Real-World Consquences — Impacts & Losses
Smart-TV Breach Leads to $185K Wire Fraud
Attack: An outdated smart TV gave attackers access to family email credentials. They monitored conversations, intercepted a wire transfer, and diverted $185,000 meant for a property investment.
The family never saw the attack — the TV had simply not been updated in over a year.
Compromised Security Camera Used to Extort $100K
Attackers exploited a vulnerability in a residential IP camera, captured private footage, and demanded a five-figure ransom to prevent its release.
Because the compromise originated from a home device, no traditional identity or credit monitoring would ever have detected it.
Child Attacked via Cyberbulling
A middle-school child became the target of a coordinated cyberbullying campaign. Attackers created fake profiles, posted harmful content, and impersonated the child online
The family required psychological counseling, digital forensics, temporary relocation, emergency school transfer, and months of reputation monitoring.
