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If you’re in the market for insurance right now, keep an eye out for scammers in the mix. They’re out in full force once again this open enrollment season.
As people across the U.S. sign up for, renew, or change their health insurance plans, scammers want to cash in as people rush to get their coverage set. And scammers have several factors working in their favor.
For starters, many people find the insurance marketplace confusing, frustrating, and even intimidating, all feelings that scammers can take advantage of. Moreover, concerns about getting the right level of coverage at an affordable price also play into the hands of scammers.
Amidst all this uncertainty and time pressure, health insurance scams crop up online. Whether under the guise of helping people navigate the complex landscape or by offering seemingly low-cost quotes, scammers prey on insurance seekers by stealing their personal information, Social Security numbers, and money.
According to the FBI, health insurance scams cost families millions each year. In some cases, the costs are up front. People pay for fraudulent insurance and have their personal info stolen. And for many, the follow-on costs are far worse, where victims go in for emergency care and find that their treatment isn’t covered—leaving them with a hefty bill.
Like so many of the scams we cover here in our blogs, you can spot health insurance scams relatively quickly once you get to know their ins and outs.
Here’s how some of those scams can play out.
Some are “one and done scams” where the scammer promises a policy or service and then disappears after stealing money and personal info—much like an online shopping scam. It’s a quick and dirty hit where scammers quickly get what they want by reaching victims the usual ways, such as through texts, emails, paid search results, and social media. In the end, victims end up on a phishing site where they think they’re locking in a good deal but handing over their info to scammers instead.
Other scams play a long con game, milking victims for thousands and thousands of dollars over time. The following complaint lodged by one victim in Washington state provides a typical example:
A man purchased a plan to cover himself, his wife, and his two children, only to learn there was no coverage. He was sold a second policy, with the same result, and offered a refund if he purchased a third policy. When he filed a complaint, his family still had no coverage, and he was seeking a refund for more than $20,000 and reimbursement for $55,000 in treatments and prescriptions he’d paid out of pocket.
Scams like these are known as ghost broker scams where scammers pose as insurance brokers who take insurance premiums and pocket the money, leaving victims thinking they have coverage when they don’t. In some cases, scammers initially apply for a genuine policy with a legitimate carrier, only to cancel it later, while still taking premiums from the victim as their “broker.” Many victims only find out that they got scammed when they attempt to file a claim.
Another type of scam comes in the form of policy cancellation scams. These work like any number of other account-based scams, where a scammer pretends to be a customer service rep at a bank, utility, or credit card company. In the insurance version of it, scammers email, text, or call with some bad news—the person’s policy is about to get cancelled. Yet not to worry, the victim can keep the policy active they hand over some personal and financial info. It’s just one more way that scammers use urgency and fear to steal to commit identity theft and fraud.
As said, health insurance scams become relatively easy to spot once you know the tricks that scammers use. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers up its list of the ones they typically use the most:
1)Someone says they’re from the government and need money or your personal info.Government agencies don’t call people out of the blue to ask them for money or personal info. No one from the government will ask you to verify your Social Security, bank account, or credit card number, and they won’t ask you to wire money or pay by gift card or cryptocurrency.
If you have a question about Health Insurance Marketplace®, contact the government directly at: HealthCare.gov or 1-800-318-2596
2) Someone tries to sell you a medical discount plan. Legitimate medical discount plans differ from health insurance. They supplement it. In that way, they don’t pay for any of your medical expenses. Rather, they’re membership programs where you pay a recurring fee for access to a network of providers who offer their services at pre-negotiated, reduced rates. The FTC strongly advises thorough research before participating in one, as some take people’s money and offer very little in return. Call your caregiver and see if they really participate in the program and in what way. And always review the details of any medical discount plan in writing before you sign up.
3) Someone wants your sensitive personal info in exchange for a price quote. The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) official government site is HealthCare.gov. It lets you compare prices on health insurance plans, check your eligibility for healthcare subsidies, and begin enrollment. But HealthCare.gov will only ask for your monthly income and your age to give you a price quote. Never enter personal financial info like your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number to get a quote for health insurance.
4) Someone wants money to help you navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace. The people who offer legitimate help with the Health Insurance Marketplace (sometimes called Navigators or Assisters) are not allowed to charge you and won’t ask you for personal or financial info. If they ask for money, it’s a scam. Go to HealthCare.govand click “Find Local Help” to learn more.
1)For health insurance, visit a trusted source like HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace. Doing so helps guarantee that you’ll get the kind of fully compliant coverage you want.
2) Make sure the insurance covers you in your state. Not every insurer is licensed to operate in your state. Double-check that the one you’re dealing with is. A good place to start is to visit the site for your state’s insurance commission. It should have resources that let you look up the insurance companies, agents, and brokers in your state.
3) For any insurance, research the company offering it. Run a search with the company name and add “scam” or “fraud” to it. See if any relevant news or complaints show up. And if the plan you’re being offered sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
4) Watch out for high-pressure sales. Don’t pay anything up front and be cautious if a company is forcing you to make quick decisions.
5) Guard your personal info. Never share your personal info, account details, or Social Security number over text or email. Make sure you’re really working with a legitimate company and that you submit any info through a secure submissions process.
6) Block bad links to phishing sites. Many insurance scams rely on phishing sites to steal personal info. A combination of our Web Protection and Scam Detector can steer you clear of them. They’ll alert you if a link might take you to one. It’ll also block those sites if you accidentally tap or click on a bad link.
7) Monitor your identity and credit. In some health insurance scams, your personal info winds up in wrong hands, which can lead to identity fraud and theft. And the problem is that you only find out once the damage is done. Actively monitoring your identity and credit can spot a problem before it becomes an even bigger one. You can take care of both easily with our identity monitoring and credit monitoring.
Additionally, our identity theft coverage can help if the unexpected happens with up to $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support if determined you’re a victim of identity theft.
You’ll find these protections and more in McAfee+.
The post How To Spot Health Insurance Scams This Open Enrollment Season appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Imagine a day where you didn’t have to juggle passwords.
No more sticky notes. No more notebooks with dozens of passwords scribbled in, crossed out, and scribbled in again. No more forgetting and resetting. No more typing them in all the time.
And even better, imagine secure accounts, likely even more secure than you could keep them on your own.
That’s the power of a password manager in your life.
A password manager does the work of creating strong, unique passwords for each and every one of your accounts. And considering the hundred or so accounts you have, that’s something that would take plenty of time if you did all that work on your own.
In all, a password manager can turn the pain of juggling passwords into a real comfort.
Before we get into how a password manager can make your life easier while making your accounts more secure, let’s look at what makes up a bad password. Here are a few examples:
Obvious passwords: Password-cracking programs start by entering a list of common (and arguably lazy) passwords. These may include the simple “password” or “1234567”. Others include common keyboard paths like “qwerty.” Even longer keyboard paths like “qwertyuiop” are well known to hackers and their tools as well.
Dictionary words: Hacking tools also look for common dictionary words strung together, which helps them crack longer passwords in chunks. The same goes for passwords that contain the name of the app or service in them. These are “no brainer” words found in passwords that make passwords even easier to crack.
Repeated passwords: You may think you have such an unbreakable password that you want to use it for all your accounts. However, this means that if hackers compromise one of your accounts, all your other accounts are vulnerable. This is a favorite tactic of hackers. They’ll target less secure accounts and services and then attempt to re-use those credentials on more secure services like online bank and credit card companies.
Personal information passwords: Passwords that include your birthday, dog’s name, or nickname leave you open to attack. While they’re easy for you to remember, they’re also easy for a hacker to discover—such as with a quick trip to your social media profile, particularly if it is not set to private.
If any of the above sounds familiar, you’ll want to replace any of your bad passwords with strong ones.
We can point to three things that make up a strong password, which makes it difficult to hack.
Your password is:
Long: A longer password is potentially a stronger password when it comes to a “brute force” attack, where a hacker uses an automated trial-and-error system to break it. For example, an eight-character password using uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols can get hacked in minutes. Kick it up to 16 characters and it becomes incredibly more difficult to break—provided it doesn’t rely on common words or phrases. McAfee can help you generate a strong password, for stronger security with our random password generator.
Complex: To increase the security of your password, it should have a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers like mentioned above.
Unique: Every one of your accounts should have its own password.
Now, apply this to the hundred or so accounts you keep and creating strong passwords for all of them really does call for a lot of work.
Given its ease of use and the big security boost it gives you and all your accounts, the answer is yes.
A password manager does the work of creating strong, unique passwords for your accounts. These will take the form of a string of random numbers, letters, and characters. They won’t be memorable, but the manager does the memorizing for you. You only need to remember a single password to access the tools of your manager.
A strong password manager also stores your passwords securely. Our password manager protects your passwords by scrambling them with AES-256, one of the strongest encryption algorithms available. Only you can decrypt and access your info with the factors you choose. Additionally, our password manager uses multi-factor authentication (MFA), so you’ll be verified by at least two factors before being signed in.
Aside from the comfort of convenience a password manager can give you, it gives you another level of assurance—extra protection in an age of data breaches, because you’ll have unique passwords where one compromise won’t lead to others.
And whether or not you go with a password manager to create those strong and unique passwords, make sure you use MFA on every account that offers it. MFA offers another layer of protection by adding another factor into the login process, such as something you own like a text to your phone or notification to an authentication app. That way if a hacker has your password, they’ll still be locked out of your account because they lack that MFA code.
In some cases, you really don’t need some of your old accounts and the passwords that come along with them. Maybe they’re old and unused. Or maybe they were for a one-time purchase at an online store you won’t visit again. Deleting these accounts is a smart move because they’re yet more places where your personal info is stored—and subject to a data breach.
Our Online Account Cleanup can help, which you can find in all our McAfee+ plans. It scans for accounts in your name, gives you a full list, and shows you which types of accounts might be riskier than others. From there you can decide which ones you want to delete, along with the personal info linked to them. In our McAfee+ Ultimate plans, you get full-service Online Account Cleanup, which sends the data deletion requests for you.
Between this and a password manager, you’ll have one less thing to juggle—your passwords, and one less thing to worry about—if they’re secure from hackers.
The post Why “Strong Passwords” Aren’t Enough Anymore—and What to Do Instead appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Pets, poisoned AI search results, and a phone call that sounds like it’s coming straight from the federal government, this week’s scams don’t have much in common except one thing: they’re getting harder to spot.
In today’s edition of This Week in Scams, we’re breaking down the biggest security lapses and the tactics scammers used to exploit them, and what you can do to stay ahead of the latest threats.
If you’re a Petco customer, you’ll want to know about not one but two data security lapses in the past week.
First, as reported by TechCrunch on Monday, Petco followed Texas data privacy laws by filing a data breach with the attorney general’s office. In that filing, Petco reported that the affected data included names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers. Further info including account numbers, credit and debit card numbers, and dates of birth were also mentioned in the filing.
Also according to Techcrunch, the company filed similar notices in California and Massachusetts.
To date, Petco has not made a comment about the size of the breach and the number of people affected.
Different states have different policies for reporting data breaches. In some cases, that helps us put a figure to the size of the breach, as some states require companies to disclose the total number of people caught up in the breach. That’s not the case here, so the full scope of the attack remains in question, at least for right now.
As of Thursday, we know Petco reported that 329 Texans were affected along with seven Massachusetts residents, per the respective reports filed. California’s report does not contain the number of Californians affected, yet laws in that state require businesses to report breaches that affect 500 or more people, so at least 500 people were affected there.
Below you can see the form letter Petco sent to affected Californians in accordance with California’s data privacy laws:
In it, you can see that Petco discovered that “a setting within one of our software applications … inadvertently allowed certain files to become accessible online.” Further, Petco said that it “immediately took steps to correct the issue and to remove the files from further online access,” and that it “corrected” the setting and implemented unspecified “additional security measures.”
So while no foul play appears to have been behind the breach, it’s still no less risky and concerning for Petco’s customers. We’ll cover what you can do about that in a moment after we cover yet another data issue at Petco through its Vetco clinics.
Also within the same timeframe, yet more research and reporting from Techcrunch uncovered a second security lapse that exposed personal info online. From their article:
“TechCrunch identified a vulnerability in how Vetco’s website generates copies of PDF documents for its customers.
“Vetco’s customer portal, located at petpass.com, allows customers to log in and obtain veterinary records and other documents relating to their pet’s care. But TechCrunch found that the PDF generating page on Vetco’s website was public and not protected with a password.
“As such, it was possible for anyone on the internet to access sensitive customer files directly from Vetco’s servers by modifying the web address to input a customer’s unique identification number. Vetco customer numbers are sequential, which means one could access other customers’ data simply by changing a customer number by one or two digits.”
With the size and reach of the Petco breach still unknown, and the impact of the Vetco security lapse also unknown, we advise caution for all Petco customers. At minimum, monitor transactions and keep an eye on your credit report for any suspicious activity. And it’s always a good time to update a weak password.
For those who received a notification, we advise the following:
Check your credit, consider a security freeze, and get ID theft protection. You can get all three working for you with McAfee+ Advanced or McAfee+ Ultimate.
Monitor transactions across your accounts, also available in McAfee+ Advanced and Ultimate.
Keep an eye out for phishing attacks. Use our Scam Detector to spot any follow-on attacks.
Update your passwords. Strong and unique passwords are best. Our password manager can help you create and store them securely.
And use two-factor authentication on all your accounts. Enabling two-factor authentication provides an added layer of security.
What to do if your Social Security number was breached.
If you think your Social Security number was caught up in the breach, act quickly.
You might want to be careful when searching for customer service numbers while in AI mode. Or with an AI search engine. It could connect you to a scammer.
From The Times comes reports of scammers manipulating the AI in platforms like Google and Perplexity so that their search results return scam numbers instead of a proper customer service numbers for, say, British Airways.
How do they manipulate those results? By spamming the internet with false info that gets picked up and then amplified by AI.
“[S]cammers have started seeding fake call center numbers on the web so the AI is tricked into thinking it is genuine …
“Criminals have set up YouTube channels with videos claiming to help with customer support, which are packed with airline brand names and scam numbers designed to be scraped and reused by the AI.
“Bot-generated reviews on Yelp or video descriptions on YouTube are filled with fraudulent numbers as are airline and travel web forums.”
And with these tactics, scammers could poison the results for just about any organization, business, or brand. Not just airlines. Per The Times, “The scammers have also hijacked government sites, university domains, and even fitness sites to place scam numbers, which fools the AI into thinking they are genuine.”
This reveals a current limitation with many AI platforms. Largely they can’t distinguish when people deliberately feed them bad info, as seen in the case here.
Yet even as this attack is new, our advice remains the same: any time you want to ring up a customer service line, get the number directly from the company’s official website. Not from AI search and not by clicking a paid search result that shows up first (scammers can poison them too).
Are you under investigation for money laundering? Of course not. But this scam wants you to think so—and to pay up.
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer alert warning that people are reporting getting unexpected calls from someone saying they’re “FTC agent” John Krebs. Apparently “Agent Krebs” is telling people that they’re under investigation for money laundering—and that a deposit to a Bitcoin ATM can resolve the matter.
Of course, it’s a scam.
For starters, the FTC doesn’t have “agents.” And the idea of clearing one’s name in an investigation with a Bitcoin payment is a sure-fire sign of a scam. Lastly, any time someone asks for payment with Bitcoin or other payment methods that are near-impossible to recover (think wire transfers and gift cards), those are big red flags.
Apart from hanging up and holding on to your money, the FTC offers the following guidance, which holds true for any scam call:
As always, here’s a quick list of a few stories that caught our eye this week:
AI tools transform Christmas shopping as people turn to chatbots
National cybercrime network operating for 14 years dismantled in Indonesia
Why is AI becoming the go-to support for our children’s mental health?
We’ll see you next Friday with a special edition to close out 2025 … This Year in Scams.
The post This Week in Scams: Petco Breach Warning, and Watch Out for Fake Federal Calls appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It looks harmless enough.
A digital party invitation lands in your inbox or phone. You click to see the details. Then it asks you to log in or create an account before revealing the event.
That’s where the scam begins.
Fake e-vite phishing scams are on the rise, and they take advantage of something simple: social trust. You’re far more likely to click an invitation than a generic “account alert” or “delivery notice.”
And that’s exactly why scammers are using them.
In fact, here’s a screenshot of a fake phishing email I recently got this holiday season:
When you click the “open invitation” link, it immediately asks you to sign in or create an account with your personal information. That’s the step where scammers steal your private data.
A fake e-vite scam is a phishing attack that pretends to be a real invitation from platforms like Paperless Post or other digital invitation services.
The goal is to trick you into:
Once scammers have your login information, they can:
Here’s the most common flow:
Because this starts with something familiar and social, many people don’t realize it’s phishing until accounts are already compromised. Plus, scammers then use your email and name to trick friends and family into trusting more fake e-vites from your account.
Paperless Post has publicly acknowledged these scams and shared what legitimate messages actually look like.
Legitimate Paperless Post Emails Will Never:
Official Paperless Post Email Domains:
Legitimate invitations and account messages only come from:
Official support emails only come from:
If the sender does not match one of these exactly, it’s a scam.
Paperless Post also notes that verified emails may display a blue checkmark in supported inboxes to confirm authenticity.
If you see any of the following, do not click:
Modern phishing attacks don’t rely on sloppy design anymore. Many now use:
Invitation phishing is especially powerful because:
If you entered any information into a suspicious invitation page:
The faster you act, the more damage you can prevent.
The post Think That Party Invite Is Real? Fake E-Vite Scams Are the New Phishing Trap appeared first on McAfee Blog.
AI-powered browsers give you much more than a window to the web. They represent an entirely new way to experience the internet, with an AI “agent” working by your side.
We’re entering an age where you can delegate all kinds of tasks to a browser, and with that comes a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when using AI browsers like ChatGPT’s Atlas, Perplexity’s Comet, and others.
So, what’s the allure of this new breed of browser? The answer is that it’s highly helpful, and plenty more.
By design, these “agentic” AI browsers actively assist you with the things you do online. They can automate tasks and interpret your intentions when you make a request. Further, they can work proactively by anticipating things you might need or by offering suggestions.
In a way, an AI browser works like a personal assistant. It can summarize the pages in several open tabs, conduct research on just about any topic you ask it to, or even track down the lowest airfare to Paris in the month of May. Want it to order ink for your printer and some batteries for your remote? It can do that too. And that’s just to name a few possibilities.
As you can see, referring to the AI in these browsers as “agentic” fits. It truly works like an agent on your behalf, a capability that promises to get more powerful over time.
But as with any new technology, early adopters should balance excitement with awareness, especially when it comes to privacy and security. You might have seen some recent headlines that shared word of security concerns with these browsers.
The reported exploits vary, as does the harm they can potentially inflict. That ranges from stealing personal info, gaining access to Gmail and Google Drive files, installing malware, and injecting the AI’s “memory” with malicious instructions, which can follow from session to session and device to device, wherever a user logs in.
Our own research has shown that some of these attacks are now tougher to pull off than they were initially, particularly as the AI browser companies continue to put guardrails in place. If anything, this reinforces a long-standing truth about online security, it’s a cat-and-mouse game. Tech companies put protections in place, bad actors discover an exploit, companies put further protections in place, new exploits crop up, and so on. It’s much the same in the rapidly evolving space of AI browsers. The technology might be new, but the game certainly isn’t.
While these reports don’t mean AI browsers are necessarily unsafe to use, they do underscore how fast this space is evolving…and why caution is smart as the tech matures.
It’s still early days for AI-powered browsers and understanding the security and privacy implications of their use. With that, we strongly recommend the following to help reduce your risk:
Don’t let an AI browser do what you wouldn’t let a stranger do. Handle things like your banking, finances, and health on your own. And the same certainly goes for all the info tied to those aspects of your life.
Pay attention to confirmations. As of today, agentic browsers still require some level of confirmation from the user to perform key actions (like processing a payment, sending an email, or updating a calendar entry). Pay close attention to them, so you can prevent your browser from doing something you don’t want it to do.
Use the “logged out” mode, if possible. As of this writing, at least one AI browser, Atlas, gives you the option to use the agent in the logged-out mode.i This limits its access to sensitive data and the risk of it taking actions on your behalf with your credentials.
If possible, disable “model learning.” By turning it off, you reduce the amount of personal info stored and processed by the AI provider for AI training purposes, which can minimize security and privacy risks.
Set privacy controls to the strictest options available. Further, understand what privacy policies the AI developer has in place. For example, some AI providers have policies that allow people to review your interactions with the AI as part of its training. These policies vary from company to company, and they tend to undergo changes. Keeping regular tabs on the privacy policy of the AI browser you use makes for a privacy-smart move.
Keep yourself informed. The capabilities, features, and privacy policies of AI-powered browsers continue to evolve rapidly. Set up news alerts about the AI browser you use and see if any issues get reported and, if so, how the AI developer has responded. Do routine searches pairing the name of the AI browser with “privacy.”
McAfee’s award-winning protection helps you browse safer, whether you’re testing out new AI tools or just surfing the web.
McAfee offers comprehensive privacy services, including personal info scans and removal plus a secure VPN.
Plus, protections like McAfee’s Scam Detector automatically alert you to suspicious texts, emails, and videos before harm can happen—helping you manage your online presence confidently and safeguard your digital life for the long term. Likewise, Web Protection can help you steer you clear of suspicious websites that might take advantage of AI browsers.
The post How to Stay Safe on Your New AI Browser appeared first on McAfee Blog.
For this week in scams, we have fake AI-generated shopping images that could spoil your holidays, scammers use an Apple Support ticket in a takeover attempt, and a PlayStation scam partly powered by AI.
Let’s start with those fake ads, because holiday shopping is in full swing.
Turns out that three-quarters of people (74%) can’t correctly identify a fake AI-generated social media ad featuring popular holiday gifts—which could leave them open to online shopping scams.
That finding, and several others, comes by way of research from Santander, a financial services company in the UK.
Here’s a quick rundown of what else they found:
From the study … could you tell these ads are both fake?
In all, cheap and readily available AI tools make spinning up fake ads quick and easy work. The same goes for launching websites where those “goods” can get sold. In the past, we’ve seen scammers take two different approaches when they use social media ads and websites to lure in their victims:
During the holidays, scammers pump out ads that offer seemingly outstanding deals on hot items. Of course, the offer and the site where it’s “sold” is fake. Victims hand over their personal info and credit card number, never to see the items they thought they’d purchased. On top of the money a victim loses, the scammer also has their card info and can run up its tab or sell it to others on the dark web.
In this case, the scammer indeed sells and delivers something. But you don’t get what you paid for. The item looks, feels, fits, or works entirely differently than what was advertised. In this way, people wind up with a cheaply made item cobbled together with inferior materials. Worse yet, these scams potentially prop up sweatshops, child labor, and other illegal operations in the process. Nothing about these sites and the things they sell on them are genuine.
So, fake AI shopping ads are out there. What should you look out for? Here’s a quick list:
“I almost lost everything—my photos, my email, my entire digital life.”
So opens a recent Medium post from Eric Moret recounting how he almost handed over his Apple Account to a scammer armed with a real Apple Support ticket to make this elaborate phishing attack look legit.
Over the course of nearly 30 minutes, a scammer calmly and professionally walked Moret through a phony account takeover attempt.
It started with two-factor authentication notifications that claimed someone was trying to access his iCloud account. Three minutes later, he got a call from an Atlanta-based number. The caller said they were with Apple Support. “Your account is under attack. We’re opening a ticket to help you. Someone will contact you shortly.”
Seconds later came another call from the same number, which is where the scam fully kicked in. The person also said they were from Apple Support and that they’d opened a case on Moret’s behalf. Sure enough, when directed, Moret opened his email and saw a legitimate case number from a legitimate Apple address.
The caller then told him to reset his password, which he did. Moret received a text with a link to a site where he could, apparently, close his case.
Note that at no time did the scammers ask him for his two-factor authentication code throughout this process, which is always the sign of a scam. However, the scammers had another way to get it.
The link took him to a site called “appeal-apple dot com,” which was in fact a scam site. However, the page looked official to him, and he entered a six-digit code “confirmation code” sent by text to finish the process.
That “confirmation code” was actually a fresh two-factor authentication code. With that finally in hand, the scammers signed in. Moret received a notice that a new device had logged into his account. Moret quickly reset his password again, which kicked them out and stopped the attack.
Maybe you didn’t get a scam call from “Emma” or “Carl” at Wal-Mart, but plenty of people did. Around eight million in all. Now the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enforcement Bureau wants to put a stop to them.
“Emma” and “Carl” are in fact a couple of AI voices fronting a scam framed around the bogus purchase of a PlayStation. It’s garnered its share of complaints, so much that the FCC has stepped in. It alleges that SK Teleco, a voice service provider, provisioned at least some of these calls, and that it must immediately stop.
According to the FCC, the call plays out like this:
“A preauthorized purchase of PlayStation 5 special edition with Pulse 3D headset is being ordered from your Walmart account for an amount of 919 dollars 45 cents. To cancel your order or to connect with one of our customer support representatives, please press ‘1.’ Thank you.”
Pressing “1” connects you to a live operator who asks for personal identifiable such as Social Security numbers to cancel the “purchase.”
If you were wondering, it’s unlawful to place calls to cellphones containing artificial or prerecorded voice messages absent an emergency purpose or prior express consent. According to the FCC’s press release, SK Teleco didn’t respond to a request to investigate the calls. The FCC further alleges that it’s unlikely the company has any such consent.
Per the FCC, “If SK Teleco fails to take swift action to prevent scam calls, the FCC will require all other providers to no longer accept call traffic from SK Teleco.”
We’ll see how this plays out, yet it’s a good reminder to report scam calls. When it comes to any kind of scam, law enforcement and federal agencies act on complaints.
Here’s a quick list of a few stories that caught our eye this week:
Scammers pose as law enforcement, threaten jail time if you don’t pay (with audio)
Deepfake of North Carolina lawmaker used in award-winning Brazilian Whirlpool video
What happens when you kick millions of teens off social media? Australia’s about to find out
We’ll see you next Friday with more updates, scam news, and ways you can stay safer out there.
The post This Week in Scams: Phony AI Ads, Apple Account Takeover Attempts, and a PlayStation Scam appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The holidays are the season of giving; unfortunately, it’s also the season when scammers try to cash in on the spirit of generosity
If you’re seeing a heartfelt charity ad on social media, a touching email, or a surprise text asking you to donate, it’s worth pausing for a moment. Is it genuine charity—or a scam built to tug at your heartstrings?
The good news: staying safe doesn’t mean stopping your generosity. With a few quick checks, you can give confidently and protect yourself.
Charity fraud is when scammers pose as legitimate nonprofits—or misuse the name of a real charity—to trick people into donating money or giving away personal information.
In some cases, the organization is completely fake. In others, it’s a real charity that uses donations in misleading or unethical ways, passing very little money to the actual cause.
The first type involves flat-out fraud, where the organization is a front for a scam, through and through. Any money you give goes straight into the scammer’s pocket. As does your personal and payment info, which can lead to further fraud.
These are real, registered charities. But They keep the majority of donations for overhead instead of helping the cause.
This second type often involves questionable practices by the organization. According to the Better Business Bureau, reputable organizations keep 35% or less of their funds for operations.
Meanwhile, some less-than-reputable organizations keep up to 95% of funds, leaving only 5% for advancing the cause they advocate. (For a closer look at some examples, the independent watchdog group Charity Watch published a blog highlighting some of the worst charities they audited in 2024.)
Common to both, they’ll indeed play on your emotions, and they’ll urge you to donate now. As it is with so many scams and shady deals on the internet, you’ll find a sense of urgency central to their message.
For starters, reputable charities often have dot-org as their domain extension—versus dot-com or any one of the hundreds of permutations available today.
Charities leave a paper trail, one that can get audited. And fake ones won’t leave a trail at all. With a quick look at some reputable online resources, you can quickly find out if the charity you want to support is legit.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a site full of resources so that you can make your donation truly count. Resources like Charity Watch and Charity Navigator, along with the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance can also help you identify the best charities. You can also look up a charity’s Form 990 tax return online.
This goes hand-in-hand with the above. If you feel like you’re getting rushed to donate, it could be a sign of a scam. Step back and indeed do your research with a few clicks to the resources listed above.
This protects you in two ways. If you fall victim to a scam, you can contest the charges with your credit card company. And if a scammer tries to use your card again for other purchases, you can contest those too. Also, in the U.S., credit cards offer you additional protection that debit cards don’t. That’s thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). It limits your liability to $50 for fraudulent charges on a credit card if you report the loss to your issuer within 60 days.
The following is a sure-fire red flag: requests for payment in cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Don’t ever use these forms of payment for charities, let alone anything else online.
Better yet, donate directly. Rather than respond to calls, ads, emails or texts, donate on your terms. After you give your possible donation some time and thought, you can go directly to the website of a charitable organization that you’ve researched.
Get a scam detector. You can combine your healthy skepticism and awareness with the right technology, like our Scam Detector and Web Protection.
Both will alert you if a link you received might take you to a sketchy site. It’ll also block those sites if you accidentally tap or click on a bad link.
Clean up your personal info online. Scams over email, phone, and text all require the same thing: your contact info.
In many cases, scammers get it from data broker sites. Data brokers buy, collect, and sell detailed personal info, which they compile from several public and private sources, such as local, state, and federal records, plus third parties like supermarket shopper’s cards and mobile apps that share and sell user data.
Moreover, they’ll sell it to anyone who pays for it, including people who’ll use that info for scams. You can help reduce those scam texts and calls by removing your info from those sites. Our Personal Data Cleanup scans some of the riskiest data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info.
Monitor your identity and credit. The problem with many scams is that you only find out about it once the damage is done, like when a scammer uses your phished card number to make additional purchases in your name.
Actively monitoring your identity and credit can spot a problem before it becomes an even bigger one. You can take care of both easily with our credit monitoring and identity monitoring.
Additionally, our identity theft coverage can help if the unexpected happens with up to $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support if determined you’re a victim of identity theft.
You’ll find these protections, and plenty more, in McAfee+.
If you want to give back and help protect people from online fraud, McAfee has partnered with Fight Cyber Crime, a legitimate U.S. nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of online scams.
You might remember them from our Scam Stories partnership earlier this year, sharing real stories from real scam victims to raise awareness about threats facing us every day on and offline.
