Australians have lost millions to phishing scams. This man teaches criminals how to do it | 7.30

Summary

The video script details the alarming rise of online tax fraud in Australia, with over 15,000 victims and losses exceeding half a billion dollars. It features Michaela Hul, a new mother who fell for a phishing scam, leading to scammers opening a bank account in her name and stealing funds. The narrative also uncovers a global phishing network, 'Bullet Prof Link,' operated by a Malaysian businessman, Adrien Bin Katong, who sold fake login pages and offered tutorials to scammers. Despite his arrest, Katong has yet to be charged, and the phishing activities continue, highlighting the urgent need for cyber security and justice for victims.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Michaela, a new mother from Germany, became a victim of online tax fraud in Australia, highlighting the global reach of such scams.
• 📲 She received a deceptive text message that appeared to be from the government, prompting her to log into a fake website.
• 🚨 After realizing the website was fraudulent, Michaela changed her password and reported the incident but received no response from the authorities.
• 💸 Scammers, using her stolen credentials, managed to fraudulently obtain a tax refund of $16,000 that Michaela was not entitled to.
• 🔢 The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has seen over 15,000 victims of online tax fraud, with losses amounting to half a billion dollars.
• 🐟 The script reveals the existence of a global phishing network where stolen credentials and fake web pages are traded.
• 👤 Gabor Sari, a cybersecurity expert, discovered a server hosting hundreds of fake login pages, leading to the uncovering of a large-scale phishing operation.
• 🔍 Gabor's investigation led to the identification of a key facilitator of these scams, a Malaysian businessman operating under the name 'Bullet Prof Link'.
• 🏢 This businessman offered a range of phishing services, including fake login pages and tutorials, catering to a wide range of cybercriminals.
• 💼 Beex Kned, a cyber investigator, was contracted by the Australian government to trace the cyber attack, leading to the identification of the same Malaysian suspect.
• 📉 Despite the businessman's arrest, he has not been charged, and his phishing activities continue, indicating the challenges in combating cybercrime.

Q & A

What was the significant event in Michaela's life during her first year in Australia?

Michaela became a mom and had a newborn during her first year in Australia.

What prompted Michaela to realize she had fallen for a scam?

An unusual Red Alert flashed across the screen after she clicked on a text message reminding her to lodge a tax return.

What was the fraudulent action taken by scammers in Michaela's case?

Scammers opened a bank account in Michaela's name and stole funds from the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

How much money did the ATO lose due to online tax fraud over the past couple of years?

The ATO lost a staggering half a billion dollars due to online tax fraud.

What was the name of the website that Gabor Sari discovered was linked to a global phishing network?

The website was called Bullet Prof Link.

What services did Bullet Prof Link offer to cyber criminals?

Bullet Prof Link offered fake login pages for various services like myGov, Dropbox, or Microsoft, and even provided phishing tutorials for beginners.

Who was the key facilitator of the phishing scams that Gabor Sari helped to uncover?

The key facilitator was a Malaysian businessman named Adrien Bin Katong.

What was the outcome of the investigation led by Beex Kned into the phishing attack on an Australian government agency?

Beex Kned identified Adrien Bin Katong as the suspect behind the phishing attack and shared the information with the Malaysian police and the FBI.

What was the status of Adrien Bin Katong after his arrest in relation to the phishing network?

Eight months after his arrest, Adrien Bin Katong had still not been charged, and his phishing activity continued through his Telegram page.

What was the role of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in the investigation of the phishing network?

The AFP worked with Beex Kned, received the dossier on the phishing network, and shared the information with the Malaysian police.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Online Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Exposed

Michaela, a new mother and recent immigrant to Australia, fell victim to a phishing scam involving a fake tax return notification. Despite quickly recognizing the scam and changing her password, her information was already compromised. Scammers opened a bank account in her name and fraudulently claimed a tax refund. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has seen a significant rise in online tax fraud, with over 15,000 victims and losses exceeding half a billion dollars. The video reveals the operations of a global phishing network, where stolen credentials and fake webpages are traded. Gabo Sari, a cybersecurity expert, uncovers the network and identifies a key facilitator, exposing the dark side of a seemingly successful individual in Malaysia.

05:01

🔍 Unmasking the Cybercriminal: The Malaysian Connection

Gabo Sari's investigation leads to the identification of a Malaysian businessman, Adrian Bin Katong, who operates a website selling phishing tools and services. His public life contrasts sharply with his illicit activities, which include selling fake login pages and offering tutorials for novice scammers. Beex Kned, an investigator, is brought in to assess a phishing attack on an Australian government agency. She identifies the same Malaysian businessman as the suspect, linking him to the attack through a driver's license photo. Despite his arrest, Adrian Bin Katong has not been charged, and his operations continue unabated, highlighting the challenges in prosecuting cybercriminals.

