2023-09-12 13:54:59
Understand how Pharming works; sophisticated and highly dangerous fraud for e-commerces and users
A fraudulent tactic used by criminals, phishing has e-commerce as one of its main targets, as they deal with users’ sensitive information – including credit card data. As the success of the tactic depends on the ability to convince people to take action, the methods applied are increasingly sophisticated. But there is another danger lurking and much more difficult to detect: pharming.
“The modus operandi of phishing is very clear. The cybercriminal sends an email or text message similar to an e-commerce communication, requesting a registration update or an exclusive offer, directing you to click on a link. The customer is redirected to a fake website, created to be a faithful copy of the original. If you do not notice the fraud, you expose your personal information and become a victim of phishing, and may be harmed by fraudulent transactions. Digital ads can also be instruments affected by pharming, due to the lack of platform verification”, explains Vinícius Gallafrio, CEO of MadeinWebIT and digital transformation provider.
Fraud complexity
The scheme, however, is even more complex and well structured, especially when we talk about pharming, which can be considered the most dangerous form of online fraud, after all, it does not depend on the direct action of a user. The activity is so perverse that it manipulates the internet infrastructure in the DNS (Domain Name System). Once corrupted, criminals automatically redirect users from a legitimate website to a fake website, even when the correct URL is entered. Thus, they capture personal information and automatically install malware on the computer of whoever accessed it.
Data from research institutes
To get an idea of the size of the problem, research by Redbelt Security revealed impressive facts: on the internet, there are specific spaces selling fake page layouts, both from e-commerces and financial institutions – even videos were found on YouTube offering for values between R$200.00 and R$3,000.00, some with accommodation included. Furthermore, around 15 fake e-commerce website domains are registered every day in the country and these are used to carry out scams.
According to Gallafrio, the consequences are already there…Between January and August 2022, almost 13 million fraud attempts were recorded in Brazilian e-commerce, according to the Fraud Census, from Konduto, an anti-fraud vertical for online payments from Boa Vista, analytical intelligence and credit assessment company. This resulted in around R$6.8 billion in losses being avoided.
Important protections against pharming
“E-commerces must protect customers by implementing two-factor authentication, applying spam filters and threat detection systems, constantly monitoring the network and activity logs, in addition to regularly updating software and security systems. security. When we talk about such nefarious activities, investing in advanced protocols is extremely important to intercept those with bad intentions. Finally, it must also provide user awareness tools so that they are able to identify attacks”, concludes the CEO of MadeinWeb.
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