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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
From Phishing To 'Quishing': The Sneaky New QR Code Scam Targeting 26 Million Americans
When QR codes first hit the scene, they were a niche tool, employed by factories to track inventory or by museums to offer visitors unique interactive experiences. The pandemic made them more ubiquitous, and they can now be found everywhere from air travel to parking payments. QR codes make our lives easier in a number of ways, but unfortunately, they also seem poised to make it a lot harder. As their popularity has risen, scammers have started to eye them as their next target for exploitation. Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM— "As with many technological advances that start with good intentions, QR codes have increasingly become targets for malicious use. Because they are everywhere — from gas pumps and yard signs to television commercials — they're simultaneously useful and dangerous," BlueVoyant Senior Director of Proactive Cybersecurity Services Dustin Brewer told CNBC. Brewer told the network that hackers are using the codes to trick unsuspecting people into visiting malicious websites or giving away sensitive personal information. This type of scam is called "quishing." Quishing appeals to scammers because of how easy it is to execute. There are plenty of free QR code generators online, and all it takes is slapping one on a sticker at a parking meter or slipping a pre-printed letter into your mailbox to get things going. Trending: $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. "The crooks are relying on you being in a hurry and you needing to do something," University of Rochester electrical and computer engineering professor Gaurav Sharma told CNBC. As safeguards have been put into place to crack down on the number of traditional phishing e-mails going around, and as consumers wisen up to old-school text and phone scams, crooks have had to get creative with their tactics. And get creative, they are. NordVPN told CNBC that 73% of Americans scan QR codes without verifying their authenticity. This has led to upwards of 26 million people being directed to malicious sites. Part of the reason quishing scams are so successful is that we aren't yet well-versed in how to recognize them. A report published by the cybersecurity platform KeepNet found that only 36% of quishing scams have been accurately identified and reported."The cat and mouse game of security will continue and that people will figure out solutions and the crooks will either figure out a way around or look at other places where the grass is greener," Sharma told CNBC. Companies are working to fortify QR codes against intrusion, and to educate the public on how to spot potential scams that use the codes, but say there's still a long way to go. "QR codes weren't built with security in mind, they were built to make life easier, which also makes them perfect for scammers," Rob Lee, chief of research and chief of AI at SANS Institute, told CNBC. "We've seen this playbook before with phishing emails; now it just comes with a smiley pixelated square. It's not panic-worthy yet, but it's exactly the kind of low-effort, high-return tactic attackers love to scale." Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article From Phishing To 'Quishing': The Sneaky New QR Code Scam Targeting 26 Million Americans originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warren Buffett Said Buying 'Distressed' Homes With 30-Year Mortgages And Renting Them Out Might Be The 'Most Attractive' Investment Available
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. If you remember 2008, chances are you also remember the fear. Home values were collapsing. Borrowers were defaulting. The phrase "underwater mortgage" was everywhere. But fast forward to 2012, and Warren Buffett was telling CNBC viewers something no one expected to hear: that housing—yes, housing—was one of the best investment opportunities available. Buy the House, Not the Hype— Buffett's Surprising Advice for Young Investors During CNBC's three-hour "Ask Warren" Squawk Box special, host Becky Quick asked Buffett a question aimed at everyday investors: "If you are a young individual investor at home and you have your choice between buying your first home or investing in stocks, where would you tell someone is the better bet?" Shop Top Mortgage Rates Your Path to Homeownership A quicker path to financial freedom Personalized rates in minutes Don't Miss: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $100. Buffett didn't hesitate. "If I knew where I was going to want to live the next five or 10 years, I would buy a home and I'd finance it with a 30-year mortgage, and it's a terrific deal," he said. He didn't stop there. "If I was an investor that was a handy type, which I'm not, and I could buy a couple of them at distressed prices and find renters... it's a leveraged way of owning a very cheap asset now, and I think that's probably as attractive an investment as you can make now." At the time, homes really were cheap. Prices had bottomed out after the crash, mortgage rates hovered near 3.5%, and properties were sitting untouched, waiting for someone with courage—and a toolkit. Buffett made it clear he wasn't that guy. His daughter Susie once joked he couldn't even find the light switch in their house. He understood the math of real estate, not the manual labor. Still, his message was simple: if you had the skills and long-term vision, buying homes in 2012 was a rare opportunity. It's Not 2012 Anymore, and It's Definitely Not a Buyer's Market In 2025, Mortgage rates have climbed past 6.7%, according to Freddie Mac, making monthly payments significantly more expensive than they were a few years ago. Meanwhile, home prices remain elevated. Zillow reports that the typical U.S. home value in June was around $369,000—up 0.5% from the same time last year and still more than 30% above pre-pandemic levels. Sellers with sub-4% mortgage rates are hesitant to list, and many buyers are sitting out, unable or unwilling to purchase at current prices and borrowing costs. In short, it's a standoff. The kind where nothing moves. Buffett's advice worked in a world where homes were undervalued and financing was cheap. But what about now? For young investors, getting started in real estate is harder than