- Nov 3, 2019
- 413
Some fraudsters have set up a scam site claiming to be for a data protection fund created by the U.S. Federal Trading Commission (FTC) to offer financial compensation to users whose personal data appeared in information leaks.
This is a reinterpretation of the classic advance-fee scam where the victim makes a small payment inebriated by the promise of getting a much larger sum in return.
Despite posing as a site associated with the FTC, this money-making scheme accepts victims from any country and offers to sell "temporary social security numbers (SSNs)" to those that don't have one.
Bait: cash for data leak victims
Named "Official Personal Data Protection Fund," the website promises to pay users of any geography if their personal data was used by an unauthorized third party.
A fake verification service can help users find out if their data ever leaked. The results of the check dictate if the user is entitled to compensation and the exact value.
This "verification" requires some personal data, though. At least the name (first and last) and phone number are required for the check to begin.
There are three specific sources to choose from - social networks, messengers, and ad networks, and details for the selected one are also needed.
This is a reinterpretation of the classic advance-fee scam where the victim makes a small payment inebriated by the promise of getting a much larger sum in return.
Despite posing as a site associated with the FTC, this money-making scheme accepts victims from any country and offers to sell "temporary social security numbers (SSNs)" to those that don't have one.
Bait: cash for data leak victims
Named "Official Personal Data Protection Fund," the website promises to pay users of any geography if their personal data was used by an unauthorized third party.
A fake verification service can help users find out if their data ever leaked. The results of the check dictate if the user is entitled to compensation and the exact value.
This "verification" requires some personal data, though. At least the name (first and last) and phone number are required for the check to begin.
There are three specific sources to choose from - social networks, messengers, and ad networks, and details for the selected one are also needed.
