Malware targeting bank accounts on computers tends to decrease, while on mobile, it increases 3.6 times.
A report published by security firm Kaspersky shows that 2024 will see a decrease in the number of PC users affected by financial malware, from 312,453 in 2023 to 199,204.
In financial attacks targeting PCs, the target of cybercriminals also shifts from online banking services to cryptocurrency assets. Among them, the most popular banking trojans in 2024 include ClipBanker (62.9%), Grandoreiro (17.1%), CliptoShuffler (9.5%), and BitStealer (1.3%).
"Among them, Grandoreiro is a sophisticated trojan that attacked 1,700 banks and 276 cryptocurrency wallets in 45 countries and territories in 2024," the report emphasized.
In contrast to the trend on PCs, banking trojans have seen a sharp increase on mobile devices.
The security firm's report shows that the number of users facing banking trojans on mobile devices has increased 3.6 times compared to 2023, from 69,200 to 247,949, with a particularly sharp increase in the second half of the year.
Among the threat actors, Mamont was recorded as the most popular trojan family, accounting for 36.7% of all detections. The forms of software distribution are assessed to be relatively diverse, from simple scams to complex social engineering campaigns, such as using fake shopping store applications and order tracking applications.
"Financial fraud is escalating in both volume and sophistication, creating large-scale attacks targeting users," said Olga Svistunova, senior web content analyst at Kaspersky.
According to her, the trend of using smartphones for financial transactions makes users an easy target for cybercriminals. This could lead to financial fraud becoming "more personalized and targeted, focusing on exploiting loopholes in everyday technology usage habits".
Brand impersonation is the most common way to commit fraud..
According to experts, fraudsters are "increasingly skillful in using fake brands and services" to steal data, and this is also a method commonly recorded in many countries, including Vietnam.
Kaspersky statistics show that the banking sector has become the most targeted sector in financial fraud, accounting for 42.6% of the total number of cases, compared to 38.5% in 2023.
Several brands in the retail, technology, entertainment, and payment systems sectors have also become impersonated. Of these, Amazon Online Shopping was the most impersonated in fraud campaigns targeting online shoppers, accounting for 33.2%, along with Apple, Alibaba, Netflix, PayPal, and MasterCard.
Previously, a report conducted by Viettel Cyber Security Company (VCS) in Vietnam in 2024 also showed that financial fraud and brand counterfeiting are becoming more complex. More than 4,000 fraudulent domains were recorded, down 30% compared to 2023, but the number of fake pages and unauthorized use of brands tripled to nearly 1,200 pages.
"High-tech criminals use AI to create a series of fake emails and websites. The financial and banking industry is still the most targeted sector, accounting for 71% of all attacks," the VCS report stated.
To prevent threats, experts recommend that users always enable multi-factor authentication and use strong, unique passwords for each account; do not click on links from suspicious messages; always double-check the website address before entering login information or bank card details; and install reliable security software that can detect and block malware.