Fake Zoom Call Lures for Zoom Workplace Credentials
Summary:
A recent phishing campaign identified by the Cofense Phishing Defense Center demonstrates how cybercriminals are leveraging familiar virtual meeting platforms and psychological manipulation to steal user credentials. The attack begins with an email that appears to be a Zoom meeting notification, crafted to mimic legitimate workplace communications. The subject line reads "URGENT - Emergency Meeting," and the message repeatedly emphasizes urgency using phrases like "immediately," "critical issue," "as soon as you can," and "time-sensitive." This tactic is designed to exploit human emotions such as fear and anxiety in order to override users' skepticism or attention to detail. According to Cofense’s research, phishing emails that create a sense of urgency are among the most frequently clicked, highlighting the success of this psychological approach in luring victims.
Embedded in the phishing email is a hyperlink labeled as a Zoom meeting link. At first glance, the URL appears authentic, but it is actually a deceptive redirect that leads users through a series of masked tracking links hosted on platforms such as Cirrus Insight. These links ultimately redirect to a convincingly realistic fake Zoom meeting landing page. Upon clicking the link, the victim is shown a message that says "joining meeting" followed by what looks like a live Zoom call, complete with individuals waving or making facial expressions to create the illusion of authenticity. This simulation is designed to reassure the victim and increase their trust in the interaction. Shortly afterward, the screen displays a “meeting connection timed out” notification and redirects the user to a Zoom Workplace login screen.
Security Officer Comments:
The fake login page is nearly identical to the legitimate Zoom login interface and often pre-fills the victim’s email address based on information embedded in the phishing URL. This makes the page appear even more legitimate, increasing the chances that the victim will proceed to enter their password. Once the credentials are submitted, the information is harvested along with additional metadata such as the user’s IP address, country, and region. This data is then sent to the threat actor through Telegram, a messaging platform frequently used for its encrypted communication capabilities. The attackers rely on this method to quickly and discreetly exfiltrate stolen information. This campaign is a clear example of how threat actors can weaponize routine workplace experiences and common technical hiccups to execute successful phishing attacks. By using realistic visuals, carefully designed redirection techniques, and contextual email content, the attackers are able to deceive users into surrendering sensitive login credentials. Because Zoom credentials are often tied to corporate accounts, including email and internal platforms, compromising them can lead to deeper access within an organization’s network.
Suggested Corrections:
Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from their customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.
Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.
As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.
Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.
Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.
Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.
Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.
Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.
Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.
Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.
It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.
If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.
Link(s):
https://cofense.com/blog/fake-zoom-call-lures-for-zoom-workplace-credentials
A recent phishing campaign identified by the Cofense Phishing Defense Center demonstrates how cybercriminals are leveraging familiar virtual meeting platforms and psychological manipulation to steal user credentials. The attack begins with an email that appears to be a Zoom meeting notification, crafted to mimic legitimate workplace communications. The subject line reads "URGENT - Emergency Meeting," and the message repeatedly emphasizes urgency using phrases like "immediately," "critical issue," "as soon as you can," and "time-sensitive." This tactic is designed to exploit human emotions such as fear and anxiety in order to override users' skepticism or attention to detail. According to Cofense’s research, phishing emails that create a sense of urgency are among the most frequently clicked, highlighting the success of this psychological approach in luring victims.
Embedded in the phishing email is a hyperlink labeled as a Zoom meeting link. At first glance, the URL appears authentic, but it is actually a deceptive redirect that leads users through a series of masked tracking links hosted on platforms such as Cirrus Insight. These links ultimately redirect to a convincingly realistic fake Zoom meeting landing page. Upon clicking the link, the victim is shown a message that says "joining meeting" followed by what looks like a live Zoom call, complete with individuals waving or making facial expressions to create the illusion of authenticity. This simulation is designed to reassure the victim and increase their trust in the interaction. Shortly afterward, the screen displays a “meeting connection timed out” notification and redirects the user to a Zoom Workplace login screen.
Security Officer Comments:
The fake login page is nearly identical to the legitimate Zoom login interface and often pre-fills the victim’s email address based on information embedded in the phishing URL. This makes the page appear even more legitimate, increasing the chances that the victim will proceed to enter their password. Once the credentials are submitted, the information is harvested along with additional metadata such as the user’s IP address, country, and region. This data is then sent to the threat actor through Telegram, a messaging platform frequently used for its encrypted communication capabilities. The attackers rely on this method to quickly and discreetly exfiltrate stolen information. This campaign is a clear example of how threat actors can weaponize routine workplace experiences and common technical hiccups to execute successful phishing attacks. By using realistic visuals, carefully designed redirection techniques, and contextual email content, the attackers are able to deceive users into surrendering sensitive login credentials. Because Zoom credentials are often tied to corporate accounts, including email and internal platforms, compromising them can lead to deeper access within an organization’s network.
Suggested Corrections:
Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from their customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.
Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.
As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.
Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.
Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.
Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.
Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.
Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.
Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.
Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.
It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.
If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.
Link(s):
https://cofense.com/blog/fake-zoom-call-lures-for-zoom-workplace-credentials