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WQAD News 8
· 2024-10-08
Amazon Prime Days shopping events create opportunities for scammers, with FTC-reported Amazon-related scams resulting in $19 million in losses last year. Consumers should protect themselves by reading verified reviews, avoiding suspicious links, ignoring promotions that require payment, and remembering that Amazon customer support never requests personal details or passwords.
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CFPBLive
· 2024-10-09
This is an introductory webinar hosted by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau on payments industry practices for combating elder financial exploitation. The session provides participants with access to slides, resources, and a discussion platform to explore strategies and tools for preventing elder financial abuse within the payments sector.
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ABC15 Arizona
· 2024-10-11
As the 2024 election approaches, scammers are using election-themed tactics to defraud people through three main schemes: fake merchandise offers requiring shipping fees, phishing surveys that mix political and personal questions to gather targeting information, and fraudulent donation websites impersonating legitimate political action committees. To protect yourself, verify website legitimacy before donating (preferably by credit card), avoid sharing sensitive information like Social Security numbers or birth dates, resist pressure to act immediately, and monitor bank statements regularly.
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CBS News
· 2024-10-14
The FBI warns of a surge in post-disaster fraud following hurricanes in the Southeast, reporting over 26,000 complaints resulting in more than $312 million in losses over the past 5 years. Common scams include imposters posing as FEMA inspectors demanding fees, fraudsters claiming to be insurance companies fishing for personal information, and other tactics using text, email, and door-to-door contact. Victims should remember that legitimate government officials and FEMA workers never request payment or banking details.
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This Morning
· 2024-10-16
This awareness segment identifies five increasingly sophisticated scams targeting consumers, with fraud cases rising 235% year-over-year. Two particularly predatory text message scams impersonate government agencies offering winter heating subsidies and living expense assistance, exploiting vulnerability and creating false urgency to trick victims into clicking malicious links or providing personal information.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted an educational presentation titled "Unmasking Fraud" featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to address senior fraud targeting older adults in Louisiana. The event emphasized that fraud against seniors impacts not only financial security but also causes lasting emotional and psychological harm, and provided practical strategies for protection. AARP directs people to its Fraud Watch Network resource for current scam information and personal data protection guidance.
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NOLA.com
· 2024-10-17
AARP Louisiana hosted a fraud awareness townhall event featuring nationally recognized fraud expert and former prosecutor Paul Greenwood to educate seniors about scams targeting older adults. The event aimed to provide practical protection strategies and highlight how fraud impacts seniors beyond financial loss, including emotional and trust-related consequences. AARP encourages seniors to utilize resources like their FraudWatch Network to stay informed about emerging scams and safeguard personal information.
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WUSA9
· 2024-10-17
An 81-year-old woman lost her life savings after receiving a phone call from a scammer impersonating a Social Security Administration representative who claimed her Social security number was being used fraudulently. The scammer sent a fake U.S. Supreme Court certificate as proof and convinced her to move her money to "secure" it, resulting in the loss of her life savings. She is sharing her story to warn other seniors about this type of fraud.
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wgaltv
· 2024-10-17
Automatic renewal scams impersonate legitimate companies (like LifeLock) through mass emails claiming unauthorized charges of hundreds of dollars, exploiting panic to trick victims into calling provided numbers. When victims respond, scammers pose as customer service representatives and extract banking or credit card information under the pretense of issuing refunds. These scams disproportionately affect seniors, and can be identified by generic greetings rather than personalized names, which legitimate companies typically use.
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WPLG Local 10
· 2024-10-18
A Pinecrest woman received a threatening extortion email from a scammer who claimed to have compromising photos and videos of her and demanded payment. The scammer demonstrated access to personal information including her address, phone number, family members' names, and a photo of her neighborhood, which alarmed her into contacting police. The FBI is encouraging victims of this extortion scam to report it to them.
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Forbes Breaking News
· 2024-10-20
Senator Sherrod Brown questioned a witness about the human impact of financial scams, citing Ohio data showing 18,000 reported scams and $100 million in losses in the past year. The witness testified that scam victims—often vibrant, independent people—experience life-altering consequences including depleted retirement savings and family strain, with adult children forced to drain their own college funds and savings to support defrauded parents.