ever. Finding a "very cheap asset" just isn't realistic in this market. Still, the idea behind his advice hasn't changed: real estate can be a strong, long-term investment—if you can get in and hold on. And while Buffett dismissed the landlord role for himself, that exact limitation is what new investment models are trying to solve. Skip the Wrench, Keep the Wealth? Today, platforms like Arrived Homes let people buy fractional shares in rental homes without dealing with tenants, maintenance, or paperwork, with as little as $100. The company handles everything from property management to repairs, so investors can own a piece of real estate without ever showing up with a screwdriver. It's not what Buffett described in 2012—but it does speak to the same problem he pointed out: owning homes one by one is "enormous" to manage. He saw the opportunity. He also saw the workload. In 2025, the math has changed, but the question is still on the table: If you could invest in real estate without the real-world hassle—would you? Buffett's answer might still be yes. Just don't hand him a wrench. See Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. It's no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art — this beloved alternative asset has outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. This article Warren Buffett Said Buying 'Distressed' Homes With 30-Year Mortgages And Renting Them Out Might Be The 'Most Attractive' Investment Available originally appeared on
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Amazon Stock Falls 8%. Why, Jassy To-Dos, Why To Skip $AMZN Shares
Amazon stock fell 8.3% following a mixed second quarter report, according to CNBC. Why? Although Amazon's retail business performed well, investors expressed disappointment with the growth pace of Amazon Web Services – which grew more slowly than Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. In a conference call, analysts expressed frustration with CEO Andy Jassy's explanations for AWS's relatively slow growth. Amazon's fundamental problem is its failure to adapt to the competitive imperatives of the generative AI age, as I described in my book Brain Rush. This age has been propelled by two companies – OpenAI which supplied the fast-growing ChatGPT and Nvidia, the designer of AI chips for speeding the training and operation of AI chatbots. Amazon seems to be applying the strategy it used to create the cloud services industry to one where it seems struggling to catch up. More specifically, unlike Microsoft and Google – which have access to proprietary integrated AI chatbots (ChatGPT and Gemini, respectively) – AWS's strategy of handing off to developers the task of choosing and integrating individual computing services requires more technical expertise – thereby slowing adoption. To grow faster, Jassey ought to consider three possible strategies: Since Jassy helped build AWS and has yet to demonstrate a compelling vision for competing with faster growing rivals, I am skeptical of whether Amazon will be able to leapfrog these rivals. 'Our conviction that AI will change every customer experience is starting to play out," Jassy said in an earnings release. 'Our AI progress across the board continues to improve our customer experiences, speed of innovation, operational efficiency, and business growth, and I'm excited for what lies ahead,' he added. I have requested comment from Amazon and will update this post if I receive a response. Amazon's Mixed Second Quarter Results Amazon's second quarter results combined above expectations sales and earnings with a mixed forecast for the future combined with a shaky explanation for why AWS is growing more slowly in the age of AI. Here are the key numbers: Second quarter 2025 sales: $167.7 billion – up 13% and $5.5 billion above the FactSet consensus, according to Investor's Business Daily. Amazon and its hyperscaler rivals – such as Google and Meta – are increasing their capital expenditures. For example, Amazon is boosting capital expenditures 42% to $118 billion in 2025 – while Google estimates 2025 capex of $85 billion while Meta forecast $69 billion in 2025 capex, according to CNBC. While formal return on investment information is not available for these hefty capital expenditures, investors are using growth rates as a proxy for ROI. Since AWS is growing at roughly half the rate of Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, investors see a problem with AWS's strategy. Jassy's responses to analyst questions about AWS' relatively slow growth. He said the faster-growing second ranked rival was '65%' the size of AWS, highlighted Microsoft's security woes – notably the hacking of SharePoint, and suggested it was 'early days' in AI, according to the Q2 earnings conference call transcript. These comments did not offer a compelling explanation of why Amazon – with 30% market share to Microsoft's Azure's 20%, according to Synergy Group -- is growing about half the rate of challengers. Why AWS Is Growing More Slowly Than Rival Cloud Services Since Jassy sidestepped the question, AWS is growing more slowly than rivals for two reasons: What Amazon Must Do To Surpass Cloud Services Rivals Here are three strategies Amazon must pursue to grow faster than its cloud services rivals: These recommendations may be difficult to implement and may not result in new services that deliver more value to customers than those from faster-growing rivals. For example, Amazon believes in inventing and improving its own solutions – as it did with AWS and Alexa. Therefore the recommended partnerships may be at odds with the company's culture. Moreover, as former CEO of AWS Jassy may have strategic blind spots. These could include viewing AI as primarily an infrastructure challenge that Amazon can solve with superior engineering and a tendency to see the more rapid growth of rivals as superficial – rather than a sign customers value AI cloud services from Microsoft and Google more highly. What Analysts Are Saying About Amazon's Stock Is Amazon stock – which has lost 2.4% of its value so far in 2025 – trading at a bargain price? Some analysts sound skeptical: The mixed views suggest some upside in Amazon stock. Of the 52 analysts who cover Amazon, the stock has 9.2% upside based on an average price target of $255.72, according to Zacks. Unless AWS' revenue growth accelerates, that modest gain could prove difficult to achieve.
