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Black or Scrambled Phone Screen? Here’s How to Spot a Hacked vs Broken Phone

By: McAfee

It’s the screen you never want to see.

Something is seriously wrong with your phone. Or is it? You might not have a broken phone at all. Instead, you might have a hacked phone.

This is a form of scareware, an attack that frightens you into thinking your device is broken or infected with a virus
Source: Mobile Hacker

What you see above is a form of scareware, an attack that frightens you into thinking your device is broken or infected with a virus. What the hacker wants you to do next is panic. They want you to tap on a bogus link that says it’ll run a security check, remove a virus, or otherwise fix your phone before the problem gets worse.

Of course, tapping that link takes you to a malware or phishing site, where the hacker takes the next step and installs an even nastier form of malware on your phone. In other cases, they steal your personal info under the guise of a virus removal service. (And yes, sometimes they pose as McAfee when they pull that move. In fact,

Note that in this example above, the hacker behind the phony broken screen is arguably going for a user who’s perhaps less tech savvy. After all, the message atop the “broken” screen appears clear as day. Still, in the heat of the moment, it can be convincing enough.

How does scareware get on phones?

Scareware typically finds its way onto phones through misleading ads, fake security alerts, or hacked websites. In other cases, downloading apps from places other than an official app store can lead to scareware (and other forms of malware too).

As for malware on phones, you’ll find different risk levels between Android and iOS phones. While neither platform is completely immune to threats, Android phones are reportedly more susceptible to viruses than iPhones due to differences in their app downloading policies. On Android phones, you can install apps from third-party sources outside the official Google Play Store, which increases the risk of downloading malicious software.

In contrast, Apple restricts app installations to its official App Store, making it harder for malware to get on iOS devices. (That’s if you haven’t taken steps to jailbreak your iPhone, which removes the software restrictions imposed by Apple on its iOS operating system. We absolutely don’t recommend jailbreaking because it may void warranties and make it easier for malware, including scareware, to end up on your phone.)

If you think you’ve wound up with a case of scareware, stay calm. The first thing the hacker wants you to do is panic and click that link. Let’s go over the steps you can take.

How to remove malware from your Android phone

If you don’t already have mobile security and antivirus for your phone, your best bet is to get the latest virus removal guidance from Android, which you can find on this help page.

Moving forward, you can get protection that helps you detect and steer clear of potential threats as you use your phone. You can pick up McAfee Security: Antivirus VPN in the Google Play store, which also includes our Scam Detector and Identity Monitoring. You can also get it as part of your McAfee+

How to remove malware from your iPhone

Step 1: Restart your phone

Hold down the iPhone power button until you see slide to power off on your screen. Slide it, wait for the phone to power down, and then press the power button to restart your iPhone.

Step 2: Download updates 

Having the latest version of iOS on your phone ensures you have the best protection in place. Open the Settings app.  Look for Software Update in the General tab. Select Software Update. Tap Download and Install to the latest iPhone update.

Step 3: Delete suspicious apps 

Press a suspicious app icon on your screen and wait for the Remove App to pop up. Remove it and repeat that as needed for any other suspicious apps.

More steps you can take …

If those steps don’t take care of the issue, there are two stronger steps you can take. The first involves restoring your phone from a backup as described by Apple here.

The most aggressive step you can take is to reset your phone entirely. You can return it to the original factory settings (with the option to keep your content) by following the steps in this help article from Apple.

How to avoid malware on your phone

Clearly these attacks play on fear that one of the most important devices in your life has a problem—your phone.

  1. Protect your phone.

Comprehensive online protection software can secure your phone in the same ways that it secures your laptops and computers. Installing it can protect your privacy, keep you safe from attacks on public Wi-Fi, automatically block unsafe websites and links, and detect scams, just to name a few things it can do.

  1. Update your phone’s operating system.

Along with installing security software, keeping your phone’s operating system up to date can greatly improve your security. Updates can fix vulnerabilities that hackers rely on to pull off their malware-based attacks. It’s another tried-and-true method of keeping yourself safe—and for keeping your phone running great too.

  1. Avoid third-party app stores.

Google Play and Apple’s App Store have measures in place to review and vet apps to help ensure that they are safe and secure. Third-party sites might very well not, and they might intentionally host malicious apps as part of a front. Further, Google and Apple are quick to remove malicious apps from their stores when discovered, making shopping there safer still.

