embedded in phishing email attachments. Threat actors were also observed exploiting the Windows Defender SmartScreen vulnerability (CVE-2024-21412). DarkGate is a remote access trojan (RAT) within the Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) model, allowing threat actors to purchase and deploy the variant. These emails included Microsoft Excel attachments (.XLSX) that contain an "Open" button image linked to a VBScript on an SMB share. If the image is clicked and warnings are accepted, a remote VBS is executed. The VBS then initiates the download of various files using PowerShell, including a hex-encoded AutoHotkey executable which is decoded to execute DarkGate. DarkGate’s command and control (C2) infrastructure includes irreceiver[.]com and 103[.]114[.]162[.]75.

DarkGate has been known to impact critical infrastructure and is capable of providing remote access, keylogging, sandbox evasion, and deploying subsequent malware in the victim's environment memory. While not necessarily attributed to any one sophisticated threat actor group, the malware has used similar tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to the group 0ktapus, aka Scattered Spider, and has been deployed by TA571, TA577, and the ransomware groups BianLian and BlackBasta.

Recommendations

Avoid clicking links and opening attachments in unsolicited emails.
Confirm requests from senders via contact information obtained from verified and official sources.
Type official website URLs into browsers manually.
Facilitate user awareness training to include these types of phishing-based techniques.
Consider blocking port 445/SMB at the external firewall. In theory, blocking this connection will halt the execution of DarkGate if it cannot download its own install scripts.
If your organization does not use Autohotkey, do not allow this executable to run in the environment.
Maintain robust and up-to-date endpoint detection tools on every endpoint.
Consider leveraging behavior-based detection tools rather than signature-based tools.
This activity can be reported to the FBI's IC3 and NJCCIC.

Ransomware Visit: StopRansomware.gov

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EPA delays new ozone standards - Click Here

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Trump and Hunter Biden are train wrecks - Click Here

Trump's Trials - Click Here

Trump trial in federal election case set for March [2024] - Click Here

Trump denies inflating net worth - Click Here

Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election case - Click Here

Trump continues drumbeat of election lies - Click Here

Biden is 'old,' Trump is 'corrupt' - Click Here

US, China agree to launch talks on export controls - Click Here

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Amazon CEO warns employees of return to office - Click Here

Georgia jail where Trump will be booked is problematic - Click Here

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Giuliani turns himself in on Georgia election charges - Click Here

Trump to surrender at Georgia jail - Click Here

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Sopranos were better at evading RICO than the Donald - Click Here

Trump, allies repeat election lies - Click Here

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Updated criteria for new FBI HQ site announced - Click Here

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GM Energy's new products can help power your home - Click Here

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Supreme Court denies Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness - Click Here - 06/30/2023

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Ford EV battery plants to get sizable loans - Click Here

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Microsoft confirms attacks on servers - Click Here

About 1.5 million lose Million lose Medicaid - Click Here

Booker touts measure to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination - Click Here

Energy CEO wants to build a better battery - Click Here

Amazon's once-reliable cloud business slows Click Here

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Former president pleads not guilty to 37 counts - Click Here

Shadow of Nixon hovers over another ex-president's retreat to NJ - Click Here

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Florida court date for Trump's valet postponed - Click Here

Biden's son to plead guilty in tax case - Click Here

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Company says it can't ensure safety of air bags - Click Here

FTC: Amazon enrolled users into Prime without consent - Click Here

Cases of check fraud escalate dramatically - Click Here

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Windows Copilot lands AI capability on your PC - Click Here

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FBI director Wray may be held in contempt of Congress - Click Here

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Mar-a-Lago probe shows signs of winding down - Click Here

Poll: Biden weak on economy, guns - Click Here

Postal workers conned by cyber scam are irate - Click Here

FDA approves nasal spray to reverse opioid overdoses - Click Here

Lawmakers seek to put AM radios in every vehicle - Click Here

Suits vs. gun industry face hurdles - Click Here

Vice Media files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Click Here

Durham: FBI's Trump-Russia probe flawed - Click Here

Twitter's account purge includes deceased users - Click Here

Durham report details 'flawed' probe - Click Here

Case involving abortion pill moves to appeals court - Click Here

Not enough progress made to curb inflation - Click Here

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Feds: Abortion denial in emergency illegal - Click Here

New Jersey's MVC starts offering vehicle registration display on digital platforms - Click Here

Garden State Plaza implements chaperon rule - Click Here - New Jersey

Surveillance law's future unclear - Click Here

Group calling for end to watch-list - Click Here

US, Mexico agree on tighter border policies - Click Here

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Ocean temps shockingly high, experts say - Click Here

