ByDavey Winder,
Senior Contributor.
In what some people have called the most dangerous week on the internet, with Black Friday sales due to end on December 2, you may well be fed up with the cybersecurity warnings. But seasonal threats to online shoppers are just one of the dangers facing all internet users, all year round. When the feds, be that in the form of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warning of smartphone spyware attacks, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation itself issuing a security advisory as hackers impersonate the Internet Crime Complaint Center, you need to be extra alert. As is the case now that the FBI has warned of a relatively rudimentary hacking threat with devastating consequences. Ignore this advice and risk your bank account being drained of all funds.
Cybersecurity threats targeting users of online financial institutions are as old as most of those institutions themselves. Whether it is PayPal in the hacker crosshairs, Bitcoin wallets, or even more traditional banking services, the dangers are plentiful and potentially devastating. No more so than those as outlined in FBI public service advisory number I-112525-PSA.
Since January 2025, the FBI has confirmed that more than $262 million has been lost to attackers participating in the subject of this advisory: financial account takeover fraud. And that’s just from the 5,100 attacks that were reported to the IC3 site. The actual figure is likely to be much, much higher. Of course, whether you have $500 or $5 million in your bank account, if a hacker steals it all, it will be just as impactful on your life. Perspective is everything. Well, not quite, preparation and awareness should be included in that sweeping statement.
