Online impersonation is a deceptive technique that fraudsters employ to manipulate people on different digital platforms requiring them to share their sensitive information. Online impersonation comes in various forms from asking people to share their personal information by pretending to be contacted by banks or legitimate authorities to emotional manipulation. malicious actors employ phishing, social engineering, and spoofing attempts to conduct impersonation.
To effectively address the rapid widespread of impersonation crime, individuals and organizations must be aware of the trending types of impersonation attacks. Fighting cyberattacks have become more daunting than ever before as technology has made it seamless for a scammer to fulfill their illicit goals.
There are numerous types of online impersonation attacks, evolving with each passing day, however, 7 most common types are briefly expanded here
- Deep fake Impersonation
The term deep fake is a fusion of two words ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake media’, and refers to synthetic media where someone else’s information is employed to create a highly realistic image or video, appearing highly authentic. Employing artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms, deep fake technology is fabricating ultra-realistic identities that even dodge advanced authentication solutions. Fraudsters integrate deep fake technology to create an identity that is indistinguishable from real IDs and deceive people by exploiting others’ IDs.
- Email Impersonation Attacks
Email impersonation refers to a deceptive act where scammers send emails containing malicious that often direct users to websites containing malware. Fraudsters impersonate close acquaintances or colleagues and send emails that seem to be highly authentic. The emails appear ultra-authenticate and individuals fall victim to the deceptive trap of fraudsters. Asking for sensitive information or bank details could be the most obvious purpose for email impersonation attacks. It may also refer to employing social engineering tactics asking for wire transfers or potential transactions.
- Man-in-the-middle Attack
Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks to an intercepting tactic where fraudsters try to steal important information or data when two individuals or parties are having important communications. MITM can be accomplished by using HTTPS or TLS/SSL connection. Often weak and unsecured Wi-Fi connections are also exploited to acquire sensitive information. It’s challenging to spot MITM attacks, as fraudsters leave no traces behind to be detected. However, using secure Wi-Fi connections and employing a strong HTPPS website can essentially a pivotal role in addressing this type of attack.
- Business Email Compromise
Impersonation attacks are highly sophisticated and targeted and victims become unable to differentiate between real and fake identities. Business email compromise (BEC) often involves a type of impersonation attack that potentially targets a business. BEC is often considered a type of email-based social engineering tactic and the main motivation behind BEC is to steal a large amount of data to use the acquired information for multiple means.
- Account Takeover (ATO)
ATO fraud refers to a deceptive technique where scammers substantially get access to a victim’s account credentials. The compromised account may include social media accounts, bank accounts, e-commerce, or online shopping accounts. Fraudsters exploit the account for multiple purposes such as to conduct wire transfers, perform potential transactions, damage reputational image, and revenge. Fighting with this type of impersonation is somehow unchallenging and quite effortless. Using strong passwords for all digital accounts and continuously monitoring accounts could be beneficial to tackling ATO fraud.
- Catfishing
The term might be novel to hear but the deceptive method behind catfishing is quite familiar and common. You must have listened to emotional manipulation and romance scams. Catfishing is the manipulative cyber technique leveraged by scammers to exploit sensitive and emotionally weak people. It was first introduced in 2010 Scammers use someone else’s identity or social media account to develop intimate relationships online and manipulatively ask for personal information like photos or other sensitive data. The acquired data is often used to harass vulnerable people and badly affect the psychological well-being of individuals. The people getting trapped in this impersonation, find it hard to trust anyone again, raising a sense of mistrust and betrayal.
- Username Impersonation
This digital era which brought the whole world closer has also exposed individuals and their IDs at stake. Creating a digital account where one can use any user name or username with no to minimum verification process, is as easy as searching YouTube for your favorite video. Username impersonation occurs when someone with criminal or unethical motivations uses someone’s name or username using digital footprints.
This impersonation can be motivated by various means including fraudulent activities, defaming targeted entities, harassment, and in extreme cases accessing someone’s personal or authorized information. Apart from being a form of identity theft and fraud, this impersonation is a clear violation of digital privacy rules and laws, which needs to be addressed through vigilant verification processes.
Conclusion
With the alarming rate at which online impersonation is evolving and leaving potential consequences for the victims, it’s crucial to mitigate the crime effectively. Staying informed about updated trends of online impersonation attacks, using strong & secure Wi-Fi connections, confirming the legitimacy of sources asking for personal information, and implementing effective biometric authentication systems are efficacious strategies to address this unethical activity.