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NBC10 Boston
· 2024-10-22
More than half of Americans have been targeted by election-related scams ahead of the 2024 election, with young voters experiencing the highest rates of fraud involving fake polls, donation scams, and disinformation. Common scams include political donation fraud where money does not reach intended campaigns, and election survey scams where fraudsters pose as legitimate news organizations to collect personal information and voting preferences. To protect yourself, verify the legitimacy of donation requests and survey contacts before providing personal information or financial contributions.
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WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7
· 2024-10-23
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning about the "card declined scam," where fraudsters create fake websites mimicking legitimate retailers and display card declined error messages to trick consumers into entering their payment information. In one reported case, a Troy woman attempting to purchase shoes on a counterfeit Nike site had her card information stolen, which scammers then used to attempt a $48 fraudulent charge (caught by her bank). Consumers are advised to verify retailer URLs for misspellings and stop transactions if they encounter declined messages, as these may indicate phishing attempts rather than legitimate payment failures.
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KHOU 11
· 2024-10-25
This educational piece identifies common linguistic red flags that reveal scam messages and emails, including the phrase "would you kindly," formal greetings like "Dear Sir or Madam," awkward grammar, British spellings, and misspellings—all indicators that scammers often operate from other countries where English is not their first language. The article warns that artificial intelligence may soon eliminate these warning signs by enabling scammers to craft grammatically perfect messages that appear legitimate.
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NBC10 Boston
· 2024-11-01
During Medicare open enrollment season, scammers impersonate Medicare representatives and insurance agents to trick people into revealing personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking details, and Medicare ID numbers through unsolicited calls, texts, and phishing emails. The BBB has received frequent reports of these fraudulent schemes, which target millions of people seeking insurance plans and can result in identity theft or sale of personal data on the black market. Consumers should verify contacts by hanging up and calling official numbers directly, be wary of anyone offering limited-time enrollment offers, and avoid sharing personal information with unsolicited callers.
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WIRED
· 2024-11-05
This WIRED article features "Scammer Payback," a YouTube scam-baiting channel, answering audience questions about common fraud tactics and red flags. The content identifies three major warning signs of scams: scammers pressuring victims to make quick decisions (especially involving gift cards or Cash App transfers), requests for remote access to computers or phones, and demands for untraceable payment methods like Bitcoin or wire transfers. The educational piece emphasizes that time pressure is a deliberate tactic scammers use to prevent victims from consulting family members or others who might intervene.
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-11-07
**Summary:**
Scammers target veterans by impersonating government representatives and fraudulently offering loan forgiveness, mortgage aid, or grants in exchange for upfront processing fees. Veterans and their spouses experience higher median losses to scams than average consumers, particularly through employment scams that exploit frequent military relocations. The BBB advises veterans to never pay upfront for loans or grants, never share personal information with unsolicited callers, and remember that the government communicates via mail only—never by phone, email, or social media.
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NBC4 Washington
· 2024-11-16
The United States Postal Inspection Service warned of a rise in mail scams heading into the holiday shipping season, including counterfeit postage stamps being sold on social media at 20-50% discounts and phishing/smishing scams via text messages falsely claiming failed package deliveries. Consumers are advised to purchase stamps only from approved postal providers and authorized retailers, and to be cautious of unsolicited delivery notifications via text that may contain malicious links.
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FOX59 News
· 2024-11-18
Black Friday scams are proliferating as holiday shopping season begins. Four major scam types to watch for include: fake social media ads (e.g., North Face offering 80% discounts), copycat websites designed to steal personal information or upload malware, phishing emails offering fake gift card surveys, and bogus delivery alerts via text claiming packages are being held. Consumers should navigate directly to official retailer websites, avoid clicking links in unsolicited emails, and verify tracking information through legitimate sources rather than responding to suspicious messages.
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NewsChannel 9 WSYR Syracuse
· 2024-11-22
Online purchase scams rose 125% in 2023, with scammers targeting busy holiday shoppers through fake websites and social media ads. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to scrutinize websites for awkward phrasing, unprofessional design, and tampered logos, and to avoid engaging with suspicious text messages requesting shipping or payment updates, as these are common tactics used to steal personal and financial information.
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NBC 7 San Diego
· 2024-11-26
Holiday fraud increases significantly in December, with scammers targeting busy shoppers through identity theft, credit card fraud, package theft, and fake social media ads selling counterfeit goods. Law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau warn that common holiday scams have become more sophisticated and high-tech, including fake toll collection texts and counterfeit items sold online, and advise consumers to remain vigilant during the busy shopping season.