The post Black or Scrambled Phone Screen? Here’s How to Spot a Hacked vs Broken Phone appeared first on McAfee Blog.

This Year in Scams: A 2025 Retrospective, and a Look Ahead at 2026

By: McAfee
The Top Scams of 2025

They came by phone, by text, by email, and they even weaseled their way into people’s love lives—an entire host of scams that we covered here in our blogs throughout the year.

Today, we look back, picking five noteworthy scams that firmly established new trends, along with one in particular that gives us a hint at the face of scams to come.

Let’s start it off with one scam that pinged plenty of phones over the spring and summer: those toll road texts.

1 – The Texts That Jammed Everyone’s Phones: The Toll Road Scam

It was the hot new scam of 2025 that increased by 900% in one year: the toll road scam.

There’s a good chance you got a few of these this year,scam texts that say you have an unpaid tab for tolls and that you need to pay right away. And as always, they come with a handy link where you can pay up and avoid that threat of a “late fee.”

 

Of course, links like those took people to phishing sites where people gave scammers their payment info, which led to fraudulent charges on their cards. In some instances, the scammers took it a step further by asking for driver’s license and Social Security numbers, key pieces of info for big-time identity theft.

Who knows what the hot new text scam for 2026 will be, yet here are several ways you can stop text scams in their tracks, no matter what form they take:

How Can I Stop Text Scams?

Don’t click on any links in unexpected texts (or respond to them, either). Scammers want you to react quickly, but it’s best to stop and check it out.

Check to see if the text is legit. Reach out to the company that apparently contacted you using a phone number or website you know is real—not the info from the text.

Get our Scam Detector. It automatically detects scams by scanning URLs in your text messages. If you accidentally tap or click? Don’t worry, it blocks risky sites if you follow a suspicious link.

2 – Romancing the Bot: AI Chatbots and Images Finagle Their Way Into Romance Scams

It started with a DM. And a few months later, it cost her $1,200.

Earlier this year, we brought you the story of 25-year-old computer programmer Maggie K. who fell for a romance scam on Instagram. Her story played out like so many. When she and her online boyfriend finally agreed to meet in person, he claimed he missed his flight and needed money to rebook. Desperate to finally see him, she sent the money and never heard from him again.

But here’s the twist—he wasn’t real in the first place.

When she reported the scam to police, they determined his images were all made with AI. In Maggie’s words, “That was the scariest part—I had trusted someone who never even existed.”

Maggie isn’t alone. Our own research earlier this year revealed that more than half (52%) of people have been scammed out of money or pressured to send money or gifts by someone they met online.

Moreover, we found that scammers have fueled those figures with the use of AI. Of people we surveyed, more than 1 in 4 (26%) said they—or someone they know—have been approached by an AI chatbot posing as a real person on a dating app or social media.

We expect this trend will only continue, as AI tools make it easier and more efficient to pull off romance scams on an increasingly larger scale.

Even so, the guidelines for avoiding romance scams remain the same:

  • Never send money to someone you’ve never met in person.
  • Things move too fast, too soon—like when the other person starts talking about love almost right away.
  • They say they live far away and can’t meet in person because they live abroad, all part of a scammers story that they’re there for charity or military service.
  • Look out for stories of urgent financial need, such as sudden emergencies or requests for help with travel expenses to meet you.
  • Also watch out for people who ask for payment in gift cards, crypto, wire transfers, or other forms of payment that are tough to recover. That’s a sign of a scam.

3 – Paying to Get Paid: The New Job Scam That Raked in Millions

The job offer sounds simple enough … go online, review products, like videos, or do otherwise simple tasks and get paid doing it—until it’s time to get paid.

It’s a new breed of job scam that took root this spring, one where victims found themselves “paying to get paid.”

The FTC dubbed these scams as “gamified job scams” or “task scams.” Given the way these scams work, the naming fits.

It starts with a text or direct message from a “recruiter” offering work with the promise of making good money by “liking” or “rating” sets of videos or product images in an app, all with the vague purpose of “product optimization.” With each click, you earn a “commission” and see your “earnings” rack up in the app. You might even get a payout, somewhere between $5 and $20, just to earn your trust.

Then comes the hook.

Like a video game, the scammer sweetens the deal by saying the next batch of work can “level up” your earnings. But if you want to claim your “earnings” and book more work, you need to pay up. So you make the deposit, complete the task set, and when you try to get your pay the scammer and your money are gone. It was all fake.

