Latest news with #scamalert
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Louis Koo's production company warns the public against scam
28 May - Louis Koo's One Cool Film Production has recently issued a stern warning to remind the public not to be deceived by con artists impersonating the company to commit online financial fraud. In a statement released on their social media account, the production company made three key points, saying that they have never launched any public-facing film or TV investment platform nor have they authorised a third-party to conduct any form of fundraising and investment promotion. It also called fraud against any text messaging group, websites or investment schemes claiming to be associated with their brand, and that they reserve the right to take legal action against anyone misusing its name and trademarks. The statement came after One Cool Film Production received reports about unknown individuals claiming to represent them or misusing their name to promote a so-called "film and television project investment platform". These scammers reportedly conducted their illegal activity via WeChat to lure the public into giving them their money. (Photo Source: Louis Koo IG, One Cool Film IG)
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
Guelph-Eramosa Township resident loses more than $80K in romance scam
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say a resident from Guelph-Eramosa has lost more than $80,000 to a romance scam. In a media release, they explained the victim developed an online relationship with an unidentified person between February 2025 and April 2025. During this period, the perpetrator asked the resident multiple times for help with their finances. The money was sent through e-transfers and cryptocurrency. The OPP advises victims of online scams to contact their local police department or report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rosemead woman's home posted on fake rental scam listing, bringing strangers to her front door
A homeowner in Rosemead said strangers continue showing up at her front door after a scammer listed her home for rent on a popular travel website. Alexis Cavish said her home was posted on a fake rental listing on Although the address is correct, the photos included in the post were not of her home. 'We found out our house was listed on and we are not renting out our house on so we had some people come show up at our house thinking they had rented our home,' she said. Cavish said, not only has she never rented out her home, she doesn't even have an account with However, within the last 24 hours, two sets of strangers arrived at her front door, showing her an email confirmation that they had booked her home as a short-term rental through the website. She had to turn them away. 'Luckily, so far, the people [who have shown up] have been really nice,' Cavish said. 'But they're strangers coming to the house where I have kids, I have a playground and I don't like the idea of strangers coming to my house.' Her home was listed by the scammer for nearly $400 a night. Cavish said she's stunned as to how this mix-up could even happen. 'I'm frustrated because the company is clearly not doing its due diligence,' she said. 'Why doesn't the owner have to prove some ownership before being able to charge people money to stay?' David Lazarus, KTLA's consumer specialist, said similar rental scams are becoming increasingly popular. 'It's a common enough scam that there's a name for it — short-term rental scams — and it's most common on Airbnb and Lazarus explained. Oftentimes, many rental or vacation sites have automated listing procedures, which means no humans are actually checking or verifying the postings. He said the safest thing to do when renting a place online is to ensure that all payments are made on the site itself and not through a third-party payment app. 'Stay on the site,' Lazarus said. 'In terms of any payment, any communication, don't leave the platform. So, if the listing says they want you to pay with Zelle or Venmo or some other digital payment plan, and especially if they ask for crypto, walk away.' Lazarus said another way to protect yourself is, when provided with the home's address after booking, search the address on Google Maps to make sure the home matches the rental listing photos and description. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Paving scam across Alberta prompts RCMP warning
RCMP are warning residents in St. Albert about a paving scam they say is popping up in parts of Alberta. Police said that out-of-town paving companies are going door-to-door offering paving services for low rates. The scammers will ask for the payment up front and do a sub-standard job, ask for more money to finish the job or not finish a job and leave before. According to RCMP, the vehicles will sometimes have official-looking company logos that are magnetic and can be swapped out as needed, or not have any commercial company logos. The people will also not provide details about who they are. They say the cost is low because they have leftover asphalt from a previous job, RCMP said, but the material is actually cold, recycles asphalt or oil and gravel with no lasting properties. The scammers also sometimes offer roof-sealing services. RCMP warn Albertans to be wary of contractors who: come to your door saying they are working in the area and offering a deal for leftover asphalt; drive vehicles bearing no business names or logos; pressure you into making a quick decision or refuse to take 'no' for an answer; ask for a down payment to buy materials; and refuse to give you a written quote with their business name, physical address and outlining the services they will provide prior to completing the work. Police suggest people do their research before hiring contractors, including: getting several quotes from different companies for comparison; checking with the Better Business Bureau of Alberta to see if said companies are legitimate; researching companies with Consumers Investigation Unit and other social media sites; obtain a written quote from the contractor that includes the full business name, full address, phone number, GST number and provincial and municipal license numbers, if applicable; and if one quote is considerably lower than others received, maybe it is too good to be true. Anyone who has been a victim of this scam or seen anyone posing as paving contractors in St. Albert that they believe is suspicious is asked to contact RCMP at 780-458-7700.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
M&S warns shoppers they could be targeted by scammers after hackers stole customers' contact details, dates of birth and order histories in massive cyber attack
