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Scammers are targeting teens – Warn your Gen Zer about these tricks
I told you about the 14-year-old who committed suicide after following the advice of an AI chatbot. Another family is suing the same one — Character AI — after it told an autistic 14-year-old to kill his parents. It also exposed an 11-year-old to sexual content.
These stories are heavy reminders young people are especially vulnerable on the internet, but AI isn’t the only thing targeting them.
The fine folks at the FBI’s crime division say teens lost 2,500% more money to scams over a recent five-year stretch. Compare that to an 805% increase for seniors, which is still not great, but at least it’s not 2,500%.
So, why teens? Because thieves have more ways than ever to target them. Talk to anyone in your circle born between 1996 and 2010 about this. It’s a big deal.
Under the influence
Say a kiddo in your family idolizes an online influencer. That person is so easy to impersonate. All a fraudster has to do is set up a phony account that looks real, run a contest and trick “winners” into handing over their personal details (or more) to claim their (nonexistent) prizes. Done and done.
Pro tip: Stick to “official” influencer accounts with substantial follower counts. A smaller account is almost always a scammer, not some secret one. And never give financial info or money to someone via DM.
‘Hey there, handsome’
This one is a classic for a reason. Scammers grab pictures of an attractive teen or 20-something and play digital Casanovas. All too soon, they profess their love — then comes the request for money, gifts or info.
Pro tip: Try a reverse image search to see if those pics pop up elsewhere online. If the person refuses to video call or meet you in person, it’s a bad sign.
‘Send me a photo’
This is the dangerous intersection of smartphones, sexting and scammers. Someone shares sexy pictures and asks for some in return. As soon as the victim sends a pic or video, everything changes.
Your IP address: What it is and why you need to protect yours if you care about privacy
Using the internet is a complicated affair. It may not feel like that to you as a user. You click on your browser and get on with your day — it’s as easy as pie.
Behind the scenes, though, is a whole different story. It’s full of numbers like your Internet Protocol (IP) address, basically your digital home address. This numeric label distinguishes your phone or computer from other devices worldwide.
Shopping scams are getting nastier: One victim in Maryland was tricked into paying a fake $0.99 “redelivery fee” and ended up losing $400. USPS and other shipping companies won’t add a shipping charge after the fact. These scams usually come via text, so watch out.
40% increase
In phishing attacks, thanks to one trick. Cybercriminals buy up super-cheap and easy-to-register domain extensions like .shop, .top, .xyz, .vip and .club. If you see one, move on.
How to install antivirus and scan your computer
If you’re online, you’re at risk, plain and simple. There’s more out there after your info and wallet than you realize, from phishing scams to ransomware and malicious apps to malware.
That’s why it’s critical to protect your personal and business devices correctly. When it comes to your computer, tablet and phone, you need a robust security suite.
5 clever tricks holiday scammers use
JD in Dallas emailed me with a story. He and his wife were at the mall and stopped for a Christmas selfie. Two young men walking by offered to take the pic for them — and one kept wiping the phone’s lens inside his jacket.
Set up your Wi-Fi for easy sharing with guests
You’ve got a turkey in the oven, presents need to be wrapped, and your cousin’s kid screams (again), “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” You’re juggling a hundred things at once, and the last thing you want to do is to spell out your password.
Security tip: Next time you stay at a hotel, turn on your VPN
Did you know the average American spends more than 24 hours each week online? That is a considerable chunk of time.
If you’re one of many with multiple devices regularly accessing the internet, you probably know you need a secure connection to protect sensitive data. A virtual private network or VPN is the best way to do this.
Booking.com is not my typo: One man got a complete stranger’s trip details when the person shared their itinerary with a contact and made a typo. The site says it’s not a security breach; it’s how their system works. That’s pretty standard, so double-check your recipients’ email addresses when sharing any personal information.
Instagram parental controls: Review how much time your teen spends in the app (but not what they’re doing), set daily time limits and establish times to put the app in “sleep mode” so they won’t get notifications. In the Instagram app, tap your profile picture (bottom right) > the menu button (top right) > Family Center to connect to your teen.
Beware: Convincing new PayPal invoice scam
“Reminder: You’ve still got a money request!” That was the subject line of the messages flooding my husband Barry’s inbox all week. He’s not the only one; there’s a sneaky scam going around that looks totally legit … because it actually comes from PayPal.
Why you can’t access some sites while you’re on a VPN and what to do
Let’s say you’re browsing the web with a VPN. You’re protecting privacy, so you’re confident hackers and advertisers can’t track you. Then you try to go to a site, and it just won’t load.
This can throw a wrench into productivity when working. Or it can ruin your mood when trying to have fun online.
Antivirus comparison: Which option is best for your PC or Mac?
If you browse the internet regularly, you can’t get around the fact that you need antivirus software. Viruses can pop up in unexpected places, and you want your device to be able to fight one off if it appears.
Dangerous malware making the rounds is what makes having antivirus software protecting you so critical. But what’s the best antivirus software for a Mac or Windows computer? Keep reading to see the best options.
Hidden trackers invade your browser – How to delete them
Internet cookies have been around for the last 30 years. Blame them on a programmer at Netscape who figured out a way for websites to “remember” users. Today, there are a few different types of cookies.
A first-party cookie is stored in your browser when you visit a website. It keeps things like your account or login info and shopping cart so you don’t have to fill them in each time. We like those kinds of cookies.
Another scammer is now rich: A retired Florida therapist thought she was helping the FBI take down a Mexican cartel. Really, scammers convinced her to wire $600,000 from her retirement account to a protected “government locker.” Her banks tried to warn her, but she was fed a script to get them off her back. How awful.
Don’t fall for it! Hackers are trying to get you to scam yourself
You’re pulling your hair out, trying to fix something on your computer. You Google it and find what looks like a helpful website or a tutorial with easy step-by-step instructions.
Phew, you’re finally solving your problem, but hold up! You’ve just walked into a “scam-yourself” attack. Cybercreeps use this clever strategy to trick you into compromising your tech so they don’t have to do the dirty work.
🚨 Netflix renewal scam: Cybercriminals are sending fake Netflix texts claiming your account’s about to be suspended. They’ll say there was an “issue processing your payment” or a “failure in your recent payment” and ask you to sign in through a link. It’s just a trick to steal your login details and credit card info. Don’t fall for it.
Text-raordinary mistake: RCS messaging makes texting between an iPhone and Android device better, but there’s a catch: These messages aren’t encrypted. Google Messages is encrypted for Android-to-Android, and Apple Messages does the same for iPhone-to-iPhone texts. Between Android and iPhone? No encryption, meaning it’s super easy for a hacker to see your texts.
Malware warning: Red flags your computer is under attack
It’s Computer Security Day, and there’s no better time to remind you malware is lurking everywhere. From phishing emails to unsuspecting ads, just one wrong click can compromise your personal info or infect your devices.