New and Improved Brushing Scam Warning

A package shows up on your doorstep that you never ordered. Inside, nothing remarkable, just a cheap item and a QR code that you didn’t order. Curiosity does the rest. According to a new FBI warning, that innocent-looking square could be your entry point into a scam designed to siphon off personal and financial data. This latest twist on “brushing” scams blends old tactics with modern convenience, turning a quick scan into a potentially costly mistake. READ FULL STORY

Simple Habits That Make You a Tougher Target for Cybercrooks

It’s already well into the new year and a fresh year usually brings fresh goals—exercise more, spend less, maybe try a new hobby. But one resolution that deserves a permanent spot on everyone’s list is tightening up your personal cybersecurity. Cyberthreats don’t take holidays, and scammers aren’t slowing down. In fact, they’re getting bolder, trickier, and faster at finding new ways to get into your accounts and steal your money or data. READ FULL STORY

Storing Passwords In Your Browser…It’s Convenient, BUT Very Risky Too

Most of us know that password fatigue can lead to security mishaps and that creating a safe and secure entrance into our personal or work accounts can be a real challenge. Fortunately, security experts also know that safe password use has long been a problem, one that can lead to epic malware infections like ransomware, banking trojans, and more. Popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera offer the option to store passwords for you, but hackers using the malware “RedLine Stealer” can hijack those stored passwords in a heartbeat. READ FULL STORY

Medicare Phone Scams Spike During Peak Periods, But Are Still Circulating Now

Senior citizens and others on Medicare are an ongoing target for scammers. However, some Medicare scams spike at various points during the year, like other types of scams such as tax-related ones. Phone scams abound during peak “attention” time, such as the Medicare open enrollment period (OEP) with the goal of stealing PII for financial and other identity crimes. Those on Medicare and the people who care for them need to know how these OEP scams happen and how to avoid them. READ FULL STORY

Are You Playing a Scammer’s Favorite Tune

Just when you thought you’d heard it all, there’s always another song to be played. This one is big, very big. It’s called a “Piano Scam”, and countless victims around the globe are getting played. Even those doing everything right to avoid this scam don’t escape it. A Piano Scam casts a wide net, targeting music schools and music stores, healthcare, and other industries. It also includes individuals searching online for a used piano. A scammer makes an offer that’s hard to refuse—a free piano and a story about why they can’t take it with them to wherever they are going. READ FULL STORY

SCAM Act May Be A New Line of Defense Against Fraud Flooding Our Social Media Feeds

Every day, social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram serve up billions of scam ads and lawmakers may actually try to do something about it. Meta’s own estimates put daily scam ad exposures at 15 billion, or roughly 11 scam ads per user, exposing millions to fraud. In response, U.S. lawmakers have unveiled the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act, a bipartisan effort to force tech companies to police scam ads or face consequences. READ FULL STORY

Your Teams May Be Tricking You

Just when you thought it was OK to trust your internal communication tools, hackers are increasingly abusing Microsoft Teams to target not only those using it in the workplace, but also home users, exploiting the trust we place in familiar tools. You’re asking yourself how they’re doing this, aren’t you? Attackers are operating within the Teams tool itself, impersonating helpdesk or IT support personnel via chat, calls, or video. Once the requested access is granted, cybercriminals plant malicious software or steal authentication tokens. READ FULL STORY

Did Your Browser Crash? A Helpful Hacker Will Help You Fix It

Your computer suddenly freezes. The browser crashes, and a warning message pops up saying your system has been compromised. Before you can even figure out what’s happening, the phone rings and someone claiming to be from tech support offers to help fix the problem. It sounds convenient, even reassuring. Unfortunately, that helpful voice on the line could be part of a growing scam where hackers intentionally crash a user’s browser and then swoop in pretending to save the day. Knowing how the trick works can help you avoid handing over your company’s information to a criminal. READ FULL STORY

Protect Yourself From Phishing Scams: 8 Steps To Better Security

Since the mid 1990’s, email phishing scams have been on the rise. Like most cybercrimes, hackers have improved and refined their phishing methods over time. Now, there’s been a massive increase in targets due to the continuing coronavirus epidemic. Email phishing continues to be the method of choice for many cybercriminals to enter your device, steal your data, identity, finances, and more. A study by Tessian finds that 96% of phishing attacks arrive via email, showing the threat is very real. READ FULL STORY

How To Protect Yourself After A Data Breach

Data breaches seem to happen like clockwork. None of them are your fault, but the responsibility to protect yourself and your personal information rests square on your shoulders. It can seem like a daunting task, but there are some fundamental actions that can be taken right now that can make you a significantly safer from falling victim to a cyberattack. In this video, Jim Stickley will cover a wide range of types of data that can be exposed and how you can protect yourself. Credit Card, SSN, personal information, and other types of data are in the wild, so you need to be prepared. READ FULL STORY

Don’t Give Email Permissions To Bogus Upgrade App

Email phishing campaigns involve a variety of hacker goals, most of which want you to install some type of malware on your device. Now there’s a new phishing campaign making the rounds that involves Microsoft Office 365 users and a bad actor with a fake app called “Upgrade.” The app asks for control over your email account and the authorizations and permissions that go with it. Recently, Microsoft’s Security Intelligence team sent a tweet warning this campaign is now targeting hundreds of organizations. READ FULL STORY

Your Apple ID Has Been Suspended—Or Has It?

In recent weeks, a new phishing scam emerged targeting Apple users, dubbed the "Apple ID suspended" scam. This latest scam employs a deceptive tactic to trick users into providing sensitive information, such as their valuable Apple login credentials and other personal details. For this one, it creates a sense of urgency and fear if the user doesn’t take action; a hallmark for these types of threats. Here’s how you can spot this scam for what it is and what you can do to prevent it from taking a bite out of you. READ FULL STORY