Technology company Yahoo topped the list of the most “phished” brands in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, according to a report from Check Point Research (CPR)
CPR’s Brand Phishing Report for Q4 2022 highlighted that Yahoo was the most impersonated brand for phishing attacks in that quarter, accounting for 20% of all attempts during that period.
Merriam-Webster defines phishing as “the practice of tricking Internet users (as through the use of deceptive email messages or websites) into revealing personal or confidential information which can then be used illicitly.”
The second and third-most phished brands were DHL and Microsoft. Below are the top brands ranked by their overall appearance in brand phishing attempts:
- Yahoo (20%)
- DHL (16%)
- Microsoft (11%)
- Google (5.8%)
- LinkedIn (5.7%)
- WeTransfer (5.3%)
- Netflix (4.4%)
- FedEx (2.5%)
- HSBC (2.3%)
- WhatsApp (2.2%)
CPR found that cyber criminals were distributing emails telling the target that they had won prize money organized by Yahoo, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It then asked the recipient to send their personal information and bank details, claiming to transfer the winning prize money to the account.
The email also contained a warning that the target must not tell people about winning the prize because of legal issues.
