Russians were told about the possible surveillance of scammers through animal feeders

Attackers can use smart pet feeders as a tool to spy on owners. This was announced on February 11 by Kaspersky ICS CERT expert Vladimir Dashchenko.

According to him, by gaining access to such devices, criminals can steal confidential information, including video recordings from built-in cameras.

"Intruders can use a pet feeder as a tool for surveillance. Attackers can gain access to the device and steal confidential information, for example, video recordings from cameras built into the device," Dashchenko explained in an interview with RIA Novosti.

In addition, fraudsters can gain access to other connected devices. The expert added that this is no longer a hypothetical threat: there have been cases of hacking of home cameras, baby monitors, animal feeders and other smart devices. The expert stressed that any device with Internet access can become an entry point for cyber attacks. Modern smart devices, such as animal feeders, often do not receive due attention from the point of view of cybersecurity.

Dashchenko noted that it is not always easy to understand that a device has been hacked. Signs that a feeder or other gadget may be hacked may include strange changes in its behavior, such as accidental power-on, reboots, unstable network connection, or unauthorized notifications.

Nothing superfluous: how scammers speculate on the topic of refunding overpayments

Such scam schemes are gaining relevance in late winter and early spring.

Fraudsters began to extort personal data of Russians under the pretext of taking tests or making an appointment with a doctor. One of the victims said on February 6 that her mother received a call allegedly from the clinic, informed about the dismissal of her doctor and offered to join another specialist. Subsequently, the scammers called back and demanded to retake the tests and undergo the procedure of re-registration with a new doctor, providing personal data.

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