FBI’s latest headache? Investment scams, which stole $4.57 billion from folks in 2023. If you’re between the ages of 30 and 49, be careful — these scammers are targeting you via crypto, social media and dating platforms. Netcraft recently shut down thousands of phony investment sites. Don’t fall for those “once-in-a-lifetime” DMs.
This screen-sharing scam can have devastating consequences
Hackers are always coming up with new ways to get your information. You may think you can spot a scam or hack at first glance, but don’t be so sure.
Cybercriminals can hide malicious code inside apps to steal data and take control of mobile phones. Security researchers recently uncovered an updated banking Trojan embedded in Android apps downloaded more than 50,000 times. Tap or click here for our report.
Many apps and programs have functions to allow you to share your screen with others, which has become especially popular since the onset of the pandemic. This can be useful during tech support calls or when you want to show someone how to accomplish a task. Unfortunately, this gives hackers another way to steal your information or take control of your device.
Be careful what you share
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates the financial services industry in the U.K., is warning about investment scams involving screen sharing. The FCA has identified 2,142 such cases since July 2020, with more than $30 million lost to scammers between Jan. 1, 2021, and March 31 this year.
The FCA details one case in which 59-year-old Angela Underhill clicked on an ad for Bitcoin and got a call from people claiming to be financial advisers. They asked her to download the AnyDesk remote desktop app so they could help her with her first investment.
With access to her computer, the crooks could view her banking details and pensions and apply for loans on her behalf. They made away with nearly $60,000. The FCA says that scammers have used various platforms with screen-sharing functions, including Teams, TeamViewer and Zoom to target victims.
The FCA’s Warning List shows firms that are not authorized or registered by the FCA and are known to be running scams.
It can happen anywhere
Though the research from the FCA pertains to cases in the U.K., scams don’t often stay isolated in one part of the world for very long. You need to be vigilant of all types of scams, no matter where you are.
Tech support scams commonly use screen sharing to take control of your device. Tap or click here for seven tech support scams to watch out for.
There are steps you can take to avoid falling victim to these types of scams:
8 biggest scams you need to watch out for
The state of scamming in the digital world paints a grim picture. There’s no better word. In 2020, the FTC received over 2.1 million fraud reports. Imposter scams are the most common type of fraud the agency heard about.
3 tricks fooling would-be investors out of money
The holiday season is that time of the year where we slip into traditions and spend countless hours trying to find the perfect gifts. That includes figuring out how to pay for them.
The good news is that there are ways to help make ends meet, even during the holidays. Tap or click here for 10 ways to make extra money online.
Get-rich-quick schemes spreading on social media - Protect your wallet
One company does things a bit differently than other peer-to-peer payment apps. Unlike PayPal and Venmo, the service is frequently used by companies and celebrities for contests on social media. If you tweet certain hashtags when a contest is going on, you could end up winning real money.