This scam and others like it fall right in line with McAfee data that uncovered a spike in job-related scams of 1,000% between May and July,which undoubtedly built on 2024’s record-setting job scam losses of $501 million.

Whatever form they take, here’s how you can avoid job scams:

Step one—ignore job offers over text and social media

A proper recruiter will reach out to you by email or via a job networking site. Moreover, per the FTC, any job that pays you to “like” or “rate” content is against the law. That alone says it’s a scam.

Step two—look up the company

In the case of job offers in general, look up the company. Check out their background and see if it matches up with the job they’re pitching. In the U.S., The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers a list of businesses you can search.

Step three—never pay to start a job.

Any case where you’re asked to pay to up front, with any form of payment, refuse, whether that’s for “training,” “equipment,” or more work. It’s a sign of a scam.

4 – Seeing is Believing is Out the Window: The Al Roker Deepfake Scam

Prince Harry, Taylor Swift, and now the Today show’s Al Roker, too, they’ve all found themselves as the AI-generated spokesperson for deepfake scams.

In the past, a deepfake Prince Harry pushed bogus investments, while another deepfake of Taylor Swift hawked a phony cookware deal. Then, this spring, a deepfake of Al Roker used his image and voice to promote a bogus hypertension cure—claiming, falsely, that he had suffered “a couple of heart attacks.”

 

The fabricated clip appeared on Facebook, which appeared convincing enough to fool plenty of people, including some of Roker’s own friends. “I’ve had some celebrity friends call because their parents got taken in by it,” said Roker.

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.

Roker put it plainly, “We used to say, ‘Seeing is believing.’ Well, that’s kind of out the window now.”

In all, this stands as a good reminder to be skeptical of celebrity endorsements on social media. If public figure fronts an apparent deal for an investment, cookware, or a hypertension “cure” in your feed, think twice. And better yet, let our Scam Detector help you spot what’s real and what’s fake out there.

5 – September 2025: The First Agentic AI Attack Spotted in The Wild

And to close things out, a look at some recent news, which also serves as a look ahead.

Last September, researchers spotted something unseen before:a cyberattack almost entirely run by agentic AI.

What is Agentic AI?

Definition: Artificial intelligence systems that can independently plan, make decisions, and work toward specific goals with minimal human intervention; in this way, it executes complex tasks by adapting to new info and situations on its own.

Reported by AI researcher Anthropic, a Chinese state-sponsored group allegedly used the company’s Claude Code agent to automate most of an espionage campaign across nearly thirty organizations. Attackers allegedly bypassed guardrails that typically prevent such malicious use with jailbreaking techniques, which broke down their attacks into small, seemingly innocent tasks. That way, Claude orchestrated a large-scale attack it wouldn’t otherwise execute.

Once operational, the agent performed reconnaissance, wrote exploit code, harvested credentials, identified high-value databases, created backdoors, and generated documentation of the intrusion. By Anthropic’s estimate, they completed 80–90% of the work without any human involvement.

According to Anthropic: “At the peak of its attack, the AI made thousands of requests, often multiple per second—an attack speed that would have been, for human hackers, simply impossible to match.”

We knew this moment was coming, and now the time has arrived: what once took weeks of human effort to execute a coordinated attack now boils down to minutes as agentic AI does the work on someone’s behalf.

In 2026, we can expect to see more attacks led by agentic AI, along with AI-led scams as well, which raises an important question that Anthropic answers head-on:

If AI models can be misused for cyberattacks at this scale, why continue to develop and release them? The answer is that the very abilities that allow Claude to be used in these attacks also make it crucial for cyber defense. When sophisticated cyberattacks inevitably occur, our goal is for Claude—into which we’ve built strong safeguards—to assist cybersecurity professionals to detect, disrupt, and prepare for future versions of the attack.

That gets to the heart of security online: it’s an ever-evolving game. As new technologies arise, those who protect and those who harm one-up each other in a cycle of innovation and exploits. As we’re on the side of innovation here, you can be sure we’ll continue to roll out protections that keep you safer out there. Even as AI changes the game, our commitment remains the same.

Happy Holidays!

We’re taking a little holiday break here and we’ll be back with our weekly roundups again in 2026. Looking forward to catching up with you then and helping you stay safer in the new year.

The post This Year in Scams: A 2025 Retrospective, and a Look Ahead at 2026 appeared first on McAfee Blog.

How To Spot Health Insurance Scams This Open Enrollment Season

By: McAfee

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.