Visit their site to learn more or make a donation: https://fightcybercrime.org/about/donate/
Supporting validated charities like Fight Cyber Crime is one way to make a real impact this holiday season—without putting yourself at risk.
The post How to Spot Charity Scams and Donate Safely this Giving Season appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As the holiday season ramps up, so do group dinners, shared travel costs, gift exchanges, and all the little moments where someone says, “Just Venmo me.”
With more people sending and splitting money this time of year, scammers know it’s prime time to target payment apps. Here’s how to keep your Venmo transactions safe during one of the busiest — and riskiest — payment seasons.
Venmo scams come in all shapes, and many of them look like variations of email phishing and text scams. The scammers behind them will pose as Venmo customer service reps who ask for your login credentials. Other scammers offer bogus cash prizes and pyramid schemes that lure in victims with the promise of quick cash. Some scammers will use the app itself to impersonate friends and family to steal money.
Venmo has a dedicated web page on the topic of scams, and lists the following as the top Venmo scams out there:
| · Fake Prize or Cash Reward
· Call from Venmo · Call from Tech Support · Fake Payment Confirmation · Pre-payment for Goods and Services |
· Stranger Posing as a Friend
· Payments from Strangers · Offers to Make Money Fast · Paper Check Scam · Romance Scam |
Venmo has thorough instructions to combat these scams and breaks them down in detail on its site. They also provide preventative tips and steps to take if you unfortunately fall victim to one of these scams. Broadly speaking, though, avoiding Venmo scams breaks down into a few straightforward steps.
1) Never share private details.
Scammers often pose as customer service reps to pump info out of their victims. They’ll ask for things like bank account info, debit card or credit card numbers, or even passwords and authentication codes sent to your phone. Never share this info. Legitimate reps from legitimate companies like Venmo won’t request it.
2) Know when Venmo might ask for your Social Security number.
In the U.S., Venmo is regulated by the Treasury Department. As such, Venmo might require your SSN in certain circumstances. Venmo details the cases where they might need your SSN for reporting, here on their website. Note that this is an exception to what we say about sharing SSNs and tax ID numbers. As a payment app, Venmo might have legitimate reasons to request it. However, don’t send this info by email or text (any email or text that asks you to do that is a scam). Instead, always use the mobile app by going to Settings –> Identity Verification.
3) Keep an eye out for scam emails and texts.
Venmo always sends communications through its official “venmo.com” domain name. If you receive an email that claims to be from Venmo but that doesn’t use “venmo.com,” it’s a scam. Never click or tap on links in emails or texts supposedly sent by Venmo.
4) Be suspicious of the messages you get. Imposters are afoot.
Another broad category of scams includes people who aren’t who they say they are. In the case of Venmo, scammers will create imposter accounts that look like they might be a friend or family member but aren’t. If you receive an unexpected and likely urgent-sounding request for payment, contact that person outside the app. See if it’s really them.
5) When sending money, keep an eye open for alerts from the app.
Just recently, Venmo added a new feature, dynamic alerts, which helps protect people when sending money via the “Friends and Family” option. It pops up an alert if the app detects a potentially fraudulent transaction and includes info that describes the level of risk involved. In the cases of highly risky payments, Venmo might decline the transaction altogether. This adds another level of protection to Friends and Family payments, which are non-refundable in cases of fraud. Further, this underscores another important point about using Venmo: only pay people you absolutely know and trust.
Keep your transactions private. Venmo has a social component that can display a transaction between two people and allow others to comment on it. Payment amounts are always secret. Yet you have control over who sees what by adjusting your privacy settings:
This brings up the question, what if the participants in the transaction have different privacy settings? Venmo uses the most restrictive one. So, if you’re paying someone who has their privacy set to “Public” and you have yours set to “Private,” the transaction will indeed be private.
We suggest going private with your account. The less financial information you share, the better. You can set your transactions to private by heading into the Settings of the Venmo app, tapping on Privacy, and then selecting Private.
In short, just because something is designed to be social doesn’t mean it should become a treasure trove of personal data about your spending habits.
Add extra layers of security. Take extra precautions that make it difficult for others to access your Venmo app.
Online protection software like ours offers several additional layers of security when it comes to your safety and finances online.
For starters, it includes Web Protection and Scam Detector that can block malicious and questionable links that might lead you down the road to malware or a phishing scam, such as a phony Venmo link designed to steal your login credentials. It also includes a password manager that creates and stores strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts.
Moreover, it further protects you by locking down your identity online. Transaction Monitoring and Credit Monitoring help you spot any questionable financial activity quickly. And if identity theft unfortunately happens to you, up to $2 million in ID theft coverage & restoration can help you recover quickly.
The post Venmo 101: Making Safer Payments with the App appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Welcome back to another This Week in Scams.
This week, have attacks that take over Androids and iPhones, plus news that Google has gone on the offensive against phishing websites.
First up, a heads-up for iPhone owners.
In the hands of a scammer, “Find My” can quickly turn into “Scam Me.”
Switzerland’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) shared word this week of a new scam that turns the otherwise helpful “Find My” iOS feature into an avenue of attack.
Now, the thought of losing your phone, along with all the important and precious things you have on it, is enough to give you goosebumps. Luckily, the “Find My” can help you track it down and even post a personalized message on the lock screen to help with its return. And that’s where the scam kicks in.
From the NCSC:
When a device is marked as lost, the owner can display a message on the lock screen containing contact details, such as a phone number or email address. This can be very helpful if the finder is honest – but in dishonest hands, the same information can be used to launch a targeted phishing attack.
With that, scammers send a targeted phishing text, as seen in the sample provided by the NCSC below …
What do the scammers want once you tap that link? They request your Apple ID and password, which effectively hands your phone over to them—along with everything on it and everything else that’s associated with your Apple ID.
It’s a scam you can easily avoid. So even if you’re still stuck with a lost phone that’s likely in the hands of a scammer the point of consolation is that, without your ID, the phone is useless to them.
Ignore such messages. The most important rule is Apple will never contact you by text message or email to inform you that a lost device has been found.
Never click on links in unsolicited messages or enter your Apple ID credentials on a linked website.
If you lose your device, act immediately. Enable Lost Mode straight away via the Find My app on another device or at iCloud.com/find. This will lock the device.
Be careful about which contact details you show on your lost device’s lock screen. For example, use a dedicated email address created specifically for this purpose. Never remove the device from your Apple account, as this would disable the Activation Lock.
Make sure your SIM card is protected with a PIN. This simple yet effective measure prevents criminals from gaining access to your phone number.
Now, a different attack aimed at Android owners …
A story shared on Fox this week breaks down how a combination of paid search ads, remote access tools, and social engineering have led to hijacked Android phones.
It starts with a search, where an Android owner looks up a bank, a tech support company, or what have you. Instead of getting a legitimate result, they get a link to a bogus site via paid search results that appear above organic search results. The link, and the page it takes them to, look quite convincing, given the ease with which scammers can spin up ads and sites today. (More on that next.)
Once there, they call a support number and get connected to a phony agent. The agent convinces the victim to download an app that will help the “agent” solve their issue with their account or phone. In fact, the app is a remote access tool that gives control of the phone, and everything on it, to the scammer. That means they can steal passwords, send messages to friends, family, or anyone at all, and even go so far as to lock you out.
Basically, this scam hands over one of your most precious possessions to a scammer.
Skip paid search results for extra security. That’s particularly true when contacting your bank or other companies you’re doing business with. Look for their official website in the organic search results below paid ads. Better yet, contact places like your bank or credit card company by calling the number on the back of your card.
Get a scam detector. A combination of our Scam Detector and Web Protection can call out sketchy links, like the bogus paid links here. They’ll even block malicious sites if you accidentally tap a bad link.
Never download apps from third-party sites outside of the Google Play Store. Google has checks in place to spot malicious apps in its store.
Lastly, never give anyone access to your phone. No bank rep needs it. So if someone on a call asks you to download an app like TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or AirDroid, it’s a scam. Hang up.
Beyond that, you can protect yourself further by installing an app like our McAfee Security: Antivirus VPN. You can pick it up in the Google Play store, which also includes our Scam Detector and Identity Monitoring. You can also get it as part of your McAfee+ protection.
Just Wednesday, Google took a first step toward making the internet safer from bogus sites, per a story filed by National Public Radio.
A lawsuit alleges that a China-based company called “Lighthouse” runs a “Phishing-as-a-Service” operation that outfits scammers with quick and easy tools and templates for creating convincing-looking websites. According to Google’s general counsel, these sites could “compromise between 12.7 and 115 million credit cards in the U.S. alone.”
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, which, of course, has no jurisdiction over a China-based company. The aim, per Google’s counsel, is deterrence. From the article:
“It allows us a legal basis on which to go to other platforms and services and ask for their assistance in taking down different components of this particular illegal infrastructure,” she said, without naming which platforms or services Google might focus on. “Even if we can’t get to the individuals, the idea is to deter the overall infrastructure in some cases.”
We’ll keep an eye on this case as it progresses. And in the meantime, it’s a good reminder to get Scam Detector and Web Protection on all your devices so you don’t get hoodwinked by these increasingly convincing-looking scam sites.
Again, scammers can roll them out so quickly and easily today.
Here’s a quick list of a few stories that caught our eye this week:
Alarmingly realistic deepfake threats now target banks in South Africa
Hyundai data breach exposes 2.7 million Social Security numbers
And that’s it for this week! We’ll see you next Friday with more updates, scam news, and ways you can stay safer out there.
The post This Week in Scams: New Alerts for iPhone and Android Users and a Major Google Crackdown appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Chances are, you have more personal information posted online than you think.
In 2024, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that 1.1 million identity theft complaints were filed, where $12.5 billion was lost to identity theft and fraud overall—a 25% increase over the year prior.
What fuels all this theft and fraud? Easy access to personal information.
Here’s one way you can reduce your chances of identity theft: remove your personal information from the internet.
Scammers and thieves can get a hold of your personal information in several ways, such as information leaked in data breaches, phishing attacks that lure you into handing it over, malware that steals it from your devices, or by purchasing your information on dark web marketplaces, just to name a few.
However, scammers and thieves have other resources and connections to help them commit theft and fraud—data broker sites, places where personal information is posted online for practically anyone to see. This makes removing your info from these sites so important, from both an identity and privacy standpoint.
Data broker sites are massive repositories of personal information that also buy information from other data brokers. As a result, some data brokers have thousands of pieces of data on billions of individuals worldwide.
What kind of data could they have on you? A broker may know how much you paid for your home, your education level, where you’ve lived over the years, who you’ve lived with, your driving record, and possibly your political leanings. A broker could even know your favorite flavor of ice cream and your preferred over-the-counter allergy medicine thanks to information from loyalty cards. They may also have health-related information from fitness apps. The amount of personal information can run that broadly, and that deeply.
With information at this level of detail, it’s no wonder that data brokers rake in an estimated $200 billion worldwide every year.
Your personal information reaches the internet through six main methods, most of which are initiated by activities you perform every day. Understanding these channels can help you make more informed choices about your digital footprint.
When you buy a home, register to vote, get married, or start a business, government agencies create public records that contain your personal details. These records, once stored in filing cabinets, are now digitized, accessible online, and searchable by anyone with an internet connection.
Every photo you post, location you tag, and profile detail you share contributes to your digital presence. Even with privacy settings enabled, social media platforms collect extensive data about your behavior, relationships, and preferences. You may not realize it, but every time you share details with your network, you are training algorithms that analyze and categorize your information.
You create accounts with retailers, healthcare providers, employers, and service companies, trusting them to protect your information. However, when hackers breach these systems, your personal information often ends up for sale on dark web marketplaces, where data brokers can purchase it. The Identity Theft Research Center Annual Data Breach Report revealed that 2024 saw the second-highest number of data compromises in the U.S. since the organization began recording incidents in 2005.
When you browse, shop, or use apps, your online behavior is recorded by tracking pixels, cookies, and software development kits. The data collected—such as your location, device usage, and interests—is packaged and sold to data brokers who combine it with other sources to build a profile of you.
Grocery store cards, coffee shop apps, and airline miles programs offer discounts in exchange for detailed purchasing information. Every transaction gets recorded, analyzed, and often shared with third-party data brokers, who then create detailed lifestyle profiles that are sold to marketing companies.
Data brokers act as the hubs that collect information from the various sources to create comprehensive profiles that may include over 5,000 data points per person. Seemingly separate pieces of information become a detailed digital dossier that reveals intimate details about your life, relationships, health, and financial situation.
Legally, your aggregated information from data brokers is used by advertisers to create targeted ad campaigns. In addition, law enforcement, journalists, and employers may use data brokers because the time-consuming pre-work of assembling your data has largely been done.
Currently, the U.S. has no federal laws that regulate data brokers or require them to remove personal information if requested. Only a few states, such as Nevada, Vermont, and California, have legislation that protects consumers. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has stricter rules about what information can be collected and what can be done with it.
On the darker side, scammers and thieves use personal information for identity theft and fraud. With enough information, they can create a high-fidelity profile of their victims to open new accounts in their name. For this reason, cleaning up your personal information online makes a great deal of sense.
Understanding which data types pose the greatest threat can help you prioritize your removal efforts. Here are the high-risk personal details you should target first, ranked by their potential for harm.
When prioritizing your personal information removal efforts, focus on combinations of data rather than individual pieces. For example, your name alone poses minimal risk, but your name combined with your address, phone number, and date of birth creates a comprehensive profile that criminals can exploit. Tools such as McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can help you identify and remove these high-risk combinations from data broker sites systematically.
This process takes time and persistence, but services such as McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can continuously monitor for new exposures and manage opt-out requests on your behalf. The key is to first understand the full scope of your online presence before beginning the removal process.
Let’s review some ways you can remove your personal information from data brokers and other sources on the internet.
Once you have found the sites that have your information, the next step is to request to have it removed. You can do this yourself or employ services such as McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup, which can help manage the removal for you depending on your subscription. It also monitors those sites, so if your info gets posted again, you can request its removal again.
You can request to remove your name from Google search to limit your information from turning up in searches. You can also turn on “Auto Delete” in your privacy settings to ensure your data is deleted regularly. Occasionally deleting your cookies or browsing in incognito mode prevents websites from tracking you. If Google denies your initial request, you can appeal using the same tool, providing more context, documentation, or legal grounds for removal. Google’s troubleshooter tool may explain why your request was denied—either legitimate public interest or newsworthiness—and how to improve your appeal.
It’s important to know that the original content remains on the source website. You’ll still need to contact website owners directly to have your actual content removed. Additionally, the information may still appear in other search engines.
If you have old, inactive accounts that have gone by the wayside such as Myspace or Tumblr, you may want to deactivate or delete them entirely. For social media platforms that you use regularly, such as Facebook and Instagram, consider adjusting your privacy settings to keep your personal information to the bare minimum.
If you’ve ever published articles, written blogs, or created any content online, it is a good time to consider taking them down if they no longer serve a purpose. If you were mentioned or tagged by other people, it is worth requesting them to take down posts with sensitive information.
Another way to tidy up your digital footprint is to delete phone apps you no longer use as hackers are able to track personal information on these and sell it. As a rule, share as little information with apps as possible using your phone’s settings.
After sending your removal request, give the search engine or source website 7 to 10 business days to respond initially, then follow up weekly if needed. If a website owner doesn’t respond within 30 days or refuses your request, you have several escalation options:
For comprehensive guidance on website takedown procedures and your legal rights, visit the FTC’s privacy and security guidance for the most current information on consumer data protection. Direct website contact can be time-consuming, but it’s often effective for removing information from smaller sites that don’t appear on major data broker opt-out lists. Stay persistent, document everything, and remember that you have legal rights to protect your privacy online.
After you’ve cleaned up your data from websites and social platforms, your web browsers may still save personal information such as your browsing history, cookies, autofill data, saved passwords, and even payment methods. Clearing this information and adjusting your privacy settings helps prevent tracking, reduces targeted ads, and limits how much personal data websites can collect about you.
When your home address is publicly available, it can expose you to risks like identity theft, stalking, or targeted scams. Taking steps to remove or mask your address across data broker sites, public records, and even old social media profiles helps protect your privacy, reduce unwanted contact, and keep your personal life more secure.
The cost to remove your personal information from the internet varies, depending on whether you do it yourself or use a professional service. Read the guide below to help you make an informed decision:
Removing your information on your own primarily requires time investment. Expect to spend 20 to 40 hours looking for your information online and submitting removal requests. In terms of financial costs, most data brokers may not charge for opting out, but other expenses could include certified mail fees for formal removal requests—about $3-$8 per letter—and possibly notarization fees for legal documents. In total, this effort can be substantial when dealing with dozens of sites.
Depending on which paid removal and monitoring service you employ, basic plans typically range from $8 to $25 monthly while annual plans, which often provide better value, range from $100 to $600. Premium services that monitor hundreds of data broker sites and provide ongoing removal can cost $1,200-$2,400 annually.
The difference in pricing is driven by several factors. This includes the number of data broker sites to be monitored, which could cover more than 200 sites, and the scope of removal requests which may include basic personal information or comprehensive family protection. The monitoring frequency and additional features such as dark web monitoring, credit protection, and identity restoration support and insurance coverage typically command higher prices.
The upfront cost may seem significant, but continuous monitoring provides essential value. A McAfee survey revealed that 95% of consumers’ personal information ends up on data broker sites without their consent. It is possible that after the successful removal of your information, it may reappear on data broker sites without ongoing monitoring. This makes continuous protection far more cost-effective than repeated one-time cleanups.
Services such as McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can prove invaluable, as it handles the initial removal process, as well as ongoing monitoring to catch when your information resurfaces, saving you time and effort while offering long-term privacy protection.
Aside from the services above, comprehensive protection software can help safeguard your privacy and minimize your exposure to cybercrime with these offerings such as:
So while it may seem like all this rampant collecting and selling of personal information is out of your hands, there’s plenty you can do to take control. With the steps outlined above and strong online protection software at your back, you can keep your personal information more private and secure.
Unlike legitimate data broker sites, the dark web operates outside legal boundaries where takedown requests don’t apply. Rather than trying to remove information that’s already circulating, you can take immediate steps to reduce the potential harm and focus on preventing future exposure. A more effective approach is to treat data breaches as ongoing security issues rather than one-time events.
Both the FTC and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have released guidelines on proactive controls and continuous monitoring. Here are key steps of those recommendations:
As you go about removing your information for the internet, it is important to set realistic expectations. Several factors may limit how completely you can remove personal data from internet sources:
While some states like California have stronger consumer privacy rights, most data removal still depends on voluntary compliance from companies.
Removing your personal information from the internet takes effort, but it’s one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from identity theft and privacy violations. The steps outlined above provide you with a clear roadmap to systematically reduce your online exposure, from opting out of data brokers to tightening your social media privacy settings.
This isn’t a one-time task but an ongoing process that requires regular attention, as new data appears online constantly. Rather than attempting to complete digital erasure, focus on reducing your exposure to the most harmful uses of your personal information. Services like McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can help automate the most time-consuming parts of this process, monitoring high-risk data broker sites and managing removal requests for you.
The post How to Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The value of Bitcoin has had its ups and downs since its inception in 2013, but its recent skyrocket in value has created renewed interest in this virtual currency. The rapid growth of this alternative currency has dominated headlines and ignited a cryptocurrency boom that has consumers everywhere wondering how to get a slice of the Bitcoin pie. For those who want to join the craze without trading traditional currencies like U.S. dollars (i.e., fiat currency), a process called Bitcoin mining is an entry point. However, Bitcoin mining poses a number of security risks that you need to know.
Mining for Bitcoin is like mining for gold—you put in the work and you get your reward. But instead of back-breaking labor, you earn the currency with your time and computer processing power. Miners, as they are called, essentially maintain and secure Bitcoin’s decentralized accounting system. Bitcoin transactions are recorded in a digital ledger called a blockchain. Bitcoin miners update the ledger by downloading a special piece of software that allows them to verify and collect new transactions. Then, they must solve a mathematical puzzle to secure access to add a block of transactions to the chain. In return, they earn Bitcoins, as well as a transaction fee.
As the digital currency has matured, Bitcoin mining has become more challenging. In the beginning, a Bitcoin user could mine on their home computer and earn a good amount of the digital currency, but these days the math problems have become so complicated that it requires a lot of expensive computing power. This is where the risks come in. Since miners need an increasing amount of computer power to earn Bitcoin, some have started compromising public Wi-Fi networks so they can access users’ devices.
One example of this security breach happened at a coffee shop in Buenos Aires, which was infected with malware that caused a 10-second delay when logging in to the cafe’s Wi-Fi network. The malware authors used this time delay to access the users’ laptops for mining. In addition to public Wi-Fi networks, millions of websites are being compromised to access users’ devices for mining. When an attacker loads mining software onto devices without the owner’s permission, it’s called a cryptocurrency mining encounter or cryptojacking.
It’s estimated that 50 out of every 100,000 devices have encountered a cryptocurrency miner. Cryptojacking is a widespread problem and can slow down your device; though, that’s not the worst that can happen. Utility costs are also likely to go through the roof. A device that is cryptojacked could have 100 percent of its resources used for mining, causing the device to overheat, essentially destroying it.
Now that you know a little about mining and the Bitcoin security risks associated with it, here are some tips to keep your devices safe as you monitor the cryptocurrency market:
The post Bitcoin Security: Mining Threats You Need to Know appeared first on McAfee Blog.
We’re standing at the threshold of a new era in cybersecurity threats. While most consumers are still getting familiar with ChatGPT and basic AI chatbots, cybercriminals are already moving to the next frontier: Agentic AI. Unlike the AI tools you may have tried that simply respond to your questions, these new systems can think, plan, and act independently, making them the perfect digital accomplices for sophisticated scammers. The next evolution of cybercrime is here, and it’s learning to think for itself.
The threat is already here and growing rapidly. According to McAfee’s latest State of the Scamiverse report, the average American sees more than 14 scams every day, including an average of 3 deepfake videos. Even more concerning, detected deepfakes surged tenfold globally in the past year, with North America alone experiencing a 1,740% increase.
At McAfee, we’re seeing early warning signs of this shift, and we believe every consumer needs to understand what’s coming. The good news? By learning about these emerging threats now, you can protect yourself before they become widespread.
A new case disclosed by Anthropic, first reported by Axios, marks a turning point: a Chinese state-sponsored group used the company’s Claude Code agent to automate the majority of an espionage campaign across nearly thirty organizations. Attackers allegedly bypassed guardrails through jailbreaking techniques, fed the model fragmented tasks, and convinced it that it was conducting defensive security tests. Once operational, the agent performed reconnaissance, wrote exploit code, harvested credentials, identified high-value databases, created backdoors, and generated documentation of the intrusion. In all, they completed 80–90% of the work without any human involvement.
This is the first publicly documented case of an AI agent running a large-scale intrusion with minimal human direction. It validates our core warning: agentic AI dramatically lowers the barrier to sophisticated attacks and turns what was once weeks of human labor into minutes of autonomous execution. While this case targeted major companies and government entities, the same capabilities can, and likely will, be adapted for consumer-focused scams, identity theft, and social engineering campaigns.
Before we dive into the threats, let’s break down what we’re actually talking about when we discuss AI and its evolution:
Traditional AI: The Helper
The AI most people know today works like a very sophisticated search engine or writing assistant. You ask it a question, it gives you an answer. You request help with a task, it provides suggestions. Think of ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or the AI features on your smartphone. They’re reactive tools that respond to your input but don’t take independent action.
Generative AI: The Creator
Generative AI, which powers many current scams, can create content like emails, images, or even fake videos (deepfakes). This technology has already made scams more convincing by cloning real human voices and eliminating telltale signs like poor grammar and obvious language errors.
The impact is already visible in the data. McAfee Labs found that for just $5 and 10 minutes of setup time, scammers can create powerful, realistic-looking deepfake video and audio scams using readily available tools. What once required experts weeks to produce can now be achieved for less than the cost of a latte—and in less time than it takes to drink it.
Agentic AI: The Independent Actor
Agentic AI represents a fundamental leap forward. These systems can think, make decisions, learn from mistakes, and work together to solve tough problems, just like a team of human experts. Unlike previous AI that waits for your commands, agentic AI can set its own goals, make plans to achieve them, and adapt when circumstances change
Key Characteristics of Agentic AI:
Gartner predicts that by 2028, a third of our interactions with AI will shift from simply typing commands to fully engaging with autonomous agents that can act on their own goals and intentions. Unfortunately, cybercriminals won’t be far behind in exploiting these capabilities.
Think of agentic AI as giving scammers their own team of tireless, intelligent apprentices that never sleep, never make mistakes, and get better at their job every day. Here’s how this digital apprenticeship makes scams exponentially more dangerous.
Traditional scammers spend hours manually researching targets, scrolling through social media profiles, and piecing together personal information. Agentic AI recon agents operate persistently and autonomously, self-prompting questions like “What data do I need to identify a weak point in this organization?” and then collecting it from social media, breach data, exposed APIs and cloud misconfigurations.
Unlike traditional phishing that uses static messages, agentic AI can dynamically update or alter their approach based on a recipient’s response, location, holidays, events, or the target’s interests, marking a significant shift from static attacks to highly adaptive and real-time social engineering threats.
An agentic AI scammer targeting you might start with a LinkedIn message about a job opportunity. If you don’t respond, it switches to an email about a package delivery. If that fails, it tries a text message about suspicious account activity. Each attempt uses lessons learned from your previous reactions, becoming more convincing with every interaction.
AI-generated phishing emails achieve a 54% click-through rate compared to just 12% for their human-crafted counterparts. With agentic AI, scammers can create messages that don’t just look professional, they sound exactly like the people and organizations you trust.
The technology is already sophisticated enough to fool even cautious consumers. As McAfee’s latest research shows, social media users shared over 500,000 deepfakes in 2023 alone. The tools have become so accessible that scammers can now create convincing real-time avatars for video calls, allowing them to impersonate anyone from your boss to your bank representative during live conversations.
Perhaps most concerning is agentic AI’s ability to learn and improve. As the AI interacts with more victims over time, it gathers data on what types of messages or approaches work best for certain demographics, adapting itself and refining future campaigns to make each subsequent attack more powerful, convincing, and effective. This means that every failed scam attempt makes the AI smarter for its next victim. Understanding how agentic AI will transform specific types of scams helps us prepare for what’s coming. Here are the most concerning developments:
Multi-Stage Campaign Orchestration
Agentic AI can potentially orchestrate complex multi-stage social engineering attacks, leveraging data from one interaction to drive the next one. Instead of simple one-and-done phishing emails, expect sophisticated campaigns that unfold over weeks or months.
Automated Spear Phishing at Scale
Traditional spear phishing required manual research and customization for each target. In the new world order, malicious AI agents will autonomously harvest data from social media profiles, craft phishing messages, and tailor them to individual targets without human intervention. This means cybercriminals can now launch thousands of highly personalized attacks simultaneously, each one crafted specifically for its intended victim.
Real-Time Adaptive Attacks
When a target hesitates or questions an initial approach, agents adjust their tactics immediately based on the response. This continuous refinement makes each interaction more convincing than the last, wearing down even skeptical targets through persistence and learning. Traditional red flags like “This seems suspicious” or “Let me verify this” no longer end the attack, they just trigger the AI to try a different approach.
Cross-Platform Coordination
These autonomous systems now independently launch coordinated phishing campaigns across multiple channels simultaneously, operating with an efficiency human attackers cannot match. An agentic AI scammer might contact you via email, text message, phone call, and social media—all as part of a coordinated campaign designed to overwhelm your defenses.
The rise of agentic AI scams requires a fundamental shift in how we think about cybersecurity. Traditional advice like “watch for poor grammar” no longer applies. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself:
Since agentic AI eliminates traditional warning signs, focus on these behavioral red flags:
High-Priority Warning Signs:
Emotional urgency: Messages designed to make you panic, feel guilty, or act without thinking
Requests for unusual actions: Being asked to do something outside normal procedures
Isolation tactics: Instructions not to tell anyone else or to handle something “confidentially”
Multiple contact attempts: Being contacted through several channels about the same issue
Perfect personalization: Messages that seem to know too much about your specific situation
At McAfee, we understand that fighting AI-powered attacks requires AI-powered defenses. Our security solutions are designed to detect and stop sophisticated scams before they reach you. McAfee’s Scam Detector provides lightning-fast alerts, automatically spotting scams and blocking risky links even if you click them, with all-in-one protection that keeps you safer across text, email, and video. Our AI analyzes incoming messages using advanced pattern recognition that can identify AI-generated content, even when it’s grammatically perfect and highly personalized.
Scam Detector keeps you safer across text, email, and video, providing comprehensive coverage against multi-channel agentic AI campaigns. Beyond analyzing message content, our system evaluates sender behavior patterns, communication timing, and request characteristics that may indicate AI-generated scams. Just as agentic AI attacks learn and evolve, our detection systems continuously improve their ability to identify new threat patterns.
Protecting yourself from agentic AI scams requires combining smart technology with informed human judgment. Security experts believe it’s highly likely that bad actors have already begun weaponizing agentic AI, and the sooner organizations and individuals can build up defenses, train awareness, and invest in stronger security controls, the better they will be equipped to outpace AI-powered adversaries.
We’re entering an era of AI versus AI, where the speed and sophistication of both attacks and defenses will continue to escalate. According to IBM’s 2025 Threat Intelligence Index, threat actors are pursuing bigger, broader campaigns than in the past, partly due to adopting generative AI tools that help them carry out more attacks in less time.
While the threat landscape is evolving rapidly, the combination of human intelligence and AI-powered security tools gives us powerful advantages. Humans excel at recognizing context, understanding emotional manipulation, and making nuanced judgments that AI still struggles with. When combined with AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and detect subtle patterns, this creates a formidable defense.
The rise of agentic AI represents both a significant threat and an opportunity. While cybercriminals will certainly exploit these technologies to create more sophisticated scams, we’re not defenseless. By understanding how these systems work, recognizing the new threat landscape, and combining human wisdom with AI-powered protection tools like McAfee‘s Scam Detector, we can stay ahead of the threats.
The key insight is that while AI can mimic human communication and behavior with unprecedented accuracy, it still relies on exploiting fundamental human psychology—our desire to help, our fear of consequences, and our tendency to trust. By developing better awareness of these psychological vulnerabilities and implementing verification protocols that don’t depend on technological red flags, we can maintain our security even as the threats become more sophisticated.
