Microsoft Office’s weakest security threat and people are still falling for it 

Published August 19, 2022
Author: Ash Khan

Microsoft Office’s weakest security threat and people are still falling for it 

Published August 19, 2022
Author: Ash Khan

Apparently, people are sending malware-infected USBs over the mail and some recipients are falling for it. Seriously though?

Many cybersecurity assaults are highly developed, well-planned schemes that seek to exploit victims through skillful programming and virus distribution. However, sometimes crooks just want to follow the old ways. They say old is Gold and these crooks are just confirming it.

A new scam has been discovered that involves mailing a USB flash drive through the mail in the expectation that naïve victims would plug it in.

The USB port appears to have contained a version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus, but it contains scamming software. When plugged in on a computer, it leads the unsuspecting victims into dialing a bogus support line and providing bank information.

Microsoft Office USB

A specialist from cybersecurity company Atheniem, reported that the shipped packages included an authentic-looking Microsoft Office engraved USB drive and product key.

He reported that his mother had informed him about the delivery to a retired friend’s home. This man was in the process of “installing” whatever was on the USB drive, which had led him to phone a support line, which was requesting his personal information.

In this situation, after inserting the USB drive, a warning message displayed, advising the user to phone a toll-free number to have the virus removed. However, this routed the victim to the crooks, who pretended to delete the “virus” before attempting to finish the membership process by obtaining the victim’s financial information.

Microsoft has verified that the shipments are fake, and the scam is becoming increasingly widespread as crooks seek new methods to swindle people.

The company claims to be dedicated to assisting in the protection of its customers. They are taking necessary steps to remove suspected unauthorized or counterfeit items from the market.

The software giant reassured all users that their software and products would never be sent as unsolicited shipments.

At this point, it should be considered that though the technology is advancing day by day there is an information gap due to which people are still unaware of such practices. Tech sectors should focus more on the dissemination of information to the public instead of just advancements in the field for a few.