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Bed Bath & Beyond bankruptcy saddens shoppers - Click Here

GM, Samsung plan new EV battery cell factory in US - Click Here

Appeals court says Pence can testify - Click Here

Immigrants are easing worker shortage - Click Here

Biden: 'We're making real progress' - Click Here

Census considers ending question about ancestry - Click Here

US officials seek to crack down on harmful AI products - Click Here

Firearm detections on the rise in airports - Click Here

Lawyer: Proud Boys leader is scapegoat - Click Here

We must protect the First Amendment from threats - Click Here

Commonsense fixes to gun violence in US - Click Here

Fox parts ways with Carlson - Click Here

Fox hosts avoid Carlson's name after his ouster - Click Here

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House passes trans athlete ban for girls; women's teams Click Here

Supreme court won't block $6B debt relief settlement - Click Here

Menendez urges fix for State Department's passport delays - Click Here

Appeals court halts GOP questioning of Pomerantz - Click Here

Poll: NY least of Trump's troubles - Click Here

High court holds off on abortion pill ruling - Click Here

Judge: House GOP can question ex-prosecutor - Click Here

2 accused as secret Chinese police in NY - Click Here

Trump forum a test for CNN, Collins - Click Here

Anti-abortion group aligns with Trump - Click Here

China says US claims of police"groundless' - Click Here

Biden signs order to boost child care access - Click Here

Tax breaks lure clean tech companies to US - Click Here

Abortion pill federal court rulings muddy the debate - Click Here

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Morning-after-style pill seen as tool to fight rising STDs. -Click Here

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Bragg sues House leader over inquiry - Click Here

Ex-president answering question in fraud lawsuit - Click Here

TikTok scrutinizing continues - Click Here

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Congress confronts limits of gun law - Click Here

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Parents needs a digital-age reboot, say some New Jersey mental health doctors - Click Here

Potential TikTok ban stirs up passions among users - Click Here

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Prosecutors rest in Proud Boys trial - Click Here

Data: Women outnumbered as execs - Click Here

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More Americans dying in childhood - Click Here

EPA to limit 'forever chemicals' in water - Click Here

Call and Response - Click Here - In New Jersey

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EV charging network gets $2.5B add equity - Click Here

Panel subpoenas files of Hunter Biden's associates - Click Here

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'Forgotten Middle' - Click Here

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China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory - Click Here

Justices put student loan forgiveness to test - Click Here

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NJ consumers lost $231 million to fraud last year, [2022] FTC reports says - Click Here

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Jewish community vigilant as group pushes 'hate' - Click Here

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DOJ giving states $231M for gun violence prevention programs - Click Here

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Asian Americans discuss what it's like to live in US, New Jersey - Click Here

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4 Oath Keepers convicted of seditious conspiracy - Click Here

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Amazon adding new drug program to its offerings - Click Here

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Brian's Legacy - Click Here

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Court keeps immigration limits in place indefinitely - Click Here

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US court rejects maintaining Title 42 - Click Here

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HBCU files complaint, seeks review of bus search - Click Here

New legislation puts greater restrictions on toy guns in NY - Click Here

COP27 concludes with no progress on emission cuts - Click Here

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40 states settle Google location-tracking charges - Click Here

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Supreme Court rejects hearing another bump stock ban case - Click Here

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CDC softens guidelines for prescribing opioids - Click Here

CVS, Walgreens announce opioid settlements of $10B - Click Here

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Justice take up affirmative action cases - Click Here

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Chinese officers changed in plot to obstruct US Huawei probe - Click Here

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EPA awarding nearly $1B for electric school buses - Click Her e

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Delta invests $60M in air taxi developer - Click Here

Judge halts key parts of NY's new gun law - Click Here

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CVS to buy home-health provider Signify for $8B - Click Here

Juul to pay nearly $440M to settle states' teen vaping probe - Click Here

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ALS drug gets second review at FDA meeting - Click Here

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LG, Honda to set up US joint venture to make EV batteries - Click Here

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Drugmaker Teva latest to settle opioid lawsuits nationally - Click Here

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FTC looking at rules to corral tech firms' data collection - Click Here

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Biden announces modest climate actions, pledges more to come - Click Here