Remember: in the age of agentic AI, the most important security tool you have is still your human judgment. Trust your instincts, verify before you act, and never let urgency override prudence, no matter how convincing the request might seem.
The post How Agentic AI Will Be Weaponized for Social Engineering Attacks appeared first on McAfee Blog.
New online threats emerge every day, putting our personal information, money and devices at risk. In its 2024 Internet Crime Report, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that 859,532 complaints of suspected internet crime—including ransomware, viruses and malware, data breaches, denials of service, and other forms of cyberattack—resulted in losses of over $16 billion—a 33% increase from 2023.
That’s why it is essential to stay ahead of these threats. One way to combat these is by conducting virus scans using proven software tools that constantly monitor and check your devices while safeguarding your sensitive information. In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know to run a scan effectively to keep your computers, phones and tablets in tip-top shape.
Whether you think you might have a virus on your computer or devices or just want to keep them running smoothly, it’s easy to do a virus scan.
Each antivirus program works a little differently, but in general the software will look for known malware with specific characteristics, as well as their variants that have a similar code base. Some antivirus software even checks for suspicious behavior. If the software comes across a dangerous program or piece of code, the antivirus software removes it. In some cases, a dangerous program can be replaced with a clean one from the manufacturer.
Before doing a virus scan, it is useful to know the telltale signs of viral presence in your device. Is your device acting sluggish or having a hard time booting up? Have you noticed missing files or a lack of storage space? Have you noticed emails or messages sent from your account that you did not write? Perhaps you’ve noticed changes to your browser homepage or settings? Maybe you’re seeing unexpected pop-up windows, or experiencing crashes and other program errors. These are just some signs that your device may have a virus, but don’t get too worried yet because many of these issues can be resolved with a virus scan.
Free virus scanner tools, both in web-based and downloadable formats, offer a convenient way to perform a one-time check for malware. They are most useful when you need a second opinion or are asking yourself, “do I have a virus?” after noticing something suspect.
However, it’s critical to be cautious. For one, cybercriminals often create fake “free” virus checker tools that are actually malware in disguise. If you opt for free scanning tools, it is best to lean on highly reputable cybersecurity brands. On your app store or browser, navigate to a proven online scanning tool with good reviews or a website whose URL starts with “https” to confirm you are in a secure location.
Secondly, free tools are frequently quite basic and perform only the minimum required service. If you choose to go this path, look for free trial versions that offer access to the full suite of premium features, including real-time protection, a firewall, and a VPN. This will give you a glimpse of a solution’s comprehensive, multi-layered security capability before you commit to a subscription.
If safeguarding all your computers and mobile devices individually sounds overwhelming, you can opt for comprehensive security products that protect computers, smartphones and tablets from a central, cloud-based hub, making virus prevention a breeze. Many of these modern antivirus solutions are powered by both local and cloud-based technologies to reduce the strain on your computer’s resources.
This guide will walk you through the simple steps to safely scan your computer using reliable online tools, helping you detect potential threats, and protect your personal data.
When selecting the right antivirus software, look beyond a basic virus scan and consider these key features:
The process of checking for viruses depends on the device type and its operating system. Generally, however, the virus scanner will display a “Scan” button to start the process of checking your system’s files and apps.
Here are more specific tips to help you scan your computers, phones and tablets:
If you use Windows 11, go into “Settings” and drill down to the “Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection” tab, which will indicate if there are actions needed. This hands-off function is Microsoft’s own basic antivirus solution called Windows Defender. Built directly into the operating system and enabled by default, this solution provides a baseline of protection at no extra cost for casual Windows users. However, Microsoft is the first to admit that it lags behind specialized paid products in detecting the very latest zero-day threats.
Mac computers don’t have a built-in antivirus program, so you will have to download security software to do a virus scan. As mentioned, free antivirus applications are available online, but we recommend investing in trusted software that is proven to protect you from cyberthreats.
If you decide to invest in more robust antivirus software, running a scan is usually straightforward and intuitive. For more detailed instructions, we suggest searching the software’s help menu or going online and following their step-by-step instructions.
Smartphones and tablets are powerful devices that you likely use for nearly every online operation in your daily life from banking, emailing, messaging, connecting, and storing personal information. This opens your mobile device to getting infected through malicious apps, especially those downloaded from unofficial stores, phishing links sent via text or email, or by connecting to compromised wi-fi networks.
Regular virus scans with a mobile security software are crucial for protecting your devices. Be aware, however, that Android and IOS operating systems merit distinct solutions.
Antivirus products for Android devices abound due to this system’s open-source foundation. However, due to Apple’s strong security model, which includes app sandboxing, traditional viruses are rare on iPhones and iPads. However, these devices are not immune to all threats. You can still fall victim to phishing scams, insecure Wi-Fi networks, and malicious configuration profiles. Signs of a compromise can include unusual calendar events, frequent browser redirects, or unexpected pop-ups.
Apple devices, however, closed platform doesn’t easily accommodate third-party applications, especially unvetted ones. You will most likely find robust and verified antivirus scanning tools on Apple’s official app store.
Before you open any downloaded file or email attachment, it’s wise to check it for threats. To perform a targeted virus scan on a single file, simply right-click the file in Windows Explorer or macOS Finder and select the “Scan” option from the context menu to run the integrated virus checker on a suspicious item.
For an added layer of security, especially involving files from unknown sources, you can use a web-based file-checking service that scans for malware. These websites let you upload a file, which is then analyzed by multiple antivirus engines. Many security-conscious email clients also automatically scan incoming attachments, but a manual scan provides crucial, final-line defense before execution.
Once the scan is complete, the tool will display a report of any threats it found, including the name of the malware and the location of the infected file. If your antivirus software alerts you to a threat, don’t panic—it means the program is doing its job.
The first and most critical step is to follow the software’s instructions. It might direct you to quarantine the malicious file to isolate the file in a secure vault where it can no longer cause harm. You can then review the details of the threat provided by your virus scanner and choose to delete the file permanently, which is usually the safest option.
After the threat is handled, ensure your antivirus software and operating system are fully updated. Finally, run a new, full system virus scan to confirm that all traces of the infection have been eliminated. Regularly backing up your important data to an external drive or cloud service can also be a lifesaver in the event of a serious infection.
The most effective way to maintain your device’s security is to automate your defenses. A quality antivirus suite allows you to easily schedule a regular virus scan so you’re always protected without having to do it manually. A daily quick scan is a great habit for any user; it’s fast and checks the most vulnerable parts of your system. Most antivirus products regularly scan your computer or device in the background, so a manual scan is only needed if you notice something dubious, like crashes or excessive pop-ups. You can also set regular scans on your schedule, but a weekly full scan is ideal.
These days, it is essential to stay ahead of the wide variety of continuously evolving cyberthreats. Your first line of defense against these threats is to regularly conduct a virus scan. You can choose among the many free yet limited-time products or comprehensive, cloud-based solutions.
While many free versions legitimately perform their intended function, it’s critical to be cautious as these are more often baseline solutions while some are malware in disguise. They also lack the continuous, real-time protection necessary to block threats proactively.
A better option is to invest in verified, trustworthy, and all-in-one antivirus products like McAfee+ that, aside from its accurate virus scanning tool, also offers a firewall, a virtual private network, and identity protection. For complete peace of mind, upgrading to a paid solution like McAfee Total Protection is essential for proactively safeguarding your devices and data in real-time, 24/7.
The post How to Scan for Viruses and Confirm Your Device Is Safe appeared first on McAfee Blog.
When Grey’s Anatomy actor Chris Carmack and musician Erin Slaver tried to order custom patio cushions from what seemed like a trustworthy small business, they thought they were making a simple home upgrade.
But after clicking and paying through a special link, the cushions never arrived. Delays turned into excuses, messages went unanswered, and the seller’s account eventually disappeared—along with their money.
It was a scam. And like so many others, they were left frustrated, embarrassed, and unsure of what to do next.
Now, Chris and Erin are sharing their story—not just to warn others, but to help launch Scam Stories, a McAfee-led movement to end the stigma around being scammed, remind people that it can happen to anyone, and help keep everyone safer online.
Scammers win when we stay silent. At McAfee, we believe speaking out about your experience is a brave way to support your community and help others stay safe from scams.
Built-in partnership with FightCybercrime.org, the Scam Stories movement invites people to share their scam experiences, end the stigma around being scammed, and build a more informed, supportive community.
And Chris and Erin aren’t the only ones speaking up. Our campaign features stories from everyday people who’ve been scammed—and are now helping others by sharing what happened.
These scams happened fast—and could happen to anyone. Each one involved tactics that McAfee Scam Detector is designed to catch:
These stories are powerful reminders that scam prevention starts with awareness. And when people share what happened, it helps others recognize red flags and feel less alone.
FightCybercrime.org is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people recognize, report, and recover from cybercrime. Their tools, educational materials, and survivor support network make them an ideal partner in our mission.
Together with FightCybercrime.org, we’ll be expanding online safety education —and helping more people recover from scams with real support.
As part of our collaboration, McAfee is donating $50,000 worth of protection products to individuals going through FightCybercrime.org’s recovery programs and to the staff and volunteers who support them every day.
At McAfee, we believe that scam protection isn’t just about tools—it’s about empowering people with knowledge and support. And that starts by ending the stigma.
Scam Stories is here to change the narrative—from shame to strength. With help from public figures like Chris and Erin, and brave individuals across the country, we’re turning painful moments into teachable ones—and helping everyone stay safer online.
McAfee is collecting scam stories and encouraging people to share their experiences on social media using #MyScamStory and #KeepItReal.
Learn more and join the movement at www.mcafee.com/en-us/scam-stories.
No one should feel alone or ashamed after being scammed. And the more we talk about scams, the harder it is for scammers to succeed.
Scam Stories is here to change the narrative—from shame to strength.
The post Introducing Scam Stories: A McAfee Campaign to End Scam Stigma appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Cory considers himself pretty cautious. But like millions of people juggling packed schedules, one click on a hectic day proved costly.
The message looked legit. It said it was from his phone provider. It claimed someone was trying to access his account and urged him to verify via a link. He tapped. And just like that, his phone went dark.
“I was in the middle of a busy day and clicked without thinking. My phone stopped working almost immediately.”
What Cory didn’t know was that the message wasn’t from his real cell company—it was from a scammer. The link gave them everything they needed to hijack his phone number.
In minutes, someone walked into a brick-and-mortar phone store, bought a new device, and ported Cory’s number to it. That gave them access to two-factor authentication codes, texts, and more.
“Suddenly I couldn’t call, text, or access anything that used my phone number. It was terrifying.”
As a life coach, Cory communicates with clients constantly—often by text. The idea that someone could impersonate him wasn’t just inconvenient. It was threatening.
“I’m a life coach—I talk to clients all day. The thought that someone could impersonate me or access those conversations was awful.”
He had to print out directions just to get to a Verizon store and spent nearly six hours recovering his phone number. Though he reset passwords in time to avoid deeper harm, billing issues lingered for months.
“It was one click. That’s all it took. I’ll never forget how fast it happened.”
SIM swap scams—like the one Cory experienced—are rising. The scary part? They often start with a single click. That’s where McAfee’s Scam Detector can make all the difference.
If Cory had access to McAfee’s Scam Detector, here’s how it could have helped:
Cory’s story is a powerful reminder: even careful people can get caught. The right protection gives you time to pause—and tools to act.
To stay ahead of similar scams, here are four critical tips:
1. Never click links in texts from unknown numbers.
Even if it looks like it’s from your phone carrier. Always verify through official apps or websites.
2. Turn on multi-factor authentication using an app—not just SMS.
Scammers target phone numbers for a reason. Authenticator apps like Google Authenticator or Duo offer stronger security.
3. Use McAfee’s Scam Detector for real-time protection.
Whether it’s a text, email, or link, McAfee can spot scam language and risky behavior before you’re compromised.
4. Report suspicious texts and lock down your account.
Call your carrier immediately if your service cuts off suddenly or you see suspicious account changes.
Cory’s quick click could have ended much worse. But what matters most is what happened after. He acted fast. He reset passwords. And now, he speaks out to help others recognize the signs.
“Slow down. Trust your gut. It’s okay to pause and double-check—even when you’re in a hurry.”
Scammers count on your rush. Slowing down—and having the right tools—can make all the difference.
If you’ve experienced a scam, your story can help others avoid the same fate. You’re not alone.
Visit our Scam Stories hub to read more scam stories or share your own.
The post Cory’s Scam Story: A Fake Text Nearly Took His Identity appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Brittany C., a dedicated teacher, had been planning a special night for months. After saving up steadily, she landed four prized tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour for her and her closest friends.
But days before the show, she logged into her account—and the tickets were gone.
“I’d been saving for months. I was so excited—and then I logged in and the tickets were just… gone. It felt like someone reached through the screen and took that night away from me.”
Like many of us, Brittany had received plenty of “your data was part of a breach” emails over the years. But she never expected what happened next.
A few days before the tickets disappeared, she had clicked on what she now realizes was a suspicious link. “I clicked one weird link. Nothing happened at the time, so I didn’t think twice,” she said. But that link was the scammer’s way in.
Using her reused password and without two-factor authentication on her account, the attacker was able to log in and transfer the tickets out—all without Brittany’s knowledge.
The emotional toll hit fast. “The stress was overwhelming,” she says. “Friends had made travel plans, taken time off. I felt like I’d let everyone down.”
After a long back and forth with the online ticket sales platform, Brittany managed to recover the tickets. But the damage was done. The experience reshaped how she thinks about online safety.
“You can be careful and still get caught. I’m only human—and that’s exactly what scammers count on.”
Brittany’s experience is a textbook example of how a small slip can spiral into a high-stakes scam. McAfee’s Scam Detector is designed to catch those mistakes before they snowball.
If she had McAfee’s Scam Detector, here’s how it could have helped:
With Scam Detector watching her back, Brittany could have known that the link was dangerous before clicking—and avoided the gut-wrenching scramble to reclaim her tickets.
Here are four essential tips to help protect your digital accounts and event tickets:
1. Never reuse passwords.
Use a password manager to create strong, unique passwords for each account—especially ticketing and banking platforms.
2. Always turn on two-factor authentication.
It’s one of the easiest ways to block unauthorized logins—even if someone has your password.
3. Think before you click.
If a message or link seems off, don’t open it. Use McAfee’s Quick Check to scan suspicious links before interacting.
4. Use scam detection software for extra protection.
Tools like McAfee’s Scam Detector offer real-time alerts and background scanning to help prevent phishing, credential theft, and social engineering attacks.
Scams can happen to anyone—even people who do everything right. Brittany’s story is a reminder that vigilance matters, but so does visibility.
By telling your story, you’re helping others spot the signs of scams and take steps to protect themselves.
At McAfee, we believe there’s no shame in being scammed—only power in sharing.
Visit our scam stories hub to read more real scam stories or share your own to help end scam stigma.
The post Brittany’s Scam Story: Eras Tour Chaos appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Henry A. had been trying for weeks to score a ticket to see Tyler, the Creator in Dallas. Even without a confirmed seat, he headed to the venue hoping for a miracle. And that’s when the message came in—someone nearby claimed to have extra tickets.
The seller said he was just outside too. The price? Reasonable enough. The tone? Casual and confident. All Henry had to do was send half the money to hold the tickets.
Minutes later, he sent the full $280.
“I was already in line—excited, hopeful, and just trying to get in. That made me an easy target.”
At first, the offer felt legitimate. The seller even said his girlfriend was wary of strangers, which seemed believable. But after Henry sent the full amount, the conversation took a turn.
“He said his girlfriend didn’t trust me, then suddenly wanted full payment. Then it was someone else offering more. That’s when I knew.”
The seller began stalling. Then came a screenshot—another buyer offering a higher price. He pressured Henry to pay more. When Henry refused, the seller blocked him.
Just like that, the tickets were gone. So was the money. And Henry and his friend never made it into the show.
“I sent $280 and got blocked. We never made it inside.”
It wasn’t just the lost money—it was the emotional rollercoaster. The disappointment. The feeling of being tricked right at the door.
Scams like Henry’s are becoming more common—especially around live events. That’s why McAfee’s Scam Detector is built to flag shady behavior before it costs you.
If Henry had been using McAfee’s Scam Detector, here’s how it could’ve helped:
“If I’d had something flagging the account or even the language in the messages, it might’ve stopped me in time.”
Want to protect yourself from last-minute ticket scams? Follow these smart tips:
1. Don’t pay up front without protection.
Always use secure payment methods that offer fraud protection—never cash apps or peer-to-peer services for strangers.
2. Use scam detection tools before sending money.
Paste messages or links into McAfee’s Quick Check to analyze them for red flags.
3. Watch for changing terms or pressure tactics.
If someone shifts the deal mid-conversation, it’s a red flag. Real sellers don’t change the price last minute or ask for more money after payment.
4. Trust your instincts—and the tech.
Scammers rely on urgency and excitement. Having McAfee Scam Detector on your phone adds a digital gut check when your real one is clouded.
Henry is already spreading the word on social media, warning other fans about concert scams. Now we’re helping amplify his voice—because awareness is one of the most powerful forms of protection.
“I’m already trying to warn others on social media. Concert scams are real—and they’re getting more common.”
Have a scam story of your own? Don’t keep it to yourself. By sharing what happened, you can help someone else avoid the same fate.
Visit our scam stories hub to read more or share your experience. Together, we can end scam stigma and stop scammers in their tracks.
The post Henry’s Scam Story: The Social Media Con appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Bradley K. was a brand-new dad, sleep-deprived and juggling life with a newborn, when he received a phone call that would change everything. The caller claimed to be from the IRS and said Bradley owed back taxes. If he didn’t pay immediately, they warned, he could be arrested.
Unfortunately, it was a tax scam—and one that cost him $800 and left him shaken for months.
Like many Americans, Bradley had just filed his taxes. When the call came through, it seemed believable. The caller knew personal information, spoke with a local accent, and used aggressive tactics to demand fast action.
“I had just filed my taxes, so when they told me there was a problem, it didn’t seem completely far-fetched.”
Under pressure and running on little sleep, Bradley didn’t stop to verify. He didn’t call his dad—who also happened to be his accountant. Instead, he sent $800 and unknowingly gave scammers access to his bank account.
“I was running on barely any sleep with a newborn, and I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I normally would have.”
It wasn’t until days later that a friend told him the truth: the IRS never calls demanding immediate payment. By then, it was too late. The money was gone, and Bradley was left feeling embarrassed and anxious.
“Even now, almost a year later, I’m constantly on edge, making sure nothing else has been stolen.”
Bradley’s experience is exactly why we created McAfee’s Scam Detector—a smart, AI-powered tool that identifies scams across email, text, and even video.
If Bradley had received a scam follow-up message or email while using McAfee’s Scam Detector, the tool could have flagged it automatically—before he ever opened it. He could have also used the Quick Check feature to paste in the message or phone transcript and receive an instant scam analysis.
Key features that could have protected Bradley:
Best of all? McAfee’s Scam Detector is included at no extra cost with McAfee core plans.
Here’s how to avoid tax scams like the one that targeted Bradley:
1) Know the IRS will never call you to demand payment.
If someone says you owe money and threatens arrest, it’s a scam. The IRS contacts people by mail first.
2) Use McAfee’s Scam Detector for real-time protection.
Scan any suspicious email, text, or message using Quick Check before clicking or responding.
3) Always take a pause before acting.
Scammers rely on urgency. Take a breath, verify the claim independently, and talk to someone you trust.
4) Keep scam protection up to date.
Enable scam alerts across your devices to stay one step ahead. McAfee Scam Detector works across smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Bradley’s story is just one of thousands. But too often, people stay silent out of shame or embarrassment. That silence helps scammers win.
At McAfee, we believe in highlighting real scam stories—not to scare people but to empower them. These aren’t victims. They’re survivors.
Have a story of your own? You’re not alone—and your experience could help someone else.
Visit our Scam Stories Hub to share your story and help stop scams in their tracks.
The post Bradley’s Scam Story: New Dad vs Fake IRS Call appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Job scams are on the rise. And asking the right questions can help steer you clear of them.
That rise in job scams is steep, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Recent data shows that reported losses have grown five times over between 2020 and 2024. In 2024 alone, reported losses hit half a billion dollars, with unreported losses undoubtedly pushing actual losses yet higher.
Last week, we covered how “pay to get paid” scams account for a big chunk of online job scams. Here, we’ll cover a couple more that we’ve seen circulating on social media and via texts—and how some pointed questions can help you avoid them.
Some job scammers pose as recruiters from job agencies who reach potential victims the same way legitimate agencies do—by email, text, and networking sites. Sometimes this leaves people with their guard down because it’s not unheard of at all to get contacted this way, “out of the blue” so to speak.
Yet one of the quickest ways to spot a scammer is when the “recruiter” asks to pay a fee for the matchmaking, particularly if they ask for it up front. Legitimate headhunters, temp agencies, and staffing agencies typically get paid by the company or business that ultimately does the hiring. Job candidates don’t pay a thing.
Another form of scam occurs during the “onboarding” process of the job. The scammer happily welcomes the victim to the company and then informs them that they’ll need to take some online training and perhaps buy a computer or other office equipment. Of course, the scammer asks the victim to pay for all of it—leaving the victim out of hundreds of dollars and the scammer with their payment info.
One way you can spot a job scam is to press for answers. Asking pointed questions about a company and the job it’s offering, just as you would in any real interview, can reveal gaps in a scammer’s story. In effect, scammers are putting on an acting job, and some don’t thoroughly prepare for their role. They don’t think through the details, hoping that victims will be happy enough about a job prospect to ask too many questions.
If the hiring process moves quicker than expected or details about a job seem light, it’s indeed time to ask questions. Here are a few you can keep handy when you start to wonder if you have a scam on your hands …
This is a great place to start. Legitimate employers write up job listings that they post on their website and job sites. In those descriptions, the work and everything it entails gets spelled out to the letter. A real employer should be able to provide you with a job description or at least cover it clearly over the course of a conversation.
This one can trip up a scammer quickly. A scammer might avoid giving a physical address. Likewise, they might offer up a fake one. Either a non-answer or a lie can readily call out a scam by following up the question with a web search for a physical address. (Resources like the Better Business Bureau can also help you research a company and its track record.)
Asking about co-workers, bosses, reporting structures and the like can also help sniff out a scam. Real employers, once again, will have ready answers here. They might even start dropping names and details about people’s tenure and background. Meanwhile, this is one more place where scammers might tip their hand because they haven’t made up those details.
This question alone can offer a telltale sign. Many job scams move through the hiring process at relative breakneck speed—skipping past the usual interview loops and callbacks that many legitimate jobs have. Scammers want to turn over their victims quickly, so they’ll make the “hiring process” quick as well. If it feels like you’re blazing through the steps, it could be a scam.
Every business has a story, even if it’s still in its startup days. Anyone in a recruiting or hiring position will have a good handle on this question, as they will on any follow-up questions about the company’s mission or goals. Again, vagueness in response to these kinds of questions could be a sign of a scam.
Whether it’s through social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and the like, scammers often reach out through direct messages. Recruiters stick to legitimate business networking sites like LinkedIn. Companies maintain established accounts on recruiting platforms that people know and trust, so view any contact outside of them as suspicious.
Scammers use the “hiring process” to trick people into providing their personal info with malicious links. Web protection, included in our plans, can steer you clear of them. Likewise, our Scam Detector scans URLs in your text messages and alerts you if they’re sketchy. If you accidentally click a bad link, both web and text scam protection will block a risky site.
Many scammers get your contact info from data broker sites. McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup scans some of the riskiest data broker sites, shows you which ones are selling your personal info, and, depending on your plan, can help you remove it. Our Social Privacy Manager lowers your public profile lower still. It helps you adjust more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in just a few clicks, so your personal info is only visible to the people you want to share it with.
The post Interviewing for a Job? Spot a Scam with These Questions appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As Tax Day looms and last-minute taxpayers feel the pressure, a surge of IRS scams is on the rise.
Research by our McAfee Labs team projects a fresh wave of sophisticated tax scams as the stress of peak filing season sets in, with bogus text messages leading the way.
Nearly half of taxpayers complete their taxes between mid-March and April 15, which gives scammers ample opportunity to cash in as people rush their filings with the IRS.
Based on our data from 2024, here’s what we can expect in the coming days:
In addition to posing as the IRS, scammers will pose as tax prep and tax software companies as well. Just as in years past, taxpayers can further expect scams built around quick refunds and easy filing solutions that are actually fronts for scams. Yet whatever guise scammers put on, their aim remains the same. They want to dupe taxpayers out of their personal and financial info.
Tax season is high season for scammers because so much personal info gets gathered and shared online. With that, many taxpayers have their guard down. They expect to see messages, ads, and so forth about their taxes, which can make them more willing to share some of their most personal info. That’s where scammers step in. They want to:
Looking at this list, you can see what makes tax scams so damaging. Many of them target our most precious of personal info—our Social Security Numbers (SSNs).
A stolen SSN opens the door to some of the most painful forms of identity theft, like imposter fraud, insurance fraud, employment fraud, and more. These follow-on attacks can cause great harm to a victim’s finances and reputation in ways that can take months, or even years, to repair.
In effect, tax scams deliver a one-two punch.
It begins by baiting the victim with a phony message from a scammer posing as the IRS, a tax prep business, or a tax software company. That might come by email, a direct message on social media, or even in paid search results.
Largely, scammers bait victims with texts. Mobile attacks indeed dominate the preferred contact method, just as we called out. Here, scammers often use link shorteners to disguise fraudulent links. (You’ve likely seen plenty of link shorteners like bit.ly and goo.gl. They make it easier to share long addresses, but the flipside is that there’s no quick way to tell where they really take you.)
In some cases, scammers attempt to trick taxpayers by weaving “irs.gov” into the web address. Below you can see one example, where the domain isn’t “irs.gov.” It’s actually “entes-tax[dot]com,” which leads to a scam site.
Scam texts that weave “irs.gov” into a malicious link
As for the text itself, scammers send urgent-sounding messages about tax returns like, “Your refund is on hold, contact the IRS immediately.” Other scammers use fear, leveling threats like jail time for non-payment. In other cases, scammers threaten to revoke things like driver’s licenses and business licenses, or even immigration status. According to the IRS, these are common signs of a scam. The IRS never uses threats or tactics like these to resolve tax issues.
The second punch comes by clicking the link in these messages, which leads to IRS copycat scam sites. And they can look convincing. The most sophisticated of them mirror the look and feel of the official IRS website and use URLs that look “close enough” to an IRS URL, which can trick anyone who doesn’t examine them closely.
Example of a fake IRS claim website
And that’s where the damage gets done. Under the false pretense of receiving a refund or making a payment, the scammers collect that precious personal info we talked about, which can cause short- and long-term fallout for victims.
The same approach works for scammers who pose as tax prep services and tax software companies. The texts and websites look different, yet they’re still part of a scheme for collecting the same types of personal and financial info.
Clever as these scams are, you can avoid them. The first step is awareness. By reading this article and sharing it with others, you spread the word about these scams and just how rampant they are.
From there, you can take several more steps that can keep you far safer during tax time:
The post Your Phone Is the #1 Target in a New Wave of IRS Scams, McAfee Finds appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Al Roker never had a heart attack. He doesn’t have hypertension. But if you watched a recent deepfake video of him that spread across Facebook, you might think otherwise.
In a recent segment on NBC’s TODAY, Roker revealed that a fake AI-generated video was using his image and voice to promote a bogus hypertension cure—claiming, falsely, that he had suffered “a couple of heart attacks.”
“A friend of mine sent me a link and said, ‘Is this real?'” Roker told investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen. “And I clicked on it, and all of a sudden, I see and hear myself talking about having a couple of heart attacks. I don’t have hypertension!”
The fabricated clip looked and sounded convincing enough to fool friends and family—including some of Roker’s celebrity peers. “It looks like me! I mean, I can tell that it’s not me, but to the casual viewer, Al Roker’s touting this hypertension cure… I’ve had some celebrity friends call because their parents got taken in by it.”
While Meta quickly removed the video from Facebook after being contacted by TODAY, the damage was done. The incident highlights a growing concern in the digital age: how easy it is to create—and believe—convincing deepfakes.
“We used to say, ‘Seeing is believing.’ Well, that’s kind of out the window now,” Roker said.
Al Roker isn’t the first public figure to be targeted by deepfake scams. Taylor Swift was recently featured in an AI-generated video promoting fake bakeware sales. Tom Hanks has spoken out about a fake dental plan ad that used his image without permission. Oprah, Brad Pitt, and others have faced similar exploitation.
These scams don’t just confuse viewers—they can defraud them. Criminals use the trust people place in familiar faces to promote fake products, lure them into shady investments, or steal their personal information.
“It’s frightening,” Roker told his co-anchors Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer. Craig added: “What’s scary is that if this is where the technology is now, then five years from now…”
Nguyen demonstrated just how simple it is to create a fake using free online tools, and brought in BrandShield CEO Yoav Keren to underscore the point: “I think this is becoming one of the biggest problems worldwide online,” Keren said. “I don’t think that the average consumer understands…and you’re starting to see more of these videos out there.”
According to McAfee’s State of the Scamiverse report, the average American sees 2.6 deepfake videos per day, with Gen Z seeing up to 3.5 daily. These scams are designed to be believable—because the technology makes it possible to copy someone’s voice, mannerisms, and expressions with frightening accuracy.
And it doesn’t just affect celebrities:
While the technology behind deepfakes is advancing, there are still ways to spot—and stop—them:
And most importantly, be skeptical of celebrity endorsements on social media. If it seems out of character or too good to be true, it probably is.
McAfee’s Deepfake Detector, powered by AMD’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the new Ryzen AI 300 Series processors, identifies manipulated audio and video in real time—giving users a critical edge in spotting fakes.
This technology runs locally on your device for faster, private detection—and peace of mind.
Al Roker’s experience shows just how personal—and persuasive—deepfake scams have become. They blur the line between truth and fiction, targeting your trust in the people you admire.
With McAfee, you can fight back.
