Tech company Meta has removed more than 150,000 accounts linked to online scam operations in Southeast Asia, as part of a joint effort with authorities from several countries including the Philippines, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore.

The company said the operation also led to 21 arrests by the Royal Thai Police. It follows a previous crackdown in December 2025 that removed around 59,000 accounts, pages, and groups connected to scam networks.

Meta warned that many scams today are run by organized groups operating in countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, often targeting people online through fake job offers, messages, or fraudulent ads.

To help users stay safe, the company is introducing new warning alerts on Facebook and WhatsApp when suspicious activity is detected. It is also expanding scam detection tools on Facebook Messenger to flag potentially harmful...

Cybersecurity researchers discovered a new phishing tool called Starkiller that can trick people into giving their login details even if multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled.

The tool is offered by a cybercrime group called Jinkusu. It allows attackers to create fake login links that look like real websites. Starkiller loads the real website and secretly acts as a middleman, capturing usernames, passwords, and security codes entered by victims.

It can also hide malicious links using services like TinyURL, making phishing messages harder to recognize.

Another phishing kit called 1Phish now targets users of 1Password and can steal one-time passcodes and recovery codes. Researchers also found attacks targeting Microsoft 365 accounts by tricking victims into entering a device code on a real Microsoft login...

Cybersecurity firm ThreatFabric has identified a new Android malware strain called Massiv that enables criminals to take over victims’ phones and steal money from their bank accounts.

The malware spreads through fake IPTV apps distributed via SMS phishing. Posing as an “important update,” it tricks users into granting permissions that give attackers full control of the device. Findings shared with The Hacker News warn that despite limited campaigns so far, the threat to mobile banking users is significant.

Massiv has primarily targeted users in Portugal and Greece. In one campaign, attackers impersonated Portugal’s government services app, gov.pt, stealing phone numbers and PIN codes — in some cases using the data to open bank accounts for fraud or money laundering.

Once installed, Massiv can remotely control the phone, hide activity with a black screen, intercept text messages, capture banking credentials, and install additional malware. Unlike...

Cybersecurity experts have revealed a new way hackers can misuse AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot and Grok to secretly control infected computers. The method, called “AI as a C2 proxy” by Check Point, lets attackers send commands and steal information through AI tools, all while blending into normal online activity.

The process works like this: a hacker first infects a computer with malware. Then, the malware talks to the AI assistant using specially designed prompts. The AI fetches instructions from the hacker and sends back responses, effectively acting as a hidden communication channel. Surprisingly, this can happen without needing any account or API key, making it harder to detect or stop.

Experts warn that this is more than just a way to sneak commands past defenses. Hackers could use AI to plan attacks in real time, figure out which computers are valuable targets, and even avoid detection—turning AI into a smart accomplice.

This...