According to the Federal Trade Commission, you shouldn't respond to these texts or click on any links on them—the smart thing to do is to block these numbers and get on with your day. But I wanted to see what happens to people who follow through and actually try to get the job, so I answered a scam text, and it led me down a surprisingly long road that included bogus online piecework, a discussion of the nature of labor itself, and repeated requests for $33.

I’m currently running a small giveaway promotion on FB. I keep getting these bot messages about “how can I enter” or “please tell me more about your giveaway.” They’re always the same 1 sentence messages. I’ve been moving them to spam, but I don’t know what the end goal is.

Just trying to protect the public from a shady contractor named Nova One Construction, LLC based in Mahwah, NJ. We had a bathroom renovated and the work was so bad that we had to rip it all out and redo it. The owner of this company is named Steve Bonder who is very unprofessional.

I'm about 70-80% sure it was actually just someone asking for my help but I did render that assistance and I'm still worried I may have fallen for something.

Someone on the street standing outside an apartment building I was walking past asked if they could have some of my data to tell they're friend they'd arrived somewhere as theirs had run out. This scenario seemed strange, I mean it's certainly possible, I just hadn't really heard of this happening to anyone these days. That said I couldn't immediately think of how it could be a scam and didn't want to deny help to someone if they needed it.

I gave them the name of my personal hotspot along with the password and they joined the network. It was awkward after that point because I was very keen to see what they did in case it was dodgy, but if it wasn't, well basically I'd just watching someone else's private messenger conversation over their shoulder. Either because he didn't care or didn't notice I watched and he did just send someone a message, the screen didn't change to another app. The message was in Spanish so I couldn't understand it. They then called the same person via messenger (I think via messenger, they raised their phone too quickly for me to verify that), their phone was pressed to their ear during their call, and I watched the whole time, so as far as I know there wasn't an opportunity to quickly do anything bad via operation of their phone that I wouldn't have seen. As soon as they concluded their call I turned off the hotspot.

The story is plausible, if unlikely, I find the likelihood of it being true actually slightly higher by the fact that their conversation was conducted in Spanish as I don't come across a lot of Spanish speakers here and the few people I could imagine actually running out of data would be people on some kind of tourist phone plan with really stingy data which is something I can imagine an international student opting for which also makes sense as this took place right near a language school and an area with a lot of backpackers. They were also about the age of your average backpacker. Still I worry I might fallen for something just given the way the whole thing was conducted and the general atmosphere of the situation.

Brilliant way to check if you were scammed 🧐

My wife and I both received message requests on Signal from the same "person". I assume this is some sort of scam but since it was the exact same name and profile image for me and my wife I wanted to see if anyone else has seen this so I can figure out how targeted this attack was. Thank you.

OK, so I met somebody on a gay dating site who said he was in the military. Shortly before we were to meet, he told me he was being deployed to replace somebody else who couldn't make their deployment due to personal problems.

We continued to chat on Google Chat for the next two months almost three, and everything was very pleasant, very friendly. Suddenly, he asks me for money, saying he needed it to purchase some extra things while out on deployment.

Now, I was born at night, just not last night. I've dealt with a scammer before. I naturally grew suspicious and refused to send him any money, but since I know a little bit about the military, I told him I'd like to send him a card and asked him for his APO address. So far, I haven't gotten one.

This morning, I woke up and had this conversation. DCU is a credit union. I'm sure there are people out there stupid enough to go ahead and open up an account and send somebody else their login details, but I'm not one of them.

FB Marketplace Scam. There's a second where they get your phone number and send you a "confirmation" link which apparently will confirm you are changing an account over to them. Not sure what account, as my phone provider auto blocks these scam links.

This one is pretty stupid. Instead of venmo'ing the cash to their "relative" who is coming to my place to pick up the item. They expect me to accept the Venmo on my end, then wait 1-3 business days before actually being able to get the cash for the product. At which point there is no cash. They continually try the scam even when I say it's cash only.

Also if you inspect these profiles they are generally one image and zero information. These are all from fake accounts which they delete /get banned periodically.

Summary

• Fake online gurus are people who give advice on a particular topic, such as health, business, or finance, without having any real expertise or experience.

• They often make unrealistic promises, such as making a lot of money quickly or losing weight without diet or exercise.

• They may also sell courses or e-books that promise to teach you their secrets to success.

You can spot a fake guru by looking for the following red flags:

1. Lack of credentials: A real expert will have some kind of qualification, such as a degree or certification.

2. Unrealistic promises: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Paid courses or e-books: You can often find the same information for free online.

4. Unprofessional website: A professional-looking website is a sign that the guru takes their work seriously.

5. Past controversies: If the guru has been involved in any scandals, it's a red flag.

6. Miracle products: If the guru is selling products that sound too good to be true, they probably are.

The article also warns that fake online gurus are everywhere and that it's important to do your research before taking any advice from them.

