5 texts you must ignore this holiday season
Scammers draw from a bottomless bag of tricks to get you to hand over your money. They dramatically ramp up their actions when there’s a global event or an upcoming holiday. Not even Veterans Day is safe. Tap or click here for a story that proves criminals have no shame.
The holiday season is another hot ticket. With people buying so much during these months, money and retail scams are ramping up.
You must be extra vigilant against criminals around this time. You don’t want to deal with the additional stress of losing money or personal information. Read on for five scams to watch out for and what you can do to protect yourself against them.
1. Short or single-word texts
Text messages are often jam-packed with information, so receiving a message with one word or a short phrase might be strange. Unless you know the number the message is coming from, continue with caution.
Scammers regularly send single-word texts saying “Hi” or “How are you?” hoping to initiate a conversation. Once they’ve gained your trust, it often leads to a request for money or personal details.
Never give information to someone you don’t trust or haven’t met in person. These schemes can turn into romance scams, and they have no interest in making a meaningful connection.
2. Missed delivery notification
Countless dollars change hands as people shop for gifts and holiday supplies. While some prefer to pick things up from a store, others enjoy the comfort of home deliveries through retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.
But it’s not always practical to be home at the exact moment the delivery van rolls by. If you’re out, the company might text or email saying the delivery couldn’t be made. Unfortunately, criminals are using the same tactics to trick you.
They often send fake missed delivery notifications with a phone number to call or a link to click to reschedule it. But beware! The links can lead to malicious websites that steal personal information or ask for banking details.
Don’t call the number either, as the operator could try to convince you to install remote software that lets them take control of your device.
3 tricks to see if your passwords are being sold on the Dark Web
Hackers can make a ton of money by selling your private information on underground forums. It’s possible that your passwords are being sold on the Dark Web right now. That’s why you should run a cybersecurity check now and then.
Use this easy, free check to see if a site or file contains malware
Hidden malware, hackers and phishers are after your data and bank accounts. But what can you do when you need to visit a website and aren’t sure if it’s safe?
We’ve found an online tool to check websites and files for digital threats before opening them. Keep reading to find out how to use it.
Don't click that ad! It could be hiding malware
Malware can come from pretty much anywhere nowadays. Just previewing a Word doc could infect your device. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe.
What do you do when you need to find something online? “Just Google it!”
Signs your phone or computer is infected with a keylogger
Hackers and scammers are a constant threat, but they’re not the only ones you must worry about. People in your social circles (or even in your own house) can spy on you by forwarding your calls and texts. Tap or click here to check if your calls are being intercepted and how to stop it.
Scammers' latest trick: Getting you to open a OneNote document
Cybercriminals have been spreading malware through phishing emails for quite a while. But a new twist is making the rounds catching victims off guard. Instead of using malicious Word docs to spread malware, they have turned their attention to OneNote documents.
About time! FCC passes new rules to block (some) spam texts
SMS scams come in many forms, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is finally cracking down on perpetrators with a new piece of legislation. This action focuses on the service provider’s role in protecting its customers.
More fake ChatGPT malware spreading – Don't download this
OpenAI’s artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT is an incredible showcase of how we can interact with machines in futuristic ways. The text-based generative AI system can produce stunning results for just about any question or request. Tap or click here for everything you need to know about ChatGPT.
How to spot Super Bowl betting scams
Crooks never sleep, and they’re incredibly aggressive during busy times of the year when the victim pool is deep. Tax season is here, and we already see an uptick in scams. Here’s how to spot one and avoid sending your hard-earned money to a criminal.
Ever run a background check? 20 mil Truth Finder and Instant Checkmate accounts leaked
Have you ever done a background check on yourself or someone else? It’s a good way for employers to determine if a potential worker is trustworthy. Some people even do background checks on potential dates in online dating. Tap or click here to learn how to do a free background check.
Tax season: Scams to watch for so you don't get taken
Don’t be so quick to accept the help of strangers if they offer to make filing taxes less stressful. Tap or click here for more information on the tax prep software that was sending data back to Meta. Now, tax scams are making the rounds looking to rip you off.
Smishing is spreading - How to spot it
You’re putting yourself at risk if you aren’t up-to-date on the biggest scamming schemes. There are a lot of widespread cons that many people don’t know about. Tap or click here for seven new scams to watch out for.
Take smishing, for example. While it isn’t all that new, it’s still not the most well-known term. But it’s a spreading issue that threatens anyone who owns a smartphone, so it’s best to find out what it is now.
New antivirus scam email spreading — Don't click!
You don’t expect antivirus software to spread malware, but it happens. Tap or click here for how this malware can eavesdrop on your calls using your phone’s motion sensors.
Phishing scams are also far too common. Maybe you get a receipt for AV software you never bought, or a marketing email that looks legitimate buts leads you to a bogus page ready to take your credit card info.
Work in one of these 10 industries? Scammers are targeting you
Any Komando.com reader knows that antivirus software is essential for your computer, but that’s not the only device you should be protecting. Smartphone cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common. Tap or click here for tips on shielding your iPhone and Android from the countless threats out there.
Gambling platform DraftKings breached - Do this if you have an account
Those who don’t update their mobile phone’s operating system or are eager to click on random links in emails make it less challenging for criminals to steal their details. Tap or click here for the one thing you must do if your Facebook is hacked.
Getting texts that just say 'hi'? You're not alone
Most of us get tons of emails daily. It can be overwhelming to stare at an inox with hundreds of unopened messages. Tap or click here for simple solutions to get a handle on your inbox.
Text messages are another story. You might be part of a group chat with family members who ping you all hours of the day and night. Then there are random texts that come from people you don’t know. That’s where you need to be careful. It could be part of an elaborate scheme to rip you off.
Have a Twitter account? Your personal info might be included in this leak
When sites and services get popular, they become enormous targets for cybercriminals. Obviously, that’s because there are more potential victims to exploit.
Even though Twitter is going through a rough patch, it still has millions of users globally. That made the Twitter data breach we reported in July frightening for users. In that breach, at least 5.4 million Twitter users had their data exposed. Tap or click here for more details.
If you get an email with this phone number, don't call! It's a money-stealing scam
Thieves are out in full force during the holidays looking to rip off people shopping for gifts. Some have even gone so far as to devise elaborate schemes to trick you out of personal information and steal your money. Tap or click here for details on holiday scams making the rounds and how to outsmart them.
These 16 malware-infected apps have 20 million downloads
Apps hiding malware are becoming a common problem. Malicious apps like these have been around in third-party app stores for a while. But official app stores are supposed to protect us from bad actors getting to our devices.
Malware is still a huge problem for Android – Here’s what to watch for
While iOS devices aren’t immune from malware, Android gadgets are still the most targeted by hackers. Due to how Google structures the Android ecosystem and the billions of devices using it, it’s a lucrative industry for criminals.