The White-Collar Crime Department of the law firm Musat & Asociatii, having a wide expertise in cybersecurity and in providing legal assistance and representation in complex cases involving cyber fraud, informs its clients and the general public about a newly emerging method of smishing (phishing via mobile phone messaging) in virtual space., which involves perpetrators targeting messaging and calling platform accounts (e.g. WhatsApp) with the intent of compromising and cloning them to commit various crimes.
We bring to your attention certain aspects of the latest cyberattack methods that have recently emerged in the public sphere, e.g. a new smishing campaign that involves sending WhatsApp users a message urging them to vote for a particular person to win a certain prize. An example message is: "Please support Ana, my cousin, in her school contest! She could win a year of free tuition, and a vote from you would mean a lot. Thank you very much! (link)".
In reality, upon completing the so-called “vote”, the user unknowingly grants access to their WhatsApp account, which is then used by perpetrators to compromise other accounts or solicit money.
This is just one recent example of smishing campaigns currently in practice, with other methods still in use, such as the accident scheme, the 1800 scam and the pay per click scheme (or the pay for likes on certain platforms).
These types of fraud, regardless of their specific method, tend to intensify during periods of economic, political and social uncertainty. At present, these attacks are targeting both large corporations, but also highly vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, people form disadvantaged backgrounds or those with limited technical knowledge.
Musat & Asociatii has extensive experience in assisting both corporate and individual clients in various types of fraud cases, including: (i) the largest “CEO Fraud” case in Romania; (ii) cyberattacks disrupting online video streaming platforms; (iii) frauds involving individuals through the theft of cryptocurrency from their electronic wallets; (iv) the compromise of bank account and credit card data; (v) scams requiring the payment of nonexistent fees to claim substantial prizes, among many others.
In this regard, a series of steps should be followed in the event of such cyberattacks in order to eliminate or decrease the negative effects caused by the attackers.
If the attackers manage to gain access to bank accounts or credit card details, the first step should be to contact the bank and immediately block the compromised accounts and cards, take all necessary measures to safeguard the funds in the accounts and cancel any fraudulent transactions resulting from the cyberattack.
In the case of the recently observed smishing fraud, if the user still has access to his WhatsApp account, it is recommended to go to Settings, select “Linked devices”, remove any unknown devices from the list and enable two-step verification (2FA) if this hasn’t been done already.
If the user loses access to his account, he needs to contact WhatsApp Help Center and follow the necessary steps for account recovery.
Once the account is regained and secured access to, it is advisable to send a message to individuals who may have received unsolicited messages from the attackers using this account, to prevent them from falling victim as well.
In case of financial losses, the user should report the incident, as soon as possible, to law enforcement authorities, such as the police or public prosecutors’ office, as well as to DNSC (the National Cyber Security Directorate).
Additionally, we strongly recommend consulting specialized legal professionals for guidance and assistance in addressing or mitigating the consequences of cyberattacks like those described above.
By Stefan Diaconescu, Partner, and Florian Negurici, Associate, Musat & Asociatii