Summary

A new sextortion scam is circulating, impersonating YouPorn. Victims receive an email claiming that a sexually explicit video of them has been uploaded to the site and must pay to have it removed. In the past, similar scams threatened to share explicit content with contacts unless a ransom was paid, generating substantial profits. This recent scam claims to be from YouPorn, offering a free removal link that leads to nothing and lists paid options ranging from $199 to $1,399. Victims are urged to pay via Bitcoin. Thankfully, this campaign has not been successful, but it's important to remember that these emails are scams. If you receive such an email, delete it; there is no actual video, and making payments is not advisable.

Summary

• Quid pro quo attacks are a type of scam in which the attacker demands something from the victim in exchange for something else.

• The attacker may use phone calls, email, messaging apps, social media, or dating sites to contact the victim.

• They may threaten the victim with legal action, financial ruin, or public embarrassment if they do not comply with their demands.

• To protect yourself from quid pro quo attacks, be wary of any unsolicited contact that makes bold offers or threats.

• Do not give out personal information to unsolicited callers or open attachments from unknown senders.

• Keep your social media profiles locked down and avoid oversharing personal details publicly.

• Use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor authentication where possible.

• Back up your data regularly and do not send money, gift cards, or sensitive information to strangers online.

• Keep your antivirus, firewalls, and devices updated.

Additional Tips

• Never click on links in emails or text messages from unknown senders.

• Be suspicious of any email or text message that asks you to provide personal information, such as your password or credit card number.

• If you are ever unsure about the authenticity of an email or text message, contact the sender directly by phone or through their official website.

• Be aware of the latest scams and phishing attacks. There are many resources available online that can help you stay informed.

So i was looking through a website that, i thought was owned by US government, searching for how to apply for green card. I found a form that required username and location for seeing if i was applicable for the green card lottery. I filled and submitted it, and after 1 day i received a call from someone presenting itself to be US immigration officer. We started talking and they asked me typical questions of : "What do you work", "Do you have family", "What is your education", etc.. I immediately noticed something is off, since that supposed American (female) had very thick accent on some words. Anyway, we finish with the questions, and she asked me to hold the line for 1 minute until they send the data to their superiors and evaluated if i'm applicable to enter the green card lottery or not. They came back and said i was approved, and that they will need 680$ for fees (which is more than a month's salary for me, currently). At that point i thought to myself that 100 % that this is a scammer. Idk if the lottery requires any fees to enter tho, so now im not sure... Do you think that woman was a scammer too ?

Edit: the website is - https://en.gco-con.com/

She went through a really rough divorce in 2019 with an abusive husband, and not too long after that she was dating online and met this man about her age who was allegedly deployed to Afghanistan with the US military (which is odd to begin with since they're in their 50s). She started chatting with him a lot and talking about him all the time. He has the same name as my husband, so she used to tell me a lot about it because I tend to be a good listener, and she thought it was a funny coincidence.

He would occasionally send her flowers or pizza to our workplace (still does sometimes), and right off the bat it was clear that he was lovebombing, so my only advice was to take it slow. (I tend not to give strong advice, opting for listening instead, but I felt a bit concerned.) She claims she has never sent him money, but even though she earns more than I do, she has had constant financial struggles. I know that's a fairly normal thing for people to have now, but in the context of everything else I think it might be significant.

So obviously once Biden became president, the troops were gradually removed from Afghanistan. I felt like this was the moment of truth, but no. He then claimed that he was in possession of gold bars (yes, really) that he could not easily transport to the US, so he had to sort this out first. Since 2020 and up until recently, he's allegedly been in a country in Africa (I think she said Ghana).

She video chats with him, but there's always some reason his camera is not working. I saw her chatting with him at lunch one day. He was pretending the app was glitching out. She claims she's seen him briefly on camera, but that the quality was very poor. Otherwise, it's been entirely one-sided. She's very ignorant about technology, so I feel like she's easy to fool. (I've tried to strategically mention sometimes how I video chat while gaming with my discord buddies from all over the world without issue, but I don't think my message connects.)

A couple other possible red flags:

He looks like a picture that would come up if you googled "handsome middle-aged man." She's got a picture of "him" with his shirt off, and he's super ripped and ... I mean, insanely attractive people exist, but...

I've snuck into her office and taken a picture of this guy (she has it printed and hanging by her workspace), and I've done a reverse image search on tineye, bing, and yandex, but nothing comes up. The picture seems like an instagram influencer type person (think Andrew Tate, only much better looking).

Another thing: The guy is allegedly from the US, he has a Hispanic name, but I've overheard him on a voice call with her, and he has a strong accent that is definitely not Spanish.

