---
title: "Rising USDT Phishing, Zimbra Credential Targeting, UAE Phishing Surge – Cybersecurity News [ August 21, 2023] | Phish Protection"
description: "Here are the latest updates in the realm of digital safety, specifically the weekly phishing news and emerging online threats information."
image: "https://phishprotection.com/og/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34-of-2023.png"
canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34-of-2023/"
---

Quick Answer

Here are the latest updates in the realm of digital safety, specifically the weekly phishing news and \[emerging online threats\](/phishing/cybersecurity-emerging-threats-phishing-email-security-malware) information. Stay informed in order to strengthen your defenses against phishing attacks with the added layer of \[phishing protection\](/).

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Here are the latest updates in the realm of digital safety, specifically the weekly phishing news and [emerging online threats](/phishing/cybersecurity-emerging-threats-phishing-email-security-malware) information. Stay informed in order to strengthen your defenses against phishing attacks with the added layer of [phishing protection](/).

### Escalating Phishing Attacks: Scammers Pocket $675,000 via USDT Approval Phishing Scams

Recent[reports](https://www.binance.com/en-JP/feed/post/1019537)highlight a concerning trend as scammers made off with a substantial sum of $675,000 along with seven distinct NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), notably including prized possessions from the ‘**Mutant Ape Yacht Club**.’

PeckShield, a prominent name in blockchain security, has brought to light this particularly concerning case where a scam artist stole over $675,000 in just five days. These incidents occurred as \*\*two \*\* **phishing attacks**that have set off alarm bells among digital security experts.

The modus operandi of these crypto scammers involves many tactics, with deceptive [airdrops](https://builtin.com/blockchain/crypto-airdrop) being one of their preferred methods to lay hands on individuals’ digital assets. The scam revolves around an ingenious move wherein unsuspecting victims were manipulated into granting **unrestricted spending permission** for USDT.

_Given these incidents, PeckShield strongly advises users to **reconsider and revoke** their USDT spending permissions_.

![Spf record generator](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2023/08/spf-record-generator.jpg) 

### \*\*\*\* Persistent Phishing Scams Aim for Zimbra Credentials

ESET[experts](https://www.eset.com/int/about/newsroom/press-releases/research/eset-research-mass-campaign-aimed-at-stealing-zimbra-email-users-credentials-under-way-european-coun/)found an ongoing **malicious campaign** wherein threat actors target users of Zimbra collaboration software. Started in April 2023 , it aims to steal Zimbra login credentials.

Threat actors send emails pretending to be from server administrators, mentioning **updates or problems**. They include a malicious link in an [HTML file attachment](https://www.csoonline.com/article/575213/attacks-increasingly-use-malicious-html-email-attachments.html), leading to a fake Zimbra login. Sometimes, they use compromised Zimbra accounts to send more **fake emails**.

The stolen login credentials go to the **threat actors’ server**. Though the trick isn’t highly sophisticated, it works because numerous groups use Zimbra. _These malicious actors go after small businesses and governments, mainly in Poland, Ecuador, and Italy._

In this case, adversaries only use [social engineering](/phishing-awareness/social-engineering-attack-twilio-compromises-employee-accounts-customer-data) methods to fool individuals. However, they may explore other pathways too. In March 2023, a malicious group called Winter Vivern targeted prominent users, and in February 2022, a group called TEMP\_Heretic **stole emails** by exploiting vulnerabilities in Zimbra.

![Phishing Attacks Statistics Overviews](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2023/08/Phishing-Attacks-Statistics-Overviews.jpg) 

### Sharp 77% Surge in Phishing Email Campaigns in the UAE During the Previous Quarter

The UAE witnessed a significant **rise in phishing emails** during the Q2 of 2023 . Deceitful

phishing email campaigns

surged by 77%[compared](https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/technology/2023/08/23/phishing-email-threats-in-the-uae-surged-77-last-quarter-kaspersky-says/#:~:text=The%20UAE%20recorded%20a%20steep,tactics%20are%20becoming%20more%20sophisticated.)to the previous quarter, as per a report from Kaspersky.

The **sudden upsurge** suggests that the tactics used by scammers are getting smarter. Kaspersky identified four main methods these phishing emails employ in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa regions. _These methods include emails about undelivered packages, messages asking for personal details, promises of free money, and alerts about unusual email logins._

The above are simple social engineering tricks to manipulate the victim’s mind. These**phishing threats**might also come with [malware and ransomware](https://www.itpro.com/security/malware/the-top-malware-and-ransomware-threats-for-june-2023) attachments that can harm individuals and businesses significantly.

You should be cautious when interacting with **unsolicited emails**, as a single wrong click can lead you to severe consequences.

### \*\*\*\* Hacking Forum Exposes Data of 2.6 Million DuoLingo Users Obtained Through Scraping

Data from 2.6 million DuoLingo users was leaked on a malicious forum, giving [threat actors](/phishing-awareness/threat-actors-breach-reddit-and-access-internal-documents-code-and-business-systems) the chance to target people through phishing.

DuoLingo is a prominent language education provider with monthly user traffic of[74 million](https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/data-26m-duolingo-users-leaked/). In January 2023, an unknown threat actor sold the **scraped data** of[2.6 million](https://therecord.media/duolingo-investigating-dark-web-post-offering-data-from-2-6-million-accounts)DuoLingo users on a forum that is now closed. The data included public names and email addresses, with the threat actors asking $1,500 for the dataset.

![Phishing attack prevention](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2023/08/phishing-attack-prevention-4236.jpg) 

Even though DuoLingo

said

the data came from public info, they didn’t explain the email addresses involved in the incident though they don’t belong to public information. The [stolen data](https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/acer-confirms-data-breach-after-hacker-lists-stolen-data-on-hacking-forum/) was recently posted on a different forum for a lower price.

A similar case happened with Facebook, resulting in a **huge penalty**, and recently with Twitter.

The incident underscores the urgent need for robust [cybersecurity](/content/cybersecurity-in-a-nutshell) measures to counteract threats like phishing. As seen in this breach and similar cases involving major platforms, the **compromise of private data** carries far-reaching consequences.

### Protect Your Organization

- [Learn how phishing attacks work and how to spot them](/learn-what-is-phishing/)
- [See how Phish Protection blocks threats in real time](/anti-phishing-tools/)

## Topics

[ Announcements ](/tags/announcements/) 

![Brad Slavin](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/authors/brad-slavin.jpg) 

[ Brad Slavin ](/authors/brad-slavin/) 

General Manager

Founder and General Manager of DuoCircle. Product strategy and commercial lead across DuoCircle's 2,000+ customer base.

[LinkedIn Profile →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradslavin) 

## Protect your inbox from phishing attacks

Real-time email security with 60-day free trial. No credit card required.

[Start Free Trial](https://portal.duocircle.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=101&brand=phishprotection) [View Pricing](/pricing/) 

## Related Articles

[  Intermediate 5m  Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2022  Aug 22, 2022 ](/blog/cyber-security-news-update-week-33-2022/)[  Intermediate 6m  Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2022  Oct 21, 2022 ](/blog/cybersecurity-news-21-oct-2022/)[  Intermediate 5m  Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2021  Jan 1, 2021 ](/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-1-of-2021/)[  Intermediate 6m  Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2022  Jan 7, 2022 ](/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-1-of-2022/)

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