What Kind Of Health Insurance Scams Are Out There Right Now?

Here’s how some of those scams can play out.

The Phishing Strategy

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.

The Long Con

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.

The “Fake” Cancellation Scam

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.

What Are The Signs Of A Health Insurance Scam?

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.

How to Avoid Health Insurance Scams

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.

This Week in Scams: Petco Breach Warning, and Watch Out for Fake Federal Calls

By: McAfee
A dog in a sweater on a walk.

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.

Two data security lapses discovered at Petco in one week put pet parents at risk

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:

Copy of the form letter posted on the California Attorney General’s Website
Copy of the form letter posted on the California Attorney General’s Website

 

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.”

What to do if you think you had info stolen in the Petco breach

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.

Image Credit: Federal Register
Image Credit: Federal Register

 

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.

  1. First, contact one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and place a fraud alert on your credit report.
  2. That will cover all three bureaus and make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. You can also quickly freeze your credit altogether with McAfee+ Ultimate.
  3. Also notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) along with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and file a police report immediately if you believe your number is being misused.

The call center number that connects you to … scammers?

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).

Is that a call from an FTC “agent?” If so, it’s a scam.

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:

  • Never transfer or send money to anyone in response to an unexpected call or message, no matter who they say they are.
  • Know that the FTC won’t ask for money. In fact, no government agency will ever tell you to deposit money at a cryptocurrency ATM, buy gift cards and share the numbers, or send money over a payment app like Zelle, Cash App, or Venmo.
  • Don’t trust your caller ID. A call might look like it’s coming from the government or a business, but scammers often fake caller ID.

And we close things out a quick roundup …

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.

Think That Party Invite Is Real? Fake E-Vite Scams Are the New Phishing Trap

By: Brooke Seipel

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:

Screenshot of a Phishing Email sent this holiday season
Screenshot of a Phishing Email sent 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. 

What Is a Fake E-Vite Scam? 

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: 

  • Entering your email and password 
  • Creating a fake account on a malicious site 
  • Clicking links that lead to credential-stealing pages 
  • Downloading malware disguised as an invitation 

Once scammers have your login information, they can: 

  • Take over your email 
  • Reset passwords on other accounts 
  • Send scams to your contacts 
  • Launch identity theft attempts 

How These Fake Invitation Scams Usually Work 

Here’s the most common flow: 

  1. You receive a digital invitation that looks normal 
  2. The message prompts you to “view the invitation” 
  3. You’re redirected to a login or signup page 
  4. You enter your email, password, or personal info 
  5. The invitation never appears 
  6. Your credentials have now been stolen 

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.

How to Tell If a Paperless Post Invite Is Real 

Paperless Post has publicly acknowledged these scams and shared what legitimate messages actually look like. 

Legitimate Paperless Post Emails Will Never: 

  • Include .EXE attachments 
  • Include .PDF attachments 
  • Include any attachments other than image files 

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.  

The Biggest Red Flags of a Fake E-Vite 

If you see any of the following, do not click: 

  • You’re forced to log in to “see” who invited you 
  • The sender email doesn’t match the official domains above 
  • The invitation creates urgency 
  • You’re asked for payment to view the event 
  • The message feels generic instead of personal 
  • The site address looks slightly off 

Why These Scams Are So Effective Right Now 

Modern phishing attacks don’t rely on sloppy design anymore. Many now use: 

  • Polished branding 
  • Clean layouts 
  • Familiar platforms 
  • Friendly language 
  • Social pressure 

Invitation phishing is especially powerful because: 

  • It triggers curiosity 
  • It feels harmless 
  • It mimics real social behavior 
  • It doesn’t start with fear or threats 
  • By the time the scam turns risky, your guard is already down. 

What To Do If You Clicked a Fake E-Vite 

If you entered any information into a suspicious invitation page: 

  1. Immediately change your email password 
  2. Change any other account that reused that password 
  3. Enable two-factor authentication 
  4. Check for unknown login activity 
  5. Warn contacts if your email may have been compromised 
  6. Run a security scan on your device 

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.

How to Stay Safe on Your New AI Browser

By: McAfee

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.

What are agentic AI browsers?

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.

Is it safe to use an AI browser?

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.

How To Use an AI Browser Safely

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.”

How McAfee Can Help

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.

This Week in Scams: Phony AI Ads, Apple Account Takeover Attempts, and a PlayStation Scam

By: McAfee

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.

