The weeks in review

25.03.2025 - We regularly receive reports of ticket fraud, and with ticket sales for this year’s open-air season and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest about to begin, the number of scams is likely to increase in the coming weeks. Scammers take advantage of the fact that demand for tickets outstrips supply: they resell tickets at inflated prices, sell counterfeit tickets and put fake ads on the internet. In an unusual and frequently reported scam, they try to lure their victims to a fake website. Exercise caution and don’t let scammers fool you.

18.03.2025 - Over the past week, we have seen a number of chain phishing attempts targeting Microsoft 365 accounts in organisations. The aim of these attacks is to gain access to accounts in order to steal sensitive data that can be used for further attacks. What makes this type of phishing scam unique is the way that it spreads, in a kind of chain reaction. As one of the most widely used platforms for communication and collaboration in offices, Microsoft 365 accounts are an interesting target for cybercriminals.

11.03.2025 - Last week we received a report about what appeared to be a dodgy car owner enquiry website – but a check of the website revealed no irregularities and we found the site to be legitimate. However, the person who submitted the report did incur unwanted costs.

04.03.2025 - In several of our weekly reviews we have reported on cyberattacks on hotels and their guests. In the last few days we have received a number of fraud reports from hotel guests. In most cases, the cyberattackers had gained access to a hotel's reservation information.

25.02.2025 - Phishing continues to be one of the most commonly reported scams – and unfortunately one that many people fall victim to. Scammers go to great lengths to make their messages look as real as possible, using a variety of tricks to increase their chances of success.

18.02.2025 - When using the internet today, you often come across scam websites that were designed to look like official news or TV sites. The scammers claim that you can make a fortune if you invest a little of your money with them, and they quote celebrities in fake interviews to give themselves credibility. These scam sites are just a click away and are promoted through ads and links on social media, streaming sites and elsewhere.

11.02.2025 - Criminals are using an interesting scam to lure unsuspecting victims into calling a fake PayPal number. All they need is a PayPal account and a free service provided by Microsoft.

04.02.2025 - Classified ad websites are a convenient way to sell things. However, as well as legitimate sellers, these websites are full of scammers who are always trying new tricks to get money or information from unsuspecting users. Classified ad phishing is a particularly insidious scam: scammers set up fake websites that look like courier services or the Swiss Post to trick users into giving up their login or credit card details.

28.01.2025 - Finding a new home is often stressful, and scammers take advantage of this. They post fake rental listings and make dubious offers, with the aim of getting unsuspecting people to send them money before they have even seen the property. The NCSC has been receiving an increasing number of reports of attempted scams involving property listings.

21.01.2025 - Recently we have seen an increase in calls from purported banks about alleged security problems or fake invoices from various service providers. What is special about these cases is that the victims are not tricked into clicking on a link, but into calling a number. Phone calls allow scammers to better engage with victims and keep them on the line – this extra effort is likely to be worthwhile as it increases the scammers’ chances of success. Last week, the crypto trading platform Binance was the focus of scam attempts.

14.01.2025 - Now that you have made your New Year's resolutions for 2025, we are happy to add a few tips to help you get through the year in good shape from a cybersecurity perspective. In many cases, following a few basic principles will protect you from phishing attempts and other forms of fraud.

07.01.2025 - Unfortunately, as the popularity of cryptocurrencies has grown, so has the number of crypto scams. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly insidious. For example, scammers are using AI to create scam websites, social media profiles, and even videos that look deceptively real. In the first weekly review of the year, we look at a case involving a supposed crypto expert who was promoting software on YouTube that promised huge profits through AI-driven trading. Instead of the advertised software, however, victims unknowingly downloaded malware.

31.12.2024 - In our final weekly review of the year, we take a look back on the around 63,000 reports of cyber incidents we received over the past twelve months. Once again, scams involving threatening phone calls purporting to be from the police stood out: this type of scam accounted for more than a third of all reports this year. This and other types of scams are featured in this week’s review. Cybercriminals are working across all channels, calling people on the phone, sending emails, text messages and letters, and even pasting fake QR codes over real ones. We would like to thank all of you for the valuable information and reports you have provided to help us better assess the situation in cyberspace and provide early warning to potential victims.

24.12.2024 - The song "All I want for Christmas is you" is almost impossible to avoid during the festive season. Avoiding phishing and other scams can be just as difficult, as scammers try to trick you in a variety of ways. For them,"All I want for Christmas is your money" is the motto at this time of year.

17.12.2024 - As a business, you send emails to your customers all the time: project enquiries and processing, order placement, payment and delivery terms – a lot of things happen through this communication channel. It takes little effort for scammers to exploit this, but the damage to the victim can be enormous. A very interesting case of this happening was recently reported to us.