Another day, another scam. Or should we say scams? There seems to be no end to discovering crooked schemes that use every means imaginable to trick people out of their information, data and finances.
Everyone’s received text messages from unknown numbers. Sometimes it’s a service or business you use that isn’t in your contacts. It could be your food delivery app letting you know that your grub is on the way. It could also be the first step in a scam. Tap or click here to learn how the scheme works and how to keep from falling victim to it.
While it’s impossible to describe every scam out there, we can give you a heads up about five current ones that you should watch for. We’ll give you an overview of how to spot and avoid them. This tip is brought to you by our sponsor and Kim’s antivirus pick, TotalAV.
“Squid Game” is Netflix’s most-watched show, and scammers are taking advantage of its popularity. The crooks are sending emails promoting a sneak peek at season two of “Squid Game,” which has not been confirmed by Netflix or the show creators. On top of that, there are emails promising casting opportunities.
The fraudulent emails contain attached Excel forms and documents to fill out. These attachments include macros that, when enabled, plant malware on the recipient’s device.
Here are some tips to avoiding falling victim to this scam and others like it:
The Better Business Bureau is warning of scammy advertisements for holiday decorations. The ads appear on social media and online search results and depict beautiful decor at very low prices.
If you buy your decorations through these ads, you won’t get what’s advertised. What you will get are low-quality items. You may even get nothing at all and have no way to contact the company for a refund.
Take the following precautions with these types of ads:
Payment apps are a convenient way to send and receive money. Venmo is best used for transactions between friends and family, so what happens when someone you don’t know sends you money?
The BBB reported on a scam in which the victim receives a message from a stranger saying they accidentally sent some money and need it back. The victim checks their account, and the money is indeed there. They return the money, and that’s where it all goes wrong.
The scammer used a stolen credit card to send that money. Once you send the money back, they delete the stolen card and add their account to receive the repayment. They pocket the cash, and the stolen funds are removed from your account when the actual cardholder reports the fraudulent transaction.
Combat the scam with these tips:
Romance scams have a new twist: Asking for crypto. The U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Kraken is warning of scammers who use popular sites and dating apps to lure in their victims. They claim to be very far away and use emotional tactics to gain trust. Then they ask for cryptocurrency.
Tap or click here for an FBI warning about romance scams.
Protect yourself with the following precautions:
A Google Voice scam is spreading through Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you’re an online seller. A potential buyer asks for your phone number. Once they have it, they use it to create their own Google Voice account and then you get a text for a verification code. You enter it and now the scammer has a Google Voice account tied to your number.
First, don’t give your number to strangers. And if you fell for the scam, you can get out of it by reclaiming your Voice number. Here’s how:
Cyberattacks are on the rise, and the more we rely on our devices for work, school and our personal lives, the more we have to lose. Whether it’s bank accounts, personal data, photos or conversations, there’s just so much to preserve and protect. That’s why I recommend TotalAV.
TotalAV’s industry-leading security suite is easy to use and offers the best protection in the business. In fact, they’ve received the renowned VB100 award for detecting more than 99% of malware samples for the last three years in a row. And not only do you get continuous protection from the latest threats, but their AI-driven Web Shield browser extension blocks dangerous websites automatically, and their Junk Cleaner can help you quickly clear out your old files.
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