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FOX31 Denver
· 2024-11-27
A Denver man lost thousands of dollars after scammers gained access to his Venmo account by using a phishing email to change his password, exploiting his recent grief over his father's death. The hackers transferred funds from his linked checking account before he regained access, and while PayPal later confirmed the breach and pledged to make things right, the incident highlights vulnerabilities across cash transfer apps including Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App. Experts recommend users enable two-factor authentication, transfer money to bank accounts promptly, change passwords regularly, and remain vigilant against common scams like "paid by mistake" schemes and pyramid schemes on these platforms.
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KCAU-TV Sioux City
· 2024-11-28
During peak holiday shopping season, scammers target shoppers with increased fraud attempts. Key protective measures include shopping only on trusted websites, avoiding suspicious links and downloads, patronizing local businesses, using credit cards instead of debit cards for stronger fraud protections, and regularly monitoring bank accounts for unauthorized charges.
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13News Now
· 2024-11-29
Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping increases vulnerability to several common scams: fraudulent social media ads with fake URLs, phony websites selling deactivated or counterfeit gift cards to harvest personal information, and phishing emails with suspicious links. Consumers should verify ad sources and URLs, purchase gift cards only from official retailers, check for spelling errors and https security on websites, and avoid clicking email links unless the sender's address is confirmed legitimate.
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WTVC NewsChannel 9
· 2024-12-01
The Better Business Bureau warns of a rise in online shopping scams ahead of Cyber Monday, when approximately 72 million consumers are expected to shop online. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost over $1 billion to fraud and scams in 2023, with scammers particularly targeting peak shopping seasons through fake websites, phishing emails, and fraudulent text messages impersonating delivery services. The BBB recommends keeping antivirus software updated, verifying website URLs before entering payment information, and avoiding clicking links in unsolicited emails or text messages.
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Good Morning Britain
· 2024-12-02
Television personality Linda Robson nearly fell victim to the "Hi Mum" scam when a fraudster impersonating her daughter Bobby contacted her via WhatsApp, claiming to have dropped her phone and requesting £150 for bills. Robson became suspicious when the scammer couldn't answer her call and provided incorrect information about her dog's name, ultimately avoiding financial loss. The incident highlights that approximately 40% of British adults have been targeted by scams in the past year, prompting Robson to work with BT and charity AB Ability Net to raise awareness about this common fraud tactic.
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WTVR CBS 6
· 2024-12-10
A Virginia woman nearly lost $22,000 in a holiday-season scam, though the amount was ultimately not transferred after a bank questioned the suspicious withdrawal. The Central Virginia Better Business Bureau warns of prevalent phishing scams during the holidays, including fraudulent messages impersonating delivery services and the IRS that attempt to steal personal information or download malware through malicious links. The BBB advises consumers not to click suspicious links, never pay with Bitcoin or gift cards, and remember that legitimate offers that seem too good to be true probably are.
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TODAY
· 2024-12-10
During the holiday season, when Americans are expected to spend over $240 billion online, scammers are exploiting increased shopping activity through fraudulent websites and online shopping schemes. Online fraud costs approximately $12 billion annually according to the FBI, with thousands of fake websites appearing during peak shopping periods to steal personal information. Consumers should protect themselves by checking for security padlocks on websites, scrutinizing URLs and website content for typos or errors, and being cautious of deals that seem too good to be true.
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Eyewitness News ABC7NY
· 2024-12-13
U.S. consumers lost over $10 billion to holiday scams last year, with cybercriminals exploiting the increased online shopping activity during the season. Common scams to avoid include fake delivery notifications (often with suspicious foreign phone numbers), fraudulent social media ads mimicking legitimate retailers, and bogus surveys or giveaways offering free items.
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FOX 5 New York
· 2024-12-13
Amazon Prime customers are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated lookalike scams during the holiday season, with scammers impersonating Amazon through text messages and emails that are difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications. Over 1,000 Amazon scam sites were registered in just two months, and cybersecurity experts report that one in five adults are clicking on these fraudulent messages. Consumers are advised to be cautious of unsolicited Amazon communications and delete suspicious messages immediately.
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WCIA News
· 2024-12-14
The FBI warns consumers to be vigilant against holiday scams, which proliferate during the shopping season when people are rushed and spending more money. Common schemes include spoofed shopping websites designed to steal payment information, puppy scams advertising fake pets for sale, and fraudulent package delivery texts. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, Illinois residents alone reported over 15,000 scams resulting in $335 million in losses.