The post ‘Seeing is Believing is Out the Window’: What to Learn From the Al Roker AI Deepfake Scam appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The collapse of genetic testing giant 23andMe has raised serious privacy concerns for millions of people who shared their DNA with the company. Once valued at $6 billion, the company has filed for bankruptcy and is now selling off assets—including, potentially, your genetic data.
If you’ve ever used 23andMe to explore your ancestry or health traits, now is the time to take action.
Here’s what’s going on, what it means for your data, how to delete your account, and steps you can take to better protect your online privacy going forward.
23andMe, once a pioneer in at-home genetic testing, has fallen into financial distress after a series of challenges, including a massive data breach in 2023 that exposed personal information of nearly 7 million users, according to TechCrunch. The company’s value plummeted by more than 99%, leading to mass board resignations and a March 2024 bankruptcy filing.
Now, as 23andMe prepares to sell off its assets under court supervision, its massive database of customer DNA—reportedly from more than 15 million users—is on the table. Despite the company’s assurances that its privacy policy remains in effect, experts and privacy advocates warn that your sensitive genetic data could end up in the hands of third parties, including pharmaceutical companies or even law enforcement agencies.
If you used 23andMe, yes.
Genetic data is some of the most personal information you can share. It can reveal details about your ancestry, health risks, and even family secrets. With 23andMe not covered by HIPAA (the federal health privacy law), your DNA data isn’t protected the way medical records at a doctor’s office would be, The Harvard Gazette reports.
Although 23andMe claims it won’t share individual-level data without consent, it does reserve the right to sell or transfer personal information as part of a bankruptcy or acquisition. That means your data could be bought by another company—one with different privacy practices or intentions.
California residents, in particular, have the legal right to delete their data under the Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
If you’re ready to take action, here’s how to delete your genetic data and revoke research permissions through your 23andMe account:
Your DNA isn’t the only personal data at risk. From email addresses and home addresses to phone numbers and even shopping habits, data brokers are collecting and selling your information online—often without your knowledge or consent.
That’s why it’s critical to take control of your digital footprint. All McAfee+ plans provide the ability to scan the web for details of your personal information. McAfee’s Online Account Cleanup scans for accounts you no longer use and helps you delete them, along with your personal info. McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup, takes this a step further, by scanning data broker sites for your personal information, and requesting the removal of you details from those sites.
Combined, these tools can give you back control over your privacy. All our McAfee+ plans include scans to find your accounts and direct you on how to remove your data.
Bottom Line: If you’ve ever used 23andMe, your genetic data could be at risk of being transferred or sold. Take action now by deleting your account and revoking permissions. And to keep the rest of your personal data protected, use tools like McAfee+ to keep your personal data safe online.
The post How to Delete Your Data from 23andMe and Protect Your Privacy appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It started with a DM.
For five months, 25-year-old computer programmer Maggie K. exchanged daily messages with the man she met on Instagram, convinced she had found something real.
When it was finally time to meet in person, he never showed. Instead, he claimed he missed his flight and needed money to rebook. Desperate to finally see him, she sent the cash.
Then, silence. His accounts vanished. He hadn’t just ghosted her—he had never existed at all.
“I ignored my gut feeling… I sent him $1,200. Then he disappeared,” Maggie told McAfee, hoping that her story would educate others. “When I reported the scam, the police told me his images were AI-generated. He wasn’t even a real person. That was the scariest part – I had trusted someone who never even existed.”
These scams work because they prey on trust and emotions. And they aren’t just targeting the naïve; anyone, even tech professionals as Maggie’s case shows, can be fooled.
McAfee’s latest research reveals more than half (52%) of people have been scammed out of money or pressured to send money or gifts by someone they met online.
And romance scams aren’t just happening in dating apps anymore. Social media, messaging platforms and AI chatbots are fuelling an explosion of online romance fraud.
McAfee’s findings highlight a staggering rise in:
With 62% of people saying they’ve used dating apps, social media, or messaging platforms to connect with potential partners, scammers have a bigger pool of victims than ever before.
Younger users are the most active online daters, with 31% of 18-24-year-olds currently using online dating platforms. Tinder is the most popular dating app overall (46%), with its highest engagement among 18-24-year-olds (73%). Just over 40% of respondents said they use Instagram, 29% use Snapchat and 25% use TikTok to meet potential partners. But these platforms also present new risks, as fake apps designed to steal personal information lurk in app stores.
McAfee researchers found nearly 11,000 attempts to download fraudulent dating apps in recent months. The most impersonated?
Downloading a fake app could expose your login credentials, financial information or even install malware onto your device.
And once money is lost, its rarely recovered, as scammers use cryptocurrency, untraceable gift cards and offshore accounts to move stolen funds.
McAfee researchers urge anyone looking for love online to stay vigilant by following these critical safety measures:
1) Watch for “love bombing.” Scammers overwhelm victims with affection early on to gain trust.
2) Verify their identity. Use reverse image searches and insist on live video calls which AI-generated scammers avoid.
3) Never send money. No real partner will pressure you for financial help—especially when you’ve never met.
4) Be wary of celebrity DMs. If a famous figure suddenly messages you, it’s likely a scam.
5) Avoid suspicious links. McAfee blocked over 321,000 fraudulent dating sites—avoid clicking on unknown links or apps.
6) Use online protection tools. Tools like McAfee+ can detect and block suspicious messages, phishing attempts, and AI-generated fraud in real time. McAfee+ offers maximum identity, privacy, and device protection to detect and prevent fraudulent activity before it causes harm.
The post AI chatbots are becoming romance scammers—and 1 in 3 people admit they could fall for one appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Beyoncé has officially announced her Cowboy Carter world tour, and the excitement is through the roof! With her last tour selling out in record time, fans know they need to act fast to secure their tickets. Unfortunately, that urgency is exactly what scammers prey on.
In 2022 alone, Americans lost nearly $8.8 billion to fraud, and ticket scams are one of the most common ways scammers cash in on eager fans. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Before you rush to buy tickets to Beyoncé’s latest tour, here’s how to spot and avoid ticket scams so you don’t get left outside the stadium with nothing but regret.
Ticket scams come in different forms, but the most common ones include:
Scammers know how to create a sense of urgency, often advertising tickets to sold-out events at too-good-to-be-true prices. If you’re desperate to see Beyoncé, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush—but staying cautious can save you from getting scammed.
The best way to avoid being scammed is to buy only from reputable sources like official ticketing platforms (Ticketmaster, Live Nation, AXS) or directly from the event’s website. However, if you’re looking elsewhere, be on the lookout for these red flags:
When an event sells out, scammers flood social media with offers. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, and Craigslist are filled with fake ticket sellers. If you didn’t get tickets during the official sale, be cautious about where you’re looking.
Pro Tip: Follow Beyoncé’s official social media pages and event organizers for updates. Sometimes, extra dates or official resale opportunities become available.
Scammers often advertise tickets below face value to lure in victims. While real fans sometimes sell their tickets at a discount, it’s a huge red flag if the price is way lower than expected.
Pro Tip: If you’re buying from an individual, check their profile carefully. Look for signs of a fake account, such as recently created pages or multiple listings in different cities.
Some scammers go the extra mile, creating entire websites that mimic real ticket platforms. These fake sites not only sell counterfeit tickets but may also steal your credit card information.
Pro Tip: Always type in the official ticketing site’s URL manually or search for it on Google. Avoid clicking links from unknown sources, and double-check that the site uses “HTTPS” and has no misspellings in the URL.
Even if you get a real ticket, that doesn’t mean it’s yours alone. Some scammers sell the same ticket to multiple people, leading to chaos when multiple buyers show up at the event.
Pro Tip: Only buy from platforms that offer verified resale tickets with guarantees, like StubHub, SeatGeek, or VividSeats.
Some scammers sell general admission tickets as if they were premium seats. You may think you’re getting front-row access, only to find out you overpaid for a standing-room ticket.
Pro Tip: Always confirm the seat location with the seller. Many venues have seating charts available online, so check before purchasing.
Scammers hack into Ticketmaster accounts and transfer tickets to themselves, effectively locking the rightful owner out of their seats. Victims often receive a flood of emails, including notifications of ticket transfers they never authorized. By the time they realize what’s happened, their tickets are gone, likely resold by the scammer.
Pro Tip: To prevent this, ensure your Ticketmaster account is secure by using a strong password, enabling two-factor authentication, and being wary of suspicious login attempts or phishing emails.
To make sure you don’t fall victim to a ticket scam, follow these golden rules:
Buy from official sources – Beyoncé’s official website, Ticketmaster, and AXS are your safest bets.
Use a credit card – If something goes wrong, you can dispute the charge.
Be wary of social media sellers – If you’re buying from a stranger, research their profile and history first.
Check the URL – Make sure you’re on the real ticketing website before purchasing.
Avoid high-pressure sales tactics – Scammers want you to act fast—don’t fall for it!
Beyond ticket scams, cybercriminals also use major events like Beyoncé’s tour to spread malware and phishing attacks. McAfee’s comprehensive online protection can help keep your devices and personal information safe by blocking malicious websites, preventing identity theft, and alerting you to potential fraud.
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour is one of the most anticipated events of the year, and everyone wants to be part of the experience. But scammers know this too, and they’re out in full force. By staying smart, sticking to verified ticket sources, and being wary of deals that seem too good to be true, you can avoid scams and secure your spot at one of the biggest concerts of 2025.
Stay safe, Beyhive—and get ready to enjoy the show!
The post Buying Tickets for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour? Don’t Let Scammers Ruin Your Experience appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The rise of AI-driven cyber threats has introduced a new level of sophistication to phishing scams, particularly those targeting Gmail users.
Criminals are using artificial intelligence to create eerily realistic impersonations of Google support representatives, Forbes recently reported. These scams don’t just rely on misleading emails; they also include convincing phone calls that appear to come from legitimate sources.
If you receive a call claiming to be from Google support, just hang up—this could be an AI-driven scam designed to trick you into handing over your Gmail credentials.
Here’s everything you need to know about the scam and how to protect yourself:
Hackers have devised a multi-step approach to trick users into handing over their Gmail credentials. Here’s how the scam unfolds:
The attack often begins with a phone call from what appears to be an official Google support number. The caller, using AI-generated voice technology, convincingly mimics a real Google representative. Their tone is professional, and the caller ID may even display “Google Support,” making it difficult to immediately recognize the scam.
Once engaged, the scammer informs the victim that suspicious activity has been detected on their Gmail account. They may claim that an unauthorized login attempt has occurred, or that their account is at risk of being locked. The goal is to create a sense of urgency, pressuring the victim to act quickly without thinking critically.
To appear credible, the scammer sends an email that looks almost identical to a real Google security notification. The email may include official-looking branding and a request to verify the user’s identity by entering a code. The email is designed to look so authentic that even tech-savvy individuals can be fooled.
If the victim enters the verification code, they inadvertently grant the attacker full access to their Gmail account. Since the scammer now controls the two-factor authentication process, they can lock the real user out, change passwords, and exploit the account for further attacks, including identity theft, financial fraud, or spreading phishing emails to others.
This scam is particularly dangerous because it combines multiple layers of deception, making it difficult to spot. Unlike standard phishing emails that may contain poor grammar or suspicious links, AI-enhanced scams:
To protect yourself from AI-powered scams, follow these essential security measures:
1. Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Calls from “Google”
Google does not randomly call users about security issues. If you receive such a call, hang up immediately and report the incident through Google’s official support channels.
2. Verify Security Alerts Directly in Your Account
If you receive a message stating that your account has been compromised, do not click any links or follow instructions from the email. Instead, go directly to your Google account’s security settings and review recent activity.
3. Never Share Verification Codes
Google will never ask you to provide a security code over the phone. If someone requests this information, it is a scam.
4. Enable Strong Authentication Methods
5. Regularly Monitor Your Account Activity
Check the “Security” section of your Google account to review login activity. If you see any unrecognized sign-ins, take immediate action by changing your password and logging out of all devices.
6. Use a Password Manager
A password manager helps create and store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. This ensures that even if one password is compromised, other accounts remain secure.
If you believe your account has been compromised, take these steps immediately:
As AI technology advances, cybercriminals will continue to find new ways to exploit users. By staying informed and implementing strong security practices, you can reduce the risk of falling victim to these sophisticated scams.
At McAfee, we are dedicated to helping you protect your digital identity. Stay proactive, stay secure, and always verify before you trust.
For more cybersecurity insights and protection tools, check out McAfee+.
The post How to Make Sure Your Gmail Account is Protected in Light of Recent AI Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The artificial intelligence arms race has a new disruptor—DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup that has quickly gained traction for its advanced language models.
Positioned as a low-cost alternative to industry giants like OpenAI and Meta, DeepSeek has drawn attention for its rapid growth, affordability, and potential to reshape the AI landscape.
But as the buzz around its capabilities grows, so do concerns about data privacy, cybersecurity, and the implications of feeding personal information into AI tools with uncertain oversight.
DeepSeek’s AI models, including its latest version, DeepSeek-V3, claim to rival the most sophisticated AI systems developed in the U.S.—but at a fraction of the cost.
According to reports, training its latest model required just $6 million in computing power, compared to the billions spent by its American counterparts. This affordability has allowed DeepSeek to climb the ranks, with its AI assistant even surpassing ChatGPT as the top free app on Apple’s U.S. App Store.
What makes DeepSeek’s rise even more surprising is how abruptly it entered the AI race. The company originally launched as a hedge fund before pivoting to artificial intelligence—an unusual shift that has fueled speculation about how it managed to develop such advanced models so quickly. Unlike other AI startups that spent years in research and development, DeepSeek seemed to emerge overnight with capabilities on par with OpenAI and Meta.
However, DeepSeek’s meteoric rise has sparked skepticism. Some analysts and AI experts question whether its success is truly due to breakthrough efficiency or if it has leveraged external resources—potentially including restricted U.S. AI technology. OpenAI has even accused DeepSeek of improperly using its proprietary tech, a claim that, if proven, could have major legal and ethical ramifications.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding DeepSeek isn’t just how it handles user data—it’s that it reportedly failed to secure it altogether.
According to The Register, security researchers at Wiz discovered that DeepSeek left a database completely exposed, with no password protection, allowing public access to millions of chat logs, API keys, backend data, and operational details.
This means that conversations with DeepSeek’s chatbot, including potentially sensitive information, were openly available to anyone on the internet. Worse still, the exposure reportedly could have allowed attackers to escalate privileges and gain deeper access into DeepSeek’s infrastructure. While the issue has since been fixed, the incident highlights a glaring oversight: even the most advanced AI models are only as trustworthy as the security behind them.
Here’s why caution is warranted:
DeepSeek specifically states in its terms of service that it collects, stores, and has permission to share just about all the data you provide while using the service.
Figure 1. Screenshot of DeepSeek Privacy Policy shared on LinkedIn
It specifically notes collecting your profile information, credit card details, and any files or data shared in chats. What’s more, that data isn’t stored in the United States, which has strict data privacy regulations. DeepSeek is a Chinese company with limited required protections for U.S. consumers and their personal data.
If you’re using AI tools—whether it’s ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or any other chatbot—it’s crucial to take steps to protect your information:
As AI chatbots like DeepSeek gain popularity, safeguarding your personal data is more critical than ever. With McAfee’s advanced security solutions, including identity protection and AI-powered threat detection, you can browse, chat, and interact online with greater confidence—because in the age of AI, privacy is power.
The post Explaining DeepSeek: The AI Disruptor That’s Raising Red Flags for Privacy and Security appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Identity theft is a growing concern, and Data Privacy Week serves as an important reminder to safeguard your personal information. In today’s digital age, scammers have more tools than ever to steal your identity, often with just a few key details—like your Social Security number, bank account information, or home address.
Unfortunately, identity theft claims have surged in recent years, jumping from approximately 650,000 in 2019 to over a million in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This trend underscores the urgent need for stronger personal data protection habits.
So, how do scammers pull it off, and how can you protect yourself from becoming a victim?
How Do Scammers Steal Your Identity?
Scammers are resourceful, and there are multiple ways they can access your personal information. The theft can happen both in the physical and digital realms.
When scammers steal your identity, they often leave behind a trail of unusual activity that you can detect. Here are some common signs that could indicate identity theft:
If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, time is of the essence. Here’s what you need to do:
While you can’t completely eliminate the risk of identity theft, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself:
Identity theft can be a stressful and overwhelming experience, but by acting quickly and taking proactive steps to protect your personal information, you can minimize the damage and reclaim your identity.
The post How Scammers Steal Your Identity and What You Can Do About It appeared first on McAfee Blog.
We’re excited to announce the release of McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup, a new feature that finds and removes your personal info from data brokers and people search sites. Now, you can feel more confident by removing personal info from data broker sites and keeping it from being collected, sold, and used to: advertise products to you, fill your email box with spam, and can even give criminals the info they need to steal your identity. Let’s look at why we’re offering McAfee Personal Data Cleanup, how it protects your privacy, and why it’s a great addition to the online protection we already offer.
There’s so much to enjoy when you live a connected life – free email, online stores that remember what you like, social media that connects you to friends and influencers. It’s a world of convenience, opportunity, and incredible content. It’s also a world where your data is constantly collected.
That’s right, companies are collecting your personal data. They’re called data brokers and they make money by selling information that specifically identifies you, like an email address. They sell this information to marketers looking to target you with ads. Criminals can also use it to build profiles in service of stealing your identity and accessing your accounts. This activity takes place behind the scenes and often without consumers’ knowledge. There are also data brokers known as people search sites that compile and sell info like home addresses, emails, phones, court records, employment info, and more. These websites give identity thieves, hackers, stalkers, and other malicious actors easy access to your info. Regardless of how your data is being used, it’s clear that these days a more connected life often comes at the cost of your privacy.
In a recent survey of McAfee customers, we found that 59% have become more protective of their personal data over the past six months. And it’s no wonder. Over the past two years, trends like telehealth, remote working, and increased usage of online shopping and financial services have meant that more of your time is being spent online. Unsurprisingly, more personal data is being made available in the process. This leads us to the most alarming finding of our survey – 95% of consumers whose personal information ends up on data broker sites had it collected without their consent.
We created Personal Data Cleanup to make it easy for you to take back your privacy online. McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup regularly scans the riskiest data broker sites for info like your home address, date of birth, and names of relatives. After showing where we found your data, you can either remove it yourself or we will work on your behalf to remove it. Here’s how it works:
Ready to take back your personal info online? Personal Data Cleanup is available immediately with most of our online protection plans. If you have an eligible subscription, you can start using this new feature through McAfee Protection Center, or you can get McAfee online protection here.
The post Introducing Personal Data Cleanup appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It’s an increasingly common surprise: a package shows up at your door with your name and your address…but you never ordered it.
These unsolicited deliveries may seem harmless, but they’re often tied to a scheme called a brushing scam. These scams occur year-round but tend to pick up around the holidays or peak shopping seasons, when shipping volume spikes and it’s easier for suspicious packages to blend in.
Below is everything you need to know: how brushing scams work, what they mean for your personal information, and the exact steps to take if one shows up at your doorstep.
A brushing scam is when sellers send you unsolicited items so they can post fake reviews using your name, boosting their product’s ranking and credibility without your consent.
A typical brushing scam looks like this:
In one sentence: Your delivery confirmation becomes their proof that a real customer received the item—even though you never ordered it.
The term comes from e-commerce, where sellers would “brush up” their sales by generating fake orders and reviews. Today, brushing scams are a global issue affecting major online marketplaces.
If the item feels random or unusually cheap, it fits the profile.
Personal Data Exposure
The biggest red flag is that someone had your name and address, and possibly more. Brushing scams often follow data breaches or third-party leaks.
Account Risk
Some platforms may temporarily flag or freeze your account if someone posts fake reviews under your name.
Misleading Products
Fake reviews inflate trust and push low-quality items higher in search results. That misleads other shoppers and props up fraudulent sellers.
Potential Safety Hazards
Some unsolicited items—cosmetics, supplements, electronics, or seeds—may be unsafe, expired, counterfeit, or banned.
Generally: No.
You are not legally required to return or pay for an unsolicited package. But reporting it helps platforms investigate fraudulent sellers.
This helps platforms identify abusive sellers.
Genuine reviews mention specific details; fake ones are vague, repetitive, or overly positive.
Avoid newly created storefronts with few verified reviews.
Why am I receiving random packages from overseas?
It’s often part of a brushing scam where sellers need a “delivered” status to post fake reviews.
Is a brushing scam identity theft?
Not exactly, but it does mean someone had access to your personal data, which increases your overall risk.
Should I throw the item away?
You can safely discard most brushing-scam items, but avoid using them and report the incident first.
Should I worry if I get seeds or soil?
Yes—never plant or dispose of unknown seeds improperly. Report them to the USDA or your state agriculture office.
Brushing scams may seem like a harmless freebie, but they’re a sign that your personal information was exposed and could potentially be misused.
Stay cautious, secure your accounts, report any unsolicited packages, and trust only reputable sellers. With simple steps, you can protect your identity, and avoid being pulled into a scammer’s fake review scheme.
The post Brushing Scams: What They Are and How to Stay Safe From Unsolicited Packages appeared first on McAfee Blog.
McAfee threat researchers have identified several consumer brands and product categories most frequently used by cybercriminals to trick consumers into clicking on malicious links in the first weeks of this holiday shopping season. As holiday excitement peaks and shoppers hunt for the perfect gifts and amazing deals, scammers are taking advantage of the buzz. The National Retail Federation projects holiday spending will reach between $979.5 and $989 billion this year, and cybercriminals are capitalizing by creating scams that mimic the trusted brands and categories consumers trust. From October 1 to November 12, 2024, McAfee safeguarded its customers from 624,346 malicious or suspicious URLs tied to popular consumer brand names – a clear indication that bad actors are exploiting trusted brand names to deceive holiday shoppers.
McAfee’s threat research also reveals a 33.82% spike in malicious URLs targeting consumers with these brands’ names in the run-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This rise in fraudulent activity aligns with holiday shopping patterns during a time when consumers may be more susceptible to clicking on offers from well-known brands like Apple, Yeezy, and Louis Vuitton, especially when deals seem too good to be true – pointing to the need for consumers to stay vigilant, especially with offers that seem unusually generous or come from unverified sources.
McAfee threat researchers have identified a surge in counterfeit sites and phishing scams that use popular luxury brands and tech products to lure consumers into “deals” on fake e-commerce sites designed to appear as official brand pages. While footwear and handbags were identified as the top two product categories exploited by cybercrooks during this festive time, the list of most exploited brands extends beyond those borders:
By mimicking trusted brands like these, offering unbelievable deals, or posing as legitimate customer service channels, cybercrooks create convincing traps designed to steal personal information or money. Here are some of the most common tactics scammers are using this holiday season:
With holiday shopping in full swing, it’s essential for consumers to stay one step ahead of scammers. By understanding the tactics cybercriminals use and taking a few precautionary measures, shoppers can protect themselves from falling victim to fraud. Here are some practical tips for safe shopping this season:
McAfee’s threat research team analyzed malicious or suspicious URLs that McAfee’s web reputation technology identified as targeting customers, by using a list of key company and product brand names—based on insights from a Potter Clarkson report on frequently faked brands—to query the URLs. This methodology captures instances where users either clicked on or were directed to dangerous sites mimicking trusted brands. Additionally, the team queried anonymized user activity from October 1st through November 12th.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: Yeezy is a popular product brand formerly from Adidas found in multiple Malicious/Suspicious URLs. Often, they present themselves as official Yeezy and/or Adidas shopping sites.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: The Apple brand was a popular target for scammers. Many sites were either knock offs, scams, or in this case, a fake customer service page designed to lure users into a scam.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: This particular (fake) Apple sales site used Apple within its URL and name to appear more official. Oddly, this site also sells Samsung Android phones.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: This site, now taken down, is a scam site purporting to sell Nike shoes.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: Louis Vuitton is a popular brand for counterfeit and scams. Particularly their handbags. Here is one site that was entirely focused on Louis Vuitton Handbags.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: This site presents itself as the official Louis Vuitton site selling handbags and clothes.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: This site uses too-good-to-be-true deals on branded items including this Louis Vuitton Bomber jacket.
The image below is a screenshot of a fake / malicious / scam site: Rolex is a popular watch brand for counterfeits and scams. This site acknowledges it sells counterfeits and makes no effort to indicate this on the product.
The post This Holiday Season, Watch Out for These Cyber-Grinch Tricks Used to Scam Holiday Shoppers appeared first on McAfee Blog.
What is a botnet? And what does it have to do with a toaster?
We’ll get to that. First, a definition:
A botnet is a group of internet-connected devices that bad actors hijack with malware. Using remote controls, bad actors can harness the power of the network to perform several types of attacks. These include distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that shut down internet services, breaking into other networks to steal data, and sending massive volumes of spam.
In a way, the metaphor of an “army of devices” leveling a cyberattack works well. With thousands or even millions of compromised devices working in concert, bad actors can do plenty of harm. As we’ll see in a moment, they’ve done their share already.
Which brings us back to that toaster.
The pop-up toaster as we know it first hit the shelves in 1926, under the brand name “Toastmaster.”[i] With a familiar springy *pop*, it has ejected toast just the way we like it for nearly a century. Given that its design was so simple and effective, it’s remained largely unchanged. Until now. Thanks to the internet and so-called “smart home” devices.
Toasters, among other things, are all getting connected. And have been for a few years now, to the point where the number of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices reaches well into the billions worldwide — which includes smart home devices.[ii]
Businesses use IoT devices to track shipments and various aspects of their supply chain. Cities use them to manage traffic flow and monitor energy use. (Does your home have a smart electric meter?) And for people like us, we use them to play music on smart speakers, see who’s at the front door with smart doorbells, and order groceries from an LCD screen on our smart refrigerators — just to name a few ways we’ve welcomed smart home devices into our households.
In the U.S. alone, smart home devices make up a $30-plus billion marketplace per year.[iii] However, it’s still a relatively young marketplace. And with that comes several security issues.
First and foremost, many of these devices still lack sophisticated security measures, which makes them easy pickings for cybercriminals. Why would a cybercriminal target that smart lightbulb in your living room reading lamp? Networks are only as secure as their least secure device. Thus, if a cybercriminal can compromise that smart lightbulb, it can potentially give them access to the entire home network it is on — along with all the other devices and data on it.
More commonly, though, hackers target smart home devices for another reason. They conscript them into botnets. It’s a highly automated affair. Hackers use bots to add devices to their networks. They scan the internet in search of vulnerable devices and use brute-force password attacks to take control of them.
At issue: many of these devices ship with factory usernames and passwords. Fed with that info, a hacker’s bot can have a relatively good success rate because people often leave the factory password unchanged. It’s an easy in.
Results from one real-life test show just how active these hacker bots are:
We created a fake smart home and set up a range of real consumer devices, from televisions to thermostats to smart security systems and even a smart kettle – and hooked it up to the internet.
What happened next was a deluge of attempts by cybercriminals and other unknown actors to break into our devices, at one stage, reaching 14 hacking attempts every single hour.
Put another way, that hourly rate added up to more than 12,000 unique scans and attack attempts a week.[iv] Imagine all that activity pinging your smart home devices.
Now, with a botnet in place, hackers can wage the kinds of attacks we mentioned above, particularly DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks can shut down websites, disrupt service and even choke traffic across broad swathes of the internet.
Remember the “Mirai” botnet attack of 2016, where hackers targeted a major provider of internet infrastructure?[v] It ended up crippling traffic in concentrated areas across the U.S., including the northeast, Great Lakes, south-central, and western regions. Millions of internet users were affected, people, businesses, and government workers alike.
Another more recent set of headline-makers are the December 2023 and July 2024 attacks on Amazon Web Services (AWS).[vi],[vii] AWS provides cloud computing services to millions of businesses and organizations, large and small. Those customers saw slowdowns and disruptions for three days, which in turn slowed down and disrupted the people and services that wanted to connect with them.
Also in July 2024, Microsoft likewise fell victim to a DDoS attack. It affected everything from Outlook email to Azure web services, and Microsoft Office to online games of Minecraft. They all got swept up in it.[viii]
These attacks stand out as high-profile DDoS attacks, yet smaller botnet attacks abound, ones that don’t make headlines. They can disrupt the operations of websites, public infrastructure, and businesses, not to mention the well-being of people who rely on the internet.
Earlier we mentioned the problem of unchanged factory usernames and passwords. These include everything from “admin123” to the product’s name. Easy to remember, and highly insecure. The practice is so common that they get posted in bulk on hacking websites, making it easy for cybercriminals to simply look up the type of device they want to attack.
Complicating security yet further is the fact that some IoT and smart home device manufacturers introduce flaws in their design, protocols, and code that make them susceptible to attacks.[ix] The thought gets yet more unsettling when you consider that some of the flaws were found in things like smart door locks.
The ease with which IoT devices can be compromised is a big problem. The solution, however, starts with manufacturers that develop IoT devices with security in mind. Everything in these devices will need to be deployed with the ability to accept security updates and embed strong security solutions from the get-go.
Until industry standards get established to ensure such basic security, a portion of securing your IoT and smart home devices falls on us, as people and consumers.
As for security, you can take steps that can help keep you safer. Broadly speaking, they involve two things: protecting your devices and protecting the network they’re on. These security measures will look familiar, as they follow many of the same measures you can take to protect your computers, tablets, and phones.
Grab online protection for your smartphone.
Many smart home devices use a smartphone as a sort of remote control, not to mention as a place for gathering, storing, and sharing data. So whether you’re an Android owner or iOS owner, use online protection software on your phone to help keep it safe from compromise and attack.
Don’t use the default — Set a strong, unique password.
One issue with many IoT devices is that they often come with a default username and password. This could mean that your device and thousands of others just like it all share the same credentials, which makes it painfully easy for a hacker to gain access to them because those default usernames and passwords are often published online. When you purchase any IoT device, set a fresh password using a strong method of password creation, such as ours. Likewise, create an entirely new username for additional protection as well.
Use multi-factor authentication.
Online banks, shops, and other services commonly offer multi-factor authentication to help protect your accounts — with the typical combination of your username, password, and a security code sent to another device you own (often a mobile phone). If your IoT device supports multi-factor authentication, consider using it there too. It throws a big barrier in the way of hackers who simply try and force their way into your device with a password/username combination.
Secure your internet router too.