Marks & Spencer has urged up to 18million customers to be on alert for scam calls and emails after hackers stole personal data during the damaging cyber attack. The retailer admitted criminals have taken information including 'masked' payment card details used for online purchases - typically the last four digits of a card. M&S said it does not hold full payment card details on its systems, which is why only partial numbers could have been stolen in the major hack three weeks ago. Masked details cannot be used to make a payment, but scammers could still use the information to trick victims into handing over their full credit card numbers. Bosses said other stolen data could include a name, email address, postal address, telephone number, date of birth, online order history and household information. It comes after M&S chief executive Stuart Machin said yesterday that hackers had taken personal data but this 'does not include useable card or payment details'. However, in the 'Cyber Incident FAQs' section of its website, the business clarifies that masked payment card details could be among the personal data stolen. In a letter to customers, M&S operations director Jayne Wall urged people to be cautious and avoid giving out any personal details to unknown callers. She wrote: 'Unfortunately, the nature of the incident means that some personal customer data has been taken, but there is no evidence that it has been shared. 'The personal data could include contact details, date of birth and online order history. However, importantly, the data does not include useable card or payment details, and it also does not include any account passwords.' Ms Wall added: 'You do not need to take any action, but you might receive emails, calls or texts claiming to be from M&S when they are not, so do be cautious. 'Remember that we will never contact you and ask you to provide us with personal account information, like usernames, and we will never ask you to give us your password.' The company said that next time customers visit or login to their M& account on its website or app, they will be prompted to reset their password. The high street chain did not say how many shoppers had been affected but has emailed all website customers to alert them about the data breach. There are around 18million members of the M&S loyalty scheme and the online store had 9.4million customers last year. Mr Machin told shoppers yesterday that there is 'no need for customers to take any action'. In a social media post, Mr Machin said: 'We have written to customers today to let them know that unfortunately, some personal customer information has been taken. 'Importantly there is no evidence that the information has been shared and it does not include useable card or payment details, or account passwords, so there is no need for customers to take any action. 'To give customers extra peace of mind, they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or log on to their M&S account and we have shared information on how to stay safe online.' Meanwhile the Financial Times revealed M&S could claim for losses of as much as £100million from its cyber insurers. The group has not been able to take any orders through its website or app since April 25 as it tries to resolve the problem, although all stores remain open. M&S first reported the issue over the Easter weekend, with the incident initially causing problems for the retailer's contactless payments and click and collect orders. The problem has also impacted some availability in stores after it took some of its systems offline in response. But the company did not explain why it had only told customers now about the personal data breach after it announced it was hacked almost a month ago. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, warned that 2025 'is going down in history as one of the retailer's worst ever years'. He added: 'M&S has a duty to inform customers as soon as possible if their personal information has been illegally accessed, so it's worrying that the retailer took so long to go public.' And Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The email pinging into millions of customers' inboxes put a large chunk of the UK population on alert. The breadth of its customer base means the cyber crisis has been felt far and wide.' Meanwhile Joe Jones, founder of cybersecurity app Pistachio, said: 'While no passwords or payment data were taken, the exposed personal details - names, contact information, dates of birth, and order histories - will likely be used or sold on the dark web to aid social engineering attacks. 'With this kind of context, attackers can craft convincing, tailored scams that appear legitimate, from fake delivery updates to bogus account notifications. We often see this kind of breach followed by a wave of personalised phishing attempts. 'Anyone with an M&S account should be extra cautious and stay alert for emails or texts claiming to be from the retailer.' On May 2, the Information Commissioner's Office said it was also looking into the attack, as well as a similar major incident involving the Co-op. The Co-op has also apologised to customers after hackers accessed and extracted members' personal data, such as names and contact details, while it too has suffered availability problems as a result of the attack. The Manchester-based group said today that availability in its shops and website will start to recover from this weekend as it brings its systems back online. The Co-op added that it is working closely with suppliers to restock its stores – and it is getting its online systems back on track in a 'safe and controlled manner' after being forced to shut down some of them to contain the attack. Luxury department store Harrods also confirmed earlier this month it had been affected by an attempted hack and had temporarily restricted internet access across its sites as a precautionary measure. The National Crime Agency has said it is investigating the three attacks individually but is 'mindful they may be linked'. M&S has struggled to grapple with the fallout of the hack and retail experts have said it is likely to lead to a significant profit hit. Analysts at Bank of America said yesterday that M&S was losing an estimated £43million per week in lost sales due to the incident, which would cut its profits by an expected 7 per cent for the coming year. Shares are down nearly 16 per cent since the attack, meaning it has lost around £1.3billion of its value on the London stock market. The group's annual results on May 21 will be watched closely for any update on the financial impact. While M&S shoppers are still unable to buy online, it was able to restart contactless payments in store fairly quickly and said customers can now take online order returns to shops.
