🚨 Use Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail or Yahoo? No joke, three out of every four Black Friday-themed emails are scams. The scammers’ goal? To steal your credit card info or plant malware. Brands most impersonated include Amazon, Shein and Costco. Stay safe: Always double-check the sender’s email address (not just the sender’s name) before you click.
If you do this on Twitter, Musk says you’re getting banned without a warning
Social media has had a checkered past regarding privacy and security. It’s where scammers can get your personal details to commit identity theft. Not to mention the fake news problem that’s been going around for years.
Facebook is one of the worst offenders. If you’re sick of dealing with all its headaches, maybe it’s time to delete your account. Tap or click here for our step-by-step guide on how to get a copy of the Facebook data you want to keep and then delete your account.
People are now dealing with headaches on Twitter since Elon Musk took recently took over. He claims free speech was why he wanted to purchase Twitter, but he’s making moves that say otherwise. Keep reading to find out why people are being banned without warning.
Here’s the backstory
The recent change in how some Twitter accounts present themselves stem from Musk’s rollout of a new verification system. Under the previous owners, only notable people and celebrities could receive a blue verification mark next to their names.
But Musk quickly introduced plans for a paid version known as Twitter Blue, where anybody (whether well-known or notorious) can pay $8 monthly for the coveted badge.
This didn’t sit well with some users, and, in protest, they started changing their screen names to Elon Musk. Naturally, Musk didn’t appreciate the idea. One of the first celebrities to change their Twitter profile name to Elon Musk was comedian Kathy Griffin, who found her account suspended shortly after.
Others also found their accounts suspended, leading Musk to explain that Twitter’s previous rules on impersonation or parody accounts are outdated.
Musk said that the previous policy of giving a warning for impersonating someone has been canceled. Musk said in a tweet that anyone impersonating someone moving forward would have their account permanently suspended.
Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning.
This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2022
What you can do about it
So, what is the one thing you mustn’t do on Twitter, according to Musk? Impersonate someone else (especially Musk himself) without making it clear in your profile that it’s a parody account.
Convincing bank text scam could cost you thousands
Online banking is convenient and safe as long as you take some precautions. While it’s nice to avoid standing in long lines waiting for a teller, there’s always the chance for hackers and scammers to get involved. Tap or click here for three online banking mistakes putting your money at risk.
FBI warning: Government impersonators add scary tactics to get you to pay up
Scammers use a wide range of tactics to convince victims into handing over personal details or money. While these can range from helping with student loan repayments or vaccine cards, the most troubling of them all is the government impersonator.
Amazon scams are running rampant - Red flags to spot the biggest one
No business is perfect, and there might be times where they need to contact you regarding a problem with your account. This is especially true for package delivery and courier companies. Often, when a package can’t be dropped off or require additional details, they will attempt to make contact.
🚨 Be smart; don’t put anything in your cart: A Chinese fraud network is using thousands of fake online stores to steal credit cards. They’re impersonating brands like The North Face, Ikea and Wayfair with (fake) massive discounts. Red flags? Many sites have “blackfriday” in the domain name and end with .shop, .store, .vip or .top.
Check your phone! Surveillance firm accused of spoofing Facebook to spread spyware
You might think malware is the kind of thing you only run into while visiting the seedier parts of the web. Mainstream websites, you tell yourself, wouldn’t have the same kind of risks as the Dark Web or free movie websites, right? Well, you’d be half right. Mainstream sites are usually safe — as long as the ones you’re visiting are the real deal.