In phony Ozempic scams over the past four months. Look out for social media posts offering weight loss drugs at a steep discount or without a prescription. These aren’t real doctors (paywall link); they’re a phishing scam.
Watch out for the 9 most creative scams from Kim's inbox — they're scarily deceptive
People always say there are only two certainties in life: Death and taxes. I’d like to propose a third item on the list: Scams. I get so many cons over text and email that I wanted to share them with you in a most creative scams roundup.
You can use this list to recognize fraud in the wild better. I’ll break down all you need to know, from glaring red flags to subtle signs you’re being scammed. Even if you think you already know what to look for, it’s always good to keep up to date with the latest scam trends.
Otherwise, you could fall for complex new online scams that can fool experienced techies. Tap or click here to spot a new phishing scam that targets Bank of America, Citi and Wells Fargo customers. If you get any of these messages, watch out. You’re dealing with one of the biggest fraud trends to look out for.
1. Let’s start with a scarily sophisticated scam
Although I recognized this fraud immediately, less cyber-savvy people might take it at face value. This disturbing trick manipulates your browser and most people’s lack of knowledge on the technical side of the internet.
If you have friends who are too trusting (if not downright gullible), share this with them. If you don’t, they might fall for a scammer’s tricks. Tell them to watch out for messages like this:
Some of the scams I’ll share in this tip are pretty obvious, but this one is deceptively tricky. Clicking the link in this message will send you to the actual USPS site.
But get this: If you have your login credentials saved to your browser, hackers just stole your username and password. Many people don’t realize scam texts can work like this. Just clicking the link lets scammers save credentials stored in your browser.
🚨 Be careful where you click
This scam is especially scary because it uses a grain of truth. Maybe it’s right and you haven’t set up your forwarding service. You’re more likely to fall for it and click the embedded link.
⚠️ Never click a random link sent to you through email or text! It doesn’t matter if it looks like it came from a reliable source. Go to the official site directly.
✅ Here’s a tech safety tip to keep in mind. Whenever you get a message with a link, look up the URL on Whois Domain Lookup. This free tool reveals a website’s owner.
✅ When I got this text, I looked up the URL on Whois.com. Just like that, I found out that the URL belongs to Alibaba, which was probably trying to collect my information for ad tracking!
Many creative scams will impersonate reliable organizations like USPS or other “trusted sources.” Although this scam popped up in my text messages, many more come at you through your inbox. Take this next trick, for example.
2. Some of the most creative scams look believable, like this one
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This email says your Google account will be marked inactive - Is it real?
Depending on what you use it for, being locked out of an account can range from a minor inconvenience to a nightmare. The first thing you need to do is relax and avoid making things worse.
There’s no bottom to a scammer’s bag of tricks. If you find yourself locked out of your social media account, don’t reach out to strangers promising to help you get back in. While there are legitimate services, you are taking a chance on giving your information to thieves. Tap or click here for tips on how to handle it.
Don't click that link! New phishing emails could be very hard to spot
Many websites that provide a service or information let you sign up for their newsletter. Sent out a few times a month, it usually includes details about upcoming deals, company news or service improvements. Tap or click here for information about getting Kim’s newsletters.
True or false: That email you got from the Social Security Administration is a phishing scam
We all know the risks that come with surfing the internet. Spoofed websites, malicious links and malware are more prevalent than ever. That’s why many people are cautious when handling suspicious correspondence.
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Social media is a hotbed for scams, and you can never be too careful about pop-ups and advertising. You might have received an email telling you that your account is compromised and you need to verify your details.
The chances are good that it was part of an elaborate phishing scam, but users have noticed another pop-up on Facebook over the last few days. The alert claims that you must activate a new function on the social media platform or risk losing access.
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This phishing attack lets hackers read and send emails from your account
Passwords are heading toward becoming a thing of the past. That’s because more and more websites enable you to use your Google or Microsoft credentials to log in instead of creating new ones.
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