Latest news with #Scamicide
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scammers pulling double-whammy credit card schemes
WXIN/WTTV – Like the old saying goes: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. And that's exactly what some scammers are trying to do with fake websites designed to steal not one but at least two of your credit cards. Not only is A.I. making it easier for criminals to make websites that look like legitimate shopping sites, according to Scamicide, it's making it easier for them to get even greedier. Crooks who make copycat websites often try to get victims to enter credit card information, thinking they're making a purchase. When the victim enters the card information, thinking they're buying something, the scammer simply keeps the information and starts making purchases of their own or sells the info to someone else. However, one card isn't enough for some bad guys, according to Scamicide. In some cases, when you try to use your credit card, the site might say it was declined and you need to try another card. If you do, you've now turned over two credit cards to the bad guys. Experts point out that even if a website comes up high in an internet search, the scammers may have paid for that high position or tricked the search engine into pushing it toward the top. Scamicide says if you plan to make a purchase on a website, make sure the web address starts with https. The 's' is important because it means your communication on the site is encrypted and most copycat sites aren't. Also, if the domain name doesn't seem at all related to the company name, that's a sign of a possible fake. There are also several websites where you can enter a web address and see if it checks out as legitimate or not. Google Safe Browsing Transparency Report allows you to type in the web address and see if Google thinks it's a scam. You can also use a site called Whois to see who owns a particular website and how long it's been registered online. If you think you're shopping on a popular website like Amazon or Best Buy, but the search shows the site has only been around for four months and it's owned by someone in India, it's a fake site. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Is it the Census Bureau or a scam?
WXIN/WTTV — With all the scams, hacks and other schemes going around these days, it can be hard to tell if you're being contacted by a con man or a legitimate organization. This is often the case with the U.S. Census Bureau. While the official Census only happens every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau does a smaller survey of about 3.5 million randomly chosen people every year called the American Community Survey. But how do you know it's not a scammer trying to get information about you? First of all, according to Scamicide, if your first contact about the survey is a text, email or phone call, that's a scam. The U.S. Census Bureau will always first contact you through snail mail to let you know you've been selected for the survey. That letter should also include instructions on how to do the survey online or on paper. If you choose to do the survey online, and you don't complete it within three weeks, you should get a paper survey in the mail. It's possible you might get a phone call about the survey later, but that should only happen if you've completed it and the Census Bureau needs to clarify something. You can also confirm that you really have been selected my contacting your Census Bureau Regional Office at this website. In addition, the real American Community Survey will not ask for your social security number or credit card information. Those are dead giveaways that you've been contacted by a scammer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
Watch out for this PayPal phishing email scam
INDIANAPOLIS — While I'm always on the lookout for the latest scams, I didn't have to look far for this one–it landed right in my inbox. At first glance, the email appears to be from PayPal Customer Care, alerting me about an unauthorized transaction on my account for $712. The email includes a transaction ID and looks very professional. t says in order to safeguard my account and process an immediate refund, I need to contact the 'fraud prevention team' at the phone number listed in the email. The email also contains a link that supposedly leads to a Docusign document for me to review and sign. However, a closer look at the email shows that it came from a .net email address. But the reply email listed in the email body is a address. As Scamicide points out, neither PayPal nor Docusign use .net or domains in their communications. In addition, a legitimate email of this nature should probably include my name and the last four digits of my account number. It contains neither. Clicking on the link contained in the email would only lead to a malicious website designed to steal my sensitive information. Anyone on the other side of the phone number would likely start asking for the same. As icing on the cake, I checked my PayPal account and there was no unauthorized transaction there. This is a confirmed scam. As always, you should avoid clicking on links in unsolicited or suspicious emails. If you want to look for any suspicious activity on any of your accounts, it's best to navigate to the website on your own instead of relying on a link sent to you in a text or email. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
4 Valentine's Day scams to watch for this week
INDIANAPOLIS — If love is in the air this Valentine's Day, you need to make sure it's not actually something fishy in the form of a scam. 1. Some of the worst and most common Valentine's Day scams involve the false promise of romance. Dating scams cost Americans more than a billion dollars a year. The experts at Scamicide say you should be very suspicious of somebody you meet online who immediately says they're in love with you and then starts asking for money. 2. You also need to be on the lookout for fake florist websites, where scammers send out emails with good deals on a dozen roses from a local shop. However, if you click the link in the email or social media add, it will take you to a malicious site designed to steal your information or invade your computer. It's better to find a flower shop on your own rather than following a risky email or social media ad. 3. Sadly these days, you also have to be careful with e-cards. If it's from an anonymous sender, like 'an admirer,' don't even bother with it. If you recognize the name of the sender, it's a good idea to confirm with them they sent it before you click. 4. A common delivery scam involves somebody sending you a gift basket of wine and flowers. The person delivering it says they need a small payment because alcohol is being delivered. However, they won't take cash and need your credit card. When you hand over your credit or debit card, they'll take down the information and start running up charges. 'There is no special delivery charge for alcohol,' Scamicide stated. 'So if someone requires a payment for such a delivery and on top of that won't accept cash, merely decline the gift.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