10:01

🌐 The Persistent Threat of Phishing: A Global Issue

The video concludes with a look at the ongoing challenges in combating phishing scams. Despite Adrian Bin Katong's arrest, his business activities continue, suggesting that the fight against cybercrime is far from over. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Malaysian authorities are still gathering evidence, but the lack of charges and the persistence of phishing activities underscore the complexity of the issue. The story serves as a cautionary tale, reminding viewers of the importance of vigilance in the digital age and the need for continued efforts to combat cybercrime.

Keywords

💡Tax Return

A tax return is a document that individuals and businesses submit to the government to report their income, calculate what taxes are owed, and determine if a refund is due. In the video, the protagonist, Michaela, is reminded to lodge a tax return, which triggers the series of events that lead to her falling victim to a scam.

💡Scam

A scam is a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive individuals into giving away personal information or money. The video revolves around online tax fraud, where scammers use fake websites and phishing emails to steal people's credentials and financial information, as experienced by Michaela.

💡Phishing

Phishing is a type of cyber attack where an attacker disguises themselves as a trustworthy entity to trick individuals into providing sensitive information. In the video, Michaela receives a phishing text message that appears to be from the government, leading her to a fake website designed to steal her login credentials.

💡Red Alert

A red alert is a warning sign or notification indicating a potential threat or danger. In the context of the video, Michaela sees a red alert on her screen after entering her information on what she realizes is a fake website, signaling that her personal information may be at risk.

💡Password

A password is a secret word or phrase used to authenticate a user's identity and gain access to a system or service. After realizing the website was fake, Michaela quickly changes her password, demonstrating a crucial step in mitigating the damage from a phishing attempt.

💡ATO (Australian Taxation Office)

The Australian Taxation Office is the government agency responsible for administering taxation in Australia. In the video, the ATO is mentioned as the entity that scammers impersonate to deceive victims into providing personal and financial information.

💡Fishing Network

A fishing network refers to a system or platform where stolen credentials and fake web pages are bought and sold, often used for phishing scams. The video discusses how Gabor Sari uncovers a global fishing network where such illicit activities take place.

💡Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fraudulent acquisition and use of a person's private identifying information, often for financial gain. The video highlights how scammers use stolen credentials to impersonate individuals and commit fraud, as seen with the fake login pages and stolen funds from the ATO.

💡Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access. The video features Gabor Sari, who works in cybersecurity, and his efforts to uncover and combat the phishing network.

💡Malaysian Police

The Malaysian Police are the law enforcement agency in Malaysia. In the video, they are mentioned as the authorities to whom Gabor Sari and the Australian Federal Police share information about the scammer, highlighting international cooperation in cybercrime investigations.

💡Dark Web

The dark web refers to parts of the internet that are not indexed by traditional search engines and require specific software to access. The video mentions that the scammer's website, which sells illegal phishing products, is not hidden on the dark web but is openly accessible, indicating the brazen nature of the operation.

Highlights

Michaela, a new mother in Australia, fell victim to a tax-related scam in 2023.

Scammers used a fake government login page to steal personal information.

Despite reporting the scam, Michaela received no response from the authorities.

Scammers opened a bank account in Michaela's name and stole funds.

Over 15,000 victims of online tax fraud have been reported in Australia.

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) lost half a billion dollars to scams.

Gabor Sari, a cybersecurity expert, discovered a global phishing network.

Phishing templates for popular services were sold on the dark web.

Bullet Prof Link was identified as a one-stop shop for identity theft tools.

The owner of Bullet Prof Link was inadvertently revealed in a tutorial video.

The key figure behind the scam operation was identified as a Malaysian businessman.

Adrien Bin Katong was arrested but has not been charged due to lack of evidence.

Despite his arrest, Katong's phishing activity continued unabated.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is working with foreign partners on the case.

The Malaysian police confirmed they are still gathering intelligence on the case.

The impact of a single click can lead to significant financial and personal loss.

Transcripts

I'm from Germany I was new to Australia

it was my first year where I had to do a

tax

return 2023 was a big year for Michaela

hle she moved to a new country and

became a

mom I had a newborn and she was around

10 weeks old at the time so I didn't

sleep a lot early one morning m a

received a text message reminding her to

Lodge a tax return I just clicked the

text and then I was forwarded to my

government login page it said you need

to put in your name your date of birth

your

address then an unusual Red Alert

flashed across the

screen and that's when I thought oh no

this was a false website and I just fell

for it

Michaela quickly changed her password

and reported the scam attempt to MAV but

never got a response 7 days later she

received a letter from the tax

office yeah so this is the letter I was

sent um from the AO for so you see the

date is the 6th of October so it was

quite rapidly afterwards um so seven

days after you receive the text you get

a refund for 16,000

Michaela was never entitled to a refund

and never saw the money scammers had

opened a bank account in her name and

stolen those funds from the

atto you can change in a single day in

your ATO account your bank details your

email your phone send off a tax return

and get paid 6 days later

$116,000 yeah I definitely thought I I'm

probably not the only

[Music]

