Kamel Ibrahim answered the phone to hear that his Abu Dhabi-based bank had discovered foreign transactions on his credit card in the United States and Ireland.
“A large amount of money on two different accounts had been charged,” he said. The first purchase was at an Apple store in the US amounting to US$6,000 while the attempted Irish transaction totalled $4,000. “How they got my personal information, I’m not so sure. I had only used my credit card twice online through a hotel reservation website,” he said.
While Mr Ibrahim’s debit card remained in tact, it was his credit card that had been remotely hijacked.
He tried to figure out how his information had been obtained. The bank’s call centre agent had suggested that hackers had software that does nothing but generate numbers in a sequence to guess a valid card identity.
While these generating tools do exist, they are outdated and rarely used, according to Candid Wueest, Symantec’s Security Research expert. “These are not really used anymore as you need a card’s expiry date, CCV number (three digit numbers on the back of a card) and also the verification on the name,” he said.
The US-based software company released an internet security threat report in June that said more than 1.1 billion identities were stolen in data breaches last year, almost double the number taken in 2015. This translates to about 2,100 identities around the world stolen each minute.
The top culprit of personal information theft by the numbers are these large data breaches, such as the 2013 Yahoo incident that affected all of its three billion user accounts. Most recently, the ride hailing app, Uber, released information that 57 million people around the world had been compromised through its hack that occurred last year.
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Read more:
Uber Mena in process of working with governments on data breach
Cyber crime can seem like an abstract phenomenon - until you become its victim
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Yet access to one’s bank account is mostly via malicious malware on a personal computer. It can begin, for example, with an email stating that you owe money for a purchase. It asks you to review the attached invoice, which adds malware to your device. It remains in the background, unseen by the naked eye, waiting for the user to make an online purchase or other monetary transactions.
Mr Wueest said that a credit card was the most sought after because it is easier to make a profit in the underground marketplace. The group’s research shows that a single credit card can be sold for up to US$30, doubling the price if it includes full details (e.g. expiry date and CCV number) and more than tripling with the magnetic strip back and personal identification number (PIN) code.
The latest unsuspecting trend to emerge is the rise in Netflix and Uber accounts for the underground marketplace. Mr Wueest said that Symantec has noticed an uptick in attackers selling accounts on the gray market. Internet thieves take account information from the application to purchase vouchers, which are resold for a discounted price online appearing as a special promotion.
While these sort of gains may only result in about $1 per account, this adds up if a person has tapped millions of accounts from incidents such as the Yahoo breach. “Even if they only sell at $0.10, one million accounts would give a profit of $100,000,” he said.
Mr Wueest said that it was imperative that people use a variety of strong, unique passwords - changing with each account. He added: “Be vigilant, if you receive an invoice and you know you haven’t ordered anything - don’t open.”
Symantec anticipates the number of cyber threats to increase this year over 2016’s peak.
“Hackers are getting better,” he said. “Many of the attacks we see are very difficult to spot by the naked eye.”
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes.
The car
Hertz offers compact car rental from about $300 (Dh1,100) per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
The national park
Entry to Mount Rainier National Park costs $30 for one vehicle and passengers for up to seven days. Accommodation can be booked through mtrainierguestservices.com. Prices vary according to season. Rooms at the Holiday Inn Yakima cost from $125 per night, excluding breakfast.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
