Scam Radar — February 2025
Scam Radar — February 2025
Below are three new scams to keep on your radar, as well as some tips for how to avoid them. Be on the look out for yourself, your family, and your clients! THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK!
A Prime Phishing Scam
Thousands of shoppers worldwide pay for an Amazon Prime membership to access special deals and fast shipping. Cybercriminals know this and attempt to use this to their advantage. In this week’s scam, you receive an email alerting you that your Prime membership will soon expire. A link in the email directs you to a PDF file.
If you open the PDF file, you will be redirected to what looks like an Amazon login page. Even though the login page looks genuine, it’s actually fake and controlled by cybercriminals. If you enter your login information, the page asks for more sensitive data, such as your home address and credit card information. If you enter your personal information and credit card number, your Amazon Prime membership won’t be renewed. Instead, cybercriminals will have stolen your login and financial information!
Tips to Avoid Similar Scams:
- You should always be cautious when opening an attachment, especially if the email is unexpected.
- If you’re concerned that your Amazon Prime membership has expired, go directly to Amazon’s official website or mobile app to check its status.
- Be suspicious of emails that create a sense of urgency or request sensitive information. If you’re unsure an email is legitimate, contact Amazon directly through their official website or customer service number.
Don't Wish for This Smish
In a recent text message phishing (smishing) scam, cybercriminals send you a text that appears to be from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The text says that you have a package at the post office that cannot be delivered due to an incomplete address. The message contains a PDF file and directs you to open it to complete your address.
You are then directed to click a button in the PDF file, which takes you to what appears to be a USPS web page. The page instructs you to enter your address, personal data, and credit card number so the USPS can attempt to redeliver your package. The catch is there never was a package. The USPS page is actually fake and controlled by cybercriminals. If you enter any information here, cybercriminals will be able to steal it immediately!
Tips to Avoid Similar Scams:
- This smishing scam claims to be from the USPS, but be wary of any unsolicited text messages from unknown numbers. If you aren’t sure if a message is legitimate, delete or report it.
- Don’t reply to unexpected text messages, even to say “STOP” or “unsubscribe.” If you have any questions regarding delivery, contact your local post office directly.
- Never click on any attachments or links from suspicious text messages or emails.
Real Email, Fake Facebook
In this month’s scam, cybercriminals are trying to steal your Facebook login information. They send you an email claiming your Facebook page violates copyright laws. This scam is particularly convincing because the email you receive appears to be from a legitimate sender. The email even contains Facebook logos, although if you look closely, you’ll notice they look slightly different from the real Facebook logo. The email urges you to log in to Facebook to appeal this decision immediately, or you will lose access to your account’s features.
You are directed to click a button in the email, which takes you to what appears to be a Facebook support page. The support page will prompt you to provide your login information to have your account “reviewed.” But your Facebook page never really violated copyright laws. The Facebook support page is actually fake and controlled by cybercriminals. If you enter your Facebook user credentials, the cybercriminals will steal them!
Tips to Avoid Similar Scams:
- Be suspicious of unusual emails, even if they appear to be from a legitimate email address. Facebook won’t send you emails threatening immediate action.
- Log in to Facebook through its official website or mobile app to check your account’s status. Don’t click any links in an email claiming to be from Facebook.
- Always check logos and spelling in emails claiming to be from Facebook. In this particular scam, the emails contained fake Facebook logos, some with misspelled words.
For more information regarding scams, please visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Advice website.
You can also find details about the signs of a scam, how to avoid a scam, and how to report a scam in this article by the FTC — How to Avoid a Scam.
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Sources:
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