one Michaela hul is one of more than

15,000 victims of online tax fraud in

Australia over the past couple of years

in that time the ATO lost a staggering

half a billion dollars now 7:30 can

reveal the identity of one of the key

facilitators of these scans we take you

inside one of the world's largest

fishing

operations with a multi-billion dollar

business across the globe they are

getting better and better and more and

more successful you could use it for

cracking passwords hacking passwords you

could for the past 15 years gabo sari

has worked to protect businesses from

cyber attacks when he received a fishing

email in 2020 he was surprised by how

authentic it

looked apparently it came from a an

accountant in Sydney it looked

legitimate it had perfect language it

was perfect perfectly written uh I

recognized it was a scam uh so instead

of signing in with my uh actual creden

first I decided to dig into it but the

interesting thing is Hagar that if you

look into the source code of this

website the email he'd received was

linked to a global Fishing Network where

stolen credentials and fake web pages

are bought and

sold I managed to find out that hundreds

of other fake login Pages were using the

same server for collecting the usernames

the stolen usernames and passwords I was

going down the rabbit Hall and I

eventually found out who owns this

server so what we can see on the screen

is one of the signin Pages what he found

was a One-Stop shop for identity theft

called bullet Prof link for up to $100

you could buy fake myv Dropbox or

Microsoft login Pages all designed to

fall unsuspecting people into giving up

their personal

details bullet Prof link was a selling

fishing templates for mygov and

potentially hosting mygov uh login Pages

fake login Pages as well so as you can

see on the screenshot The Man Behind

this operation has given given thousands

of scammers the tools to defraud people

all over the

world he even offered fishing tutorials

for

beginners that scammer was uh

demonstrating how uh the fishing

template can be installed how it can be

hosted and how it

works that's when Gabor had a

breakthrough in one of these tutorials a

key figure inadvertently revealed their

identity

[Music]

this person had a very public life on

social media this person lives in

Malaysia uh what you can see that he has

a successful life he purchased several

cars in the past few years a motorbike

probably what his friends and family

don't know uh is the Dark Truth where

the actual money is coming

from how did you feel about unmasking

the scammer it was a relief because

finally I could put a name and face on a

on a scammer and uh I was hoping that

finally this person could be brought to

justice so perhaps I can show gabos of

Mari shared everything he found with

Malaysian police and the FBI in October

2020 around the same time scammers

struck an Australian government agency

the initial brief was fairly

straightforward in terms of you know

we've experienced a fishing

attack perth-based investigator beex

kned had spent years tracking cyber

criminals on behalf of government and

private clients she gets called in to

investigate when cyber criminals

infiltrate an

organization in my case you're coming in

when something has gone

wrong beex United W name her government

client but was engaged to find those

responsible they wanted to know have we

identified all of the compromised

accounts have they stolen financial

information um you know what were the

consequences they wanted to know well

why did they do this what were their

motivations who's behind this within

days she identified a suspect it was the

same Malaysian

businessman getting to the stage where

you can identify the person behind the

attack is quite hard and rare one of the

things that I came across was a

photograph of driver's license to

connect him to that malicious

activity based in sabba on the island of

Borneo Adrien Bing katong looks like a

devoted Family

[Music]

Man bullet Prof link uh website was an

e-commerce website just like any other

business might be selling online Goods

except his online goods were illegal on

the dark web no on the clear web you can

find it on Google so not hidden at

all in just a couple of years Adrien

Kong had expanded his operation

offering cyber criminals a range of

fishing products and

services his activity uh started ramping

up in 2020 he was increasing his prices

started offering Services um like

conducting fishing attacks on behalf of

other people so they didn't need to put

in the work he catered to a broad range

of

criminals how much money is he making

out of all of this based on his own

claims a million dollar in One Financial

year this is where Adrian katong built

his fishing Empire by 2021 he had about

8,000 clients if each of those actors

had one fishing site that generated a

few thousand victims over a month um if

you do the math on

that now a cyber investigator Frank

branti was working with the afp's cyber

crime unit when he received beex kned

files on the fishing

network not every investigation starts

with um you having a comprehensive

dossier on on you know how large an

operation is um who's behind it uh what

country they live in and a picture of

their house uh beex had done a really

good job of pulling all the pieces

together the AFB shared their

information with the Malaysian police in

November last year Adrien bin katong was

arrested the AFB put out this press

release there was a lot of evidence that

pointed towards katong um you know from

what I saw um it looked pretty damning

but again it's not always what we know

it's sometimes what we can

prove 8 months after his arrest Adrien

bin katong has still not been charged

beex kned says he's rebuilding his

business throughout his arrest the posts

continued on his telegram page

advertising the services so yeah the

fishing activity definitely continues

for him to have been doing this without

consequences and in the open you know is

pretty pretty

incredible beex KN is watching closely

to see what happen

next I've got a pile more information

that I can share but you know I'd really

like to see Justice for the

victims the AFB declined to respond to

our detailed questions saying it

continues to work with foreign Partners

on this case the Malaysian police told

the ABC it is still Gathering Intel for

more analysis confirming no charges have

been laid against Adrien katong

Adrian katong did not respond to our

messages there's just a small Split

Second of where you not

thinking correctly you click and that's

it