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KHON2 News
· 2024-12-18
The Better Business Bureau identified 12 common holiday scams, with misleading social media ads and imposter websites being the most prevalent. The list includes phishing emails, fake charities, puppy scams, unsafe holiday apps, and counterfeit product sales. To protect themselves, consumers should avoid interacting with unsolicited messages, only shop from trusted businesses, verify website authenticity, report scams to the BBB and financial institutions, and contact local law enforcement if money is lost.
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FOX4 News Kansas City
· 2024-12-20
During open enrollment season, scammers are targeting people with unsolicited robocalls and text messages offering free incentives like groceries or housing to enroll in health insurance, then requesting personal and financial information to "confirm eligibility." KC Care warns consumers to avoid these scams by only initiating enrollment themselves and working with licensed, trained insurance navigators rather than responding to unsolicited contacts, with free navigator services available through official channels like GetCovered.org (Kansas) and ShowMeCoverage.org (Missouri).
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FOX 2 St. Louis
· 2024-12-20
Local police departments in Bridgeton and Kirkwood issued warnings about an evolving "brushing scam" that combines unsolicited package shipments with QR codes included in the packaging. In brushing scams, online sellers ship random products to real addresses and post fake positive reviews to boost sales, but this new variation includes QR codes that, when scanned, may direct recipients to malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information. Authorities advise consumers to avoid scanning QR codes on unsolicited packages, monitor credit annually, and exercise caution with any unexpected shipments requesting online engagement.
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CNN-News18
· 2024-12-26
Cyber crimes in India surged dramatically in 2024, with the tech-driven region of Hyderabad experiencing a 64% rise in overall crime and an 882% increase in digital arrest scams, reaching losses of 80 crores compared to 6.2 crores the previous year. Cyber fraud cases accounted for 11,900 incidents (23% of all crimes in the region), with citizens losing over 700 crores to fraudsters through job scams, trading frauds, and SMS phishing schemes. The segment emphasizes the importance of avoiding calls from unidentified numbers and highlights ongoing efforts to combat the escalating digital crime problem across the nation.
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wgaltv
· 2024-12-30
Sweepstakes and lottery scams rank as the #5 most common fraud scheme of 2024, claiming hundreds of thousands of victims annually through letters, phone calls, and emails that falsely claim they've won a prize. Scammers use tactics including fake checks (which bounce after victims deposit them), requests for gift card payments for taxes and fees, or demands for cryptocurrency, but victims can avoid this scam by remembering they cannot win a lottery they never entered.
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PBS NewsHour
· 2025-01-04
Pig-butchering investment scams have cost victims worldwide an estimated $75 billion over the past four years, with Americans alone losing $4.6 billion in 2023, through fake romantic relationships that manipulate targets into investing in cryptocurrency on fraudulent platforms. The scams typically begin with a wrong-number text leading to conversation with a fake attractive persona who builds trust over 90 days before pressuring victims to invest increasingly large sums until they lose their life savings. Beyond the financial victims, the scammers themselves are often human trafficking victims forced by Asian organized crime syndicates (primarily Chinese, but including Yakuza and Korean groups) operating from compound cities built specifically to run these
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IRSvideos
· 2025-01-06
This is an educational webinar presented by the IRS and FTC during National Tax Security Awareness Week that covers common identity theft and tax-related scams, methods for identifying and reporting fraud, the IRS Identity Protection PIN program, and resources for protecting against identity thieves. The 75-minute presentation includes technical guidance for participants and a live Q&A session to address audience questions about fraud prevention and recovery.
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WNYT NewsChannel 13
· 2025-01-06
Law enforcement and cybersecurity experts warn that artificial intelligence tools are increasingly being exploited by scammers in 2025 to perpetrate fraud in novel ways. According to University of Albany cybersecurity professor George Berg, AI's ability to replicate human thinking, appearance, and speech gives scammers new capabilities to deceive victims more effectively than ever before. Experts are urging public awareness of these emerging AI-enabled fraud tactics as a growing threat.
