Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Cybersecurity researchers have unmasked a novel ad fraud scheme that has been found to leverage search engine poisoning (SEO) techniques and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content to push deceptive news stories into Google's Discover feed and trick users into enabling persistent browser notifications that lead to scareware and financial scams

PLUS: Unpatched Ivanti boxes under attack; 0APT might not be a scam; AI gets better at helping cyber-scum; And more Infosec In Brief An unknown attacker accessed the French government’s database listing every bank account in the country and made off with 1.2 million records.…

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned that cybercriminals are impersonating financial institutions with an aim to steal money or sensitive information to facilitate account takeover (ATO) fraud schemes

Ping Identity and Ameris Bank on Stopping Fraud Without Alienating Legitimate UsersIn the latest "Proof of Concept," Rich Keith, director of product and solutions marketing at Ping Identity, and Todd Smith, senior vice president of customer IAM at Bank Ameris, joined ISMG editors to discuss how AI-based fraud is breaking trust models faster than many systems can adapt.

XML-Based Messaging Tech Extends Fraud Detection Into Wider Bank Use CasesACI's signals network intelligence harnesses neural networks and federated machine learning to spot fraud in real time without banks sharing data. Beyond fraud detection, its insights can drive business growth from other business units, and ACI aims to accelerate adoption by making it open source.

ACI Worldwide's Signals Network Intelligence Technology Promises to Fight APP ScamsReal-time payments are set to boost global GDP by $285.8 billion and bring 167 million people into the financial system by 2028. ACI Worldwide says real-time fraud prevention is key to protecting these gains.

Instagram ads impersonating financial institutions like Bank of Montreal (BMO) and EQ Bank (Equitable Bank) are being used to target Canadian consumers with phishing scams and investment fraud. Some ads use AI-powered deepfake videos in an attempt to collect your personal information, while others drive traffic to phishing pages. [...]

Instagram ads impersonating financial institutions like Bank of Montreal (BMO) and EQ Bank (Equitable Bank) are being used to target Canadian consumers with phishing scams and investment fraud. Some ads use AI-powered deepfake videos in an attempt to collect your personal information, while others drive traffic to phishing pages. [...]

Instagram ads impersonating financial institutions like Bank of Montreal (BMO) and EQ Bank (Equitable Bank) are being used to target Canadian consumers with phishing scams and investment fraud. Some ads use AI-powered deepfake videos in an attempt to collect your personal information, while others drive traffic to phishing pages. [...]

FIs Must Invest in AI-Fueled Behavioral Biometrics to Go Beyond Static CredentialsScammers are increasingly turning to account takeover fraud, as financial institutions ramp up their defenses. Instead of luring victims into making authorized transactions, cybercriminals are bypassing them altogether, hijacking their digital identities and draining accounts from within.

At-Bay Cyber Insurance Claims Report Finds 83% of Financial Fraud Starts With EmailFinancial fraud remains the leading driver of cyberinsurance claims, with 83% of cases traced back to email-based attacks. Common tactics used to deceive employees include wiring funds to fraudulent accounts, generative AI-crafted emails, executive and vendor impersonation and BEC scams.

Emerging Vendors, Consolidation Drive Innovation in Fraud, AML, Scam PreventionAs cybercriminals exploit AI-generated deepfake scams and synthetic identity fraud, financial institutions are investing heavily in fraud detection, anti-money laundering solutions and identity verification to stay ahead. This demand is driving consolidation in the market.

Alterya's AI-Powered Data Will Combat Scams Across Traditional Financial EcosystemsAlterya's AI agents now power Chainalysis' fraud prevention, integrating off-chain data sources like Venmo and Zelle with blockchain analytics. This acquisition marks a significant step in detecting and stopping scams earlier in the fraud cycle, said CEO Jonathan Levin.

Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new kind of investment scam that leverages a combination of social media malvertising, company-branded posts, and artificial intelligence (AI) powered video testimonials featuring famous personalities, ultimately leading to financial and data loss

Researchers have shown that it's possible to abuse OpenAI's real-time voice API for ChatGPT-4o, an advanced LLM chatbot, to conduct financial scams with low to moderate success rates. [...]

Academics Build AI Agent With OpenAI to Execute Phone Scams at ScaleHackers can use OpenAI's real-time voice API to carry out for less than a dollar deepfake scams involving voice impersonations of government officials or bank employees to swindle victims, said researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Banks Using AI to Spot Fraud, Create Synthetic Data for Better Predictive AnalyticsWhile the criminals may have an advantage in the AI race, banks and other financial services firms are responding with heightened awareness and vigilance, and a growing number of organizations are exploring AI tools to improve fraud detection and response to AI-driven scams.

GoldPickaxe Malware Can Record User’s Face - Use Video to Commit Deepfake ScamsA Chinese-speaking cybercrime group with the codename GoldFactory has built a new Android and iOS banking Trojan, GoldPickaxe, that can harvest and steal personal details, including biometric face profiles, that attackers use to create AI-driven deepfakes to fool bank defenses, researchers warn.

A consumer finance journalist and television personality took to Twitter to warn his followers about advertisements using his name and face to scam victims.