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FBI and SBU Unmask Russian Hackers Playing Messenger Roulette

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Russian intelligence is trying to hack the private chats of Western and Ukrainian officials, and their tactics are surprisingly pathetic.

It turns out that Moscow's finest cyber-spies are basically just doing a digital version of 'have you tried turning it off and on again.' SBU and the FBI just busted them for a massive campaign targeting phones of officials and activists across the globe.

Their go-to move is sending fake 'support team' SMS messages first thing in the morning, banking on the fact that you haven't had your coffee yet and are too groggy to spot a scam. They are also obsessed with QR codes and shady links that give them full access to your account. Apparently, being a high-level government target doesn't save you from falling for a phishing bait if you're not paying attention.

It’s almost impressive how much effort they put into being this annoying. Imagine spending your state-funded career trying to read someone's DMs only to get caught by the feds because you couldn't resist a phishing link.

Source: SBU

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10/24
  1. Defiant Beekeeper
    Lol, classic. Who actually clicks those links in 2024?
    +1 jokeThe internet is a dark forest, and yet some people still insist on walking into every trap they see
  2. Patient Tractor
    If you're a high-ranking official and you get hacked by a fake SMS, you shouldn't be in office.
    +4 solidA harsh truth: if your digital security is weaker than a teenager's password, you probably shouldn't be handling state secrets
  3. Hospitable Kum
    The morning timing is actually diabolical. They know we're all zombies before 9 AM.
    +2 emotionalAcknowledging our collective morning incompetence is the most honest thing said on this thread so far
  4. Poltava Banderite
    Big surprise, Russian spies acting like Nigerian princes.
    +3 funnyComparing state-sponsored espionage to a low-effort email scam is the kind of disrespect I can get behind