Another device that needs good password protection is your internet router. Make sure you use a strong and unique password as well to help prevent hackers from breaking into your home network. Also, consider changing the name of your home network so that it doesn’t personally identify you. Fun alternatives to using your name or address include everything from movie lines like “May the Wi-Fi be with you” to old sitcom references like “Central Perk.” Also check that your router is using an encryption method, like WPA2 or the newer WPA3, which keeps your signal secure.
Upgrade to a newer internet router.
Older routers might have outdated security measures, which might make them more prone to attacks. If you’re renting yours from your internet provider, contact them for an upgrade. If you’re using your own, visit a reputable news or review site such as Consumer Reports for a list of the best routers that combine speed, capacity, and security.
Update your apps and devices regularly.
In addition to fixing the odd bug or adding the occasional new feature, updates often fix security gaps. Out-of-date apps and devices might have flaws that hackers can exploit, so regular updating is a must from a security standpoint. If you can set your smart home apps and devices to receive automatic updates, that’s even better.
Set up a guest network specifically for your IoT devices.
Just as you can offer your guests secure access that’s separate from your own devices, creating an additional network on your router allows you to keep your computers and smartphones separate from IoT devices. This way, if an IoT device is compromised, a hacker will still have difficulty accessing your other devices on your primary network, the one where you connect your computers and smartphones.
Shop smart.
Read trusted reviews and look up the manufacturer’s track record online. Have their devices been compromised in the past? Do they provide regular updates for their devices to ensure ongoing security? What kind of security features do they offer? And privacy features too? Resources like Consumer Reports can provide extensive and unbiased information that can help you make a sound purchasing decision.
As more and more connected devices make their way into our homes, the need to ensure that they’re secure only increases. More devices mean more potential avenues of attack, and your home network is only as secure as the least secure device that’s on it.
While standards put forward by industry groups such as UL and Matter have started to take root, a good portion of keeping IoT and smart home devices secure falls on us as consumers. Taking the steps above can help prevent your connected toaster from playing its part in a botnet army attack — and it can also protect your network and your home from getting hacked.
It’s no surprise that IoT and smart home devices have raked in billions of dollars over the years. They introduce conveniences and little touches into our homes that make life more comfortable and enjoyable. However, they’re still connected devices. And like anything that’s connected, they must be protected.
[i] https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/history-making-toast
[ii] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/
[iii] https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/smart-home/united-states
[iv] https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/how-the-smart-home-could-be-at-risk-from-hackers-akeR18s9eBHU
[v] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirai_(malware)
[vi] https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/eight-hour-ddos-attack-struck-aws-customers
[vii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilsayegh/2024/07/31/microsoft-and-aws-outages-a-wake-up-call-for-cloud-dependency/
[viii] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c903e793w74o
[ix] https://news.fit.edu/academics-research/apps-for-popular-smart-home-devices-contain-security-flaws-new-research-finds/
The post What Is a Botnet? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It usually starts with something small.
You’re scrolling TikTok or Instagram, half-paying attention, when a Black Friday ad pops up. It looks like the brand you love—same logo, same photos, same “limited-time deal” language you’ve seen in real promos. The link takes you to a site that looks identical to the real one. The checkout page works. The confirmation email looks legit.
Then the payment clears, and the merchant name on your bank statement doesn’t match the store at all.
That moment, wait, what did I just buy from?, is becoming the defining holiday-shopping scam of 2025.
This year, fake ads and cloned storefronts aren’t sketchy one-offs or typo-filled red flags. They’re polished. They’re identical. And increasingly, they’re powered by AI.
McAfee’s 2025 holiday research found that nearly half of Americans (46%) have already encountered AI-altered or AI-generated scams while shopping. And with 96% of people planning to shop online, many doing so daily, scammers know this is peak opportunity.
Here’s how fraudsters are blending into the busiest shopping season of the year, what the data shows, and how to stay one step ahead.
A perfect storm is happening:
People are shopping more often.
Nearly half of U.S. adults expect to shop online daily or multiple times per day during the holidays.
People are rushed.
From early Black Friday “price drop” alerts to Cyber Monday countdowns, shoppers don’t slow down to verify what they’re seeing.
AI makes scam content nearly flawless.
McAfee found technology email scams surging ~85%, retail email scams rising ~50%, and fraudulent URLs climbing across the board—from counterfeit Apple support pages to fake Costco refund portals.
Holiday deals are already rolling out—and so are the scams.
McAfee’s 2025 holiday research shows major spikes in email scams (~50% increase), technology scams (~85% increase), and fake storefronts that mimic trusted retailers. AI tools are making these scams faster, more realistic, and harder to spot.
It’s not that shoppers suddenly got careless.
It’s that scammers suddenly got good.
This is the big one, and it’s getting cleaner every year.
Scammers lift entire storefronts:
The only giveaway? A URL that’s juuust slightly off—“target-sale.com” instead of “target.com,” or a link ending in “.shop” or “.store” rather than a brand’s normal domain.
Once you enter your payment info, it goes directly into a database that criminals resell or use to make purchases.
How to spot and avoid this scam: Skip the ad. Type the retailer’s name into your browser yourself. If it’s a real deal, you’ll find it on their actual site.
Short-form videos are now a prime scam vehicle.
Scammers steal influencer footage, use AI voice clones, or generate deepfake “promo” videos with celebrities offering huge holiday discounts. When someone clicks the link, it leads straight to a counterfeit store.
How to spot and avoid this scam: Check the creator’s account history. Real brands don’t drop one-off promo videos from accounts you’ve never seen before. Same as our initial advice, skip the ad entirely and go directly to the official brand website rather than clicking any links.
The classic delivery scam is back, with McAfee researchers finding dozens of examples of fake messages attempting to scam holiday shoppers.
You’ll receive a text saying a package can’t be delivered or that a small fee is needed to confirm your address.
McAfee found that 43% of people have encountered fake delivery notifications, and many victims say they entered credit card information thinking they were resolving a legitimate issue.
How to spot and avoid this scam: UPS, USPS, and FedEx will never send a clickable payment link in a text. If you’re wondering about a specific delivery, go directly to the site you ordered it from, or your original receipt in your email to find your tracking information.
These hit during the weeks leading up to the holidays.
Messages claim:
How to spot and avoid this scam:
No legitimate company will ever resolve account issues through gift cards or text-confirmation codes.
Not long ago, scam emails had broken English and pixelated logos.
Now scammers use generative AI to:
And people are noticing.
57% of shoppers say they’re more concerned about AI scams this year than last.
Yet 38% believe they can spot scams—even though 22% have fallen for one.
Confidence ≠ protection.
If something feels off—a message, a link, a charge on your bank statement—don’t panic. Most holiday scams rely on speed and confusion. Slowing down and taking a few simple steps can keep a bad situation from turning into real damage.
Close the tab, delete the message, and don’t click anything else.
Scammers often stack multiple pop-ups or redirects to pressure you into acting fast.
If you started typing in a password or card number but didn’t hit “submit,” back out.
If you did enter details, move to the next steps right away.
Use a strong, unique password—especially for accounts tied to:
A reused password is how one compromised login unlocks everything else. McAfee offers a password manager to help you make and store strong, unique passwords.
Fraud usually starts small: $1–$5 “test” charges, odd merchant names, or tiny withdrawals.
If you see anything suspicious, contact your bank and request:
Some fake sites drop malware or spyware quietly in the background.
A quick scan can detect:
McAfee offers a free antivirus trial that you can use to scan your device and check for compromises.
Reporting helps stop other shoppers from being targeted.
You can report scams to:
McAfee can automatically detect whether the link, message, or site you interacted with is malicious—and alert you if your information may have been exposed.
Tools like:
can help contain an issue before it turns into identity theft.
There’s always someone on your holiday list who doesn’t want more stuff, they want something useful. The friend who loves a clean inbox. The sibling who’s constantly traveling. The parent who keeps forwarding you suspicious texts asking, “Is this real?”
For them, security might actually be the most thoughtful gift you can give this year.
Online safety tools aren’t flashy, but they are the thing people reach for the moment they click the wrong link, lose a password, or get a sketchy delivery text. And with scams more believable than ever, digital protection has quietly become a new “practical essential,” like a good VPN or a reliable password manager.
Gifting McAfee means giving someone:
Scam protection that works quietly in the background
Scam Detector flags dangerous messages, deepfake-style content, and fake shopping sites before they ever interact with them.
Identity & financial monitoring
A huge help for anyone who’s been burned by fraud in the past — or is tired of checking bank statements manually.
Password security that doesn’t require them to remember anything
Perfect for the person who uses the same password everywhere (and you know exactly who I mean).
Device protection for laptops, phones, and tablets
Which is especially relevant for people shopping, traveling, or working remotely through the holiday season.
It’s practical. It’s protective. And unlike most presents, it’s something they’ll use all year.
The post How To Protect Yourself from Black Friday and Cyber Monday AI Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
You crack open your credit card statement and something seems … off. Maybe it’s a couple of small online purchases that make you think, “Hmm, that’s strange.” Or maybe a statement shows up in your mailbox — one for a card that you don’t own at all. That calls for a huge “What the heck???” Sure enough, you’re looking at cases of identity fraud and theft.
And there’s a difference between identity fraud and identity theft. It’s subtle. And because of that, they often get used interchangeably. Each one can really sting but in different ways.
So, put simply, identity fraud involves stealing from an existing account. Identity theft means that someone used your personal info to impersonate you in some way, such as opening new accounts in your name.
Each year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publishes a data book that collects consumer reports of fraud, identity theft, and other similar crimes. Using the most recent data from the FTC, we can plot what the top forms of identity theft and fraud look like.
Credit cards
By far the top form of identity theft and fraud. As mentioned in the examples above, these can include crooks who string out several small purchases over time. All in the hope that the cardholder will overlook it. It can also include a one-whopper of a purchase for a big-ticket item. Here, the crook knows the card will likely get canceled quickly afterward. It’s a one-and-done deal.
Loans and leases
Second, we have loans and leases. This can range from student loans, personal loans, and auto loans, and to real estate rentals as well. Common across them all is someone impersonating you to take them out or tap into their funds in some way.
Bank accounts
Here, the creation of totally new accounts leads the way in this category. As we described above, that’s a form of identity theft. Yet identity fraud accounts for a noticeable chuck, which includes account takeovers. In these cases, crooks siphon off funds via debit cards, Electronic Funds Transfer (ETF), and other forms of withdrawal and transfer.
ID and government benefits
This covers cases where crooks use stolen personal info to get IDs. That includes driver’s licenses, passports, and other government documentation. Further, this category also encompasses the theft of government-issued benefits ranging from medical assistance to veteran’s pay.
Tax returns
While all forms of identity theft and fraud can pack a punch, this type hits particularly hard because it involves your SSN. Around tax time, scammers with access to SSNs will file bogus returns, all with the aim of claiming the refund for themselves.
Utilities
Largely, this involves people buying cell phones and opening new mobile accounts along with them. Yet it also includes people opening other utilities in other people’s names. Indeed, crooks will scam their way into getting free electricity, water, gas, and yes…cable TV.
Although these forms don’t top the list in terms of reports, they still bear mentioning. They’re serious enough, and they can go undetected for some time before their victims find out.
Medical identity theft
In this form, an imposter receives care, medications, or medical devices in someone else’s name. They might pass off phony documentation to the care provider involved, the insurance company that pays for the care, or a combination of the two. A few things can happen as a result. It can impact the care you can get and the benefits you can use. In extreme cases, the thief’s health info can get mixed in with yours and impact your care. Medical identity theft is a good reason to closely review all the medical and insurance statements you get.
Child identity theft
Imagine your child about to rent a first apartment. The property management company runs a credit check, only to find a horrendous credit rating. But how? An identity thief has been using your child’s identity for years now. After all, what parent thinks, “I really should run a credit report on my kindergartener.” And that’s fair. However, signing up your child for identity is a sound move. It can help spot if your child’s identity got stolen.
1) Notify the companies and institutions involved and consider a credit freeze.
Whether you spot a curious charge on your bank statement or you discover what looks like a fraudulent account in your credit monitoring service, let the bank or business involved know you suspect fraud. With a visit to their website, you can track down the appropriate number to call and get the investigation process started.
In the meantime, consider putting a security freeze in place. A security freeze service prevents others from opening new credit, bank, and utility accounts in your name. It won’t hit your credit score, and you can unfreeze it when needed. You’ll find this feature in our McAfee+ plans as well.
2) File a police report.
Some businesses will require you to file a local police report to acquire a case number to complete your claim. Beyond that, filing a report is still a good idea. Identity theft is still theft, and reporting it provides an official record of it.
Should your case of identity theft lead to someone impersonating you or committing a crime in your name, filing a police report right away can help you clear your name down the road. Likewise, save any evidence you have, such as statements or documents associated with the theft. They can help you clean up your record as well.
3) Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The FTC’s identity theft website is a fantastic resource should you find yourself in need. Above and beyond simply reporting the theft, the FTC can provide you with a step-by-step recovery plan—and even walk you through the process if you create an account with them. Additionally, reporting theft to the FTC can prove helpful if debtors come knocking to collect on any bogus charges in your name. You can provide them with a copy of your FTC report and ask them to stop.
4) Contact the IRS, if needed.
If you receive a notice from the IRS that someone used your identity to file a tax return in your name, follow the information provided by the IRS in the notice. From there, you can file an identity theft affidavit with the IRS. If the notice mentions that you were paid by an employer you don’t know, contact that employer as well and let them know of possible fraud — namely that someone has stolen your identity and that you don’t truly work for them.
Also, be aware that the IRS has specific guidelines as to how and when they will contact you. As a rule, they will most likely contact you via physical mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. (They won’t call, nor will they call and apply harassing pressure tactics — only scammers do that.) Identity-based tax scams are a topic all of their own, and for more on it, you can check out this article on tax scams and how to avoid them.
5) Continue to monitor your credit report, invoices, and statements.
Another downside of identity theft is that it can mark the start of a long, drawn-out affair. One instance of theft can possibly lead to another, so even what may appear to be an isolated bad charge on your credit card calls for keeping an eye on your identity. Many of the tools you would use up to this point still apply, such as checking up on your credit reports, maintaining fraud alerts as needed, in addition to reviewing your accounts closely.
Several features in our McAfee+ plans can do this work, and quite a bit more, for you:
The post What Are the 6 Types of Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Have you ever come across a website that just didn’t look quite right? Perhaps the company logo looked slightly misshapen, or the font seemed off-brand. Odds are, you landed on a phony version of a legitimate corporation’s website—a tried and true tactic relied on by many cyber criminals.
A fake login page is essentially a knock-off of a real login page used to trick people into entering their login credentials, which hackers can later use to break into online accounts. These websites mirror legitimate pages by using company logos, fonts, formatting, and overall templates. Depending on the attention to detail put in by the hackers behind the imposter website, it can be nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing. Consequentially, fake login pages can be highly effective in their end goal: credential theft.
How do these pages get in front of a consumer in the first place? Typically, scammers will target unsuspecting recipients with phishing emails spoofing a trusted brand. These emails may state that the user needs to reset their password or entice them with a deal that sounds too good to be true. If the consumer clicks on the link in the email, they will be directed to the fake login page and asked to enter their username and password. Once they submit their information, cybercriminals can use the consumer’s data to conduct credential-stuffing attacks and hack their online profiles. This could lead to credit card fraud, data extraction, wire transfers, identity theft, and more.
If you Google “fake login pages,” you will quickly find countless guides on how to create fake websites in seconds. Ethical concerns aside, this demonstrates just how common vector-spoofed websites are for cyberattacks. While it has been easier to distinguish between real and fake login pages in the past, criminals are constantly updating their techniques to be more sophisticated, therefore making it more difficult for consumers to recognize their fraudulent schemes.
One reason why fake login pages are so effective is due to inattentional blindness, or failure to notice something that is completely visible because of a lack of attention. One of the most famous studies on inattentional blindness is the “invisible gorilla test.” In this study, participants watched a video of people dressed in black and white shirts passing basketballs. Participants were asked to count the number of times the team in white passed the ball:
Because participants were intently focused on counting the number of times the players in white passed the ball, more than 50% failed to notice the person in the gorilla costume walking through the game. If this is the first time you’ve seen this video, it’s likely that you didn’t notice the gorilla, the curtain changing color from red to gold, or the player in black leaving the game. Similarly, if you come across a well-forged login page and aren’t actively looking for signs of fraud, you could inherently miss a cybercriminal’s “invisible gorilla.” That’s why it’s crucial for even those with phishing training to practice caution when they come across a website asking them to take action or enter personal details.
The most important defense against steering clear of fake login pages is knowing how to recognize them. Follow these tips to help you decipher between a legitimate and a fake website:
Most fake login pages are circulated via phishing messages. If you receive a suspicious message that asks for personal details, there are a few ways to determine if it was sent by a phisher aiming to steal your identity. Phishers often send messages with a tone of urgency, and they try to inspire extreme emotions such as excitement or fear. If an unsolicited email urges you to “act fast!” slow down and evaluate the situation.
Oftentimes, hackers will use a URL for their spoofed website that is just one character off from the legitimate site, such as using “www.rbcr0yalbank.com” versus “www.rbcroyalbank.com.” Before clicking on any website from an email asking you to act, hover over the link with your cursor. This will allow you to preview the URL and identify any suspicious misspellings or grammatical errors before navigating to a potentially dangerous website.
HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is a protocol that encrypts your interaction with a website. Typically, websites that begin with HTTPS and feature a padlock in the top left corner are considered safer. However, cybercriminals have more recently developed malware toolkits that leverage HTTPS to hide malware from detection by various security defenses. If the website is secured with HTTPS, ensure that this isn’t the only way you’re analyzing the page for online safety.
Multi-factor authentication requires that users confirm a collection of things to verify their identity—usually something they have, and a factor unique to their physical being—such as a retina or fingerprint scan. This can prevent a cybercriminal from using credential-stuffing tactics (where they will use email and password combinations to hack into online profiles) to access your network or account if your login details were ever exposed during a data breach.
An identity theft alert service warns you about suspicious activity surrounding your personal information, allowing you to jump to action before irreparable damage is done. McAfee+ not only keeps your devices safe from viruses but gives you the added peace of mind that your identity is secure, as well.
The post How to Spot Fake Login Pages appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Your smart home hums right along. It sets your alarm, opens your garage door, pops up recipes on your refrigerator screen, turns up your lighting, and even spins selections as your in-house DJ. That’s to name just a few of the things it can do. Yet with all these connected conveniences, can smart homes get hacked?
The short answer is, unfortunately, yes. Yet you have plenty of ways you can prevent it from happening.
Smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT) devices that populate them often offer prime targets for hackers. The reason? Many IoT smart home devices have poor security features in place. And because a home network is only as strong as its weakest point, smart home devices offer a ready means of entry. With that access to the network, a hacker has access to all the other devices on it…computers, tablets, smartphones, baby monitors, and alarm systems. Everything.
Recent research sheds light on what’s at stake. Cybersecurity teams at the Florida Institute of Technology found that companion apps for several big brand smart devices had security flaws. Of the 20 apps linked to connected doorbells, locks, security systems, televisions, and cameras they studied, 16 had “critical cryptographic flaws” that might allow attackers to intercept and modify their traffic. These flaws might lead to the theft of login credentials and spying, the compromise of the connected device, or the compromise of other devices and data on the network.[i]
Over the years, our research teams at McAfee Labs have uncovered similar security vulnerabilities in other IoT devices like smart coffee makers and smart wall plugs.
Let’s imagine a smart lightbulb with poor security measures. As part of your home network, a motivated hacker might target it, compromise it, and gain access to the other devices on your network. In that way, a lightbulb might lead to your laptop — and all the files and data on it.
In all, hackers have many reasons why they might break into your smart home.
You can take several steps to make your current smart home safer. Some of them involve protecting your devices, while others focus on protecting your home network.
Aside from protecting your devices, there’s protecting yourself. Comprehensive online protection software will protect your privacy and identity as well. Depending on your location and the plan you select, ours includes up to $2 million in identity theft coverage, plus features that clean up old and risky online accounts. Further features remove your personal info from the sketchiest of online data brokers and help you monitor all your transactions in one place — including retirement and investment accounts. It’s comprehensive protection for a reason.
Check out our Smart Home Security Guide. It offers further details on device protection and privacy advice for smart devices and smart speakers too. It’s free, and part of the McAfee Safety Series that covers topics ranging from online shopping and cyberbullying to identity protection and ransomware prevention.
[i] https://news.fit.edu/academics-research/apps-for-popular-smart-home-devices-contain-security-flaws-new-research-finds/
[ii] https://www.zdnet.com/article/hacker-leaks-passwords-for-more-than-500000-servers-routers-and-iot-devices/
[iii] https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-401201A1.pdf
The post Is Your Smart Home Vulnerable to a Hack Attack? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Phishing attacks have all kinds of lures. And many are so tried and true that it makes them easy to spot.
The target of a phishing attack is you. More specifically, your personal info and your money. Whether a scammer reaches out by email, with a text, or through a direct message, that’s what they’re after. And with a link, they whisk you off to a sketchy site designed to take them from you.
Just how much phishing is going on? To date, we’ve identified more than half a billion malicious sites out there. A number that grows daily. Because these attacks often succeed. One big reason why — they play on people’s emotions.
Phishing attacks always involve a form of “social engineering,” which is an academic way of saying that scammers use manipulation in their attacks. Commonly, scammers pretend to be a legitimate person or business.
You can get a better idea of how this works by learning about some of the most popular scams circulating today:
The CEO Scam
This scam appears as an email from a leader in your organization, asking for highly sensitive info like company accounts, employee salaries, and Social Security numbers. The hackers “spoof”, or fake, the boss’ email address so it looks like a legitimate internal company email. That’s what makes this scam so convincing — the lure is that you want to do your job and please your boss. But keep this scam in mind if you receive an email asking for confidential or highly sensitive info. Ask the apparent sender directly whether the request is real before acting.
The Urgent Email Attachment
Phishing emails that try to trick you into downloading a dangerous attachment that can infect your computer and steal your private info have been around for a long time. This is because they work. You’ve probably received emails asking you to download attachments confirming a package delivery, trip itinerary, or prize. They might urge you to “respond immediately!” The lure here is offering you something you want and invoking a sense of urgency to get you to click.
The “Lucky” Text or Email
How fortunate! You’ve won a free gift, an exclusive service, or a great deal on a trip to Las Vegas. Just remember, whatever “limited time offer” you’re being sold, it’s probably a phishing scam designed to get you to give up your credit card number or identity info. The lure here is something free or exciting at what appears to be little or no cost to you.
The Romance Scam
This one can happen completely online, over the phone, or in person after contact is established. But the romance scam always starts with someone supposedly looking for love. The scammer often puts a phony ad online or poses as a friend-of-a-friend on social media and contacts you directly. But what starts as the promise of love or partnership, often leads to requests for money or pricey gifts. The scammer will sometimes spin a hardship story, saying they need to borrow money to come visit you or pay their phone bill so they can stay in touch. The lure here is simple — love and acceptance.
While you can’t outright stop phishing attacks from making their way to your computer or phone, you can do several things to keep yourself from falling for them. Further, you can do other things that might make it more difficult for scammers to reach you.
The content and the tone of the message can tell you quite a lot. Threatening messages or ones that play on fear are often phishing attacks, such as angry messages from a so-called tax agent looking to collect back taxes. Other messages will lean heavily on urgency, like a phony overdue payment notice. And during the holidays, watch out for loud, overexcited messages about deep discounts on hard-to-find items. Instead of linking you to a proper e-commerce site, they might link you to a scam shopping site that does nothing but steal your money and the account info you used to pay them. In all, phishing attacks indeed smell fishy. Slow down and review that message with a critical eye. It might tip you off to a scam.
Some phishing attacks can look rather convincing. So much so that you’ll want to follow up on them, like if your bank reports irregular activity on your account or a bill appears to be past due. In these cases, don’t click on the link in the message. Go straight to the website of the business or organization in question and access your account from there. Likewise, if you have questions, you can always reach out to their customer service number or web page.
When scammers contact you via social media, that can be a tell-tale sign of a scam. Consider, would an income tax collector contact you over social media? The answer there is no. For example, in the U.S. the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) makes it clear that they will never contact taxpayers via social media. (Let alone send angry, threatening messages.) In all, legitimate businesses and organizations don’t use social media as a channel for official communications. They’ve accepted ways they will, and will not, contact you. If you have any doubts about a communication you received, contact the business or organization in question directly. Follow up with one of their customer service representatives.
Some phishing attacks involve attachments packed with malware, like ransomware, viruses, and keyloggers. If you receive a message with such an attachment, delete it. Even if you receive an email with an attachment from someone you know, follow up with that person. Particularly if you weren’t expecting an attachment from them. Scammers often hijack or spoof email accounts of everyday people to spread malware.
On computers and laptops, you can hover your cursor over links without clicking on them to see the web address. Take a close look at the addresses the message is using. If it’s an email, look at the email address. Maybe the address doesn’t match the company or organization at all. Or maybe it looks like it almost does, yet it adds a few letters or words to the name. This marks yet another sign that you might have a phishing attack on your hands. Scammers also use the common tactic of a link shortener, which creates links that almost look like strings of indecipherable text. These shortened links mask the true address, which might indeed be a link to a scam site. Delete the message. If possible, report it. Many social media platforms and messaging apps have built-in controls for reporting suspicious accounts and messages.
On social media and messaging platforms, stick to following, friending, and messaging people who you really know. As for those people who contact you out of the blue, be suspicious. Sad to say, they’re often scammers canvassing these platforms for victims. Better yet, where you can, set your profile to private, which makes it more difficult for scammers to select and stalk you for an attack.
How’d that scammer get your phone number or email address anyway? Chances are, they pulled that info off a data broker site. Data brokers buy, collect, and sell detailed personal info, which they compile from several public and private sources, such as local, state, and federal records, plus third parties like supermarket shopper’s cards and mobile apps that share and sell user data. Moreover, they’ll sell it to anyone who pays for it, including people who’ll use that info for scams. You can help reduce those scam texts and calls by removing your info from those sites. Our Personal Data Cleanup scans some of the riskiest data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info.
Online protection software can protect you in several ways. First, it can offer web protection features that can identify malicious links and downloads, which can help prevent clicking them. Further, features like our web protection can steer you away from dangerous websites and block malware and phishing sites if you accidentally click on a malicious link. Additionally, our Scam Protection feature warns you of sketchy links in emails, texts, and messages. And overall, strong virus and malware protection can further block any attacks on your devices. Be sure to protect your smartphones in addition to your computers and laptops as well, particularly given all the sensitive things we do on them, like banking, shopping, and booking rides and travel.
The post How to Spot Phishing Lures appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Whether it tags along via a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or wearable, it seems like the internet follows us wherever we go nowadays. Yet there’s something else that follows us around as well — a growing body of personal info that we create while banking, shopping, and simply browsing the internet. And no doubt about it, our info is terrifically valuable.
What makes it so valuable? It’s no exaggeration to say that your personal info is the key to your digital life, along with your financial and civic life as well. Aside from using it to create accounts and logins, it’s further tied to everything from your bank accounts and credit cards to your driver’s license and your tax refund.
Needless to say, your personal info is something that needs protecting, so let’s check out several ways you can do just that.
What is personal info? It’s info about you that others can use to identify you either directly or indirectly. Thus, that info could identify you on its own. Or it could identify you when it’s linked to other identifiers, like the ones linked with the devices, apps, tools, and protocols you use.
A prime example of direct personal info is your tax ID number because it’s unique and directly tied to your name. Further instances include your facial image to unlock your smartphone, your medical records, your finances, and your phone number because each of these can be easily linked back to you.
Then there are those indirect pieces of personal info that act as helpers. While they might not identify you on their own, a few of them can when they’re added together. These helpers include things like internet protocol addresses, the unique device ID of your smartphone, or other identifiers such as radio frequency identification tags.
You can also find pieces of your personal info in the accounts you use, like your Google to Apple IDs, which can be linked to your name, your email address, and the apps you have. You’ll also find it in the apps you use. For example, there’s personal info in the app you use to map your walks and runs, because the combination of your smartphone’s unique device ID and GPS tracking can be used in conjunction with other info to identify who you are. Not to mention where you typically like to do your 5k hill days. The same goes for messenger apps, which can collect how you interact with others, how often you use the app, and your location info based on your IP address, GPS info, or both.
In all, there’s a cloud of personal info that follows us around as we go about our day online. Some wisps of that cloud are more personally identifying than others. Yet gather enough of it, and your personal info can create a high-resolution snapshot of you — who you are, what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, and even where you’re doing it, too — particularly if it gets into the wrong hands.
Remember Pig-Pen, the character straight from the old funny pages of Charles Schultz’s Charlie Brown? He’s hard to forget with that ever-present cloud of dust following him around. Charlie Brown once said, “He may be carrying the soil that trod upon by Solomon or Nebuchadnezzar or Genghis Khan!” It’s the same with us and our personal info, except the cloud surrounding us, isn’t the dust of kings and conquerors. They’re motes of info that are of tremendously high value to crooks and bad actors — whether for purposes of identity theft or invasion of privacy.
With all the personal info we create and share on the internet, that calls for protecting it. Otherwise, our personal info could fall into the hands of a hacker or identity thief and end up getting abused, in potentially painful and costly ways.
Here are several things you can do to help ensure that what’s private stays that way:
Square One is to protect your devices with comprehensive online protection software. This defends you against the latest virus, malware, spyware, and ransomware attacks plus further protects your privacy and identity. Also, it can provide strong password protection by generating and automatically storing complex passwords to keep your credentials safer from hackers and crooks who might try to force their way into your accounts.
Further, security software can also include a firewall that blocks unwanted traffic from entering your home network, such as an attacker poking around for network vulnerabilities so that they can “break in” to your computer and steal info.
Also known as a virtual private network, a VPN helps protect your vital personal info and other data with bank-grade encryption. The VPN encrypts your internet connection to keep your online activity private on any network, even public networks. Using a public network without a VPN can increase your risk because others on the network can potentially spy on your browsing and activity.
If you’re new to the notion of using a VPN, check out this article on VPNs and how to choose one so that you can get the best protection and privacy possible. (Our McAfee+ plans offer a VPN as part of your subscription.)
In the U.S., the Social Security Number (SSN) is one of the most prized pieces of personal info as it unlocks the door to employment, finances, and much more. First up, keep a close grip on it. Literally. Store your card in a secure location. Not your purse or wallet.