Keep a sharp eye out for fake AI shopping ads that sell knockoff goods

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:

  • Less than one in 10 (8%) people feel “very confident” in their ability to spot an AI-generated ad on social media.
  • More than half (56%) fear that they or a family member could get scammed as a result.
  • About two-thirds (63%) said that they won’t purchase anything from social media platforms because they’re not sure what’s real and what’s fake.

From the study … could you tell these ads are both fake?

 

 

Fake ads, like this, have been popping up across social.
Fake ads, like this, have been popping up across social.

 

 

Could you tell this ad is fake?
Could you tell this ad is 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:

Phishing sites

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.

Knock-off sites

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:

  • First off, any offer that sounds too good to be true and heavy discounts on hard-to-find or popular items are major signs of a scam—and have been for years running now.
  • See if the image looks a little too polished or even cartoony in some cases. As for people in AI ads, they can look airbrushed and have skin tones that seemingly give off an odd glow.
  • Look up reviews of the company. Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau offer great resources for that. Even simple a search using “CompanyName scam” can give you an idea if it’s a scam or not.
  • And lastly, the combination of our Scam Detector and Web Protection can help sniff out a scam for you.

The Apple Support scam that came from … Apple? (Not really. We’ll explain.)

“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.

So, what went wrong here? Let’s break down three key moments in this account takeover scam:

  • The unsolicited phone calls. That’s an immediate sign to hang up and call an official support number to confirm the “issue” yourself.
  • The fake website. A site with a URL like “appeal-apple dot com” is a scam site, even if it looks “official.” Scammers can create them easily today.
  • The code heist. Scammers trick people into handing over their authorization code by calling it something else, like a “confirmation code.”

So, how can you protect yourself from account takeover scams? Let’s break that down too.

  • Know that Apple Support won’t call you or open a case on your behalf.
  • Also know that anyone can create an Apple Support ticket for anyone else, without verification. If you didn’t create it yourself, it’s a strong sign of a scam.
  • If you have concerns, call Apple yourself at 1-800-275-2273 or contact them through their Apple Support App, available here on Apple’s support page.
  • Only interact with Apple through sites and emails with the proper “apple dot com” address. Watch out for altered addresses like the “appeal-apple dot com” used here.
  • Never, ever share your authentication code in any way … verbally, in an email, in a text, or a website. Any request for it from anyone is a scam.
  • You can see the devices signed into your account any time. Go to Settings, tap your Name, and scroll to see all devices linked to your Apple ID.
  • Get protection that blocks links to scam sites, like our Scam Detectorand Web Protection.

The FCC takes aim at the Wal-Mart PlayStation 5 Robocall Scam

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.

Get a scam call? Who’s here you can report it to:

And we close things out a quick roundup …

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.

McAfee Named ADVANCED+ in Real-World Protection — What That Means for You

By: Brooke Seipel

When it comes to online safety, independent testing matters. And in the latest AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test, McAfee earned the highest possible rating, ADVANCED+, with a 99.5% protection rate. It’s the kind of recognition that helps shoppers understand which tools truly hold up in real-life conditions, not just in controlled lab environments.

For anyone navigating today’s mix of emails, downloads, suspicious links, and AI-driven scams, independent results like these are a clear signal: strong protection still makes a real difference.

What Is the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test?

The Real-World Protection Test is an independent evaluation run by AV-Comparatives, a trusted third-party security testing lab. The test measures how well antivirus and online protection tools block real threats that people encounter every day, including dangerous URLs, malicious downloads, phishing pages, and harmful files attempting to run on a device.

This type of testing is widely cited by major tech publications and review sites because it reflects actual user behavior rather than controlled lab simulations.

Why This Recognition Matters

According to AV-Comparatives, their Real-World Protection Test is designed to measure how security products perform in situations people face every day: clicking a link, opening a file, visiting a site for the first time.

It’s one of the most widely cited sources in tech journalism and consumer product reviews, and it often shapes how online shoppers evaluate cybersecurity tools.

Here’s why tests like these are used in tech reviews, buying guides, and search engine rankings:

  • They compare multiple brands under the same conditions
  • They use real-world threats, not theoretical malware
  • They measure false positives, which impact everyday usability
  • They influence third-party reviews and product roundups
  • They help shoppers choose trustworthy protection without guesswork

McAfee has earned an ADVANCED+ rating in all tests since June 2022, demonstrating our consistency and reliability in the moments that matter most: when a threat appears disguised as something routine.

