Everything You Need to Know About Brandjacking

Everything You Need to Know About Brandjacking

Brandjacking isn't new, but you should be aware of the ways you could be getting scammed.

You recently got an email from a company you're familiar with, such as Netflix, and the email tells you that something is wrong with your payment. You'll need to re-enter your credit card information for your entertainment to continue streaming. The email looks authentic enough, so you click.

Upon further inspection, however, you realize this is not the Netflix you know and love but rather a scammer phishing for your credit card information. What is this new trend and how can we prevent it?

Cybersecurity experts are calling this phishing scam "brandjacking." The term is defined as an activity whereby someone acquires or otherwise assumes the online identity of another entity for the purposes of acquiring that person's or business' brand equity.

In layman's terms, that means someone is pretending to be someone their not, like catfishing for businesses but riskier.

Brandjacking isn't exactly "new" but it is getting a lot of attention the past few years given the rise of social media and the ability to create a quick "fake" account. The intent isn't always malicious, for example, in 2015, Target announced it was planning on removing the gender descriptions from in-store signage within its children's toy sections. Many people flocked to the company's Facebook page to share their reactions to the news, it wasn't long before an account named "Ask ForHelp" with the Target logo as the profile picture started responding to unhappy customers with snarky, flippant remarks.

Turns out the account was created to appear as a Target customer service account, but it was, in fact, fake. Target responded to the internet troll by releasing an official statement outing the stunt as an incident facilitated by a fraudster.

However, scammers have been using brandjacking to facilitate their more malicious motives. At the start of the new year, Netflix has been at the center of a phishing scam much like the one I described before. An Australian cybersecurity firm is warning Netflix customers about a scam that informs users via email that their credit card no longer works.

Mailguard issued the warning recently, reporting that the scammers are using "brandjacking" emails in order to get customers' credit card information. This isn't the first time Netflix has been targeted, a similar phishing scam popped up last Fall.

While their isn't really a way to "prevent" brandjacking from happening, businesses can be on their guard about possible scams including their brand names. The quicker a brand realizes they are being targeted and alerts their customers of the scheme, the worst the result for the scammer and the better the result for the company.

Consumers can also do their part to ensure they aren't the victim of a brandjacking phishing scam. Consumers should be wary of all emails that come to their accounts. If there is a problem with your payment on any of your online accounts, make sure you go straight to that website and check out the problem there. Do not click through the email to get to the account settings.

The FDA has a list of tips to avoid phishing scams, you can view them here.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Cyber Overconfidence Is Leaving Your Organization Vulnerable

    The increased sophistication of cyber threats pumped by the relentless use of AI and machine learning brings forth record-breaking statistics. Cyberattacks grew 44% YoY in 2024, with a weekly average of 1,673 cyberattacks per organization. While organizations up their security game to help thwart these attacks, a critical question remains: Can employees identify a threat when they come across one? A Confidence Gap survey reveals that 86% of employees feel confident in their ability to identify phishing attempts. But things are not as rosy as they appear; the more significant part of the report finds this confidence misplaced. Read Now

  • Mission 500 Debuts Refreshed Identity Ahead of Security 5K/2K at ISC West

    Mission 500, the security industry’s nonprofit charity dedicated to supporting children in need across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, has unveiled a refreshed brand identity ahead of ISC West. The charity’s new look includes a modernized logo with refined messaging to reinforce Mission 500’s nearly decade-long commitment to serving the needs of children and families in crisis. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Meeting Modern Demands

    Door hardware and access control continue to be at the forefront of innovation within the security industry, continuously evolving to meet the dynamic needs of commercial spaces. Read Now

  • Leveraging IoT and Open Platform VMS for a Connected Future

    The evolution of urban environments is being reshaped by the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and open platform VMS. As cities worldwide grapple with growing populations and increasing operational complexities, these integrated technologies are emerging as powerful tools for creating more livable, efficient, and secure urban spaces. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.