Certain businesses and medical practices might ask you for your SSN for billing purposes and the like. You don’t have to provide it (although some businesses could refuse service if you don’t), and you can always ask if they will accept some alternative form of info. However, there are a handful of instances where an SSN is a requirement. These include:
Be aware that hackers often get a hold of SSNs because the organization holding that info gets hacked or compromised itself. Minimizing how often you provide your SSN can offer an extra degree of protection.
Protecting your files with encryption is a core concept in data and info security, and thus it’s a powerful way to protect your personal info. It involves transforming data or info into code that requires a digital key to access it in its original, unencrypted format. For example, McAfee+ includes File Lock, which is our file encryption feature that lets you lock important files in secure digital vaults on your device.
Additionally, you can also delete sensitive files with an application such as McAfee Shredder, which securely deletes files so that thieves can’t access them. (Quick fact: deleting files in your trash doesn’t delete them in the truest sense. They’re still there until they’re “shredded” or otherwise overwritten such that they can’t be restored.)
Which Marvel Universe superhero are you? Does it really matter? After all, such quizzes and social media posts are often grifting pieces of your personal info in a seemingly playful way. While you’re not giving up your SSN, you might be giving up things like your birthday, your pet’s name, your first car…things that people often use to compose their passwords or use as answers to common security questions on banking and financial sites. The one way to pass this kind of quiz is not to take it!
A far more direct form of separating you from your personal info is phishing attacks. Posing as emails from known or trusted brands, financial institutions, or even a friend or family member, a scammer’s attack will try to trick you into sharing important info like your logins, account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on under the guise of providing customer service.
How do you spot such emails? Well, it’s getting a little tougher nowadays because scammers are getting more sophisticated and can make their phishing emails look increasingly legitimate. Even more so with AI tools. However, there are several ways you can spot a phishing email and phony websites. Moreover, our McAfee Scam Protection can do it for you.
You can take two steps to help protect your personal info from being at risk via social media. One, think twice about what you share in that post or photo — like the location of your child’s school or the license plate on your car. Two, set your profile to private so that only friends can see it. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you’re doing, saying, and posting, which can help protect your privacy and gives a scammer less info to exploit. Using our Social Privacy Manager can make that even easier. With only a few clicks, it can adjust more than 100 privacy settings across their social media accounts — making them more private as a result.
The “S” stands for secure. Any time you’re shopping, banking, or sharing any kind of personal info, look for “https” at the start of the web address. Some browsers also indicate HTTPS by showing a small “lock” icon. Doing otherwise on plain HTTP sites exposes your personal info for anyone who cares to monitor that site for unsecured connections.
By locking your devices, you protect yourself that much better from personal info and data theft in the event your device is lost, stolen, or even left unattended for a short stretch. Use your password, PIN, facial recognition, thumbprint ID, what have you. Just lock your stuff. In the case of your smartphones, read up on how you can locate your phone or even wipe it remotely if you need to. Apple provides iOS users with a step-by-step guide for remotely wiping devices, and Google offers up a guide for Android users as well.
Theft of your personal info can lead to credit cards and other accounts being opened falsely in your name. What’s more, it can take some time before you even become aware of it, such as when your credit score takes a hit or a bill collector comes calling. By checking your credit, you can fix any issues that come up, as companies typically have a clear-cut process for contesting any fraud. You can get a free credit report in the U.S. via the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and likewise, other nations like the UK have similar free offerings as well.
Consider identity theft protection as well. A strong identity theft protection package pairs well with keeping track of your credit and offers cyber monitoring that scans the dark web to detect for misuse of your personal info. With our identity protection service, we help relieve the burden of identity theft if the unfortunate happens to you with $2M coverage for lawyer fees, travel expenses, lost wages, and more.
The post How to Protect Your Personal Info appeared first on McAfee Blog.
If you want to protect your identity, finances, and privacy online, you have a pretty powerful tool at hand. It’s online protection software. Today’s protection is built to get that job done.
For starters, online protection has evolved tremendously over recent years, making it more comprehensive than ever. It goes far beyond antivirus. And it protects more than your devices. It protects you. Your identity. Your finances. Your privacy.
Given how much of daily life has shifted to our computers and phones, like our finances and shopping, there’s a strong case for getting comprehensive online protection in place.
Granted, we’re an online protection company. And of course, we hope you’ll give our protection like McAfee+ a close look. With that, a quick rundown of what it can do for you and your identity, finances, and privacy helps. In all, it shows just how comprehensive this protection gets.
This form of protection starts with Identity Monitoring. It checks the dark web for your personal info, including email, government IDs, credit card and bank account numbers, and more. If any of it shows up on the dark web, it sends you an alert with guidance that can help protect you from identity theft.
Should the unexpected happen, our Identity Theft Coverage & Restoration can get you on the path to recovery. It offers up to $2 million in coverage for legal fees, travel, and funds lost because of identity theft. Further, a licensed recovery pro can do the work for you, taking the necessary steps to repair your identity and credit.
Another way identity thieves get what they want is through scam texts, emails, and messages. You can keep clear of their shady links with our new AI-powered Scam Protection. It automatically detects links that can send you to scam sites and other destinations that steal personal info. If you accidentally click? Don’t worry, we can block risky sites if you click on a suspicious link in texts, emails, social media, and more.
As you conduct so many of your finances online, it only makes sense that you can keep tabs on them just as easily. Features like our Credit Monitoring keep an eye on changes to your credit score, report, and accounts with timely notifications and guidance so you can take action to tackle identity theft.
And if you spot something out of the ordinary, our Security Freeze can quickly stop unauthorized access. It freezes credit card, bank, and utility accounts and prevents thieves from opening new ones in your name.
Rounding things out, you also have transaction monitoring features. They track transactions on credit cards and bank accounts — shooting you a notice if unusual activity occurs. They also track retirement accounts, investments, and loans for questionable transactions. Finally, further features can help prevent a bank account takeover and keep others from taking out short-term payday loans in your name.
Several features get the job done. Our Social Privacy Manager helps you adjust more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in only a few clicks. This way, your personal info is only visible to the people you want to share it with.
Another big intrusion on your privacy comes at the hands of online data brokers. They drive a multi-billion-dollar industry by collecting, batching, and selling people’s personal info. To anyone. That includes hackers, spammers, and scammers who use it to their own ends. Yet you can get your info removed from some of the worst offenders out there. Personal Data Cleanup scans data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info and helps you remove it.
Another great tool for protecting your privacy comes in the form of a VPN. As a “virtual private network,” it encrypts your activity. Think of a VPN as a private tunnel for your internet traffic. It hides your search habits and history from those who might use that info to build a profile of you — whether to serve up targeted ads or to steal personal info for identity theft. In all, a VPN gives you one of the most secure ways you can go online.
The post How to Protect Your Identity, Finances, and Security Online appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Before your phone gets lost or stolen, put some basic steps in place.
You’ll want to act quickly, so preparation is everything. With the right measures, you can find it, recover it, or even erase it if needed. These steps can get you set up so you can do exactly that.
Lock your phone.
Locking your phone is one of the most basic smartphone security measures you can take. Trouble is, few of us do it. Our recent global research showed that only 56% of adults said that they protect their smartphone with a password, passcode, or other form of lock.[i] In effect, an unlocked phone is an open book to anyone who finds or steals a phone
Setting up a lock screen is easy. It’s a simple feature found on iOS and Android devices. iPhones and Androids have an auto-lock feature that locks your phone after a certain period of inactivity. Keep this time on the low end, one minute or less, to help prevent unauthorized access.
We suggest using a six-digit PIN or passcode rather than using a gesture to unlock your phone. They’re more complex and secure. Researchers proved as much with a little “shoulder surfing” test. They looked at how well one group of subjects could unlock a phone after observing the way another group of subjects unlocked it.[ii]
Turn on “Find My Phone.”
Another powerful tool you have at your disposal is the Find My Phone feature made possible thanks to GPS technology. The “find my” feature can help you pinpoint your phone if your lost or stolen phone has an active data or Wi-Fi connection and has its GPS location services enabled. Even if the phone gets powered down or loses connection, it can guide you to its last known location.
Setting up this feature is easy. Apple offers a comprehensive web page on how to enable and use their “Find My” feature for phones (and other devices too). Android users can get a step-by-step walkthrough on Google’s Android support page as well.
Back up your stuff in the cloud.
Thanks to cloud storage, you might be able to recover your photos, files, apps, notes, contact info, and more if your phone is lost or stolen. Android owners can learn how to set up cloud backup with Google Drive here, and iPhone users can learn the same for iCloud here.
Write down your phone’s unique ID number.
Here are a couple of acronyms. IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) or MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) are two types of unique ID numbers assigned to smartphones. Find yours and write it down. In case of loss or theft, your mobile carrier, police department, or insurance provider might ask for the info to assist in its return or reimbursement for loss.
Beyond digital security measures, plenty of loss and theft prevention falls on you. Treat your phone like the desirable item it is. That’s a big step when it comes to preventing theft.
Keep your phone close.
And by close, we mean on your person. It’s easy to leave your phone on the table at a coffee shop, on a desk in a shared workspace, or on a counter when you’re shopping. Thieves might jump on any of these opportunities for a quick snatch-and-grab. You’re better off with your phone in your pocket or zipped up in a bag that you keep close.
Secure your bags and the devices you carry in them.
Enterprising thieves will find a way. They’ll snatch your bag while you’re not looking. Or they might even slice into it with a knife to get what’s inside, like your phone.
Keep your bag or backpack close. If you’re stopping to grab a bite to eat, sling the handles through a chair leg. If you have a strong metal carabiner, you can use that too. Securing your bag like that can make it much tougher for a thief to walk by and swipe it. For extra security, look into a slash-resistant bag.
If you have a credit card and ID holder attached to the back of your phone, you might want to remove your cards from it. That way, if your phone gets snatched, those important cards won’t get snatched as well.
In the event of your phone getting lost or stolen, a combination of device tracking, device locking, and remote erasing can help protect your phone and the data on it.
Different device manufacturers have different ways of going about it. But the result is the same — you can prevent others from using your phone, and even erase it if you’re truly worried that it’s in the wrong hands or gone for good. Apple provides iOS users with a step-by-step guide, and Google offers up a guide for Android users as well.
Apple’s Find My app takes things a step further. Beyond locating a lost phone or wiping it, Find My can also mark the item as lost, notify you if you’ve left it behind, or trigger a sound to help you locate it. (A huge boon in that couch cushion scenario!) Drop by Apple’s page dedicated to the Find My app for more details on what you can do on what devices, along with instructions how.
With preparation and prevention, you can give yourself reassurance if your phone gets lost or stolen. You have plenty of recovery options, in addition to plenty of ways to prevent bad actors from getting their hands on the sensitive info you keep on it.
[i] https://www.mcafee.com/content/dam/consumer/en-us/docs/reports/rp-connected-family-study-2022-global.pdf
[ii] https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.04959
The post What Should I do If My Phone Gets Stolen or Lost? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
We all love free stuff. (Costco samples, anyone?) However, when it comes to your family’s security, do free online protection tools offer the coverage you truly need?
Not always. In fact, they might invade the privacy you’re trying to protect.
Here’s why.
Free tools don’t offer the level of advanced protection that life on today’s internet needs. For starters, you’ll want malware and antivirus protection that’s as sophisticated as the threats they shut down. Ours includes AI technology and has for years now, which helps it shut down even the latest strains of malware as they hit the internet for the first time. We’re seeing plenty of that, as hackers have also turned to AI tools to code their malicious software.
Malware and antivirus protection protects your devices. Yet a comprehensive approach protects something else. You and your family.
Comprehensive online protection looks after your family’s privacy and identity. That keeps you safe from prying eyes and things like fraud and identity theft. Today’s comprehensive protection offers more features than ever, and far more than you’ll find in a free, and so incomplete, offering.
Consider this short list of what comprehensive online protection like ours offers you and your family:
Scam Protection
Is that email, text, or message packing a scam link? Our scam protection lets you know before you click that link. It uses AI to sniff out bad links. And if you click or tap on one, no worries. It blocks links to malicious sites.
Web Protection
Like scam protection, our web protection sniffs out sketchy links while you browse. So say you stumble across a great-looking offer in a bed of search results. If it’s a link to a scam site, you’ll spot it. Also like scam protection, it blocks the site if you accidentally hit the link.
Transaction Monitoring
This helps you nip fraud in the bud. Based on the settings you provide, transaction monitoring keeps an eye out for unusual activity on your credit and debit cards. That same monitoring can extend to retirement, investment, and loan accounts as well. It can further notify you if someone tries to change the contact info on your bank accounts or take out a short-term loan in your name.
Credit Monitoring
This is an important thing to do in today’s password- and digital-driven world. Credit monitoring uncovers any inconsistencies or outright instances of fraud in your credit reports. Then it helps put you on the path to setting them straight. It further keeps an eye on your reports overall by providing you with notifications if anything changes in your history or score.
Social Privacy Manager
Our social privacy manager puts you in control of who sees what on social media. With it, you can secure your profiles the way you want. It helps you adjust more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in just a few clicks. It offers recommendations as you go and makes sure your personal info is only visible to the people you want. You can even limit some of the ways that social media sites are allowed to use your data for greater peace of mind.
Personal Data Cleanup
This provides you with another powerful tool for protecting your privacy. Personal Data Cleanup removes your personal info from some of the sketchiest data broker sites out there. And they’ll sell those lines and lines of info about you to anyone. Hackers and spammers included. Personal Data Cleanup scans data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info. From there, it provides guidance for removing your data from those sites. Further, when part of our McAfee+ Advanced and Ultimate, it sends requests to remove your data automatically.
Password Manager
Scammers love weak or reused passwords. Even more so when they’re weak and reused. It offers them an easy avenue to force their way into people’s accounts. Our password manager creates and securely stores strong, unique passwords for you. That saves you the hassle of creating strong, unique passwords for your dozens and dozens of accounts. And helps protect you from fraud.
Identity Theft Coverage & Restoration
This provides you with extra assurance while you shop. Say the unfortunate happens to you and find yourself a victim of identity theft. Our coverage and restoration plan provides up to $2 million in lawyer fees and reimbursement for lawyer fees and stolen funds. Further, a licensed expert can help you repair your identity and credit. In all, this saves you money and your time if theft happens to you.
Say your online protection leaves gaps in your family’s safety, or that it uses less-effective methods and technologies. That exposes you to threats — threats can cost you time and money alike if one of those threats gets through.
One example, consider the online crimes reported to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. In 2023, they fielded 5.4 million fraud reports. Of them, 2.6 million reported a loss for a total of $10 billion. The median loss was $500 across all reports. Of course, that’s only the median dollar amount. That number can climb much higher in individual cases.
Source: U.S. Federal Trade Commission
Without question, protection is prevention, which can spare you some significant financial losses. Not to mention the time and stress of restoring your credit and identity — and getting your money back.
A “free” solution has to make its money somehow.
Free security solutions sometimes carry in-app advertising. More importantly, they might try to gather your user data to target ads or share it with others to make a profit. Also by advertising for premium products, the vendor indirectly admits that a free solution doesn’t provide enough security.
Further, these tools also offer little to no customer support, leaving users to handle any technical difficulties on their own. What’s more, most free security solutions are meant for use on only one device, whereas the average person owns several connected devices. And that’s certainly the case for many families.
Lastly, free solutions often limit a person’s online activity too. Many impose limits on which browser or email program the user can leverage, which can be inconvenient as many already have a preferred browser or email platform.
Free security products might provide the basics, but a comprehensive solution can protect you from a host of other risks — ones that could get in the way of enjoying your time online.
With comprehensive online protection in place, your family’s devices get protection from the latest threats in the ever-evolving security landscape. It keeps your devices safe. And it keeps you safe. With that, we hope you’ll give us a close look when you decide to upgrade to comprehensive protection.
The post Why Should I Pay for Online Protection? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Ever take a look at an ATM and feel like something’s off? You might have come across an ATM skimmer.
It works like this… A crook tampers with an ATM by attaching a physical device that skims card info as cards people grab or deposit money. From there, a keypad overlay or tiny pinhole camera captures your PIN as people tap it in. And with that info, the crook has everything they need to create several counterfeit cards.
Of course, that thief has to transfer that info. In some cases, the thief creeps back, removes the skimming device, downloads your data, and burns it to a blank ATM card. More sophisticated skimmers are connected, so thieves can download stolen info from the skimmer and then use that info to buy stuff online. Either way, a skimmer can take a big chunk out of your bank account.
However, you have ways of spotting these sketchy ATMs. And yet, there are more ways to protect your finances if you fall victim to a carefully concealed skimmer.
Spotting a hacked ATM can get a bit tricky, yet you can look for a few signs. Generally speaking, ATMs are sturdy by design. If a card reader or keypad wiggles at all or the keypad feels too spongy or sticks when you tap the buttons, you might be looking at a hacked ATM. Also keep an eye out for extra pieces of plastic stuck to the ATM, which can be places where a crook has concealed a camera. Often, they’ll disguise cameras in brochure holders and overhead lights.
Another clue of a hacked ATM — scanners and other components that don’t match the color and style of the machine. In all, anything that looks tacked on or out of place gives you a good reason to use another ATM.
To protect yourself further, follow these tips:
Be choosy.
While out and about, consider using ATMs installed at a bank. These are watched more closely than ATMs in public places, which makes them harder to tamper with.
Cover the keypad when entering your PIN.
Thieves need your card number and your PIN to access your account with a copycat card. By covering the keypad, you prevent cameras and onlookers from seeing your PIN.
Check your bank and credit card statements often.
If your card does get skimmed, acting quickly counts. Thieves can quickly rack up purchases and out a chunk of your account. Banks typically watch for fraud and will contact you about unusual activity.
Better yet, you can keep a closer eye on your accounts yourself. Our McAfee+ plans offer several types of account and transaction monitoring. Together, they can alert to strange transactions across bank, credit, retirement, and other accounts. They can also alert you if any of your info at the bank gets changed, which helps prevent account takeovers.
The post What is ATM Skimming? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
How do you protect yourself when you use public Wi-Fi on your phone? For the 40% of people who say they use public Wi-Fi that way, it’s a good question to ask.
A recent study from Forbes found that plenty of people use public Wi-Fi — with 35% saying they use it at least four times a month.[i]
People have plenty of reasons for using public Wi-Fi on their phones. First off, they might want to save their cellular data usage. Maybe they want the speed it offers over a cell connection, like when they hop on a video call. In other cases, they might have a lousy cell signal indoors and want a better connection with Wi-Fi.
All are valid reasons for using public Wi-Fi. And all are reasons for knowing how to play it safe when you do.
In an ideal world, public Wi-Fi is quite safe. The operator has it set up with the latest protection protocols, like the WP3 standard. The operator also has current, updated network equipment. You’re using it to connect to a site that uses “https” for security. And there’s no hackers or snoops in the network mix.
Of course, you can’t count on any of that every time you use public Wi-Fi.
So, what are your options if you want or need a public Wi-Fi connection?
The readiest answer is to use a VPN. As a “virtual private network,” it runs your data connection through a secure, encrypted tunnel exclusive to you. This way, it shields you and what you do from any prying eyes on public Wi-Fi.
The important bit here is to go with a trusted VPN provider. Ironically, many VPNs out there put you at risk. Some collect user info, particularly free VPNs. This gets bought and sold, and sometimes falls victim to data breaches — putting all kinds of personal info at risk.[ii] Moreover, some so-called VPNs install malware on phones instead. Others serve up ads in return for the free service.
With that, choosing a secure and trustworthy VPN provider is a must. A VPN like ours has both your security and privacy in mind. In a VPN, look for:
Not every VPN offers these features. Selecting one that does gives you the protection you want paired with the privacy you want.
Turn off automatic connections.
Be choosy about the networks you connect to. Turning off automatic connections on your phone allows you to select the trusted networks you know best.
Keep your phone updated.
Set your operating system and apps to update automatically. Updates often include security fixes that shore up recently discovered shortcomings.
Watch out for extra taps to log in.
Hackers set up sketchy public Wi-Fi as bait. With it, they might siphon off personal info as you browse, bank, and shop. Others use it to install malware, like spyware that also steals personal info. Avoid any public Wi-Fi that asks you to download extra software or apps.
Prevent third parties from collecting your info.
Some internet service providers (ISPs) offer public Wi-Fi networks in various places. However, many ISPs track, gather, and sometimes share connection info. A VPN can put a stop to plenty of that, which makes this one more good reason to use one on public Wi-Fi.
Skip public Wi-Fi altogether.
If possible, use your data connection instead. Most mobile phone providers encrypt the traffic between cell towers and your device.
[i] https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/public-wifi-risks/
[ii] https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/free-vpn-data-leak-exposed-over-360-million-user-records/
The post How Do I Protect Myself When Using Wi-Fi? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
“Antivirus software slows down my PC.” This is a comment that is often heard when talking about antivirus and malware protection.
That might be the case with many security products, but it’s not the case with McAfee. Independent tests since 2016 have proven that McAfee is not only good at catching malware and viruses, but also one of the lightest security products available today.
Antivirus forms a major cornerstone of online protection software. It protects your devices against malware and viruses through a combination of prevention, detection, and removal. Ours uses AI to detect the absolute latest threats — and has for several years now.
For decades, people have installed antivirus software on their computers. Today, it can also protect your smartphones and tablets as well. In fact, we recommend installing it on those devices as well because they’re connected, just like a computer. And any device that connects to the internet is a potential target for malware and viruses.
One important distinction about antivirus is its name, a name that first came into use years ago when viruses first appeared on the scene. However, antivirus protects you from more than viruses. It protects against the broad category of malware too — things like spyware, ransomware, and keyloggers.
To measure how much impact online protection software has on PC performance, some independent test labs include performance impact benchmarks in their security product tests. The most well-known of these test labs are AV-TEST, which is based in Germany, and Austria-based AV-Comparatives. These independent labs are among the most reputable and well-known anti-malware test labs in the world.
Over the years, we’ve tested strongly. Those results got stronger still with the release of our McAfee Next-gen Threat Protection.
McAfee’s AI-powered security just got faster and stronger. Our Next-gen Threat Protection takes up less disk space, reduces its background processes by 75%, and scans 3x faster than before. This makes your time online safer without slowing down your browsing, shopping, streaming, and gaming.
And the results show it.
Even with strong protection continuously monitoring all activity on your PC and laptop for threats, the best kind of antivirus keeps your devices running quickly.
Advances in our already high-performing protection have solidified our excellent standing in independent tests. The labs run them regularly, and we take pride in knowing that we’re not only protecting you, we’re keeping you moving along at a good clip.
The post Does Antivirus Software Slow You Down? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
A text pops up on your phone. It’s your pal, and the text says, “What’s the password again?” It might be for a video streaming app, a delivery service, or a music site. But is it really OK to share passwords?
The answer to that question takes a couple of forms.
For starters, that app, service, or site you’re sharing has terms of use. Those terms might allow for sharing. Others might not. From that standpoint, sharing might break those terms.
Secondly, sharing passwords with someone outside your household carries security risks. And that’s what we’ll focus on here.
One set of research found that 79% of Americans surveyed said they shared passwords. Video streaming came in at 35%, delivery services at 29%, and music streaming at 9%.[i]
Yet that same research revealed something else. Only 7% of Americans said they worried about getting hacked despite all that password sharing.
The broader use a password sees, the more vulnerable it is. And that has a couple of dimensions to it.
The first is the more obvious of the two. Reusing passwords across accounts can lead to identity theft and fraud. Say a hacker gets a hold of a password on the dark web or directly through a data breach. If it’s reused across accounts, all those accounts could get compromised. The same is largely true of passwords that have little variation between them. When not unique, a hacker can figure out the variation with relatively little effort.
The second is a bit more subtle. Sharing passwords with people outside the household means those passwords get used on devices outside of the household. The question then is, are those devices secure? Do the people who own them use online protection software to keep themselves safer online? If not, those passwords could get exposed. One example — a friend logs into a streaming site on unprotected Wi-Fi. A hacker monitors the traffic, skims the password, and sells it on the dark web.
So, for several reasons, sharing passwords is not OK. And it brings up an important point about passwords in general. We have a lot of them. Yet each one must be secure.
So, we’ve mentioned some of the security risks around passwords. Primary among them, weak and reused passwords.
It’s no wonder people go the route of easy-to-remember passwords they use again and again. According to Pew Research, American adults feel overwhelmed by the number of passwords they have to keep track of. Depending on the age group, that feeling ranges from 61% to 74%.[ii]
That sense of overwhelm takes shape in another interesting way. Increasingly, people are doing something about it. Faced with creating strong and unique passwords, more people let a password manager do the work for them. In 2019, only 20% of Americans surveyed said they used one. In 2023, that number leapt up to 32%.[iii] A solid 12% rise that now covers nearly a third of all Americans.
So, for anyone bogged down by passwords, a password manager offers an excellent solution.
And a safe one at that.
A password manager like ours helps you protect your accounts from hackers by securely creating and storing strong and unique passwords. The very kind of passwords that hackers hate. While you’re online, it auto-fills your info for faster logins. Best of all, you only have to remember a single password.
Don’t.
For one, sharing passwords might break the terms of use for the app, service, or site in question. Next, it can bring security issues with it as multiple people use it on multiple devices — ones that might or might not be secure.
On a related note, re-using passwords across several accounts increases your risk of getting hacked even more. Whether they’re weak and memorable or variations on a common theme, passwords like these make life easier for hackers.
As always, each of your accounts calls for a strong and unique password. And if you’re like the many who have dozens and dozens of accounts, a password manager can make that easy. And highly secure, too.
[i] https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/dangers-of-sharing-passwords/
[ii] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/10/18/how-americans-protect-their-online-data/
[iii] Ibid.
The post Do You Share Passwords with Friends and Family? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Identity theft is a pervasive threat in today’s digital age, with various forms that can wreak havoc on individuals’ lives. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel Network received more than 5.39 million consumer reports, with 19% of those reports attributed to identity theft.
Understanding the types of identity theft is crucial for safeguarding personal information and financial well-being. From the insidious tactics of new account fraud to the alarming consequences of medical identity theft, each method poses distinct risks and challenges. Here are six types of the most common forms of identity theft.
New Account Fraud
Using another’s personal identifying information to obtain products and services using that person’s good credit standing. This fraud often requires the use of the victim’s Social Security number. Opening new utility, cell phone, and/or credit card accounts are the most prevalent forms of new account fraud.
Account Takeover Fraud
Using another person’s account numbers, such as a credit card number, to obtain products and services using that person’s existing accounts or extracting funds from a person’s bank account.
Criminal Identity Theft
Someone commits a crime under another person’s name. The thief, in the act of the crime or upon arrest, poses as the identity theft victim. Often the perpetrator will have a fake ID with the victim’s information but the imposter’s picture.
Medical Identity Theft
Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses a person’s name and/or insurance information—without the person’s knowledge or consent—to obtain medical services or goods, or to make false claims for medical goods or services. Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into the victim’s medical records, which in turn may lead to inappropriate and potentially life-threatening decisions by medical staff.
Business or Commercial Identity Theft
Using a business’s name to obtain credit or even billing those businesses’ clients for products and services. Perpetrators who commit business identity theft are often insiders — current or ex-employees — with direct access to operational documentation, who pad the books in favor of their scheming.
Identity Cloning
This type encompasses all forms of identity theft. The thief is actually living and functioning as the victim on purpose. They may be hiding in plain sight due to the fact they are running from the law, evading child support or they could be mentally ill.
It is important to observe basic security precautions to protect your identity. To protect your identity from theft, regularly monitor your financial accounts for suspicious activity and report any discrepancies immediately. Safeguard personal information by avoiding sharing sensitive data on insecure websites or over unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Utilize strong, unique passwords for each online account and enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible. Finally, be cautious of phishing attempts and never click on suspicious links or provide personal information in response to unsolicited communications.
Check out our blog post on the top signs of identity theft for further advice on what to do if you feel you may be at risk. Also consider an identity theft protection product, like McAfee+, that can provide greater peace of mind through 24/7 identity monitoring and alerts, plus up to $2 million in identity theft coverage.
The post How to Identify the Different Forms of Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.
When it comes to protecting your privacy, take a close look at your social media use—because sharing can quickly turn into oversharing.
The term “oversharing” carries several different definitions. Yet in our case here, oversharing means saying more than one should to more people than they should. Consider the audience you have across your social media profiles. Perhaps you have dozens, if not hundreds of friends and followers. All with various degrees of closeness and familiarity. Who among them can you absolutely trust with the information you share?
And you might be sharing more than you think. Posts have a way of saying more than one thing, like:
“This is the pool at the rental home I’m staying at this week. Amazing!” Which also tells everyone, “My home is empty for the next few days.”
“I can’t start my workday without a visit to my favorite coffee shop.” Which also says, “If you ever want to track me down in person, you can find me at this location practically any weekday morning.”
One can quickly point to other examples of oversharing. Unintentional oversharing at that.
A first-day-of-school picture can tell practical strangers which elementary school your children attend, say if the picture includes the school’s reader board in it. A snapshot of you joking around with a co-worker might reveal a glimpse of company information. Maybe because of what’s written on the whiteboard behind the two of you. And in one extreme example, there’s the case of an assault on a pop star. Her attacker tracked her down through her selfie, determining her location through the reflection in her eyes.
The list goes on.
That’s not to say “don’t post.” More accurately, it’s “consider what you’re posting and who gets to see it.” You have control over what you post, and to some degree, who gets to see those posts. That combination is key to your privacy—and the privacy of others too.
1) Be more selective with your settings: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you’re doing, saying, and posting—not to mention your relationships and likes. Taking a “friends only” approach to your social media profiles can help protect your privacy because that gives a possible scammer or stalker much less material to work with. Yet further, some platforms allow you to create sub-groups of friends and followers. With a quick review of your network, you can create a sub-group of your most trusted friends and restrict your posts to them as needed.
2) Say “no” to strangers bearing friend requests: Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers might be more than just a stranger. They might be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of fraud. There are plenty of fake accounts too. In fact, in Q1 of 2023 alone, Facebook took action on 426 million fake accounts. Reject such requests.
