Scam of the Week: Don’t Call These Crypto Criminals
In this week’s scam, you receive an email that appears to be from Coinbase, a platform that allows you to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency (crypto). The email says that a new wallet address has been set up to make withdrawals from your account. Wallets are tools that are used to manage crypto that you sell or receive. An unexpected email about a new wallet might alarm you, since it might seem like someone is making unauthorized purchases on your account.
Scam of the Week: The Social Security Swindle
In this week's scam, you receive an email that appears to be from the United States (US) Social Security Administration (SSA), a retirement program run by the US government. The email says your SSA financial statement is now available. It even has an official SSA logo and provides instructions for viewing your statement by downloading an attachment.
Scam of the Week: Device Code Hijacking
Cybercriminals have come up with a new way to scam you by using device codes, which are numeric codes that allow you to log into the same account using multiple devices. You may have used these codes in the past. If you’ve ever attempted to log in to a streaming service such as Netflix from your TV, your TV will display a numeric code that you can enter on your phone. Once you enter the code on your phone, your TV will be automatically logged in to your Netflix account, without needing to log in each time you watch.
Scam of the Week: When Mourning Meets Malware
Unfortunately, cybercriminals often use sad news to trick you. Scammers are taking advantage of Pope Francis' recent death by using AI to create fake images and news articles about the event. They post this phony information on social media accounts in hopes of capturing your attention. However, if you click the links in these social media posts, they’ll take you to harmful websites that steal your personal and financial information.
Scam of the Week: A Text Message Trap
In this week’s scam, you receive a text message that says you have an unpaid invoice, fee, or toll. It seems legitimate because the text message appears to come from a local organization, such as your government’s toll service, tax office, or postal service. It may even contain official logos and branding. The text instructs you to click a link so that you can pay the bill, or you will face a penalty.
Scam of the Week: Fake Ads, Real Fraud
This week, cybercriminals are targeting digital marketing professionals by purchasing fake Google ads, also known as malvertising. This scam begins when you search Google for the login page for Semrush, a popular online digital marketing platform. The search results include what appears to be a sponsored Semrush ad. The ad is one of the top search results, and if you click it, you are taken to what seems to be the Semrush login page.