Social engineering is turning legitimate remote access tools into one of the fastest-growing fraud vectors.
For years, cybercriminals focused on exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to devices and financial accounts. Increasingly, however, they are achieving the same objective through social engineering.
A Growing Trend Across Latin America
Financial institutions across the region are reporting a significant increase in scams involving remote access software.
Industry reports show:
- 155% increase in reported scam attempts.
Five times more attacks involving remote access tools.
- 225% growth in malware-related attacks.
- 344% increase in fraud originating from compromised devices.
These figures reflect a broader shift in cybercrime, where manipulating the user is often easier than attacking the technology itself.
How These Attacks Work
A typical attack begins with a phone call, text message or instant message impersonating a bank, government agency or technical support provider.
Victims are told that their account is at risk or that urgent action is required. They are then instructed to install a remote access application so the "advisor" can help resolve the issue.
Once access is granted, attackers can:
- observe user credentials being entered
- manipulate banking sessions
- authorize transactions while the legitimate user is connected
- install additional malware or maintain persistence on the device
Because the actions appear to originate from the customer's own device, these attacks can be difficult to distinguish from legitimate activity.
Why Traditional Controls Are No Longer Enough
Authentication alone cannot stop a remote access attack if the legitimate user is being manipulated throughout the session. Organizations increasingly need visibility beyond login, combining device intelligence, session monitoring and contextual risk analysis to identify signs that a legitimate session may no longer be under the legitimate user's control.
Continuous monitoring has become essential to detecting unusual device behavior, session anomalies and transaction risks before financial losses occur.
Stay Ahead of Fraud