Social media influencers change how you dine out - Click Here

Many question value of college in America - Click Here

House OKs bill to protect contraception - Click Here

AP-NORC poll: Majority in US want legal abortion - Click Here

Experts warn domestic violence is major concern - Click Here

House passes same-sex marriage bill - Click Here

Battle lines from over drug price curbs - Click Here

4 the future? - Click Here

Study: rich nations caused climate harm to poorer ones - Click Here

Docs 'must offer abortion if mother's life at risk - Click Here

BA.5 makes up majority of state's COVID cases - Click Here - www.covid.gov/tests

LGBTQ hate abounds on social media, report says - Click Here

Democrats stress security as computer chips bill stalls - Click Here

Biden celebrates of new gun law clouded - Click Here

FDA to weigh birth control sold without prescriptions - Click Here

House panel looking into extremist ties - Click Here

'Buy now, pay later? One missed payment could mean costly debt - Click Here

The Internet could help or hurt women who are seeking abortion - Click Here

Women of color will be impacted by Roe ruling - Click Here

Courts move puts Senate back in play - Click Here

Abortion ban could affect OB-GYN training - Click Here

High court's abortion ruling sets off new court fights - Click Here

Supreme Court sides with coach who sought to pray after game - Click Here

Poll: Many won't rely on virtual options in future - Click Here

Judge's ruling favors opioid distributors - Click Here

Adoption is not a panacea - Click Here

Biden signs landmarked gun bill - Click Here

Gun ruling could right racial wrong - Click Here

Join our pledge to Democracy - Click Here - www.teamdemocracy.org

'Chaos of emotions' fills Capitol after historic rulings - Click Here

'Let My People in' - Click Here

US to issue monkeypox vaccine as NJ reports 4 probable cases - Click Here

FDA bans Juul vaping products - Click Here

Supreme Court strikes New York gun law - Click Here

Bipartisan gun bill on road to passage - Click Here

NOTICE: The Supreme Court struck down New York State Strict Gun Laws

Senators Compromise on gun bill - Click Here

Dining changes: Restaurants say robot waiters to stay - Click Here

Justices: Religious schools can get aid - Click Here

Internet Explorer finally sent to dustbin of software history - Click Here

Body armor rules miss vest worn by alleged NY shooter - Click Here

Supreme Court rejects Bayer bid to stop Roundup lawsuits - Click Here

Kellogg to split into 3 separate companies - Click Here

Governors form task force to address mass shootings - Click Here

Panel releases video supporting Sherrill's claim - Click Here

Judge: New York's lawsuit against NRA can move forward - Click Here

Police: Capitol tour on January 5, 2021, wasn't suspicious - Click Here

Court rejects Trump-era finding weed killer is safe - Click Here

House OKs security boost for justices and families - Click Here

Group of senators makes deal on gun legislation - Click Here

Don't let your first car be a $30K mistake - Click Here

House approves 'red flag' gun bill, but its fate is dim - Click Here

No, you're not imagining it - package sizes are shrinking - Click Here

Activists say cyber agency weakens voting tech advisory - Click Here

Wray: FBI blocked cyberattack on children's hospital - Click Here

US sees heightened threat of domestic extremism - Click Here

Senator seek broad oversight of crypto - Click Here

Some cancer patients can skip treatment, 2 studies show - Click Here

Proud Boys documentarian to be among January 6 witnesses - Click Here

Warning signs can show potential mass shooter - Click Here

Canada to cap handgun market with a new law - Click Here

Axon halts plans for Taser-equipped drone - Click Here

Biden appeals for tougher gun laws - Click Here

Putin-linked elites, yachts, aircraft and firms targeted for new sanctions - Click Here

Shooting victims testify before Congress - Click Here

Will Congress now act on guns? - Click Here

Senate GOP blocks terrorism bill - Click Here

Gunfire at schools at record high in US, research shows - Click Here

Biden signs new policing order - Click Here

Massacre extends Texas' grim run of shootings - Click Here

Protect unborn but don't help poor - this is valuable life? - Click Here

I'm the mom I an because I chose an abortion at 19 - Click Here

House pases domestic terrorism bill - Click Here

Advertising may be rough for social media - Click Here

Hepatitis cases in US, Canada could be linked to strawberries - Click Here

Biden see change for gun limits - Click Here

Biden seeks to boost solar panel production in the US - Click Here

Meta to reveal how its sites' ads target users - Click Here

House passes gas 'price gouging' bill - Click Here

How to avoid crypto 'rug pulls' - Click Here

Congress seeks to help computer chip industry - Click Here

Internet provider join Biden's discount plan - Click Here

Women's health bill failed in Senate - Click Here

Face-scanner Clearview agrees to limits in court settlement - Click Here

Why Asian women are shut out of leadership at American's top companies - Click Here

Social platforms too slow to pull shooting videos? - Click Here

What does 'community policing' even mean? - Click Here

Kick-start your Online clothing resale gig - Click Here

8 steps to break the credit card debt cycle - Click Here

Court emphasizes preliminary opinion is not the final word - Click Here

Rare leak comes in a case of the highest magnitude - Click Here

Anti-abortion groups look ahead to further moves - Click Here

Highly contagious avian flu kills millions of birds - Click Here

Justices tackle high school prayer case - Click Here

Biden makes lynching a federal hate crime - Click Here

Biden expected to release rule on ghost guns in days - Click Here

Biden rule takes aim at ghost guns - Click Here

Biden suspending 10% ethanol rule - Click Here Not Linked!!

