Scammers target new students by hijacking legitimate US university emails
- Stolen .edu accounts spread fake job offers and gift card scams
- Victims deposit fake $1,000 checks, then buy scammers gift cards
- Proofpoint linked operators to Nigeria through IP logging investigations
Cybercriminals from Nigeria are targeting college students in the West with an advance fee fraud (AFF) scam tricking them into giving away hundreds of dollars.
Security researchers Proofpoint discovered the campaign, which aims to get gullible students to buy gift cards with their own money and send them to the scammers.
We don’t know how many people fell victim, or for how long the operation has been going, but Proofpoint believes it knows why the scammers are targeting primarily college students.
What is the scam?
“Younger students may have less experience with email correspondence and are new to engaging with potential work or money-making opportunities; alumni may still have active email accounts, but may not use them frequently, providing an...
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