Beware the Year of the Scam: Exposing the Latest Online Grifts and How to Protect Yourself
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Beware the Year of the Scam: Exposing the Latest Online Grifts and How to Protect Yourself
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First up, if you’ve received a text or WhatsApp message promising easy online cash, you’re far from alone. The Federal Trade Commission says reported losses to these “gamified” job scams soared in early 2024, surpassing $220 million. Here’s how it works: a scammer—often posing as a recruiter—reaches out and asks if you want to earn by “product boosting” or doing simple online tasks. You start clicking, watching your so-called “earnings” tick up on a dashboard that’s faker than a three-dollar bill. And right when you try to cash out, you’re told to send some of your own money, usually in crypto. Spoiler: your money walks and never returns. According to Eva Velasquez at the Identity Theft Resource Center, these scams prey on new jobseekers, people re-entering the workforce, and immigrants who might not know the local ropes.
Meanwhile, authorities are punching back. Just yesterday, Thai police working with their Australian counterparts arrested a German man on Koh Phangan—his name is David, and he’d set up a mini-empire of fake companies like Montana Reality Company and Choco Villa. He swindled Australians out of their cash, laundered the loot through crypto and nominee companies, and stashed millions in assets—luxury watches, land deeds, you name it. Authorities seized everything but his flip-flops.
Not to be outdone, the CBI in India busted Nishant Walia, partner in the infamous FirstIdea call center. Nishant ran a fake tech support operation out of Noida, targeting UK and Australian victims by impersonating Microsoft and other reputable companies. The CBI, working alongside the FBI and Britain's NCA, swooped in as scam calls were live, grabbing cold hard evidence and shutting down their call center.
Let’s not forget text message scams: wrong-number texts, unpaid toll notices, and parking fees. Security experts from McAfee and Virginia Tech warn these are phishing attempts designed to capture your banking or credit info—or worse, infect your phone with malware. Around 25% of Americans have received these texts, and in 2024, consumers lost a stomach-churning $470 million just to text scams.
Now, what can you do? According to cyber researchers at Avast and CBC, the rules are simple: never reply to messages from unknown numbers. If your bank or “recruiter” messages you, always verify their identity through a separate, trusted channel. Use strong, unique passwords and avoid public Wi-Fi for financial transactions. And please, please, never send money or share your passwords with anyone who contacts you out of the blue.
Thanks for tuning in to Scamwatch with Scotty. Don’t forget to subscribe for your regular fix of cyber smarts and scam-busting tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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