Environmental advisers: Justice40 action needed - Click Here

HUD works to remove barriers to housing - Click Here

The Great Resignation not so great - Click Here

Confirmed - Click Here

Many US urban areas will become rural under new criteria - Click Here

Face scanner Clearview AI aims to branch out beyond police - Click Here

A financial checklist to quit your job - Click Here

Worker bring anxiety, question back to office - Click Here

Senate approves bill making daylight saving time permanent - Click Here

US has done away with time changes before - Click Here

After-school programs need staff - Click Here

Biden's China 'pivot' complicated by Russia - Click Here

House votes to further restrict Russian trade - Click Here

Poll: Americans doubt police reform - Click Here

Amazon's voice assistant Alexa to start seeking doctor help - Click Here

Congress OKs Postal Service overhaul - Click Here

Did Amazon violate laws? Lawmakers ask for probe - Click Here

Biden outlines plan, says it's time to return to normal - Click Here

Cyberattacks accompany Russian assault - Click Here

US ends asylum restrictions for children traveling alone - Click Here

Software automates hiring process - Click Here

Study: Human activity near rivers can worsen drought and flooding - Click Here

Uber is adding fuel fee to bills amid rising gas prices - Click Here

High court narrows reach of law on career criminals owning guns - Click Here

Congress passes Emmett Till bill to make lynching hate crime - Click Here

Supreme Court takes on clash over immigration rule - Click Here

FDA clears first smartphone app to deliver insulin doses - Click Here

Senators: CIA has data stash on Americans - Click Here

No-knick warrants face intense scrutiny - Click Here

Advocates cite chronic fatigue danger - Click Here

Over half of US abortions now done with pills - Click Here

Can marijuana really prevent COVID-19? various federal rules complicate research - Click Here

