No usernames or passwords have been disclosed

Jul 6, 2017 11:12 GMT  ·  By

The UK parliament has recently been the target of a massive cyber-attack, but it turns out that hackers are trying to get their hands on MPs’ usernames and passwords in a much more traditional way.

A report from The Telegraph reveals that hackers are calling members of the parliament and ask them for their usernames and passwords, claiming to work for a company called “Windows,” as they try to trick them into believing they were talking to Microsoft officials.

The scammers tell MPs they’ve been employed by the Parliamentary Digital Service to secure systems following the recent cyber-attack.

The parliament has already confirmed the attempt to steal usernames and passwords and said in a notification submitted to members that no usernames and passwords have been disclosed so far.

“This afternoon we've heard reports of parliamentary users being telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password,” it says.

“A small number of parliamentary users were telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password by a caller claiming to be employed by 'Windows' on behalf of the Parliamentary Digital Service to help with the cyber attack,” the warning reads.

British phone scammers arrested

The old-fashioned hacking method comes only a few days after a broader cyber-attack launched against the parliament, when hackers repeatedly attempted to steal usernames and passwords using brute force. Remote access to the email system was shut down to make sure that no data is compromised.

Parliament staff emphasizes that passwords will never be requested, so MPs should never disclose their credentials.

Only last week, Microsoft and law enforcement managed to track down and arrest four Britons who were involved in a phone call scam operating in several countries, including India.

The traditional phone scam involves cybercriminals claiming to work for Microsoft and recommending unnecessary fixes for their systems. Most often, scammers also drop malware on victims’ computers and ask for hundreds of dollars in exchange for removing the infection.