About the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test

The latest evaluation included 19 consumer security products, each tested across the full attack chain, from the moment a malicious URL is accessed to the instant a dangerous file tries to execute.

Unlike benchmark tests that focus on one part of the process, this assessment mirrors real user behavior. AV-Comparatives notes that the methodology is meant to be “as realistic as possible,” and the results often reveal meaningful differences in both protection and false positives.

With this round of testing, McAfee maintains its cycle of highest ratings in every Real-World Protection Test, while several well-known competitors were downgraded due to high false-positive counts.

What This Means for Everyday Users

A high protection score matters most when you’re simply going about your day — shopping, banking, downloading a file, or clicking a link you think is safe. Independent recognition signals three core things:

1. Trustworthy Protection

Strong results indicate that advanced threats, misleading links, and malicious downloads are blocked before they can cause harm.

2. Fewer False Alarms

With only four false positives out of nearly 500 samples, McAfee flagged less than 1% of clean files incorrectly. For context: the industry average in this test was 10 false positives, and one competitor even misidentified 75, meaning it labeled nearly 16% of harmless activity as a threat.

The takeaway is simple: strong protection shouldn’t get in your way, and these results show it doesn’t.

3. Innovation That Keeps Pace With Scammers

Criminals now use AI to make fake emails, websites, and support messages look real. Testing that mirrors those real-world conditions helps consumers see which tools stay ahead of that curve.

A Note on McAfee Protection Tools

McAfee’s threat protection, the same technology validated in this test, is built into McAfee+ Premium, McAfee+ Advanced, McAfee+ Ultimate, McAfee Total Protection, and McAfee LiveSafe.

McAfee’s built-in Scam Detector, included in all core plans, automatically detects scams across text, email, and video, blocks dangerous links, and identifies deepfakes—stopping harm before it happens.

The post McAfee Named ADVANCED+ in Real-World Protection — What That Means for You appeared first on McAfee Blog.

The Most Impersonated Brands in Holiday Shopping, Ranked

By: Brooke Seipel

Scammers aren’t worried about ending up on the naughty list. If anything, they’re doubling down in 2025.  

This year, scammers are impersonating major brands with startling accuracy, from fake delivery updates to cloned checkout pages.

Our McAfee Labs researchers analyzed real scam texts, emails, and URLs from October through early November, along with consumer survey data, to identify the patterns shaping this season’s fraud.

Here’s what shoppers need to know, what’s trending upward, and how to spot the fakes before they reach your cart.

What Is a Holiday Brand-Impersonation Scam?

A brand-impersonation scam is when criminals copy a real brand, like a retailer, tech company, bank, or delivery service, to make fake emails, texts, ads, or websites that look legitimate.

Their goal is to trick shoppers into clicking, entering account details, or making a payment.

McAfee Labs’ brand impersonation analysis shows criminals focusing on the items people shop for most — tech gifts, luxury goods, and high-demand drops.

Fake versions of these brands typically include:

  • Copied product photos
  • Familiar layouts
  • Holiday sale graphics
  • Support pages designed to capture logins
An example of a phishing attempt this holiday season.
An example of a phishing attempt this holiday season. THIS IS A FAKE PHISHING EMAIL!

Which Brands Are Being Faked the Most This Holiday Season?

Top 5 most impersonated luxury brands

  1. Coach
  2. Dior
  3. Ralph Lauren
  4. Rolex
  5. Gucci
Top 5 most impersonated mainstream consumer brands
  1. Apple
  2. Nintendo
  3. Samsung
  4. Disney
  5. Steam

Other Key Research Takeaways US:

  • Email scams are exploding, up ~50% in retail and ~85% in tech as the holidays approach.
  • Fake storefronts are rising, with technology URL scams up nearly 50% and consumer URL scams up ~5%.
  • Trusted brands are the most impersonated, including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Walmart, and Costco.
  • 96% plan to shop online
  • 91% see ads from unfamiliar retailers
  • 37% may buy from brands they don’t recognize
  • AI is reshaping scams, with 46% of Americans encountering fake celebrity or influencer endorsements.

Other Key Research Takeaways UK:

  • 97% plan to shop online
  • 86% see ads from unfamiliar retailers
  • 30% may buy from brands they don’t recognize
  • AI is reshaping scams, with 42% of Americans encountering fake celebrity or influencer endorsements.

