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Gen Threat Report Unmasks Surge in PharmaFraud Scams and the Evolving Face of Cybercrime in an AI-Powered World
Prnewswireยท 2025-07-30 13:00
Core Insights - The Q2/2025 Gen Threat Report highlights a significant rise in cyber threats, particularly those utilizing AI, with a focus on fake pharmacies and ransomware [1][2][3] Cyber Threat Trends - There has been a 21% increase in data breaches, with nearly 16% more breached emails reported [7] - Financial scams surged by 340% from April to June 2025, with many linked to deceptive ads on Facebook [6][7] - Sextortion scams doubled, indicating a growing trend in personal-targeted cybercrime [1][7] - Tech support scams on Facebook accounted for 14% of all blocked threats, driven by fake help pages [7] PharmaFraud Operations - Gen researchers identified over 5,000 fraudulent online pharmacy websites, collectively referred to as "PharmaFraud," which have been responsible for 1 million blocked attacks [3][4] - These scams employ tactics such as malicious code injection, manipulated search results, and AI-generated content to appear legitimate [4] Ransomware Developments - Gen uncovered a critical flaw in FunkSec, the first known AI-assisted ransomware, allowing victims to recover files without payment through a free decryptor [5] Emerging Threats - There was a 317% increase in malicious push notifications, often disguised as legitimate alerts [7] - Remote access attacks rose by 62%, particularly involving the Wincir RAT and cloud service abuses [12] Company Initiatives - Gen offers various protective solutions, including Norton Genie and Scam Guardian, to help users avoid falling victim to these scams [8]