Subj : Scammers are targeting plastic surgery clinics with extortion sca
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Thu Oct 19 2023 20:45:06

Scammers are targeting plastic surgery clinics with extortion scams

Date:
Thu, 19 Oct 2023 19:23:38 +0000

Description:
Plastic surgeons and their patients are having their sensitive data - 
including intimate photos - taken.

FULL STORY
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Cybercriminals are targeting plastic surgery offices with ransomware , and 
are using stolen sensitive information to pressure the businesses into paying 
the ransom demands. Organizations and their workers are urged to tighten up 
on cybersecurity, work on their privacy on the internet, and be vigilant when 
getting email and social media messages. 

This warning was given out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
earlier this week, BleepingComputer reported. 

As per the FBIs warning, hackers are calling plastic surgery offices on the 
phone and inquiring about active email addresses. Then, they reach out via 
email, trying to trick the workers into downloading and running ransomware. 
After that, theyd use the access to steal sensitive information, personally 
identifiable data , but also sensitive medical records which, in some cases, 
include intimate photos. Peer pressure 

Then, they would pair this information with other data on the victims, 
available elsewhere on the internet. That can include information on social 
media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and similar. 

The final step is to reach out to plastic surgeons and patients, threatening 
to release the data online unless they pay an extortion demand. In some 
cases, the attackers would send the information to close relatives or 
friends, to exert even more pressure on the victim. 

In a statement given to BleepingComputer , the American Board of Plastic 
Surgery said it was actively working with the FBI on this. As the FBI is the 
prime investigator, the Board cannot comment on the extent of those affected 
at this time, it said. 

The FBIs warning also comes with a few suggestions on how to stay safe. The 
law enforcement agency advised plastic surgeons to configure their social 
media profiles for maximum privacy and carefully analyze who they have in 
their friends/followers list. Having strong, regularly updated passwords is 
also a recommendation, as well as monitoring bank accounts and credit 
reports. More from TechRadar Pro Phishing threats have hit a new high in 2023 
Here's a list of the best firewalls today These are the best privacy tools 
around



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/scammers-are-targeting-plastic-surgery-
clinics-with-extortion-scams


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