How to Stay Safe While Brands Are Being Faked This Season

Scammers are getting better at copying the brands you trust, but avoiding the fakes gets much easier when you slow down, verify what you see, and use tools that check links and messages before you click.

Here’s what actually helps during a season when realistic-looking scams are everywhere:

1. Go straight to the source

If you get a message about an order, refund, delivery issue, or account lockout, don’t click the link.

Go directly to the retailer’s app or type the URL manually.

This single habit eliminates most holiday scams.

This may look exactly like the Netflix login page... but it's not. This scam landing page is meant to steal your username and password.
This may look exactly like the Netflix login page… but it’s not. This scam landing page is meant to steal your username and password.

2. Inspect the sender, not the graphics

Scammers can recreate logos, colors, and templates perfectly.

What they can’t easily mimic:

  • A legitimate domain
  • A verified phone number
  • A support email that matches the company’s format

If the sender looks off, the message is off.

3. Let security tools check the link for you

McAfee’s online protection adds a critical layer of holiday safety, especially when scammers imitate retailers with near-perfect accuracy.

Key protections include:

Web Protection
Blocks malicious or suspicious websites before they load — including fake checkout pages, login portals, and support sites.

Scam Detector
Built into all core McAfee plans. It flags scam texts, emails, and even deepfake-style video promotions, letting you know a link or message is unsafe before you interact with it.

Password Manager
Creates and stores strong, unique passwords so a stolen login from one retailer doesn’t unlock your whole digital life.

Identity & Financial Monitoring
Transaction Monitoring and Credit Monitoring can alert you to unusual activity — a crucial safety net when stolen logins, card numbers, or personal details circulate quickly during the holidays.

These tools help counter the exact tactics scammers rely on: cloned websites, fake brand emails, and phishing links disguised as legitimate retailers.

This shows a SMishing text from a fake Amazon. Companies won't text you like this.
This shows a SMishing text from a fake Amazon. Companies won’t text you like this.

4. Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere you shop

Even if a scammer gets your password, they can’t get in without your one-time code.

5. Treat urgency as a red flag

Legitimate companies don’t ask you to “act in minutes,” pay fees to “unlock” an account, or claim you must stay on the line.

Pressure is a tactic — not customer service.

6. Keep an eye on your accounts

Check your banking and shopping accounts weekly.

Small unauthorized charges often appear before large ones.

The post The Most Impersonated Brands in Holiday Shopping, Ranked appeared first on McAfee Blog.

This Week in Scams: DoorDash Breach and Fake Flight Cancellation Texts

By: McAfee

Leading off our news on scams this week, a heads-up for DoorDash users, merchants, and Dashers too. A data breach of an undisclosed size may have impacted you.

Per an email sent by the company to “affected DoorDash users where required,” a third party gained access to data that may have included a mix of the following:

  • First and last name
  • Physical address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

You might have got the email too. And even if you didn’t, anyone who’s used DoorDash should take note.

As to the potential scope of the breach, DoorDash made no comment in its email or a post on their help site. Of note, though, is that one of the help lines cited in their post mentions a French-language number—implying that the breach might affect Canadian users as well. Any reach beyond the U.S. and Canada remains unclear.

Per the company’s Q2 financial report this year, “hundreds of thousands of merchants, tens of millions of consumers, and millions of Dashers across over 30 countries every month.” Stats published elsewhere put the user base at more than 40 million people, which includes some 600,000 merchants.

The company underscored that no “sensitive” info like Social Security Numbers (and potentially Canadian Social Insurance Numbers) were involved in the breach. This marks the third notable breach by the well-known delivery service, with incidents in 2019 and 2022

Image of DoorDash email about data breach.
Image of DoorDash email about data breach.

What to do if you think you got caught up in the DoorDash breach

While the types of info involved here appear to be limited, any time there’s a breach, we suggest the following:

Protect your credit and identity. Checking your credit and getting identity theft protection can help keep you safer in the aftermath of a breach. Further, a security freeze can help prevent identity theft if you spot any unusual activity. You can get all three in place with our McAfee+ Advanced or Ultimate plans.

Keep an eye out for phishing attacks. With some personal info in hand, bad actors might seek out more. They might follow up a breach with rounds of phishing attacks that direct you to bogus sites designed to steal your personal info. As with any text or email you get from a company, make sure it’s legitimate before clicking or tapping on any links. Instead, go straight to the appropriate website or contact them by phone directly. Also, protections like our Scam Detector and Web Protection can alert you to scams and sketchy links before they take you somewhere you don’t want to go.