3) Consider what you post: Think about posting those vacation pictures after you get back so people don’t know you’re away when you’re away. Also, consider if your post pinpoints where you are or where you go regularly. Do you want people in your broader network to know that? Closely review the pics you take and see if there’s any revealing information in the background. If so, you can crop it out (think notes on a whiteboard, reflections in a window, or revealing location info). Further, ask anyone you want to include in their post for their permission. In all, consider their privacy too.
While we’re on the topic, you can take a few other steps that can make you more private online. In addition to your social media usage, other steps can help keep more of your private and personal information with you—where it belongs:
Granted, “social” is arguably the opposite of “private.” Using social media involves sharing, by its very definition. Yet any oversharing can lead to privacy issues.
Maybe you want close friends to know what’s going on, but what about that so-so acquaintance deep in your friends list? How well do you really know them? And to what extent do you want them to know exacting details about where you are, where your kids go to school, and so on? Those are questions you ultimately must answer, and ultimately have some control over depending on what you share on social media.
Also important to consider is this: if you post anything on the internet, consider it front-page news. Even with social media privacy settings in place, there’s no guarantee that someone won’t copy your posts or pics and pass them along to others.
The flipside to the topic of social media and privacy is the platform you’re using. It’s no secret that social media companies gather hosts of personal information about their users in exchange for free use of their platforms. Certainly, that’s a topic unto itself. We cover what social media companies know about you in this article here—along with a few steps that can help you limit what they know as well.
When it comes to your privacy and social media, it depends largely on how you use it. How you use various privacy and audience settings offers one way to manage it. The other is you and the information you put out there for others to see.
The post Sharing Isn’t Always Caring: Tips to Help Protect Your Online Privacy appeared first on McAfee Blog.
When it comes to passwords, most of us would love nothing more than to set it and forget it. But that’s exactly what hackers are hoping for — in fact, it makes their job a lot easier. This means the best line of defense is frequent password changes.
But how often should you create new passwords? Cybersecurity experts recommend changing your password every three months. There may even be situations where you should change your password immediately, especially if a cybercriminal has access to your account.
This article explores those exact situations and covers some of the best password practices you can use to help safeguard these important combinations of letters and numbers.
A good password can make it more difficult for hackers to access your accounts. But what exactly makes a strong password? Here are a few criteria.
A cybercriminal may use a variety of strategies to access your passwords. Here are some of their most common tactics.
When it comes to keeping your data secure, password complexity is just the beginning. Here are a few key steps for keeping your passwords safe.
With McAfee, you can continue enjoying the internet the way it was intended — free from hackers.
The post Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Passwords Secure appeared first on McAfee Blog.
The number of people who use VPNs (virtual private networks) continues to mushroom. Recent research shows that 46% of American adults now use a VPN — 23% of which use it for strictly personal purposes.[i] Within that mix, 43% said they use a free VPN service. Yet “free” VPNs often come with a price. Typically at the expense of your privacy.
A personal VPN establishes a secure tunnel over the internet, offering you both privacy and freedom from IP-based tracking. It protects your identity and financial info by encrypting, or scrambling, the data that flows through the tunnel. Moreover, it can mask your true location, making it appear as though you are connecting from somewhere else.
Sometimes a VPN is included in more robust security software, as it is in our McAfee+ plans. It’s also, but often it is a standalone tool, that is offered for a monthly subscription rate or for free. While it might be tempting to go for a free option, there are some serious considerations that you should take to heart.
Because free VPNs don’t charge a subscription, many make revenue indirectly through advertising. This means that users get bombarded with ads. And they get exposed to tracking by the provider. In fact, one study of 283 free VPN providers found that 72% included trackers.[ii] The irony is worth pointing out. Many people use VPNs to shroud their browsing from advertisers and other data collectors. Meanwhile, free VPNs often lead to that exact kind of exposure.
But beyond the frustration of ads, slowness, and upgrade prompts is the fact that some free VPN tools include malware that can put your sensitive info at risk. The same study found that 38% of the free VPN applications in the Google Play Store were found to have malware, such as keyloggers, and some even stole data from devices.
Also concerning is how these free providers handle your data. In one worrying case, security researchers uncovered seven VPN providers that gathered user logs despite pledges not to.[iii]
Clearly, many so-called “free” VPNs aren’t free at all.
VPNs are critical tools for enhancing our privacy and shouldn’t be an avenue opening the door to new risks. That’s why your best bet is to look for a paid VPN with the following features:
Unlimited bandwidth — You want your network connection to stay secure no matter how much time you spend online.
Speedy performance — We all know how frustrating a sluggish internet connection can be when you are trying to get things done. Whether connecting for productivity, education, or entertainment, we’re all dependent on bandwidth. That’s why it’s important to choose a high-speed VPN that enhances your privacy, without sacrificing the quality of your connection.
Multiple device protection — These days many of us toggle between mobile devices, laptops, and computers, so they should all be able to connect securely.
Less battery drain — Some free mobile VPNs zap your battery life, making users less likely to stay protected. You shouldn’t have to choose between your battery life and safeguarding your privacy.
Ease of use — For technology to really work, it has to be convenient. After all, these technologies should power your connected life, not serve as a hindrance.
Fortunately, we don’t have to sacrifice convenience, or pay high prices, for a VPN that can offer a high level of privacy and protection. A comprehensive security suite like McAfee+ includes our standalone VPN with auto-renewal and takes the worry out of connecting, so you can focus on what’s important to you and your family, and enjoy quality time together.
[i] https://www.security.org/resources/vpn-consumer-report-annual/
[ii] https://www.icir.org/vern/papers/vpn-apps-imc16.pdf
[iii] https://www.pcmag.com/news/7-vpn-services-found-recording-user-logs-despite-no-log-pledge
The post How Free VPNs Come With a Price appeared first on McAfee Blog.
As the name implies, spear phishing attacks are highly targeted scams. They often occur in professional settings, where the scammers go after one “big phish,” such as a ranking employee with access to finances or data. From there, the scammers employ social engineering (aka manipulation) to trick the target into transferring funds to them or giving them access to sensitive company systems. Sometimes, it’s a mix of both.
Some of the most striking examples of spear phishing attacks come from the Shamoon2 attacks seen in Saudi Arabia back in 2016. Successive waves of attacks ultimately infected machines with malware and destroyed systems.
So, how did this specific spear phishing attack work, exactly? Cybercriminals targeted specific organizations in Saudi Arabia with emails that included malicious attachments in them. Then, when victims clicked and opened the attachment, they were infected, valuable company data was taken and systems were quickly wiped.
Spear phishing has been around for quite some time yet remains as effective as ever. Spear phishing’s success is based on familiarity. Usually, cybercriminals pretend to be an organization or individual that you know and include a piece of content—a link, an email attachment, etc.—that they know you’ll want to interact with.
For example, cybercriminals have taken advantage of tragedies in the headlines and used targeted emails claiming to be a charitable organization asking for donations. In the case of Shamoon2, the attackers lured in victims with a tempting email attachment sent from organizations the victims were likely to trust. But instead of giving to their charity of choice, or opening a seemingly harmless workplace attachment, victims then self-infect their systems with malware.
Moreover, we have seen spear phishing attacks take on an entirely new form with the advent of AI deepfakes. Now, instead of reaching out to victims via email, sophisticated scammers create deepfakes that pose as employees on video calls. All in real-time. Such was the case in Hong Kong in February 2024 where a host of deepfakes pressured a company’s finance officer into transferring $25 million to the scammers running the deepfakes.[i]
Moral of the story: spear phishing (and regular phishing) attacks can be tricky. However, fear not, there’s a lot you can do to stay on top of this threat.
For starters:
Spear phishing attacks can be easily deceiving. In fact, cybercriminals have been able to impersonate known, credible charities or an employer’s business partners and customers. So, if you receive an email from an organization asking for donations or a partner asking you to open a file you didn’t request, a good rule of thumb is to go directly to the organization through a communications channel other than email. Go to the company’s site and do more research from there. That way, you can ensure you’re gaining accurate information and can interact with the right people, rather than cyber-attackers.
Always check for legitimacy first. Spear phishing emails rely on you—they want you to click a link, or open an attachment. But before you do anything, you always need to check an email’s content for legitimacy. Hover over a link and see if it’s going to a reliable URL. Or, if you’re unsure about an email’s content or the source it came from, do a quick Google search and look for other instances of this campaign, and what those instances could tell you about the email’s legitimacy.
Fraudsters select their victims carefully in these targeted attacks. They hunt down employees with access to info and funds and then do their research on them. Using public records, data broker sites, “people finder” sites, and info from social media, fraudsters collect intel on their marks. Armed with that, they can pepper their conversations with references that sound more informed, more personal, and thus more convincing. Just because what’s being said feels or sounds somewhat familiar doesn’t always mean it’s coming from a trustworthy source.
With that, employees can reduce the amount of personal info others can find online. Features like McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can help remove personal info from some of the riskiest data broker sites out there. I also keep tabs on those sites if more personal info appears on them later. Additionally, employees can set their social media profiles to private by limiting access to “friends and family only,” which denies fraudsters another avenue of info gathering. Using our Social Privacy Manager can make that even easier. With just a few clicks, it can adjust more than 100 privacy settings across their social media accounts — making them more private as a result.
[i] https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/05/horrifying-deepfake-tricks-employee-giving-away-20-million-20225490/
The post How to Protect Yourself From a Spear Phishing Scam appeared first on McAfee Blog.
From impersonating police officers in Pennsylvania to employees of the City of San Antonio, scammers have been impersonating officials nationwide in order to scam people. A nurse in New York even lost her life savings to a spoofing scam. Phone spoofing is a technique used by callers to disguise their true identity and phone number when making calls. By altering the caller ID information displayed on the recipient’s phone, spoofers can make it appear as though the call is coming from a different number, often one that looks more trustworthy or familiar to the recipient. This deceptive practice is commonly employed by telemarketers, scammers, and individuals seeking to engage in fraudulent activities, making it more difficult for recipients to identify and block unwanted or suspicious calls.
Most spoofing is done using a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service or IP phone that uses VoIP to transmit calls over the internet. VoIP users can usually choose their preferred number or name to be displayed on the caller ID when they set up their account. Some providers even offer spoofing services that work like a prepaid calling card. Customers pay for a PIN code to use when calling their provider, allowing them to select both the destination‘s number they want to call, as well as the number they want to appear on the recipient’s caller ID.
Scammers often use spoofing to try to trick people into handing over money, personal information, or both. They may pretend to be calling from a bank, a charity, or even a contest, offering a phony prize. These “vishing” attacks (or “voice phishing”), are quite common, and often target older people who are not as aware of this threat.
For instance, one common scam appears to come from the IRS. The caller tries to scare the receiver into thinking that they owe money for back taxes, or need to send over sensitive financial information right away. Another common scam is fake tech support, where the caller claims to be from a recognizable company, like Microsoft, claiming there is a problem with your computer and they need remote access to fix it.
There are also “SMiShing” attacks, or phishing via text message, in which you may receive a message that appears to come from a reputable person or company, encouraging you to click on a link. But once you do, it can download malware onto your device, sign you up for a premium service, or even steal your credentials for your online accounts.
The convenience of sending digital voice signals over the internet has led to an explosion of spam and robocalls over the past few years. Between January 2019 and September 2023, Americans lodged 2.04 million complaints about unwanted phone calls where people or robots falsely posed as government representatives, legitimate business entities, or people affiliated with them.
Since robocalls use a computerized autodialer to deliver pre-recorded messages, marketers and scammers can place many more calls than a live person ever could, often employing tricks such as making the call appear to come from the recipient’s own area code. This increases the chance that the recipient will answer the call, thinking it is from a local friend or business.
And because many of these calls are from scammers or shady marketing groups, just registering your number on the FTC’s official “National Do Not Call Registry” does little help. That’s because only real companies that follow the law respect the registry.
To really cut back on these calls, the first thing you should do is check to see if your phone carrier has a service or app that helps identify and filter out spam calls.
For instance, both AT&T and Verizon have apps that provide spam screening or fraud warnings, although they may cost you extra each month. T-Mobile warns customers if a call is likely a scam when it appears on your phone screen, and you can sign up for a scam-blocking service for free.
There are also third-party apps such as RoboKiller that you can download to help you screen calls, but you should be aware that you will be sharing private data with them.
Enhance your smartphone security effortlessly with McAfee+ which has 24/7 identity monitoring and alerts, advanced privacy features, and AI-powered security for real-time protection against viruses, hackers, and risky links.
The post How to Stop Phone Spoofing appeared first on McAfee Blog.
In the hands of a thief, your Social Security Number is the master key to your identity.
With a Social Security Number (SSN), a thief can unlock everything from credit history and credit line to tax refunds and medical care. In extreme cases, thieves can use it to impersonate others. So, if you suspect your number is lost or stolen, it’s important to report identity theft to Social Security right away.
Part of what makes an SSN so powerful in identity theft is that there’s only one like it. Unlike a compromised credit card, you can’t hop on the phone and get a replacement. No question, the theft of your SSN has serious implications. If you suspect it, report it. So, let’s take a look at how it can happen and how you can report identity theft to Social Security if it does.
Yes. Sort of. The Social Security Administration can assign a new SSN in a limited number of cases. However, per the SSA, “When we assign a different Social Security number, we do not destroy the original number. We cross-refer the new number with the original number to make sure the person receives credit for all earnings under both numbers.”
In other words, your SSN is effectively for forever, which means if it’s stolen, you’re still faced with clearing up any of the malicious activity associated with the theft potentially for quite some time. That’s yet another reason why the protection of your SSN deserves particular attention.
There are several ways an SSN can end up with a thief. Some involve physical theft, and others can take the digital route. To what extent are SSNs at risk? Notably, there was the Equifax breach of 2017, which exposed some 147 million SSNs. Yet just because an SSN has been potentially exposed does not mean that an identity crime has been committed with it.
So, let’s start with the basics: how do SSNs get stolen or exposed?
That’s quite the list. Broadly speaking, the examples above give good reasons for keeping your SSN as private and secure as possible. With that, it’s helpful to know that there are only a handful of situations where your SSN is required for legitimate purposes, which can help you make decisions about how and when to give it out. The list of required cases is relatively short, such as:
You’ll notice that places like doctor’s offices and other businesses are not listed here, though they’ll often request an SSN for identification purposes. While there’s no law preventing them from asking you for that information, they may refuse to work with you if you do not provide that info. In such cases, ask what the SSN would be used for and if there is another form of identification that they can use instead. In all, your SSN is uniquely yours, so be extremely cautious in order to minimize its potential exposure to theft.
Let’s say you spot something unusual on your credit report or get a notification that someone has filed a tax return on your behalf without your knowledge. These are possible signs that your identity, if not your SSN, is in jeopardy, which means it’s time to act right away using the steps below:
1. Report the theft to local and federal authorities.
File a police report and a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Identity Theft Report. This will help in case someone uses your Social Security number to commit fraud since it will provide a legal record of the theft. The FTC can also assist by guiding you through the identity theft recovery process as well. Their site really is an excellent resource.
2. Contact the businesses involved.
Get in touch with the fraud department at each of the businesses where you suspect theft has taken place, let them know of your situation, and follow the steps they provide. With your police and FTC reports, you will already have a couple of vital pieces of information that can help you clear your name.
3. Reach the Social Security Administration and the IRS.
Check your Social Security account to see if someone has gotten a job and used your SSN for employment purposes. Reviewing earnings associated with your SSN can uncover fraudulent use. You can also contact the Social Security Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271 or reach out to your local SSA office for further, ongoing assistance. Likewise, contact the Internal Revenue Service at (800) 908-4490 to report the theft and help prevent someone from submitting a tax return in your name.
As we’ve talked about in some of my other blog posts, identity theft can be a long-term problem where follow-up instances of theft can crop up over time. However, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the damage and ensure it doesn’t happen again. I cover several of those steps in detail in this blog here, yet let’s take a look at a few of the top items as they relate to SSN theft:
Consider placing a fraud alert.
By placing a fraud alert, you can make it harder for thieves to open accounts in your name. Place it with one of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax), and they will notify the other two. During the year-long fraud alert period, it will require businesses to verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name.
Look into an all-out credit freeze.
A full credit freeze is in place until you lift it and will prohibit creditors from pulling your credit report altogether. This can help stop thieves dead in their tracks since approving credit requires pulling a report. However, this applies to legitimate inquiries, including any that you make, like opening a new loan or signing up for a credit card. If that’s the case, you’ll need to take extra steps as directed by the particular institution or lender. Unlike the fraud alert, you’ll need to notify each of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) when you want the freeze lifted.
Monitor your credit reports.
Once a week you can access a free credit report from Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Doing so will allow you to spot any future discrepancies and offer you options for correcting them.
Sign up for an identity protection service.
Using a service to help protect your identity can monitor several types of personally identifiable information and alert you of potentially unauthorized use. Our own Identity Protection Service will do all this and more, like offering guided help to neutralize threats and prevent theft from happening again. You can set it up on your computers and smartphone to stay in the know, address issues immediately, and keep your identity secured.
Of all the forms of identity theft, the theft of a Social Security Number is certainly one of the most potentially painful because it can unlock so many vital aspects of your life. It’s uniquely you, even more than your name alone – at least in the eyes of creditors, banks, insurance companies, criminal records, etc. Your SSN calls for extra protection, and if you have any concerns that it may have been lost or stolen, don’t hesitate to spring into action.
The post How to Report Identity Theft to Social Security appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It happens with more regularity than any of us like to see. There’s either a headline in your news feed or an email from a website or service you have an account with—there’s been a data breach. So what do you do when you find out that you and your information may have been caught up in a data breach? While it can feel like things are out of your hands, there are actually several things you can do to protect yourself.
Let’s start with a look at what kind of information may be at stake and why crooks value that information so much (it’s more reasons than you may think).
The fact is that plenty of our information is out there on the internet, simply because we go about so much of our day online, whether that involves shopping, banking, getting results from our doctors, or simply hopping online to play a game once in a while.
Naturally, that means the data in any given breach will vary from service to service and platform to platform involved. Certainly, a gaming service will certainly have different information about you than your insurance company. Yet broadly speaking, there’s a broad range of information about you stored in various places, which could include:
As to what gets exposed and when you might find out about it, that can vary greatly as well. One industry research report found that the median time to detect breaches is 5 days. Needless to say, the timeline can get rather stretched before word reaches you, which is a good reason to change your passwords regularly should any of them get swept up in a breach. (An outdated password does a hacker no good—more on that in a bit.)
The answer is plenty. In all, personal information like that listed above has a dollar value to it. In a way, your data and information are a kind of currency because they’re tied to everything from your bank accounts, investments, insurance payments—even tax returns and personal identification like driver’s licenses.
With this information in hand, a crook can commit several types of identity crime—ranging from fraud to theft. In the case of fraud, that could include running up a bill on one of your credit cards or draining one of your bank accounts. In the case of theft, that could see crooks impersonate you so they can open new accounts or services in your name. Beyond that, they may attempt to claim your tax refund or potentially get an ID issued in your name as well.
Another possibility is that a hacker will simply sell that information on the dark marketplace, perhaps in large clumps or as individual pieces of information that go for a few dollars each. However it gets sold, these dark-market practices allow other fraudsters and thieves to take advantage of your identity for financial or other gains.
Most breaches are financially motivated, with some researchers saying that 97% of breaches are about the money. However, we’ve also seen hackers simply dump stolen information out there for practically anyone to see. The motivations behind them vary, yet they could involve anything from damaging the reputation of an organization to cases of revenge.
A list of big data breaches is a blog article of its own, yet here’s a quick list of some of the largest and most impactful breaches we’ve seen in recent years:
Needless to say, it’s not just the big companies that get hit. Healthcare facilities have seen their data breached, along with the operations of popular restaurants. Small businesses find themselves in the crosshairs as well, with one report stating that 43% of data leaks target small businesses. Those may come by way of an attack on where those businesses store their records, a disgruntled employee, or by way of a compromised point-of-sale terminal in their store, office, or location.
In short, when it comes to data breaches, practically any business is a potential target because practically every business is online in some form or fashion. Even if it’s by way of a simple point-of-sale machine.
When a business, service, or organization falls victim to a breach, it doesn’t always mean that you’re automatically a victim too. Your information may not have been caught up in it. However, it’s best to act as if it was. With that, we strongly suggest you take these immediate steps.
1. Change your passwords and use two-factor authentication
Given the possibility that your password may be in the hands of a hacker, change it right away. Strong, unique passwords offer one of your best defenses against hackers. Update them regularly as well. As mentioned above, this can protect you in the event a breach occurs and you don’t find out about it until well after it’s happened. You can spare yourself the upkeep that involves a password manager that can keep on top of it all for you. If your account offers two-factor authentication as part of the login process, make use of it as it adds another layer of security that makes hacking tougher.
2. Keep an eye on your accounts
If you spot unusual or unfamiliar charges or transactions in your account, bank, or debit card statements, follow up immediately. That could indicate improper use. In general, banks, credit card companies, and many businesses have countermeasures to deal with fraud, along with customer support teams that can help you file a claim if needed.
3. Sign up for an identity protection service
If you haven’t done so already, consider signing up for a service that can monitor dozens of types of personal information and then alert you if any of them are possibly being misused. Identity protection such as ours gives you the added benefit of a professional recovery specialist who can assist with restoring your affairs in the wake of fraud or theft, plus up to $1 million in insurance coverage.
Our advice is to take a deep breath and get to work. By acting quickly, you can potentially minimize and even prevent any damage that’s done. With that, we have two articles that can help guide the way if you think you’re the victim of identity theft, each featuring a series of straightforward steps you can take to set matters right:
Again, if you have any concerns. Take action. The first steps take only minutes. Even if the result is that you find out all’s well, you’ll have that assurance and you’ll have it rather quickly.
The post What to Do If You’re Caught Up in a Data Breach appeared first on McAfee Blog.
For years now, the popularity of online dating has been on the rise—and so have the number of online romance scams that leave people with broken hearts and empty wallets.
In a recent CBS News story, one Texan woman was scammed out of $3,200 by a scammer claiming to be a German Cardiologist. After months of exchanging messages and claiming to be in love with her, he said that he’d been robbed while on a business trip in Nigeria and needed her help.
According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the reported cost of online romance scams was $1.14 billion in 2023.
Dating and romance scams aren’t limited to online dating apps and sites, they’ll happen on social media and in online games as well. However, the FTC reports that the scam usually starts the same way, typically through an unexpected friend request or a message that comes out of the blue.
With the phony relationship established, the scammer starts asking for money. The FTC reports that they’ll ask for money for several bogus reasons, usually revolving around some sort of hardship where they need a “little help” so that they can pay:
The list goes on, yet that’s the general gist. Scammers often employ a story with an intriguing complication that seems just reasonable enough, one where the romance scammer makes it sound like they could really use the victim’s financial help.
People who have filed fraud reports say they’ve paid their scammer in a few typical ways.
One is by wiring money, often through a wire transfer company. The benefit of this route, for the scammer anyway, is that this is as good as forking over cash. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The victim lacks the protections they have with other payment forms, such as a credit card that allows the holder to cancel or contest a charge.
Another way is through gift cards. Scammers of all stripes, not just romance scammers, like these because they effectively work like cash, whether it’s a gift card for a major online retailer or a chain of brick-and-mortar stores. Like a wire transfer, once that gift card is handed over, the money on it is highly difficult to recover, if at all.
One more common payment is through reloadable debit cards. A scammer may make an initial request for such a card and then make several follow-on requests to load it up again.
In all, a romance scammer will typically look for the easiest payment method that’s the most difficult to contest or reimburse, leaving the victim in a financial lurch once the scam ends.
When it comes to meeting new people online, the FTC suggests the following:
Scammers, although arguably heartless, are still human. They make mistakes. The stories they concoct are just that. Stories. They may jumble their details, get their times and dates all wrong, or simply get caught in an apparent lie. Also, keep in mind that some scammers may be working with several victims at once, which is yet another opportunity for them to get confused and slip up.
As mentioned above, some romance scammers troll social media and reach out through direct messages or friend requests. With that, there are three things you can do to cut down your chances of getting caught up with a scammer:
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and others give you the option of making your profile and posts visible to friends only. Choosing this setting keeps the broader internet from seeing what you’re doing, saying, and posting, which can help protect your privacy and give a romance scammer less information to exploit.
Be critical of the invitations you receive. Out-and-out strangers could be more than a romance scammer, they could be a fake account designed to gather information on users for purposes of cybercrime, or they can be an account designed to spread false information. There are plenty of them too. In fact, in Q4 of 2023 alone, Facebook took action on 693 million fake accounts. Reject such requests.
Online protection software like ours can help you spot fakes and scams. Features like Text Scam Detector use advanced AI to detect scam links in texts, email, and social media messages before you click. Our Personal Data Cleanup can keep you safer still by removing your personal info from sketchy data broker sites — places where scammers go to harvest useful info on their victims. And if the unfortunate happens, we offer $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support.
If you suspect that you’re being scammed, put an end to the relationship and report it, as difficult as that may feel.
Notify the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov for support and next steps to help you recover financially as much as possible. Likewise, notify the social media site, app, or service where the scam occurred as well. In some cases, you may want to file a police report, which we cover in our broader article on identity theft and fraud.
If you sent funds via a gift card, the FTC suggests filing a claim with the company as soon as possible. They offer further advice on filing a claim here, along with a list of contact numbers for gift card brands that scammers commonly use.
Lastly, go easy on yourself. If you find yourself a victim of online dating or romance fraud, know that you won’t be the first or last person to be taken advantage of this way. By reporting your case, you in fact may help others from falling victim too.
The post How to Spot Dating Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
It’s that time of year again – tax season! Whether you’ve already filed in the hopes of an early refund or have yet to start the process, one thing is for sure: cybercriminals will certainly use tax season as a means to get victims to give up their personal and financial information. This time of year is advantageous for malicious actors since the IRS and tax preparers are some of the few people who actually need your personal data. As a result, consumers are targeted with various scams impersonating trusted sources like the IRS or DIY tax software companies. Fortunately, every year the IRS outlines the most prevalent tax scams, such as voice phishing, email phishing, and fake tax software scams. Let’s explore the details of these threats.
So, how do cybercriminals use voice phishing to impersonate the IRS? Voice phishing, a form of criminal phone fraud, uses social engineering tactics to gain access to victims’ personal and financial information. For tax scams, criminals will make unsolicited calls posing as the IRS and leave voicemails requesting an immediate callback. The crooks will then demand that the victim pay a phony tax bill in the form of a wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card. In one case outlined by Forbes, victims received emails in their inbox that allegedly contained voicemails from the IRS. The emails didn’t actually contain any voicemails but instead directed victims to a suspicious SharePoint URL. Last year, a number of SharePoint phishing scams occurred as an attempt to steal Office 365 credentials, so it’s not surprising that cybercriminals are using this technique to access taxpayers’ personal data now as well.
In addition to voice phishing schemes, malicious actors are also using email to try and get consumers to give up their personal and financial information. This year alone, almost 400 IRS phishing URLs have been reported. In a typical email phishing scheme, scammers try to obtain personal tax information like usernames and passwords by using spoofed email addresses and stolen logos. In many cases, the emails contain suspicious hyperlinks that redirect users to a fake site or PDF attachments that may download malware or viruses. If a victim clicks on these malicious links or attachments, they can seriously endanger their tax data by giving identity thieves the opportunity to steal their refund. What’s more, cybercriminals are also using subject lines like “IRS Important Notice” and “IRS Taxpayer Notice” and demanding payment or threatening to seize the victim’s tax refund.
Cybercriminals are even going so far as to impersonate trusted brands like TurboTax for their scams. In this case, DIY tax preparers who search for TurboTax software on Google are shown ads for pirated versions of TurboTax. The victims will pay a fee for the software via PayPal, only to have their computer infected with malware after downloading the software. You may be wondering, how do victims happen upon this malicious software through a simple Google search? Unfortunately, scammers have been paying to have their spoofed sites show up in search results, increasing the chances that an innocent taxpayer will fall victim to their scheme.
Money is a prime motivator for many consumers, and malicious actors are fully prepared to exploit this. Many people are concerned about how much they might owe or are predicting how much they’ll get back on their tax refund, and scammers play to both of these emotions. So, as hundreds of taxpayers are waiting for a potential tax return, it’s important that they navigate tax season wisely. Check out the following tips to avoid being spoofed by cybercriminals and identity thieves:
File before cybercriminals do it for you. The easiest defense you can take against tax season schemes is to get your hands on your W-2 and file as soon as possible. The more prompt you are to file, the less likely your data will be raked in by a cybercriminal.
Keep an eye on your credit and your identity. Keeping tabs on your credit report and knowing if your personal information has been compromised in some way can help prevent tax fraud. Together, they can let you know if someone has stolen your identity or if you have personal info on the dark web that could lead to identity theft.
Watch out for spoofed websites. Scammers have extremely sophisticated tools that help disguise phony web addresses for DIY tax software, such as stolen company logos and site designs. To avoid falling for this, go directly to the source. Type the address of a website directly into the address bar of your browser instead of following a link from an email or internet search. If you receive any suspicious links in your email, investigating the domain is usually a good way to tell if the source is legitimate or not.
Protect yourself from scam messages. Scammers also send links to scam sites via texts, social media messages, and email. Text Scam Detector can help you spot if the message you got is a fake. It uses AI technology that automatically detects links to scam URLs. If you accidentally click, don’t worry, it can block risky sites if you do.
Clean up your personal info online. Crooks and scammers have to find you before they can contact you. After all, they need to get your phone number or email from somewhere. Sometimes, that’s from “people finder” and online data brokers that gather and sell personal info to any buyer. Including crooks. McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can remove your personal info from the data broker sites scammers use to contact their victims.
Consider an identity theft protection solution. If for some reason your personal data does become compromised, be sure to use an identity theft solution such as McAfee Identity Theft Protection, which allows users to take a proactive approach to protect their identities with personal and financial monitoring and recovery tools to help keep their identities personal and secured.
The post How to Steer Clear of Tax Season Scams appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Tax season isn’t just busy for taxpayers—it’s prime time for scammers, too. As you gather your W-2s, 1099s, and other tax documents, cybercriminals are gearing up to exploit the flood of personal and financial data in circulation. From phishing emails posing as the IRS to fake tax preparers looking to steal your refund, these scams can lead to identity theft, fraudulent tax returns, and serious financial headaches.