He's promised her that he's coming so many times that I've lost count. Supposedly, he's in the US now, and he was supposed to travel here recently, but nope ... some excuse, there's always an excuse.

And even though he's supposedly back home, he still "can't" video chat with her. Moreover, she doesn't know his address, like what? He tells you he loves you, and then this?

I know it's not my problem, but this breaks my heart. If she wants a relationship, there are so many other people out there, nice people, real people. Maybe I'm too nice and I should just blatantly tell her this is a scam. I've tried to drop so many hints, but clearly subtlety doesn't work. I really don't know what else that I can do to make her see reality.

Giving out the VIN number on a car you're trying to sell can cause you to end up with a lien on a vehicle you own that someone else took a loan out for.

Steve Lehto explains.

Summary

• Malvertising is a type of attack that uses malicious ads to trick users into clicking on them.
• Malvertising can be used to deliver malware, phishing attacks, or other types of attacks.
• In this case, the malvertising campaign targeted users who were looking to track their packages via the United States Postal Service website.
• The malicious ad looked completely legitimate and used the official USPS logo.
• When users clicked on the ad, they were redirected to a fake website that asked them to enter their address, credit card details, and bank account information.
• The fake website was designed to look like the real USPS website.
• The attack was discovered by Jesse Baumgartner, Marketing Director at Overt Operator.
• Malwarebytes has reported the incident to Google and Cloudflare has already flagged the domains as phishing.

Additional tips to avoid falling victim to malvertising:

• Be wary of ads that look too good to be true.
• Don't click on ads that ask you to enter personal information.
• Use a security solution that can protect you from malvertising.
• Keep your software up to date.
• Be careful what links you click on in emails and social media messages.

Applied to job listing on indeed from Roche Bobois (a furniture company headquartered in France; not a recruiting company) for the "Architectural Designer/Drafter - REMOTE" full-time position on June 5th. A response was received by email on July 6th from The LiRo Group \<info@applicantsres.com via sender.zohorecruit.com\> with a subject of "The LiRo Group - Graphics designer Interview" and body saying the following...

> > > Dear [omitted], > > > > Our company The LiRo Group received your resume in respect of our AD for the position of a Architectural Designer (Remote). We're happy to inform you that you're among the applicants selected for an online interview. > > > > The interview is scheduled for Friday July 7th 2023 from 8 AM to 5 PM EST. You're to contact the Corporate Recruiter Stephen Green. On Email at (koizumihidemi40@gmail.com) to confirm receipt of this email, set up an interview, and indicate your availability for the interview. You are to be available on Email ASAP for the interview. As soon as possible, please respond to this invitation to confirm your availability. If you have any questions or cannot attend the interview, please let us know right away. > > > > Thank You > HR TEAM > The LiRo Group > >

Already reported to BBB Scam Tracker through a similar scam posted there on June 26th. An almost exact scam was posted to the-site-that-shall-not-be-named on October 23rd of 2022 titled "Siemen Job Scam? NSFW" and on December 29th of 2022 titled "Beware of job scams" on r/Scams.

"Is It Safe" Report: https://www.scamvoid.net/check/applicantsres.com/

No "Is It Safe" Report: https://safeweb.norton.com/report/show?url=Applicantsres.com https://www.mywot.com/scorecard/Applicantsres.com

Why was I applying to an Architectural Designer/Drafter position at a supposed furniture company? That's not important right now.

1. Bitcoin investment schemes
2. Rug pull scams
3. Romance scams
4. Phishing scams
5. Man-in-the-middle attack
6. Social media cryptocurrency giveaway scams
7. Ponzi schemes
8. Fake cryptocurrency exchanges
9. Employment offers and fraudulent employees
10. Flash loan attack

I received this email appearing to come from an employee at my landlord’s office today (6/24). My landlord’s office is not open on Saturdays. I was immediately suspicious of it.

The email had about 30 recipients on it including me. The list of recipients did not include my fiancé, who is on the lease with me.

A email header analysis via google’s admin tools showed that the email did come from the email in the sender info. There is a mailto: link in the body that, when moused over, shows mailto:[email address of the employee].

I looked on the landlord’s website and this person’s name is listed as an employee and the photo on the website matches the photo in the email signature. The email matches the email listed on the website.

The language in the email seems off to me. All the other emails I have received from other employees at the landlord’s office have been very straightforward, this email is very flowery and apologetic in its request.

Overall, it has signs of being a scammy email and signs of being genuine, but I am leading towards scam. I sent a screenshot of the email to a different employee at the landlord’s office asking if it was legitimate. They are closed on weekends so I probably won’t see a response until Monday.

I think the employee’s account credentials were phished and the account is being used by a scammer under her name. Am I right to be suspicious of this email?