Phone users being bombarded by scamming 'onslaught,' survey finds
More than half of people say they're being hit with attempted scams every day in a dispiriting "onslaught" that is making it tougher to tell fake messages from genuine, research shows. — Photo: Bernd Diekjobst/dpa
LOS ANGELES: Owning a mobile phone is increasingly troublesome and irritating as dangerous scams and spam become ever more prevalent, according to new survey results from Malwarebytes.
The internet security company found more than half the people asked complain they are hit with attempted scams every day in a dispiriting "onslaught" that is making it tougher to tell fake messages from genuine and to which one in four phone users appear to have surrendered.
"Phishing texts arrive from endless new phone numbers, deepfake extortion threats upend lives, and scams everywhere now mimic routine interactions – hiding behind QR codes, imposter websites, and even high-ranking Google ads," Malwarebytes warned, publishing findings that will likely resonate with many smartphone users.
The survey, which was carried out in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the US, indicated that users' "everyday habits" leave them more vulnerable to attack as almost all "trade data for deals" and for what looks at first glance to be convenience, handing over personal data to applications and granting permissions for deep-reaching access to devices.
And while almost eight out of ten people asked said they worry about such risks, around 25% of say they no longer care, seeing scams as "an inevitable cost of being online."
Financial loss, fraud, account and device lockout, identity theft and privacy leaks were among the risks people said they worried about while using their devices - threats that are likely to get worse as artificial intelligence becomes more widely used.
"Malicious texts pose as package delivery notifications, phishing emails impersonate trusted brands and unknown calls hide extortion attempts, virtual kidnapping schemes," Malwarebytes said.
The survey authors warned that "routine phone habits" such as clicking tracking links and comparing prices "open the door to fraud," with younger phone-addicted age groups such as Generation Z and millennials more likely to click though on phones than others or those who use computers regularly. – dpa
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Control in the name of distraction — Aisha Fahmy Mohd Zulhery Fahmy
JUNE 22 — People call them big companies or even giants: Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Netflix. These names dominate our digital world. They've become so woven into our daily lives that we often forget just how much we rely on them. At the touch of our fingertips, we send messages, stream videos, search for answers, shop, and socialise. The line 'there's an app for that' came from their inventions. In many ways, these companies built the modern digital landscape. Thanks to them, we're more connected than ever before. We can communicate across borders, access information instantly, and enjoy the kind of convenience our ancestors couldn't have imagined. But with great innovation comes great responsibility and even greater power. The question is: Where do we draw the line? Yes, we should be thankful for the tools they've created. But we should also be cautious. There's a saying: 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you,' but perhaps in this case, the real warning should be: 'Don't keep eating if the hand starts feeding you poison.' These platforms don't just connect us — they also control the flow of information we see. The news we read, the videos we watch, the ads we encounter, even the people we interact with — much of it is determined by algorithms designed by a few powerful corporations. This control over information isn't just a matter of business. It affects public opinion, political debates, and even personal beliefs. When a handful of companies can amplify some voices while silencing others, promote certain narratives while burying others, it becomes clear that they don't just participate in the media industry — they dominate it. And the content never stops. We scroll endlessly through social media, binge-watch entire series in a weekend, and click through a dozen tabs without finishing a single one. At some point, this starts to feel less like freedom and more like hypnosis. We're feeding on content voluntarily but without limits. We're consuming and consuming, but what are we really getting in return? Control of information affects public opinion, political debates, and even personal beliefs. — Picture from Unsplash/Maxim Ilyahov I believe this endless stream of media has become a distraction — a way to pull us away from the real world, from reality itself. Instead of looking out at the world and engaging with people face to face, we're staring into screens, losing ourselves in curated images and carefully calculated feeds. And while it feels like we're in control, choosing what to watch or who to follow, the truth is, much of our experience is shaped by behind-the-scenes algorithms we don't fully understand. Of course, not everything is harmful. There are many benefits to the digital world: education, community-building, activism, entertainment, even healing. But we can't ignore the other sides too. The addictive design of social media, the spread of misinformation, the invasion of privacy, the mental health challenges — it's all part of the same package. So yes, the tech giants are part of the media industry — but they're more than that. They are the media industry now. They've become the new gatekeepers of information. And while they promise freedom, access, and innovation, they also hold immense power over what we see, what we know, and how we feel. The real challenge isn't just recognising this power — it's deciding what to do with it. Should we regulate them? Should we limit our use? Should we demand more transparency? These are the questions we need to start asking, not just as consumers, but as citizens of a digital world. * Aisha Fahmy Mohd Zulhery Fahmy is an undergraduate student of Universiti Malaya, taking an elective university course entitled 'Introduction to Journalism and Storytelling in Digital Age'. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Tengku Zafrul: Google's Malaysia investment to boost AI growth, create jobs
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Tech giant Google's investment in Malaysia is expected to continue driving Malaysia's artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing economy. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who is currently on a working visit to Washington, United States, met with Google representatives to discuss how the company can continue to drive AI development in Malaysia, strengthen cybersecurity and invest in digital skills. 'The government is committed to providing full support and ensuring a conducive investment climate for high-quality investments,' he said in a Facebook post. He added that Google's strategic investment of RM9.4 billion to set up its first data centre and Google Cloud region in Malaysia is expected to generate RM15.04 billion in long-term economic impact and create 26,500 jobs by 2030. 'Thank you, Google, for your continued confidence in Malaysia. Together, we are building a brighter digital future,' he said. — Bernama
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Police shoot giant catfish which injured five in lake
MUNICH: An aggressive catfish measuring over two metres and weighing around 90 kilogrammes injured at least five swimmers at Lake Brombach in the southern German state of Bavaria, police said on Saturday. Police said an officer eventually shot the huge fish with his service weapon, reported German news agency dpa. The incidents occurred late Friday afternoon near a floating island, where the giant fish had been lingering and repeatedly attacking people in the water. Paramedics from the Red Cross treated bite wounds on the swimmers at the scene. As the fish showed no signs of moving away and continued to pose a threat, the local water rescue service called in the police. Officers cordoned off the swimming area to prevent further incidents. With the fish considered a danger to swimmers, emergency services decided to kill the animal. Two anglers later retrieved the 90-kilogramme catfish by boat. Catfish of this size are not uncommon in Germany and have occasionally caused alarm. More than 20 years ago, a giant catfish nicknamed "Kuno the killer" gained international media attention after reports it had swallowed a small dog in a German lake near the Polish border. When a large dead catfish was discovered in a pond in the western German city of Mönchengladbach in 2003, it was believed to be Kuno. The fish was later stuffed and put on display in a museum. –BERNAMA-dpa
