Credit Card Stealing Malware Targets UK Christmas Shoppers

It’s being reported that hackers have been using credit card stealing malware to infect popular retailers such as Zara just as the Christmas shopping craze begins. Cybersecurity firms have confirmed that hackers have recently been using the notorious Zeus Panda Trojan to target UK-based shoppers getting ready for the festive season. Once hackers inject the Zeus Panda Trojan or any of its variants into its target, the hackers can steal a retailer’s customer credit card information. IT security experts are commented below.

Tim Helming, Director of Product Management at DomainTools:

“As with so many scams, this one typically originates with a phishing lure. The attackers–who, according to DomainTools data, have set up large numbers of scam domains–set up URLs that look legitimate at a glance. People who visit these URLs or who open malicious attachments in phishing emails silently download a piece of malware that then steals financial information such as credit card numbers and bank login credentials. This serves as a reminder that shoppers need to be ever-vigilant against phishing emails; this time of year, many of those emails imitate shipping delivery notices and other seasonal content. However, it’s also worth remembering that phishing is a year-round problem.”

Eyal Benishti, CEO and Founder at IRONSCALES: 

“This scam is yet another example which illustrates the increasing popularity of spoofing and impersonation techniques in phishing campaigns. By utilising these techniques, fraudsters make it difficult for end users to spot what, and who, is the real deal- and who is not. When these techniques are executed well, cybercriminals can get their hands on individuals’ personal details, and use them to exploit them in a variety of nefarious ways; this is, of course, not confined to personal information- if a scam such as this falls into the inbox of an employee, then an entire organisation could be put at risk.

It is important never to click the link provided in emails, and definitely do not give up your personal or financial details- if you are even the slightest bit unsure, contact the apparent sender over the phone, and ask for advice. Legitimate companies or Government bodies, like HMRC, will never ask for details such as this- being vigilant could save you from becoming a victim.

In addition to this, businesses must work to prevent and help their users spot and correctly act upon emails such as these, before they unfold into a large scale cybersecurity incident, which could compromise the entire organisation. To spot the anomalies common in spoofing and impersonation techniques, user behaviour analysis and mailbox level detection, and utilising context based mail alerts, which, by allowing quick reporting via an augmented email experience, will help users make smarter decisions.”