After Ruining Microsoft's Reputation, Tech Support Scammers Now Go After Apple

[SillyBilly299]

Content source

http://news.softpedia.com/news/after-ruining-microsoft-s-reputation-tech-support-scammers-now-go-after-apple-495172.shtml

Tech support scams have been around for years, and in almost all cases, they have been targeting Windows users, fooling them into paying for support software or services victims don't necessarily need.

As Macs has become more and more popular, scammers have been slowly turning their attention towards a whole new area of revenue, and as Malwarebytes has recently reported, they haven't been shy at all, with "fraudulent warnings for Mac getting extremely common."

One of the most recently observed campaigns targets the Apple Remote Access service located at ara.apple.com, which allows Mac users to request tech support from Apple-certified staff by entering a session key generated locally on their computer and granting the company's employees remote access to their computer.

As Malwarebytes' staff is reporting, fraudsters have registered a similar-looking domain at ara-apple.com, to which they're redirecting victims of various scareware and malvertising campaigns.

Once users land on this fake website, they're asked to buy all sorts of remote support programs that "Apple's" technicians will use to debug their Mac.

The danger is doubled by the fact that the payment page is not even protected by an HTTPS connection, allowing other attackers to sniff out payment details.

This particular site is obviously part of a big tech support scam operation, which targets users of all colors, filters them by the browser's user agent string, and sends them to scam pages based on their underlying OS.

 

[soccer97]

This is bad. Less people have a Mac, but it at one point was "Macs don't really need AV software". W/o that, you wouldn't know if you had a virus. Remember Flashback? I hope they catch them.

 

[KokoKid]

This is really bad. People who buy Macs already are dumb ($2000 laptop when you can build your own PC with same specs for $1400) but they are the really gullible here. Most kids at school still think the "Macs can't get viruses" route, imagine if millions of Windows Users got attacked, millions more Mac users will get attacked as well. It just stinks.

 

[hjlbx]

No one is needed to ruin M$ SpyNet's reputation - the M$ crew does a great job of doing it all by themselves.

 

[Ink]

This is really bad. People who buy Macs already are dumb ($2000 laptop when you can build your own PC with same specs for $1400) but they are the really gullible here.

You know what's bad? Comments like yours, so I'll argue that you're completely wrong. (And $1400 vs $2000 means nothing, when you do not know the reasons for buying a Mac).

 

[Secondmineboy]

This is really bad. People who buy Macs already are dumb ($2000 laptop when you can build your own PC with same specs for $1400) but they are the really gullible here. Most kids at school still think the "Macs can't get viruses" route, imagine if millions of Windows Users got attacked, millions more Mac users will get attacked as well. It just stinks.

You have to think about that Apple puts alot of self developed parts in which take money. Also Apple is using alot good materials which cost money. Their products are enviromental friendly as well.

All of this costs money plus the fact that Apple wants to earn something as well.

 

[KokoKid]

You know what's bad? Comments like yours, so I'll argue that you're completely wrong. (And $1400 vs $2000 means nothing, when you do not know the reasons for buying a Mac).

What are the reasons of buying a Mac? $1000 to browse facebook and watch a few movies?

 

[Secondmineboy]

What are the reasons of buying a Mac? $1000 to browse facebook and watch a few movies?

OK, thats nonsense. But theres a 700 Bucks Mac Mini available too

Or you can stick with Windows or take an old PC and put Linux on it

 

[KokoKid]

What else can you do on a mac?

 

[CMLew]

What are the reasons of buying a Mac? $1000 to browse facebook and watch a few movies?

I would say majority of the photographers (especially those professional photographers), they are somehow preferred to use Macbook. I did ask them why. Most of them mentioned is that the laptop screen that make them desired to have one.

 

[KokoKid]

I would say majority of the photographers (especially those professional photographers), they are somehow preferred to use Macbook. I did ask them why. Most of them mentioned is that the laptop screen that make them desired to have one.

I see. Mac comes with a great photography app, correct?

 

[CMLew]

I see. Mac comes with a great photography app, correct?

Their Aperture software is good though. Comparable to ADOBE Lightroom. In any case if I were to have extra $$ to spare, I wouldn't hesitate to get a Macbook.

 

[Chromatinfish 123]

What are the reasons of buying a Mac? $1000 to browse facebook and watch a few movies?

I bought a mac specifically so I could see OS X, its limitations, its benefits, and dig into the OS. Not because I wanted to browse Facebook (I don't even have a Facebook account ).

I would, however, agree that a mac computer is not worthwhile to spend money on for just light internet usage and things like that. However, I would argue that macs are more durable and will last longer than a cheap $500 Plastic walmart computer.

I'm not an apple fanboy or whatever. In fact, I much prefer windows over OS X. I do believe that Apple products are sometimes overpriced and are not as versatile as windows counterparts. However, neither of them win out over Linux, with its extreme flexibility.

Now Back On Topic, this Tech Support Scammers I believe will harm more OS X users as they might be more gullible. Not me- I know better than to call a non-apple.com support company! However, to see how bad they are at tricking people watch this video. The Malwarebytes person speaking first listens to them, then rats them out. It's a good way of seeing their tactics and not get tricked.


Get some popcorn too while on the way

 

[jamescv7]

Well as you purchased any laptops either Mac or Windows nothing is 'dumb'. It needs an education to be aware on those classy/revolutionary tactics.

 

[KokoKid]

sorry I've been a bit biased ;-;

 

[soccer97]

This is really bad. People who buy Macs already are dumb ($2000 laptop when you can build your own PC with same specs for $1400) but they are the really gullible here. Most kids at school still think the "Macs can't get viruses" route, imagine if millions of Windows Users got attacked, millions more Mac users will get attacked as well. It just stinks.

I hear this from my brother, despite me being in school for InfoSec. Sometimes, I just gave up. I would hate for him to end up clicking on a wrong link/drive-by-download.

There was Flashback that scared people, I foresee OX X and iOS being target in the next year. Isn't Sophos decent protection?

Another valuable hint of advice (Off-topic) is to disable Outlook's preview functionality during widespread attacks involving Microsoft Office Documents.