Gun control groups press Biden over ongoing deaths - Click Here

Proud Boys leader indicted in riot - Click Here

Texas suing Meta over sue of facial recognition - Click Here

Does vaccination status matter to singles? - Click Here

White House releases report bolstering unionization - Click Here

Hard thresholds dropped in new opioid guidance - Click Here

News Corp reports hack; link to China suspected - Click Here

Travel groups want to scrap testing requirements to enter US - Click Here

SAT exam going digital, cutting down test time - Click Here

How to start a one-person business - Click Here

White House scientist apologizes for behavior - Click Here

Have a seat - Click Here - located on route in North Brunswick NJ

EPA: New mail-delivery fleet needs more electric vehicles - Click Here

Senate panel advances step to curb tech giants' power - Click Here

Biden issues 'road map' for infrastructure goals - Click Here

States divided on abortion limits - Click Here

States weigh 'bounties' after abortion ruling - Click Here

Is working remotely an option for good? - Click Here

How to prepare for your Zoom interview - Click Here

How to start a one-person business - Click Here

Would you relocate for $10K? Should you? - Click Here

US to give teenage semi drivers a try - Click Here

High court to hear case of Christian flag in Boston - Click Here

Voting bill facing defeat from within - Click Here

For Oath Keepers and founder, January 6 was weeks in making - Click Here

Oath Keeper leader to remain jailed, judge order - Click Here

Dems pivot to fight for voting bills - Click Here

Rising cost hampering small businesses - Click Here

Biden team regroups after defeat in court - Click Here

New COVID variant no cause for alarm, experts say - Click Here

Artificial intelligence can help us avoid future power outages - Click Here

Get skills, not bills, with an unpaid internship - Click Here

New rules on lead in drinking water on way - Click Here

NSO Group spyware used to hack State employees - Click Here

Debate over adoption as alternative renewed - Click Here

Is your company secretly monitoring your work at home? - Click Here

Nissan investing in electric vehicles - Click Here

FTC and 23 states oppose hospital merger - Click Here

FDA: Merck COVID pill effective - Click Here

NYC aims to be 1st to rein in AI hiring tools - Click Here

Biden seeks balance on immigration - Click Here

Women left workforce; will they ever come back? - Click Here

Disability advocates demand reform - Click Here

DOJ continues court battles for voting rights - HOME

High court unlikely to add Puerto Rico to SSI program - Click Here

Democrats push for paid family leave - Click Here

Dems' social, climate bill passes House - Click Here

Microsoft: Russian-backed hackers targeting cloud services - Click Here

Cyberattacks are concerning to most Americans, poll finds - Click Here

Robots hit the streets as demand for food delivery grows - Click Here

Democrats confident methane fee will stay - Click Here

Data of over 40 million exposed in T-Mobile breach - Click Here

What to know about Indigenous Peoples' Day - Click Here

Justices side with police in excessive force cases - Click Here

FDA OKs first e-cigarette, cites benefit for smokers - Click Here

Apple delays plan to scan iPhones for abuse images - Click Here

Facebook puts development of Instagram for kids on hold - Click Here

How to help our daughters cope with toxic images on Instagram - Click Here

Facebook accused of hiding dangers - Click Here

Fixing Facebook - Click

Facebook failed to rid site of sex trafficking - Click Here

State attorneys general probing Instagram's effect on kids - Click Here

Supreme Court set to hear surveillance case - Click Here

Supreme Court allows evictions to resume - Click Here - to read more!

Fate of citizenship for 'Dreamers' rests with 1 - Click Here

Part-time - and no commitment - Click Here

Patriotism, Freedom - Click Here

Court: 18-year-olds can't be denied handguns - Click Here

Bill to protect judiciary back before Congress - Click Here

Judge orders end to DACA program - Click Here

Return on investments - Click Here

Software hack caused by China, US and allies say - Click Here

Chinese banks promise to step up cryptocurrency ban - Click Here

US gives asylum-seekers waiting in Mexico another shot - Click Here

Reason to celebrate - Click Here Juneteenth National holiday.

Leaders: China brings 'systemic challenges' - Click Here

High Court will not review men-only draft registration law - Click Here

Get serious on cybersecurity - Click Here

Many Americans want to keep teleworking - Click Here

Learning to adapt - Click Here

Biden signs latest anti-hate crime bill - Click Here

Streaming services want to stop password sharing -Click Here

Feds to study social media for conspiracies - Click Here

'Geek Squad' email scam targets seniors - Click Here

House passes sweeping voting rights bill - Click Here

3 things to know if you're new to gig work - Click Here

Monoclonal Miracle? - Click Here

Biden's team vows action against cyberhack as threats to the US persist - Click Here

How to spot fake Online shop sites - Click Here

Aid plan to end 'surprise' bills - Click Here

Who needs to commute? - Click Here

IMPORTANT: Administration must take new DACA applications - Click Here

It's time to secure your home network - Click Here

How to launch a business product and get some sales - Click Here

Google ad costs irks small businesses - Click Here

California court says Uber, Lyft drivers are employees - Click Here

5 industries you might consider for investments - Click Here

Dunkin' Donuts in talks to go private with Arby's owner - Click Here

Safe or Scary? - Click Here

IMPORTANT: US bans TikTok, WeChat from phone app stores - Click Here

Justice Department seeks immediate ban on WeChat downloads in the US - Click Here

LinkedIn looking more like Facebook - Click Here

Steroids confirmed to help virus patients - Click Here

Steps for becoming a work-at-home pro - Click Here

Can you trust your mobile payment app? - Click Here

T-Mobile revels new initiative to help block robocalls - Click Here

Facebook knocks Apple's app-store policies - Click Here

4 experts tips to get hired from home - Click Here

Clair's and Icing Websites Compromised to Steal Payment Data - Click Here

Scammers Use Recycled Extortion Tactics in New Campaign - Click Here

Online Shopping and Cyber security - Click Here

Can't find what you need on Amazon? - Click Here

Governor bobbleehads will support frontline workers - Click Here - store.bobbleheadhall.com

Smoking, Vaping could worsen virus symptoms - Click Here

Supreme Court upholds ban on robocalls - Click Here

Tax/Scams/Consumer Alerts - Click Here to read more information.

Personal Information of 5 million Marriott Customers Breached - Click Here

NJ gun law stands, as high court refuse appeal - Click Here

Public restrooms getting redesign - Click Here

GOP senators crafts bill that would put restrictions on use of chokeholds - Click Here

GOP bill would discourage chokeholds - Click Here

Dems: GOP police bill 'not salvageable,' demand talks - Click Here

Poll: Most want major police reforms - Click Here

Split Congress stalls on police reform plan - Click Here

LGBTQ workers get win in high court - Click Here

Quaker Oats retiring 131-year-old Aunt Jemima brand - Click Here

For grocery delivery, add extra fees to list - Click Here

Hyundia begins developing 'walking car' - Click Here