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Widespread Phishing Scam Discovered In Saudi Arabia

Group-IB, a global cybersecurity firm, has published research into a scheme where scammers impersonate one of the leading manpower agencies in Saudi Arabia.

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widespread phishing scam discovered in kingdom of saudi arabia

Analysts from a leading cybersecurity firm, Group-IB, have uncovered a massive phishing scam operation meant to impersonate one of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s top recruitment agencies.

The cybersecurity team found at least 1,000 malicious domains during their research, with most containing a close match to a well-known Saudi agency that offers assistance in hiring employees for the construction and services sector, as well as domestic workers. Scams of this nature are growing at a rate of 10% per year, with more than $55 billion stolen during 2021 alone.

rogue domains detected in saudi arabia scam campaign

How The Scam Worked

The fake domains and their associated URLs were meant to fool people into thinking they’re the real deal. In addition, each domain featured convincing web pages designed to mimic the official agency website. Scammers were using these web pages to convince people to enter their data, hoping to harvest banking details, as well as both login information and two-factor authentication (2FA) codes.

how the saudi arabia manpower scam campaign works

To drive traffic to these fraudulent websites, the criminals used multiple layers of social engineering, first using ads on Facebook, Twitter, and Google that encouraged SMS or WhatsApp conversations, and then sending unwitting users to the fake sites to enter their details.

Once a user had landed on a fake domain, they were persuaded to part with a small processing fee of 50 or 100 SAR (approximately $13 or $27), which enabled the scammers to harvest banking data to empty accounts and make off with user’s hard-earned cash.

Also Read: Is Your Phone Hacked? How To Find Out & Protect Yourself

“Scammers are becoming increasingly resourceful and collaborative, and spoof domain brokers are actively assisting cybercriminals. We encourage companies and organizations to monitor for signs of brand abuse, and we also urge internet users to remain vigilant so that they do not become victims of scams such as this,” says Mark Alpatskiy, CERT-GIB Senior Analyst.

Falling victim to a phishing scam can be costly, and Internet users are urged to show caution and always check URLs to verify they are legitimate before entering any personal data, as well as ensuring they are in communication with online chat services or call centers of the official company in question.

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Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent

According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.

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samsung smart glasses teased for january software reveal imminent

Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.

As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.

The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.

A Collaborative Software Effort

Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.

Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.

Feature Set And Compatibility

The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.

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