Beware! Attorneys General warn of hacking scams and malware. Protect yourself now!

Hackers exploit hacker sites to steal credit card information

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In a series of new public service announcements, several state attorneys general are warning the public that some very malicious actors are exploiting hacking sites to distribute ransomware and steal credit card information. The Digital Citizens Alliance is behind the campaign, which aims to keep the public away from hacking sites and services.

Anti-piracy campaigns

Over the years, we've seen dozens of anti-piracy campaigns. Initially, many of them tried to appeal to people's moral compass.

You wouldn't steal a carisn't it?

This type of message doesn't work for everyone, so more direct tactics have also been explored. These often focus on the risks associated with piracy, such as legal problems. However, due to the perception that exposure to such problems is relatively unlikely, the overall deterrent effect can be quite limited.

Malware and other threats

A more "common" threat that people face is that of malware and other types of scams. This could explain why many recent studies and reports have linked malware to piracy sites. These findings are supported by rights holders and anti-piracy groups, who seem very concerned about the digital security of pirates.

The Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA), which has close ties with the content industries, has been highlighting these types of piracy-related threats for years. The group has published various reports highlighting the fact that piracy sites are a hotbed for malware, credit card theft, ransomware and other mischief.

Earlier this year, a DCA mystery experiment revealed that giving bank details to sellers of dodgy IPTV subscriptions is not a good idea. Several unknown charges appeared on some accounts, suggesting that the cards had been compromised.

What's more, an accompanying survey of US consumers revealed that 72 % of those who had used a credit card to pay for an IPTV subscription had experienced a credit card breach. Among those who had never visited piracy sites, only 18 % reported similar problems.

Avocats généraux warn pirates

The DCA says these results should serve as a warning to the public that piracy sites are not safe. To reinforce this message, the DCA today launched a new series of public service announcements. They feature attorneys general from 19 states and the District of Columbia warning the public about these threats.

Participating attorneys general include Rob Bonta, California general counsel, Charity Clark, Vermont general counsel, and Christopher Carr, Georgia general counsel. All read the same script in their ads.

The public service announcement

"Some very malicious actors have infiltrated our homes through the entertainment we watch, with piracy operators luring us with the offer of free or cheap access to our favorite programs, then spreading viruses such as ransomware," they warn.

"They also offer low-cost piracy subscription services to watch pirated programs and live sports, then steal your credit card information.

"Don't let hackers or credit card thieves into your home. Be careful about the sites you visit, and educate your children and other family members about how to stay safe online," the message concludes.

Disseminating the message

The DCA has funded the campaign, which will be promoted via social media. In addition, messages have been submitted for broadcast on local TV stations, in the hope of dissuading people from using piracy sites and services.

According to Tom Galvin, Executive Director of the DCA, pirated content is often used as bait to exploit naive Internet users looking for cheap access to online entertainment.

"Piracy operators offer free content. But what they don't tell you is that this content is bait designed to infect users' devices and allow criminals to abuse their credit cards," explains Galvin.

Toukiela asked the DCA if other general counsels had been invited to participate, but we received no direct reply. The Alliance informed us that a standard script had been used to facilitate video production. This was also the case a few years ago, when a similar campaign was launched.

General Counsel's mission is to protect their fellow citizens, so the campaign is in line with this objective. That said, the problem of malware may be more nuanced than what is presented in this campaign, but that would risk undermining the deterrent effect.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that the ads don't mention the fact that online piracy is linked to copyright infringement, which also has consequences. At least, that's not a priority in this campaign.

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The general counsels involved in the campaign are listed below. At the time of writing, not all videos are available online.

Attorney General Rob Bonta (California)
Attorney General William Tong (Connecticut)
Attorney General Brian Schwalb (District of Columbia)
Attorney General Chris Carr (Georgia)
Attorney General Brenna Byrd (Iowa)
Attorney General Kris Kobach (Kansas)
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (Maryland)
Attorney General Dana Nessel (Michigan)
Attorney General Keith Ellison (Minnesota)
Attorney General Lynn Fitch (Mississippi)
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford (Nevada)
Attorney General Letitia A. James (New York)
Attorney General Josh Stein (North Carolina)
Attorney General Dave Yost (Ohio)
Attorney General Michelle Henry (Pennsylvania)
Attorney General Alan Wilson (South Carolina)
Attorney General Marty Jackley (South Dakota)
Attorney General Sean Reyes (Utah)
Attorney General Charity R. Clark (Vermont)
Attorney General Jason Miyares (Virginie)