Tech support scammers target Microsoft users with fake Office 365 USB sticks

guest · Aug 19, 2022

Criminals are hijacking PCs by mailing out fake Microsoft Office USB sticks
There's no such thing as a free lunch
August 18, 2022

In brief: Readers of this site will know that one of the golden rules in life is never to use an unsolicited USB stick that arrives in the mail, even when it's inside convincing Microsoft Office packaging and engraved with the Office logo. Criminals have been using the trick to scam unsuspecting victims in the UK who believed they were sent the expensive piece of software by mistake.

The baiting attack is a more elaborate version of the traditional email phishing version in which millions of people receive messages with links to supposedly free software, often one of Microsoft's suite of programs, but they are actually downloading malware onto their device.
Click to expand...

While mailing an engraved USB stick inside fake Office Professional Plus packaging to random people might cost a lot more than email phishing, recipients are more likely to be fooled into thinking it's the real deal, convinced they were sent the $439 item by mistake.

Sky News reports that the storage device does not contain Microsoft Office, of course.
Click to expand...

Victims who plug the drive into their machines are met with a warning informing them that their system is infected with a virus, and the only way of removing it is to call the included toll-free number.

After making the call, the person on the other end of the line explains to the victim that they need to install a program to rid themselves of the virus. This is a type of remote access program (RAT) that grants the scammer complete control of the computer.
Click to expand...

Malwarebytes: Tech support scammers target Microsoft users with fake Office 365 USB sticks

Well, Microsoft is now issuing a warning related to a recent scam riding on the coat-tails of their branding. Criminals are producing very slickly designed physical boxes made to look like Microsoft products. The boxes say “Microsoft Office Professional Plus” on the front, along with “product key inside - no disc” at the bottom.

Opening the box reveals a solitary USB stick and a product key. This is about to go as horribly wrong as you'd expect.
Click to expand...

Sadly, people expecting a freebie Office Professional Plus do not receive what they were expecting. What actually happens is victims see a popup for a fake tech support line. Phoning the number is a short step to handing over remote control to the scammers.
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Tech support scammers target Microsoft users with fake Office 365 USB sticks

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

Tech support scammers target Microsoft users with fake Office 365 USB sticks

guest Guest

Useful Searches