The good news? IRS scams follow predictable patterns, and with a little awareness, you can spot the warning signs before falling victim. Let’s break down the most common tax scams and how you can safeguard your personal information this filing season.
A commonly used tactic involves hackers posing as collectors from the IRS, as tax preparers, or government bureaus. This tactic is pretty effective due to Americans’ concerns about misfiling their taxes or accidentally running into trouble with the IRS. Scammers take advantage of this fear, manipulating innocent users into providing sensitive information or money over the phone or by email. And in extreme cases, hackers may be able to infect computers with malware via malicious links or attachments sent through IRS email scams.
Another tactic used to take advantage of taxpayers is the canceled social security number scam. Hackers use robocalls claiming that law enforcement will suspend or cancel the victim’s Social Security number in response to taxes owed. Often, victims are scared into calling the fraudulent numbers back and persuaded into transferring assets to accounts that the scammer controls. Users need to remember that the IRS will only contact taxpayers through snail mail or in person, not over the phone.
Another scam criminals use involves emails impersonating the IRS. Victims receive a phishing email claiming to be from the IRS, reminding them to file their taxes or offering them information about their tax refund via malicious links. If a victim clicks on the link, they will be redirected to a spoofed site that collects the victim’s personal data, facilitating identity theft. What’s more, a victim’s computer can become infected with malware if they click on a link with malicious code, allowing fraudsters to steal more data.
Scammers also take advantage of the fact that many users seek out the help of a tax preparer or CPA during this time. These criminals will often pose as professionals, accepting money to complete a user’s taxes but won’t sign the return. This makes it look like the user completed the return themselves. However, these ghost tax preparers often lie on the return to make the user qualify for credits they haven’t earned or apply changes that will get them in trouble. Since the scammers don’t sign, the victim will then be responsible for any errors. This could lead to the user having to repay money owed, or potentially lead to an audit.
While these types of scams can occur at any time of the year, they are especially prevalent leading up to the April tax filing due date. Consumers need to be on their toes during tax season to protect their personal information and keep their finances secure. To avoid being spoofed by scammers and identity thieves, follow these tips:
File before cybercriminals do it for you. The easiest defense you can take against tax seasons schemes is to get your hands on your W-2 and file as soon as possible. The more prompt you are to file, the less likely your data will be raked in by a cybercriminal.
Keep an eye on your credit and your identity. Keeping tabs on your credit report and knowing if your personal information has been compromised in some way can help prevent tax fraud. Together, they can let you know if someone has stolen your identity or if you have personal info on the dark web that could lead to identity theft.
Beware of phishing attempts. It’s clear that phishing is the primary tactic crooks are leveraging this tax season, so it’s crucial you stay vigilant around your inbox. This means if any unfamiliar or remotely suspicious emails come through requesting tax data, double check their legitimacy with a manager or the security department before you respond. Remember: the IRS will not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial info. So someone contacts you that way, ignore the message.
Watch out for spoofed websites. Scammers have extremely sophisticated tools that help disguise phony web addresses for DIY tax software, such as stolen company logos and site designs. To avoid falling for this, go directly to the source. Type the address of a website directly into the address bar of your browser instead of following a link from an email or internet search. If you receive any suspicious links in your email, investigating the domain is usually a good way to tell if the source is legitimate or not.
Use a VPN, especially in public. Also known as a virtual private network, a VPN helps protect your vital personal info and other data with bank-grade encryption. The VPN encrypts your internet connection to keep your online activity private on any network, even public networks. Using a public network without a VPN can increase your risk because others on the network can potentially spy on your browsing and activity. If you’re new to the notion of using a VPN, check out this article on VPNs and how to choose one so that you can get the best protection and privacy possible. (Our McAfee+ plans offer a VPN as part of your subscription.)
Protect yourself from scam messages. Scammers also send links to scam sites via texts, social media messages, and email. Text Scam Detector can help you spot if the message you got is a fake. It uses AI technology that automatically detects links to scam URLs. If you accidentally click, don’t worry, it can block risky sites if you do.
Clean up your personal info online. Crooks and scammers have to find you before they can contact you. After all, they need to get your phone number or email from somewhere. Sometimes, that’s from “people finder” and online data brokers that gather and sell personal info to any buyer. Including crooks. McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can remove your personal info from the data broker sites scammers use to contact their victims.
Consider an identity theft protection solution. If for some reason your personal data does become compromised, be sure to use an identity theft solution such as McAfee Identity Theft Protection, which allows users to take a proactive approach to protect their identities with personal and financial monitoring and recovery tools to help keep their identities personal and secured.
The post Watch Out For IRS Scams and Avoid Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.
People under 60 are losing it online. And by it, I mean money—thanks to digital identity theft.
In its simplest form, your digital identity is made up of a whole host of things that can be traced back to you and who you are. That can range anywhere from photos you post online to online shopping accounts, email accounts to telephone numbers, and bank accounts to your tax ID.
In this way, your digital identity is like dozens upon dozens of puzzle pieces made up of different accounts, ID numbers, and so forth. When put together, they create a picture of you. And that’s why those little puzzle pieces of your identity are such attractive targets for hackers. If they get the right combination of them, you can end up a victim of theft or fraud.
Here’s what’s happening: people under 60 were twice as likely to report losing money while shopping online. The spotlight also shows that adults under 60 are more than four times more likely to report losing money to an investment scam, and the majority of those losses happened in scams involving some form of cryptocurrency investments.
And it’s no surprise younger adults get targeted this way. They’re far more likely than any other age group to use mobile apps for peer-to-peer payments, transfer money between accounts, deposit checks, and pay bills. In short, there’s a lot of money flowing through the palms of their hands thanks to their phones, as well as their computers.
Protecting yourself from hackers and fraud means protecting your digital identity. And that can feel like a pretty huge task given all the information your digital identity includes. It can be done, though, especially if you think about your identity like a puzzle. A piece here, another piece there, can complete the picture (or complete it just enough) to give a hacker what they need to separate you from your money. Thus, the way to stay safe is to keep those puzzle pieces out of other people’s hands.
It’s actually not that tough. With a few new habits and a couple of apps to help you out, you can protect yourself from the headaches and flat-out pain of fraud. Here’s a list of straightforward things that you can get started on right away:
1. Start with the basics—security software
Protect yourself by protecting your stuff. Installing and using security software on your computers and phones can prevent all kinds of attacks and make you safer while you surf, bank, and shop online. I should emphasize it again—protect your phone. Only about half of people protect their phones even though they use them to hail rides, order food, send money to friends, and more. Going unprotected on your phone means you’re sending all that money on the internet in a way that’s far, far less safe than if you use online protection.
2. Create strong passwords
You hear this one all the time and for good reason—strong, unique passwords offer one of your best defenses against hackers. Never re-use them (or slight alterations of them) across the different platforms and services you use. Don’t forget to update them on the regular (that means at least every 60 days)! While that sounds like a lot of work, a password manager can keep on top of it all for you. And if your platform or service offers the use of two-factor authentication, definitely make use of that. It’s a further layer of security that makes hacking tougher for crooks.
3. Keep up to date with your updates
Updates have a way of popping up on our phones and computers nearly every day, resist the urge to put them off until later. Aside from making improvements, updates often include important security fixes. So, when you get an alert for your operating system or app on your devices, go ahead and update. Think of it as adding another line of defense from hackers who are looking to exploit old flaws in your apps.
4. Think twice when you share
Social media is one place hackers go to harvest personal information because people sometimes have a way of sharing more than they should. With info like your birthday, the name of your first school, your mother’s maiden name, or even the make of your first car, they can answer common security questions that could hack into your accounts. Crank up the privacy settings on your accounts so only friends and family can see your posts—and realize the best defense here is not to post any possibly sensitive info in the first place. Also, steer clear of those “quizzes” that sometimes pop up in your social feeds. Those are other ways that hackers try to gain bits of info that can put your identity at risk.
5. Shred it
Even though so many of us have gone paperless with our bills, identity theft by digging through the trash, or “dumpster diving,” is still a thing. Things like medical bills, tax documents, and checks still might make their way to your mailbox. You’ll want to dispose of them properly when you’re through with them. First, invest in a paper shredder. Once you’ve online deposited that check or paid that odd bill, shred it so that any personal or account info on there can’t be read (and can be recycled securely). Second, if you’re heading out of town for a bit, have a friend collect your mail or have the post office put a temporary hold on your mail. That’ll prevent thieves from lifting personal info right from your mailbox while you’re away.
6. Check your credit
Even if you don’t think there’s a problem, go ahead and check your credit. The thing is, someone could be charging things against your name without you even knowing it. Depending on where you live, different credit reporting agencies keep tabs on people’s credit. In the U.S., the big ones are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Also in the U.S., the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires these agencies to provide you with a free credit check at least once every 12 months. Canada, the UK, and other nations likewise offer ways to get a free credit report. Run down your options—you may be surprised by what you find.
As I just mentioned, the quickest way to get sense of what’s happening with your identity is to check your credit. Identity theft goes beyond money. Crooks will steal identities to rent apartments, access medical services, and even get jobs. Things like that can show up on a credit report, such as when an unknown address shows up in a list of your current and former residences or when a company you’ve never worked for shows up as an employer. If you spot anything strange, track it down right away. Many businesses have fraud departments with procedures in place that can help you clear your name if you find a charge or service wrongfully billed under your name.
Other signs are far more obvious. You may find collection agencies calling or even see tax notices appearing in your mailbox (yikes). Clearly, cases like those are telltale signs that something is really wrong. In that case, report it right away:
Likewise, many nations offer similar government services. A quick search will point you in the right direction.
Another step you can take is to ask each credit bureau to freeze your credit, which prevents crooks from using your personal information to open new lines of credit or accounts in your name. Fraud alerts offer another line of protection for you as well, and you can learn more about fraud alerts here.
With so many bits and pieces of information making up your digital identity, a broader way of keeping it safe involves asking yourself a question: what could happen if someone got their hands on this info? Further realizing that even little snippets of unsecured info can lead to fraud or theft in your name helps—even that un-shredded bill or innocuous refund check for a couple of bucks could give a crook the puzzle piece they need. You can keep your digital identity safe by keeping those pieces of info out of other people’s hands.
The post How to Protect Your Digital Identity appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Before you take the fun-looking quiz that popped up in your social media feed, think twice. The person holding the answers may be a hacker.
Where people go, hackers are sure to follow. So it’s no surprise hackers have set up shop on social media. This has been the case for years, yet now social media-based crime is on the rise. Since 2021, total reported losses to this type of fraud reached $2.7 billion.
Among these losses are cases of identity theft, where criminals use social media to gather personal information and build profiles of potential victims they can target. Just as we discussed in our recent blog, “Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address?” these bits of information are important pieces in the larger jigsaw puzzle that is your overall identity.
Let’s uncover these scams these crooks use so that you can steer clear and stay safe.
“What’s your spooky Halloween name?” or “What’s your professional wrestler name?” You’ve probably seen a few of those and similar quizzes in your feed where you use the street you grew up on, your birthdate, your favorite song, and maybe the name of a beloved first pet to cook up a silly name or some other result. Of course, these are pieces of personal information, sometimes the answer to commonly used security questions by banks and other financial institutions. (Like, what was the model of your first car?) With this info in hand, a hacker could attempt to gain access to your accounts.
Similarly, scammers will also post surveys with the offer of a gift card to a popular retailer. All you have to do is fork over your personal info. Of course, there’s no gift card coming. Meanwhile, that scammer now has some choice pieces of personal info that they can potentially use against you.
How to avoid them: Simply put, don’t take those quizzes and surveys online.
The list here is long. These include posts and direct messages about phony relief funds, grants, and giveaways—along with bogus business opportunities that run the gamut from thinly veiled pyramid schemes and gifting circles to mystery shopper jobs. What they all have in common is that they’re run by scammers who want your information, money, or both. If this sounds familiar, like those old emails about transferring funds for a prince in some faraway nation, it is. Many of these scams simply made the jump from email to social media platforms.
How to avoid them: Research any offer, business opportunity, or organization that reaches out to you. A good trick is to do a search of the organization’s name plus the term “scam” or “review” or “complaint” to see if anything sketchy comes up.
If there’s one government official that scammers like to use to scare you, it’s the tax collector. These scammers will use social media messaging (and other mediums like emails, texts, and phone calls) to pose as an official who’s either demanding back taxes or offering a refund or credit—all of which are bogus and all of which involve you handing over your personal info, money, or both.
How to avoid them: Delete the message. In the U.S., the IRS and other government agencies will never reach out to you in this way or ask you for your personal information. Likewise, they won’t demand payment via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Only scammers will.
These are far more targeted than the scams listed above because they’re targeted and often rely upon specific information about you and your family. Thanks to social media, scammers can gain access to that info and use it against you. One example is the “grandkid scam” where a hacker impersonates a grandchild and asks a grandparent for money. Similarly, there are family emergency scams where a bad actor sends a message that a family member was in an accident or arrested and needs money quickly. In all, they rely on a phony story that often involves someone close to you who’s in need or trouble.
How to avoid them: Take a deep breath and confirm the situation. Reach out to the person in question or another friend or family member to see if there really is a concern. Don’t jump to pay right away.
This is one of the most targeted attacks of all—the con artist who strikes up an online relationship to bilk a victim out of money. Found everywhere from social media sites to dating apps to online forums, this scam involves creating a phony profile and a phony story to go with it. From there, the scammer will communicate several times a day, perhaps talking about their exotic job in some exotic location. They’ll build trust along the way and eventually ask the victim to wire money or purchase gift cards.
How to avoid them: Bottom line, if someone you’ve never met in person asks you for money online, it’s a good bet that it’s a scam. Don’t do it.
Now with an idea of what the bad actors are up to out there, here’s a quick rundown of things you can do to protect yourself further from the social media scams they’re trying to pull.
Above and beyond what we’ve covered so far, some online protection basics can keep you safer still. Comprehensive online protection software will help you create strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, help you keep from clicking links to malicious sites, and prevent you from downloading malware. Moreover, it can provide you with identity protection services like ours, which keep your personal info private with around-the-clock monitoring of your email addresses and bank accounts with up to $1M of ID theft insurance.
Together, with some good protection and a sharp eye, you can avoid those identity theft scams floating around on social media—and get back to enjoying time spent online with your true family and friends.
The post Quizzes and Other Identity Theft Schemes to Avoid on Social Media appeared first on McAfee Blog.
What’s the difference between identity fraud and identity theft? Well, it’s subtle, so much so that it’s easy to use them nearly interchangeably. While both can take a bite out of your wallet, they are different—and knowing the differences can help you understand what’s at stake.
Let’s start with an overview and a few examples of each.
So there’s that subtle difference we mentioned. Identity fraud involves the misuse of an existing account. Identity theft means the theft of your personal information, which is then used to impersonate you in some way, such as opening new accounts in your name.
Above and beyond those definitions and examples, a couple of real-life examples put the differences in perspective as well.
As for identity fraud, individual cases of fraud don’t always make the headlines, but that’s not to say you won’t hear about it in a couple of different ways.
The first way may be news stories about data breaches, where hackers gain things like names, emails, and payment information from companies or organizations. That info can then end up in the hands of a fraudster, who then accesses those accounts to drain funds or make purchases.
On a smaller scale, you may know someone who has had to get a new credit or debit card because theirs was compromised, perhaps by a breach or by mistakenly making a payment through an insecure website or by visiting a phony login page as part of a phishing attack. These can lead to fraud as well.
It usually starts with someone saying anything from, “That’s strange …” to “Oh, no!” There’ll be a strange charge on your credit card bill, a piece of mail from a bill collector, or a statement from an account you never opened—just to name a few things.
With that, I have a few recent blogs that help you spot all kinds of identity crime, along with advice to help keep it from happening to you in the first place:
While there are differences between identity fraud and identity theft, they do share a couple of things in common: you can take steps to prevent them, and you can take steps to limit their impact should you find yourself faced with one or the other.
The articles called out above will give you the details, yet staying safe begins with vigilance. Check on your accounts and credit reports regularly and really scrutinize what’s happening in them. Consider covering yourself with an identity monitoring solution — and act on anything that looks strange or outright fishy by reporting it to the company or institution in question.
The post How To Tell The Difference Between Identity Fraud and Identity Theft? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
When it comes to identity theft, trust your gut when something doesn’t feel right. Follow up. What you’re seeing could be a problem.
A missing bill or a mysterious charge on your credit card could be the tip of an identity theft iceberg, one that can run deep if left unaddressed. Here, we’ll look at several signs of identity theft that likely need some investigation and the steps you can take to take charge of the situation.
Unfortunately, it can happen in several ways.
In the physical world, it can happen simply because you lost your wallet or debit card. However, there are also cases where someone gets your information by going through your mail or trash for bills and statements. In other more extreme cases, theft can happen by someone successfully registering a change of address form in your name (although the U.S. Postal Service has security measures in place that make this difficult).
In the digital world, that’s where the avenues of identity theft blow wide open. It could come by way of a data breach, a thief “skimming” credit card information from a point-of-sale terminal, or by a dedicated crook piecing together various bits of personal information that have been gathered from social media, phishing attacks, or malware designed to harvest information. Additionally, thieves may eavesdrop on public Wi-Fi and steal information from people who are shopping or banking online without the security of a VPN.
Regardless of how crooks pull it off, identity theft is on the rise. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft claims jumped up from roughly 650,000 claims in 2019 to 1 million in 2023. Of the reported fraud cases where a dollar loss was reported, the FTC calls out the following top three contact methods for identity theft:
However, phone calls, texts, and email remain the most preferred contact methods that fraudsters use, even if they are less successful in creating dollar losses than malicious websites, ads, and social media.
Identity thieves leave a trail. With your identity in hand, they can charge things to one or more of your existing accounts—and if they have enough information about you, they can even create entirely new accounts in your name. Either way, once an identity thief strikes, you’re probably going to notice that something is wrong. Possible signs include:
As you can see, the signs of possible identity theft can run anywhere from, “Well, that’s strange …” to “OH NO!” However, the good news is that there are several ways to check if someone is using your identity before it becomes a problem – or before it becomes a big problem that gets out of hand.
The point is that if you suspect fraud, you need to act right away. With identity theft becoming increasingly commonplace, many businesses, banks, and organizations have fraud reporting mechanisms in place that can assist you should you have any concerns. With that in mind, here are some immediate steps you can take:
Whether you spot a curious charge on your bank statement or you discover what looks like a fraudulent account when you get your free credit report, let the bank or business involved know you suspect fraud. With a visit to their website, you can track down the appropriate number to call and get the investigation process started.
Some businesses will require you to file a local police report to acquire a case number to complete your claim. Even beyond a business making such a request, filing a report is still a good idea. Identity theft is still theft and reporting it provides an official record of the incident. Should your case of identity theft lead to someone impersonating you or committing a crime in your name, filing a police report right away can help clear your name down the road. Be sure to save any evidence you have, like statements or documents that are associated with the theft. They can help clean up your record as well.
The FTC’s identity theft website is a fantastic resource should you find yourself in need. Above and beyond simply reporting the theft, the FTC can provide you with a step-by-step recovery plan—and even walk you through the process if you create an account with them. Additionally, reporting theft to the FTC can prove helpful if debtors come knocking to collect on any bogus charges in your name. You can provide them with a copy of your FTC report and ask them to stop.
You can place a free one-year fraud alert with one of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax), and they will notify the other two. A fraud alert will make it tougher for thieves to open accounts in your name, as it requires businesses to verify your identity before issuing new credit in your name.
A credit freeze goes a step further. As the name implies, a freeze prohibits creditors from pulling your credit report, which is needed to approve credit. Such a freeze is in place until you lift it, and it will also apply to legitimate queries as well. Thus, if you intend to get a loan or new credit card while a freeze is in place, you’ll likely need to take extra measures to see that through. Contact each of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) to put a freeze in place or lift it when you’re ready.
This can run the gamut from closing any false accounts that were set up in your name, removing bogus charges, and correcting information in your credit report such as phony addresses or contact information. With your FTC report, you can dispute these discrepancies and have the business correct the record. Be sure to ask for written confirmation and keep a record of all documents and conversations involved.
If you receive a notice from the IRS that someone used your identity to file a tax return in your name, follow the information provided by the IRS in the notice. From there, you can file an identity theft affidavit with the IRS. If the notice mentions that you were paid by an employer you don’t know, contact that employer as well and let them know of possible fraud—namely that someone has stolen your identity and that you don’t truly work for them.
Also, be aware that the IRS has specific guidelines as to how and when they will contact you. As a rule, they will most likely contact you via physical mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. (They won’t call or apply harassing pressure tactics—only scammers do that.) Identity-based tax scams are a topic all of their own, and for more on it, you can check out this article on tax scams and how to avoid them.
Another downside of identity theft is that it can mark the start of a long, drawn-out affair. One instance of theft can possibly lead to another, so even what may appear to be an isolated bad charge on your credit card calls for keeping an eye on your identity. Many of the tools you would use up to this point still apply, such as checking up on your credit reports, maintaining fraud alerts as needed, and reviewing your accounts closely.
With all the time we spend online as we bank, shop, and simply surf, we create and share all kinds of personal information—information that can get collected and even stolen. The good news is that you can prevent theft and fraud with online protection software, such as McAfee+ Ultimate.
With McAfee+ Ultimate you can:
In all, it’s our most comprehensive privacy, identity, and device protection plan, built for a time when we rely so heavily on the internet to go about our day, whether that’s work, play, or simply getting things done.
Realizing that you’ve become a victim of identity theft carries plenty of emotion with it, which is understandable—the thief has stolen a part of you to get at your money, information, and even reputation. Once that initial rush of anger and surprise has passed, it’s time to get clinical and get busy. Think like a detective who’s building – and closing – a case. That’s exactly what you’re doing. Follow the steps, document each one, and build up your case file as you need. Staying cool, organized, and ready with an answer to any questions you’ll face in the process of restoring your identity will help you see things through.
Once again, this is a good reminder that vigilance is the best defense against identity theft from happening in the first place. While there’s no absolute, sure-fire protection against it, there are several things you can do to lower the odds in your favor. And at the top of the list is keeping consistent tabs on what’s happening across your credit reports and accounts.
The post How to Detect Signs of Identity Theft appeared first on McAfee Blog.
Can thieves steal identities with only a name and address?
In short, the answer is “no.” Which is a good thing, as your name and address are in fact part of the public record. Anyone can get a hold of them. However, because they are public information, they are still tools that identity thieves can use.
If you think of your identity as a jigsaw puzzle, your name and address are the first two pieces that they can use to build a bigger picture and ultimately put your identity at risk.
With that, let’s look at some other key pieces of your identity that are associated with your name and address—and what you can do to protect them.
For starters, this information is so general that it is of little value in and of itself to an identity thief. Yet a determined identity thief can do a bit of legwork and take a few extra steps to use them as a springboard for other scams.
For example, with your name and address a thief could:
There are volumes of public information that are readily available should someone want to add some more pieces to your identity jigsaw puzzle, such as:
In the U.S., the availability of such information will vary from state to state and different levels of government may have different regulations about what information gets filed—in addition to whether and how those reports are made public. Globally, different nations and regions will collect varying amounts of public information and have their own regulations in place as well. More broadly, though, many of these public databases are now online. Consequently, accessing them is easier than the days when getting a hold of that information required an in-person visit to a library or public office.
Cybercriminals can gain additional information about you from other online sources, such as data brokers. And data brokerage is a big business, a global economy estimated at $280 billion U.S. dollars a year. What fuels it? Personal information, representing thousands of data points on billions of people scraped from public records, social media, smartphone apps, shopper loyalty cards, third-party sources, and sometimes other data broker sites as well.
The above-the-board legal intent of data broker sites is to sell that information to advertisers so that they can create highly targeted campaigns based on people’s behaviors, travels, interests, and even political leanings. Others such as law enforcement officials, journalists, and others who are conducting background checks will use them too.
On the dark side, hackers, scammers, and thieves will buy this information as well, which they can use to commit identity theft and fraud. The thing is, data brokers will sell to anyone. They don’t discriminate.
Phishing attacks aren’t just for email, texts, and direct messages. In fact, thieves are turning to old tricks via old-fashioned physical mail. That includes sending phony offers or impersonating officials of government institutions, all designed to trick you into giving up your personally identifiable information (PII).
What might that look like in your mailbox? They can take the form of bogus lottery prizes that request bank information for routing (non-existent) winnings. Another favorite of scammers is bogus tax notifications that demand immediate payment. In all, many can look quite convincing at first blush, yet there are ready ways you can spot them. In fact, many of the tips for avoiding these physical mail phishing attacks are the same for avoiding phishing attacks online.
Recently, I’ve seen a few news stories like this where thieves reportedly abuse the change-of-address system with the U.S. Postal Service. Thieves will simply forward your mail to an address of their choosing, which can drop sensitive information like bank and credit card statements in their mailbox. From there, they could potentially have new checks sent to them or perhaps an additional credit card—both of which they can use to drain your accounts and run up your bills.
The Postal Service has mechanisms in place to prevent this, however. Among these, the Postal Service will send you a physical piece of mail to confirm the forwarding. So, if you ever receive mail from the Postal Service, open it and give it a close look. If you get such a notice and didn’t order the forwarding, visit your local post office to get things straightened out. Likewise, if it seems like you’re missing bills in the mail, that’s another good reason to follow up with your post office and the business in question to see if there have been any changes made in your mail forwarding.
So while your name and address are out there for practically all to see, they’re largely of little value to an identity thief on their own. But as mentioned above, they are key puzzle pieces to your overall identity. With enough of those other pieces in hand, that’s where an identity thief can cause trouble.
Other crucial pieces of your identity include:
Let’s start with the biggest one. This is the master key to your identity, as it is one of the most unique identifiers you have. As I covered in my earlier blog on Social Security fraud, a thief can unlock everything from credit history and credit line to tax refunds and medical care with your Social Security or tax ID number. In extreme cases, they can use it to impersonate you for employment, healthcare, and even in the event of an arrest.
You can protect your Social Security Number by keeping it locked in a safe place (rather than in your wallet) and by providing your number only when absolutely necessary. For more tips on keeping your number safe, drop by that blog on Social Security fraud I mentioned.
Thieves have figured out ways of getting around the fact that IDs like these include a photo. They may be able to modify or emulate these documents “well enough” to pull off certain types of fraud, particularly if the people requesting their bogus documents don’t review them with a critical eye.
Protecting yourself in this case means knowing where these documents are at any time. (With passports, you may want to store those securely like your Social Security or tax ID number.) Also be careful when you share this information, as the identifiers on these documents are highly unique. If you’re uncomfortable with sharing this information, you can ask if other forms of ID might work—or if this information is really needed at all. Also, take a moment to make copies of these documents and store them in a secure place. This can help you provide important info to the proper authorities if they’re lost or stolen.
With data breaches large and small making the news (and many more that do not), keeping a sharp eye on your accounts is a major part of identity theft prevention. We talk about this topic quite often, and it’s worth another mention because protecting these means protecting yourself from thieves who are after direct access to your finances and more.
Secure your digital accounts for banking, credit cards, financials, and shopping by using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts that you change every 60 days. Sound like a lot of work? Let a password manager do it for you, which you can find in comprehensive online protection software. By changing your strong passwords and keeping them unique can help prevent you from becoming a victim if your account information is part of a breach—by the time a crook attempts to use it, you may have changed it and made it out of date.
In addition to protecting the core forms of identity mentioned above, a few other good habits go a long way toward keeping your identity secure.
By protecting your devices, you protect what’s on them, like your personal information. Comprehensive online protection software can protect your identity in several ways, like creating and managing the strong, unique passwords we talked about and providing further services that monitor and protect your identity—in addition to digital shredders that can permanently remove sensitive documents (simply deleting them won’t do that alone.) Further, it can monitor your identity and monitor your credit, further protecting you from theft and fraud.
Identity theft where thieves dig through trash or go “dumpster diving” for literal scraps of personal info in bills and statements, has been an issue for some time. You can prevent it by shredding up any paper medical bills, tax documents, and checks once you’re through with them. Paper shredders are inexpensive, and let’s face it, kind of fun too. Also, if you’re traveling, have a trusted someone collect your mail or have the post office put a temporary hold on your mail. Thieves still poach mail from mailboxes too.
Getting statements online cuts the paper out of the equation and thus removes another thing that a thief can physically steal and possibly use against you. Whether you use electronic statements through your bank, credit card company, medical provider, or insurance company, use a secure password and a secure connection provided by a VPN. Both will make theft of your personal info far tougher on identity thieves.
A VPN is a Virtual Private Network, a service that protects your data and privacy online. It creates an encrypted tunnel to keep you more anonymous online by masking your IP address, device information, and the data you’re passing along that connection. In this way, it makes it far more difficult for advertisers, data brokers, and bad actors to skim your private information—in addition to shielding your information from crooks and snoops while you’re banking, shopping, or handling any kind of sensitive information online.
Give your statements a close look each time they come around. While many companies and institutions have fraud detection mechanisms in place, they don’t always catch every instance of fraud. Look out for strange purchases or charges and follow up with your bank or credit card company if you suspect fraud. Even the smallest charge could be a sign that something shady is afoot.
This is a powerful tool for spotting identity theft. And in many cases, it’s free to do so. In the U.S., the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the major credit agencies to provide you with a free credit check at least once every 12 months. Canada provides this service, and the UK has options to receive free reports as well, along with several other nations. It’s a great idea to check your credit report, even if you don’t suspect a problem.
If the thought of your personal info being bought and sold puts you off, there’s something you can do about it. Our Personal Data Cleanup service can scan some of the riskiest data broker sites and show you which ones are selling your personal info. It also provides guidance on how you can remove your data from those sites, and with select products, it can even manage the removal for you.
While thieves need more than just your name and address to commit the overwhelming majority of fraud, your name and address are centerpieces of the larger jigsaw puzzle that is your overall identity.
And the interesting thing is your puzzle gets larger and larger as time goes on. With each new account you create and service that you sign into, that’s one more piece added to the puzzle. Thieves love getting their hands on any pieces they can because with enough of them in place, they can try and pull a fast one in your name. By looking after each piece and knowing what your larger jigsaw puzzle looks like, you can help keep identity thieves out of your business and your life.
The post Can Thieves Steal Identities With Only a Name and Address? appeared first on McAfee Blog.
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