There Is Plenty Of Phishing On Online Apps--Don't Get Hooked

A recent documentary aired on subscription streaming service, Netflix, that highlighted how difficult it is to detect when someone is trying to take advantage of human nature and kindness. You may have seen it. It has been discussed on various media and it may be difficult to watch. But it is yet another example of how criminals use social engineering and trust to get what they want. One interviewee tells the story of how she met a guy that matched and swept her off her feet and swept her bank account clean. READ FULL STORY

Looking for Love? You Can Keep Your Heart Break-Free From These Scams

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love never leaves the air. So many are looking for love, or searching for a dinner or movie companion to combat lurking loneliness. It's always a good time to take a look at the various online dating scams that are always searching for your love and to provide a few tips on detecting them as well as others that may come up. There is no need to despair. There are signs to look for and ways to avoid being caught out by these scams and others. READ FULL STORY

Email Scams Threaten Extortion And Blackmail

An uptick in email scams has cybersecurity professionals concerned, and for good reason. Symantec researchers found that in the first five months of 2019, they prevented almost 300 million extortion email attacks from going forward. Just some of those discovered include blackmail, sextortion, bombs, hit men, and malware threats. The researchers also determined the average cost of paying demands over a 30 day period was $1.2 million in 243 Bitcoin transactions. READ FULL STORY

43% of Fraudulent Financial Transactions are Authorized

Financial transactions are increasingly under attack according to financial institutions (FIs). They report 43% of all fraudulent transactions involving customers are in the category called “authorized fraud.” This fraud not only costs FIs financially, but some customers lose trust in their FI and that leads to customer retention problems. Fortunately, there’s new optimism using AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) to combat the escalating problem of authorized fraud. READ FULL STORY

The BBB Warns of Top Scams

The Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Institute for Marketplace Trust reports on scams. The organization even has a tracker. And it has documented the top ten going around that everyone needs to be aware of. At the top of their list are investment scams and employment scams; but they aren’t the only ones. Scammers don’t care who you are, where you live, or how old you are—they go after everyone. Read about the latest ones the BBB is warning to look out for. READ FULL STORY