By the end of 2013, the Chinese cybercrime underground was a very busy economy, with peddled wares that not only targeted PCs, but mobile devices as well—making it its most prolific segment, according to Trend Micro’s report entitled “Prototype Nation: The Chinese Cybercriminal Underground in 2015.”
The report also saw cybercriminals abusing popular Web services such as the instant-messaging app (IM), QQ, to communicate with peers.
Today, the Chinese underground is thriving more than ever. Data (either leaked or stolen) are now being traded along with prototypes and new functional hardware, like point-of-sales (PoS) and automated teller machine (ATM) skimmers.
Tampered PoS devices are sold to resellers who may or may not know that these devices are rigged. Some PoS skimmers come with an SMS-notification feature that allows the cybercriminal to access the stolen data remotely every time the device is used.C
Commonly sold on B2B websites, ATM skimmers are fraud-enabling devices that allow fraudsters to carry out bank fraud and actual theft. The devices have keypad overlays that are used to steal victims’ PINs.
Pocket skimmers are also widely used. These small, unnoticeable magnetic card readers can store track data of up to 2,048 payment cards. They do not need to be physically connected to a computer or a power supply to work. All captured data can be downloaded onto a connected computer.
netizens left a footprint.