Scams, like viruses, constantly change as they respond to the latest news and trends. These “professionals” find new ways to separate the elderly from our money. Thus our CV is the perfect playground for them. Being adaptable criminals, they follow the headlines and find new ways to update the traditional romance and Ponzi scams. Some of the new scams are:
- The Cryptocurrency-romance scamis where they pose as an internet love interest and convince the “target” into downloading an app and investing in crypto accounts.
- Payday loan scamis where they offer assistance in settling bills.
- Password scamsare where automated programs, called Bots are utilized. The “targets” are tricked the into sharing confidential info from a robocall or text, that allegedly comes from a bank, requesting charge authorization. You are then requested to enter your codes etc.
- Student loan forgiveness scamspray on people that are not aware Biden’s desire to provide financial help, has been put on hold. They send phony applications to steal Social Security Numbers and Bank information….or they offer to help for a fee.
- Puppy Scamsoffer cute puppies for sale on the web, and after getting the money agreed upon, then ask for money for travel insurance and or crates. Of course the buyer will NEVER get a puppy.
- Check washing scamsinvolve your checks being stolen from mailboxes, and “bathing” them to erase the original name and dollar amount. They then fill in the blank spaces.
- Free-gift QR Code Scamwhere a QR code embeds malicious links or files within an innocent-looking QR code. Scammers plant these codes in public places like parking lots, on business cards, or within advertisements, hoping unsuspecting people will scan them out of curiosity. Once scanned, the code redirects to a fake website impersonating a legitimate brand or prompts the automatic download of malware onto the phone. Fake codes are placed over real ones to take advantage of the barcodes you scan onto your phone to view menus or make payments. Sometimes you receive a call that you will receive a free gift card, but the code takes you to a malicious website.
- QR codes, such as Phishing websites,impersonate banks, payment services, or online retailers to steal login credentials and payment information. Malware-laced QR codes install spyware, ransomware, or other viruses once scanned, allowing scammers to access sensitive data on the phone. Tech support scams are allegedly advising of an error messages or system update to trick users into installing remote access tools or making unnecessary payments. Be safe and only scan codes from trusted sources you know, like inside an app or on a company’s official marketing. Be wary of random codes in public and use a QR code scanner that previews links instead of automatically opening them in the browser.
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