"Refund and Invoice Scams Surge in Q4"

Researchers at Avast have recently warned consumers to be on their guard after revealing an increase in scams using phishing emails and vishing fraud to steal their money.  The researchers recorded an increase in refund and invoice fraud of 14% between October and November 2022 and then a further rise of 22% in December.  The researchers noted that refund fraud covers a broad range of possible scenarios, including fraudulent emails alerting users that they have been charged twice for the service or product.  These emails also contain links for users to request a refund, or alternatively, a phone number is provided for users to call fake support.  Once on the phone, the scam agent will try to persuade the victim to download remote access software and open their bank account so they can "see the refund in process." However, the real goal is to drain that account of funds.  The researchers stated that invoice fraud is more one-dimensional in that mainly businesses are sent bills for items they never ordered.  The researchers noted that the scam succeeds mostly because the invoices look legitimate and unsuspecting employees don't look closely to see it's not real.  They simply make the payment thinking someone else in their company placed the order.  The researchers also noted a large uptick in tech support scams in the final two months of 2022.  The researchers claimed the risk of UK consumers experiencing such scams increased by 11% in Q4 versus the previous quarter.

Infosecurity reports: "Refund and Invoice Scams Surge in Q4"