Human-trafficking scammers: What a sad story. A Ugandan man was lured to Thailand with the promise of a $2,500-a-month data entry job. In reality, he was trafficked into working as a pig-butchering scammer. He made $400 a month working 17-hour shifts, seven days a week (paywall link). If his productivity dropped, he was punished with hundreds of push-ups and forced runs around a parking lot. After seven long months, he escaped and is now telling his story to warn others.
Scam watch: 3 scams spreading like fire across the U.S.
Scammers are clever, but they’re not very creative. Most of their tricks are recycled versions of tricks that worked in the past. There are a few I’ve seen cropping up again because criminals know they work every time.
When these hit my timeline, I make sure to pass them on to you. I want you to be prepared and not a victim.
⚖️ Your day in court
Police in several cities are warning about this scam. You get a phone call that looks like it’s coming from law enforcement. The voice on the other end lays it on thick, claiming you’ve failed to appear for a court date, and — oh, boy — they’ve got a warrant out for you. Just pay over the phone and this mess will disappear … not.
- Always ask questions: Actual law enforcement officers won’t demand payments over the phone.
- Caller IDs can be faked: Spoofing is a common trick to make calls look real.
📦 The delivery text snare
You get a text that appears to be from the USPS. “Click here,” it says, adding, “Your package can’t be delivered until you update your address.” It’s crazy to me these scams continue to work. Folks, don’t believe ‘em, and warn your loved ones.
- No link? No problem: Official USPS communications won’t include unsolicited links.
- Check the details: Always keep track of what you ordered, where you ordered it from and how it should arrive.
- Guard your info: Never — and I mean NEVER — give out your personal data through a random text link.
⛽ Gas station skimmer alerts
An email in your inbox warns about gas station credit card skimmers. All you have to do is click a link for a list of affected locations. It’s a trap!
- Just delete: Treat unsolicited emails like uninvited guests. Don’t let them in.
- Inspect before you swipe: Always give a visual check to any payment terminal. Pay inside or move to the next pump if yours looks sketchy.
Stay informed, be skeptical and protect your personal info like it’s gold — because to you and these scammers, it is.
Sextortion scams are getting up close and personal
POV: You open your inbox to the creepiest email of all time. It’s addressed to you by name, and it starts like this:
“I suggest you read this message carefully. Take a moment to chill, breathe and analyze it thoroughly. ‘Cause we’re about to discuss a deal between you and me, and I ain’t playing games.”
53% of businesses
Have been targeted by a financial deepfake scam. Even worse, 43% fell for it. These scams use bogus images, videos or audio recordings to convince people to buy gift cards, wire money or otherwise spend. If you get a random financial request at work, reach out to the person directly to confirm.
Leak: Big Tech companies are listening to your convos
For years, tech companies have assured us no one’s listening through our smartphones to see what we’re interested in. It sure feels like it, though, when our ads seem so closely matched to our private chats with friends and family.
🔄 Patch Tuesday: Microsoft rolled out fixes for 79 flaws, including four zero-days. One of the worst is a Windows Update that could roll back security fixes. Yikes. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, then click Check for updates.
Update Chrome now: Google just dropped an update that fixes four high-severity vulnerabilities. No details yet on whether hackers have exploited them, but don’t wait to find out. In Chrome, go to Settings > About Chrome, download the latest patch, and hit Relaunch. You should be on version 128.0.6613.137 or 128.0.6613.138, depending on your OS.
✈️ This is your hacker speaking: There’s an app small airlines use to upload flight crew to precleared TSA lists. Cybersecurity researchers found they could edit photos and names in the app, meaning fake pilots could bypass security checks. Yikes. The TSA says 300 people have evaded airport security since March 2023.
Gen Z is losing more money to online scams than boomers: Constant internet use makes them comfortable doing business online. For fraudsters, it’s the perfect opportunity to lure them into fake employment opportunities, sketchy online purchases, or investment or crypto scams. Last year, Gen Z lost an average of $155 per person to online scams (paywall link).
💔 So very sad: A 73-year-old New Jersey woman lost over $50,000 in a romance scam. A man named “Henry” on Facebook wooed her. All she had to do was send him money and gift cards for travel, which he promised to give back and more. When her son found out, the money was gone. A detective confirmed the transfers went to Nigeria.
Buying a house or wiring money? A former Mastercard exec nearly lost $100,000 after scammers got into her real estate agent’s email account. They posed as a title company, requesting an “accelerated” payment (paywall link). The wire instructions had the same letterhead and typography, but the phone number and email were off. Luckily, she called the original number and dodged the scam. Always double-check the details.
🚨 Driving away with your data: Car rental company Avis says 299,006 people had their personal info stolen in an August data breach. We’re talking names, addresses, credit card numbers and driver’s license numbers. No word yet on how hackers got in. FYI, Texas was hit hardest, with 34,592 folks there exposed. Stay alert for phishing scams!
Android alert: Malware called SpyAgent is disguising itself within 280 banking apps and streaming services. This one is smart enough to recognize images and is stealing crypto wallet recovery phrases saved as screenshots. Stay safe: Only download apps from the official Google Play Store and never screenshot your passwords or seed phrases.
Spot the fake: Change Healthcare is offering free credit monitoring after this year’s massive data breach (paywall link). A reported one in three Americans had their insurance info, Social Security number, health conditions and more leaked. The credit monitoring is through IDX. If you get anything else in the mail, it’s a scam. Just a reminder: If you haven’t frozen your credit yet, here are the steps.
This is frightening: Virtual medical company Confidant Health exposed the sensitive health details of thousands of people. The 5.3 terabytes (paywall link) of publicly accessible data included video and audio recordings of therapy sessions and multipage reports of psychiatry intake notes. They say it’s now locked down and no malicious actors accessed patient records … that they know of.
🚨 “Malvertising”: That’s the snazzy term for malware that spreads through “sponsored content” results at the top of Google searches. One click and you’re off to a shady site that steals your personal info or worse. Stay safe: Double-check URLs for misspellings or type them in manually. Keep your OS and browser updated, too. The best defense? Strong antivirus software.
North Korean spies are infiltrating U.S. companies: They’re applying for IT jobs with stolen IDs, peppy cover letters and AI-generated photos (paywall link). The goal is to get access to U.S. company networks and then steal intellectual property or create backdoors for cyberattacks. Always insist on an in-person or video interview and thoroughly vet applicants’ work histories and references.
Suite dreams: Next time you check into a hotel, don’t be surprised if there are no keycards. Digital options using Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are soaring. Just tap your phone near the door handle to get in. Earlier this year, hackers cracked over 3 million hotel rooms with Saflok locks, so I’m all for this.
Zip it: If your phone rings and someone says, “Can you hear me?” or “Is this [your name]?” hang up. Scammers record your “Yes” to create voice authorizations for bank account access. Bonus points if you report shady numbers to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.