Back to school is synonymous with the fall season for many, andfor cybercriminals looking to capitalize on students, distractedshoppers, people away from home and the holiday season cusp, it is'back to fraud.'

Autumn not only brings phishing and other related socialengineering attacks geared toward the season, but it also extendsto many trending fraud schemes and malware.

As cybercrime incidents climb, expect elevated levels ofmalicious emails and phishing heading into fall, expertswarned.

“Right now the growing threats to many people are what has beenextremely successful [for cybercriminals] this year, in particularransomware and phone scammers,” Paul Kubler, digital forensics andcybersecurity examiner for the New York City-based cybersecurityfirm LIFARS, said. “I see this increasing as consumers arecontinuing to fall victim to these threats in growing numbers.”

Experts pinpointed these trending threats:

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1. Out offootprint activity

Credit unions will start to see out of footprint activitybecause many college students head out of town for school.

“We like to encourage credit unions to encourage members to keepcontact information updated so we know where people are, and wherethey are transacting and doing activity. It's very important to dothat,” John Buzzard, strategic technical fraud account executivefor the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based CO-OP Financial Services,said.

The main goal of fraudsters is to mimic legitimate cardholderactivity. Therefore, anytime members are away for an extendedperiod of time, notifying issuers helps them detect potentiallyfraudulent transactions.

Criminals today regularly purchase card numbers based on zipcodes and use them to create counterfeit cards within those samezip codes. When card issuers can't tell the difference betweenlegitimate and fraudulent card activity, it creates a hugeproblem.

Buzzard also said credit unions have a great opportunity toeducate their members about school relocation or extended travelnotifications.

“It's a process where you notify your card issuer that you planto be out of your normal area for a time so they could be aware ofit for fraudulent activity,” he said.

2. College studentscams

Students with new emails and a modest level of technologyexperience are prime targets for fraudsters as well. And theirattacks might take on various forms.

Scammers may try to take advantage of the influx of new studentsby luring new laptop owners with fake Microsoft security emails andcalls, or impersonating new schools to steal personallyidentifiable or sensitive personal information.

Credit card credential theft can also increase as students tryto save money by buying books from alternative dealers and sites,Kubler warned. Outright textbook piracy may also come with freeviruses and other malware.

Then there is tuition wire fraud, which attempts to coax moneyout of victims by convincing them they have an unpaid tuitionbill.

3. Bogus email and phishing schemes

During back-to-school time, criminals are likely to instigate acommon email fraud scheme that involves sending a message thatpromises a reward, such as a gift card from a major retailer.Criminals ask their victims to complete a survey, which includesthe inputting of personal information such as home addresses,Social Security numbers and birthdays. Once the fraudsters haveenough details, they use the survey applicant's data to apply forcredit cards.

Another cybercriminal scheme is to obtain teachers' credit unionemail lists so they can hit members with spear phishing attacks,which ask members to update their information and then lures themto fake pages designed to capture usernames, passwords and personalcredentials.

4. POS/ATMfraud

Point-of-sale skimming devices could victimize back-to-schoolconsumers. An increase in shopping, traveling and general cardusage creates more fraud opportunities for crooks.

The retail, fast food, hospitality and retail sectors havealready experienced POS system-related breach incidents in recentmonths.

For example, the pizza restaurant chain Cicis recentlyacknowledged a possible credit card breach at more than 135locations, and Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino announcedits second breach in about a year, which stemmed from card-scrapingmalware on its POS system. Malware also affected more than 1,000Wendy's franchise restaurants' POS systems, and skimmers found atWalmart stores in Fredericksburg, Va., and Fort Wright, Ky., wereplaced over existing EMV-enabled POS devices and even included aslot for chip cards.

It has been a big year for ATM skimming as well, Buzzard pointedout.

“There have been some sources in the industry that estimate a600% increase in the number of ATM skims where card numbers andPINs are captured,” he said.

The EMV shift has pushed that type of crime as criminals, in anattempt to beat the adoption rates, take advantage of the gradualU.S. conversion to chip technology.

“They have a two- to three-year window before there is a fullconversion to chip technology,” he said.

5. Fall travelhazards

Even though the prime summer vacation season has passed, manypeople are still taking trips, such as fall foliage tours.

Typically, vacationers use a lot of plastic when they're awayfrom home. This creates a perfect opportunity for fraudsters toperpetrate crimes like card skimming as travelers are distractedand not in their natural element.

Travelers must be extra vigilant about emails and links while onthe road or when planning a trip. Fraudsters made $1.3 billion lastyear through online hotel scams. They should also watch out foremails promising a big discount and double check the company'swebsite – if the deal seems too good to be true, it probablyis.

Again, Buzzard recommended members notify their card issuersabout extended travel.

6. Elderlyswindles

During all seasons, senior citizens frequently become victims ofconsumer scams because fraudsters consider them easy targets. Thesefrauds often involve the soliciting of services such as homerepairs, yard cleanups, health insurance, anti-aging products andtravel.

The FBI's Common Fraud Schemes webpage indicates seniors areless likely to report fraud because they don't know who to reportit to, are too ashamed about being scammed or don't know they havebeen scammed. Elderly victims also may not report crimes becausethey are concerned their relatives may think they no longer havethe mental capacity to take care of their own financialaffairs.

When elderly victims do report a crime, they often make poorwitnesses. Con artists count on elderly victims not being able tosupply enough detailed information to investigators. In addition,the victim's realization of a swindle may take weeks or even monthsafter they've made contact with the fraudster. This makes it evenmore difficult for them to remember details about the events.

7. Threats relatedto football, the World Series, Halloween and elections

Watch out for unsolicited emails and pop-up websites offeringdiscounted tickets or other products and services. The popularityof fall sporting events gives cybercriminals the perfect opportunityto target online users.

Voters who search voraciously for news and information aboutcandidates are also at risk. Cybercriminals often use spam,malvertising and spoofed websites to plant viruses and malware.

Exercise caution before clicking on a link, banner ad orattachment.

The end of October is also a prime time for the spread ofmalware as fraudsters initiate Halloween-themed cyber tricks. Italso signals the beginning of the holiday season – which brings aninflux of new threats for shoppers.

Can your cybersecurity strategy handle an attack? Do youhave the latest tools and techniques to prevent fraud and databreaches? Get them and more at our FREE SecondAnnual DataBreach Defense Virtual Conference on September 7.Plus, you'll also learn the latest trends in cybersecurityincluding incident responses and be able to immediately downloadwhite papers, and so much more. Registerfor FREE Now!