KnowBe4 says attackers are abusing trusted services like DocuSign, SharePoint, Adobe…

Hackread.com reports that the DOJ has charged MonsterCloud CEO Zohar Pinhasi with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors say he claimed the company could recover encrypted files without paying a ransom, but instead paid attackers for decryption keys and charged victims much higher fees. The FBI and CISA advise against paying ransoms, since payment does not guarantee files will be recovered or stolen data will not be leaked.

The CyberScoop reports that authorities have indicted MonsterCloud owner Zohar Pinhasi, accusing him of charging ransomware victims inflated fees while claiming to use proprietary recovery tools that did not exist. Prosecutors say he paid cybercriminals to recover data without telling clients, and that the company drew in hundreds of clients with false promises. Windows users and small offices hit by ransomware should be careful about who they trust for recovery and verify any claims before paying.

Graham Cluley reports that UK losses from hacked email and social media accounts have risen by 417%, with scammers posing as your friends to sell tickets to gigs that do not exist. The post says this is part of a big rise in cyber scams stealing social media accounts. Home users should be careful with messages from friends that ask for money or tickets, and check requests through another channel before paying.