Social engineering exploits psychological manipulation rather than technical vulnerabilities. Over the years, some of the most unusual cases have demonstrated the ingenuity of attackers in exploiting human trust. This article highlights some of the strangest and most controversial social engineering incidents.
1. Twitter Breach (2020)
What Happened?
- Attackers impersonated colleagues in phone calls to Twitter employees.
- They gained access to internal systems and took over high-profile accounts, including Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
Why It’s Strange:
- No sophisticated hacking tools were used—just psychological manipulation and trust exploitation.
2. The Deepfake CEO Scam (2019)
What Happened?
- Cybercriminals used deepfake voice technology to mimic the CEO of a German company.
- They convinced a local manager to transfer $243,000 to a fraudulent bank account.
Why It’s Strange:
- The deepfake voice was so realistic that the manager did not suspect any fraud.
3. Kevin Mitnick’s Social Engineering Mastery
What Happened?
- Kevin Mitnick, one of the most infamous hackers, used phone calls to manipulate employees into revealing confidential information.
- He gained access to major corporations without using any hacking tools.
Why It’s Strange:
- The entire attack was based purely on social manipulation rather than technical exploits.
4. Fake Elon Musk Twitter Giveaway
What Happened?
- Scammers created fake Twitter accounts pretending to be Elon Musk.
- They promised to double cryptocurrency deposits sent to their wallets.
Why It’s Strange:
- Despite being a simple scam, thousands of people fell for it and lost significant amounts of money.
5. Target Data Breach (2013)
What Happened?
- Attackers exploited a small HVAC company that worked with Target.
- They tricked employees into revealing credentials, allowing hackers to steal 40 million credit card details.
Why It’s Strange:
- The main target wasn’t hacked directly; instead, a third-party company was the weak link.
6. Snapchat Payroll Data Leak (2016)
What Happened?
- A Snapchat employee received an email impersonating the CEO.
- Without verifying, they sent employee payroll data to the attacker.
Why It’s Strange:
- The email was extremely simple, yet trust alone led to a massive data breach.
7. Google & Facebook Invoice Scam (2013-2015)
What Happened?
- A scammer sent fake invoices worth over $100 million to Google and Facebook.
- Since the invoices looked legitimate, they were paid without verification.
Why It’s Strange:
- The fraud went unnoticed for two years before being detected.
8. Bangladesh Bank Heist (2016)
What Happened?
- Attackers used phishing emails to infiltrate Bangladesh Bank’s system.
- They attempted to steal $1 billion but managed to transfer $81 million before detection.
Why It’s Strange:
- The heist was stopped due to spelling errors in the transaction requests.
9. Fake Microsoft Support Calls
What Happened?
- Attackers called users, pretending to be Microsoft support agents.
- They convinced victims to install malware disguised as a security fix.
Why It’s Strange:
- This scam has been active for years and continues to deceive unsuspecting users.
10. Veritasium YouTube Hack
What Happened?
- The owner of the popular science channel Veritasium received a fake business proposal email.
- Clicking the provided link led to a full account takeover.
Why It’s Strange:
- Even tech-savvy influencers can fall victim to such scams.
How to Protect Yourself from Social Engineering
- Verify Identities – Always confirm the sender or caller’s identity before sharing information.
- Awareness Training – Educate yourself and employees on social engineering tactics.
- Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
- Limit Information Sharing – Avoid posting sensitive details online.
Conclusion
These unusual social engineering cases showcase the creativity of attackers in exploiting human psychology. Increasing awareness and implementing security measures can help reduce the risks of falling victim to such schemes.
Source:
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Bizarre Social Engineering Cases