Scams
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Blog
Are Those Delivery Messages You Get Scams or Actually Real?
According to cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg, these scams aren’t new and persist because they work. “They’re great scams from the perspective of the scammer,” Steinberg says. “There are two things going on in the scammer’s favor. If I send out enough emails, especially during holiday time, I am essentially guaranteed that somebody who’s getting it is going to have just…
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Google blocked over 5 billion ads in 2024 amid rise in AI-powered scams
Google blocked 5.1 billion ads and suspended more than 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, according to its 2024 Ads Safety Report released this week. The company says the increasing enforcement activity is caused by the growing threat of AI-generated content, impersonation scams, and abuse of its ad platform. In particular, Google highlighted the use of generative AI tools to create deepfake…
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Six arrested for AI-powered investment scams that stole $20 million
Spain’s police arrested six individuals behind a large-scale cryptocurrency investment scam that used AI tools to generate deepfake ads featuring popular public figures to lure people. The scam was very successful, defrauding 19 million Euros ($20.9M) from 208 victims worldwide. The police operation, codenamed “COINBLACK – WENDMINE,” started two years ago following the submission of a victim’s complaint. The action…
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Steam gift card scams and how to avoid them
Steam gift card scams have been among the most successful phishing scams in recent years and are expected to gain traction over the coming years. There are two main variants of this scam, and both involve receiving messages through Steam itself or other social apps, such as Discord, that are popular with gamers. In this post, we’ll review both variants,…
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Cyber scams cost businesses $1.7 million per year, claims report
Ninety-eight percent of businesses experienced a cyber attack in 2024, with 94% reporting associated financial losses of at least $500,000, according to the 2025 CyberScam Report from security firm BrandShield. Based on a survey of 200 CISOs from the UK, US, and Europe, the research discovered that suffering a cyber attack in 2024 had a significant impact on a CISO’s…
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U.S. seized $8.2 million in crypto linked to ‘Romance Baiting’ scams
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized over $8.2 million worth of USDT (Tether) cryptocurrency that was stolen via ‘romance baiting’ scams. Previously referred to as ‘pig butchering,’ in this type of financial fraud victims are manipulated into making investments on fraudulent websites/apps that showcase massive returns. Convinced they’re making a profit, the victims invest increasing amounts, but when they…
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Common Instagram scams and how to avoid them
Instagram is said to have over two billion active monthly users and is the third most popular social network in the world, behind only YouTube and Facebook. With those numbers, it should surprise no one that Instagram scams are rife. This post will examine the most common ways scammers abuse Instagram for the usual payouts: identity theft, financial gain, etc.…
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7 common Telegram scams (and how to avoid them)
“Send $50, get $500 back guaranteed!” If you’ve seen messages like this on Telegram, you’ve encountered a scammer. These criminals are targeting Telegram’s 800+ million users with increasingly sophisticated schemes. From fake crypto investments to romance scams, they’re stealing millions from unsuspecting victims. Here’s your guide to spotting and avoiding every major Telegram scam. The most worrying Telegram scams We’ve…
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Common Snapchat scams and how to avoid them
Snapchat’s massive popularity has made it a hotbed for malicious actors looking to scam unsuspecting users into handing over cash or personal information. Plus, with the ephemeral nature of Snapchat messages (or snaps), users may be lulled into a false sense of privacy (screenshots remain possible). This can lead to oversharing and accidentally falling victim to a Snapchat scam. This…
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FTC will send $25.5 million to victims of tech support scams
Later this week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will start distributing over $25.5 million in refunds to those misled by tech support companies Restoro and Reimage’s scare tactics. The FTC will send 736,375 PayPal payments starting March 13 to consumers tricked into paying for unnecessary computer repair services. Between now and March 13, those eligible for a refund will receive…
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