Cybersecurity
Scammers Pose as Political Activists to Play on Partisan Divide
- Phishing effort found in July impersonated MoveOn organizers
- More than 500 fake websites tried ripping off victims
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Hackers are exploiting the partisan divide in the US to lure Americans into clicking on phishing emails, according to new research.
An “extensive and coordinated” phishing campaign was identified in July and August in which the hackers sent emails that impersonated the progressive advocacy group MoveOn. One of those emails asked recipients, “Will you sign the petition to demand that Fox News address and STOP racism and sexism in their election reporting against Kamala Harris.” A link in the emails redirected would-be respondents to a website associated with a malware dubbed “SocGholish,” according to a report from the cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest.