Military .com: VA Is Asking DOJ for Help Getting Back GIBill.com After Losing Domain Rights. “The Department of Veterans Affairs is asking the Department of Justice to step in after it lost control of the domain ‘GIBill.com,’ a site that has previously been used by scammers.”
Fast Company: I’m an ethical hacker. Here’s how I could use social media to scam you. “Cybercriminals exploit the personal details we share online to try and trick or impersonate us—piecing together every photo we post, location we check into, person we tag, or pet photo we upload to build an understanding of their targets… This is not meant to scare you. Actually, it’s very possible to enjoy social media without putting yourself at risk. I’m going to show you how the hackers do it and how you can recognize when you’re oversharing, to help you outsmart the bad guys.”
CNN: Scam artists lurking on dating apps and social media made away with a record haul in 2020. “Scammers lurk on dating apps and social media, striking up conversation with strangers until they build up trust to eventually ask for money. The prevalence of these types of scams has been steadily rising for the past four years. In 2020, there was a 50% jump in reported dollar losses from romance scams from 2019. The pandemic has only made things easier, creating legitimate reasons for scammers to hide their real motives, claiming they cannot meet in person or need money for medical treatment.”
Ubergizmo: Instagram Scams Have Risen More Than 50% Since The Pandemic. “This is according to figures from Action Fraud, the UK police national reporting center for fraud and cyber crime. A report from the BBC details a story of how a man lost £17,000 after falling for what seemed like an investment scam based on someone he was following on Instagram.”
CNET: Social network Gab back online after bitcoin scam. “In a Friday blog post, CEO Andrew Torba said Gab took itself offline after several accounts ‘were posting bitcoin wallet spam and related content.’ Fewer than 20 accounts were affected and no bitcoin was transferred, Torba said.”
Mashable: Apple looks to rid App Store of ‘rip-off’ scam apps that trick users into paying large sums. “Apple is looking to crack down on apps that’s prices ‘do not reflect the value of the features and content offered to the user.’ Basically, if Apple thinks a developer is charging too much for their app or in-app purchases, the company will reject the app from inclusion in the App Store.”
NBC Bay Area: Shady Auto Shops Easier To Spot. “A new state tool might help take the guesswork out of picking an auto repair shop or a smog test station. The Bureau of Automotive Repair recently rolled out a new map-based search tool that cross checks state disciplinary records.” This is for California.
FTC: Scammers cash in on COVID-19 vaccination confusion. “With every passing day, the news on COVID-19 vaccine distribution seems to change. One reason is that distribution varies by state and territory. And scammers, always at the ready, are taking advantage of the confusion. Besides a big dose of patience, here are some tips to help you avoid a vaccine-related scam, no matter where you live.”
Chemistry World: Imposters hijack journal’s peer review process to publish substandard papers. “Scammers infiltrated a chemistry journal’s peer-review system in order to accept and publish low quality papers. The sophisticated operation highlights the lengths to which some dishonest parties will go to undermine the review process.”
CNET: COVID-19 vaccines offered by email or text? How to identify a phishing scam. “Online scammers have used crises and major events to con people for years. The pandemic has created an appealing situation because the entire world is aware of the disease and the hardship it’s caused in everyone’s lives. On top of that, the virus has pushed many work from from home offices, where they still have access to sensitive workplace information. From a criminal’s perspective, it’s a great opportunity to get lots of people to act against their better judgment.”
News 4 San Antonio: New bank scams are using information from your social media to hook you. “Local experts say scammers are using information from your social media to hook you and make you think an email is really from your bank. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers know you’re plugged into your bank account like never before. You might be waiting for a stimulus check, unemployment or a PPP loan – making you primed and ready for any emails that look like they’re from your bank.”
MakeUseOf: How to Protect Yourself From Fraudulent Stores on Shopify. “A recent Fakespot report found roughly 20 percent of stores on Shopify are ‘related to fraudulent practices.’ This analysis found further startling information: of the nearly 26,000 stores found to be fraudulent, 39 percent percent had counterfeit issues, brand infringements, or a poor reputation; 28 percent had privacy leaks and suspiciously cheap listings; and 17 percent had negative reports from consumers. Here are some of the ways these fraudulent Shopify stores try to scam you.”
ZDNet: Be warned: COVID-19 vaccine scams are now appearing online, over text, and by email. “There is now a rising sense of urgency due to the new COVID-19 variant that appears to be more easily transmitted. Mass vaccination is no easy task, especially when two separate doses are required — and when you combine millions of people desperately waiting for news and confusion in how vaccine programs are being operated, this becomes a situation that cybercriminals can exploit. Over the past few weeks, scammers and other threat actors have launched their own programs: not for public health, but to steal personal information, conduct identity theft, scam victims, and all with the potential for criminal financial gain.”
USA Today: How scammers siphoned $36B in fraudulent unemployment payments from US. “In a Zoom session with the camera turned off, Mayowa describes how he scoops up U.S. unemployment benefits fattened by COVID-19 relief, an international imposter attack that has contributed to at least $36 billion being siphoned away from out-of-work Americans. Mayowa is an engineering student in Nigeria who estimates he’s made about $50,000 since the pandemic began. After compiling a list of real people, he turns to databases of hacked information that charge $2 in cryptocurrency to link that name to a date of birth and Social Security number.”
BuzzFeed News: “Facebook Gets Paid” . “Facebook’s Global Ad Machine Is The Company’s $80 Billion Annual Lifeblood. Workers Say It Puts Profits Over People. Facebook is on track for record ad revenue this year. That’s partly due to its lax approach to stopping scammers, hackers, and disinformation peddlers who buy ads that rip off and manipulate people, say former and current workers.” I’ve been bitching about this for years.)