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WGN News
· 2025-01-07
The Better Business Bureau released its top 10 local scams of 2024, with online purchases through fake websites ranking as the #1 threat, followed by phishing scams, employment scams, debt collection scams, and social media shopping scams involving counterfeit products. Consumers are advised to verify companies through the BBB before providing personal or financial information, avoid clicking suspicious links in emails or social media ads, be wary of unsolicited urgent requests, and recognize that legitimate debt collectors must notify in writing before taking action.
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Denver7
· 2025-01-08
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NBC10 Boston
· 2025-01-09
Hundreds of Massachusetts residents received fraudulent text messages impersonating E-ZPass (Easy Drive MA), requesting payment for tolls, in what authorities are investigating as a "smishing" scam with FBI involvement. One victim clicked the malicious link and was directed to a fake payment page; the scam messages originated from a Philippines phone number and contained spelling errors that revealed their fraudulent nature. Cybersecurity experts advise users not to click links in unsolicited text messages and to verify directly with official sources before providing payment information.
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ABC News 4
· 2025-01-11
A Mount Pleasant woman nearly fell victim to a sophisticated phone scam in which a caller impersonated law enforcement, claiming she had a failed jury duty summons and a flag on her driver's license for arrest. The scammer, speaking politely and calmly, instructed her to withdraw $5,000 in cash and deliver it to a specific address under the guise of placing it in a safety deposit box. The woman did not complete the transaction, and police are warning residents about this detailed and convincing scam targeting the public.
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WPBF 25 News
· 2025-01-12
Authorities in Martin County, Florida are reporting a rising scam targeting elderly residents, in which scammers pose as tech support by displaying fake McAfee virus alerts and convincing victims to grant remote computer access. The scammers then manipulate victims into withdrawing cash from their banks under the false pretense of account security testing, with two known victims losing a combined $57,000 ($40,000 and $17,000 respectively) before couriers collected the cash. Law enforcement advises families to check with elderly loved ones about recent cash withdrawals or money transfers to help identify and investigate cases.
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NBC10 Philadelphia
· 2025-01-17
A victim lost over $137,000 in life savings after receiving an email falsely claiming her social security number was used for drug trafficking, demonstrating how sophisticated social engineering scams exploit fear and panic rather than relying solely on cyber tactics. According to the FTC, Americans lost $10 billion to scams in 2023—the highest amount ever recorded—with scammers increasingly using organized crime networks, technology, and social manipulation to target victims through emails, texts, and social media.
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NBC 7 San Diego
· 2025-01-17
Two text message scams are circulating in San Diego County: one falsely claiming to be a parking fine from the city of San Diego, and another impersonating FasTrack toll road violations, both urging recipients to click links or pay fees. The city of San Diego confirmed it does not issue fines via text, and these messages are designed to steal personal information or compromise devices. Residents are advised to ignore and delete these messages without clicking any links.
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Denver7
· 2025-01-20
The City and County of Denver issued a warning about a text message scam falsely claiming recipients had unpaid parking invoices. The scam messages, which appeared official with Denver logos and branding, attempted to collect personal and financial information from residents; Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed it only notifies residents of unpaid parking tickets by mail, never by text.
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Arizona’s Family (3TV / CBS 5)
· 2025-01-23
A Phoenix woman's Facebook account was hacked, giving the criminal access to her personal information and thousands of contacts, who were then targeted with scam posts claiming she needed emergency money and was selling valuables. The hacker added their own email account to the compromised profile, intercepting all identity verification requests and making account recovery difficult. According to a cybersecurity expert, these Facebook hacks typically result from phishing scams and weak passwords, and users can protect themselves by enabling two-factor authentication.
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WPBF 25 News
· 2025-01-23
Fraudulent text messages impersonating SunPass have resurfaced in South Florida, claiming recipients owe toll payments and threatening legal action, with fake account balances included. These phishing scams attempt to steal personal information like driver's license numbers for identity theft, with hundreds of residents in Martin and Saint Lucie counties reporting receipt of the fraudulent texts. Authorities advise recipients to delete messages without clicking links and contact SunPass directly, while Americans lost over $2 million to similar imposter scams in the previous year.
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Channel 3000 / News 3 Now
· 2025-01-27
A scam targeting parents of University of Wisconsin-Madison students involved fraudsters impersonating UWPD officers, calling at night (between 2-3 a.m.) and claiming their child had been detained, demanding money for release. Madison Police Department received at least three reports of the scam calls, which used real officer names to appear credible, exploiting the fear and disorientation of parents awakened in the middle of the night.