Update your passwords and use two-factor authentication. Changing your password is a strong preventive measure. Strong and unique passwords are best, which means never reusing your passwords across different sites and platforms. Using a password manager helps you stay on top of it all while also storing your passwords securely.

Attention travelers: Now boarding, a rise in flight cancellation scams

Even as the FAA lifted recent flight restrictions on Monday morning, scammers are still taking advantage of lingering uncertainty, and upcoming holiday travel, with a spate of flight cancellation scams.

How the scam works

Fake cancellation texts

The first comes via a text message saying that your flight has been cancelled and you must call or rebook quickly to avoid losing your seat—usually in 30 minutes. It’s a typical scammer trick, where they hook you with a combination of bad news and urgency. Of course, the phone number and the site don’t connect you with your airline. They connect you to a scammer, who walks away with your money and your card info to potentially rip you off again.

Fake airline sites in search results

The second uses paid search results. We’ve talked about this trick in our blogs before. Because paid search results appear ahead of organic results, scammers spin up bogus sites that mirror legitimate ones and promote them in paid search. In this way, they can look like a certain well-known airline and appear in search before the real airline’s listing. With that, people often mistakenly click the first link they see. From there, the scam plays out just as above as the scammer comes away with your money and card info.

How to avoid flight cancellation scams

Q: How can I confirm whether my flight is really canceled?
A: Check directly in your airline’s official app or website. Never click links in texts or emails.

Q: How can I spot a fake airline search result?
A: Look for “Ad”/“Sponsored,” confirm the URL, and check that the site uses HTTPS, not HTTP.

Q: Is there a tool that flags fake booking sites?
A: Scam-spotting tools like Scam Detector and Web Protection can identify sketchy links before you click.

In search, first isn’t always best.

Look closely to see if your top results are tagged with “Sponsored” or “Ad” in some way, realizing it might be in fine print. Further, look at the web address. Does it start with “https” (the “s” means secure), because many scam sites simply use an unsecured “http” site. Also, does the link look right? For example, if you’re searching for “Generic Airlines,” is the link the expected “genericairlines dot-com” or something else? Scammers often try to spoof it in some way by adding to the name or by creating a subdomain like this: “genericairlines.rebookyourflight dot-com.”

Get a scam detector to spot bogus links for you.

Even with these tips and tools, spotting bogus links with the naked eye can get tricky. Some look “close enough” to a legitimate link that you might overlook it. Yet a combination of features in our McAfee+ plans can help do that work for you.  Our Scam Detector helps you stay safer with advanced scam detection technology built to spot and stop scams across text messages, emails, and videos. Likewise, our Web Protection will alert you if a link might take you to a sketchy site. It’ll also block those sites if you accidentally tap or click on a bad link.

Scammers Hijack a Trusted Mass Texting Provider

You’ve probably seen plenty of messages sent by short code numbers. They’re the five- or six-digit codes used to send texts instead of by a phone number. For example, your cable company might use one to send a text for resetting a streaming password, the same goes for your pharmacy to let you know a prescription is ready or your state’s DoT to issue a winter travel alert, and so on.

According to NBC News, scammers sent hundreds of thousands of texts using codes used by the state of New York, a charity, and a political organizing group. The article also cites an email sent to messaging providers by the U.S. Short Code Registry, an industry nonprofit that maintains those codes in the U.S. In the email, the registry said attempted attacks on messaging providers are on the rise.

What this means for the rest of us is that just about any text from an unknown number, and now short codes, might contain malicious links and content. It’s one more reason to arm yourself with the one-two punch of our Scam Detector and Web Protection.

What are short codes?
Short codes are 5–6 digit numbers used by pharmacies, utilities, banks, and government agencies to send official alerts.

Why this attack is unusual
Scammers didn’t spoof short codes—they gained access to real ones used by:

  • The State of New York
  • A charity
  • A political organizing group

Why this matters
Even texts from legitimate short-code numbers can no longer be trusted at face value.

What to do now

  • Treat any unexpected text—even from a short code—as suspicious.
  • Don’t tap links.
  • Verify by going directly to the official website or app.

Quick Scam Roundup

Consumers warned over AI chatbots giving inaccurate financial advice 

  • Our advice: Always verify recommendations with trusted financial sources

Why our own clicks are often cybercrime’s greatest allies

  • Our advice: Many attacks rely on rushed or emotional decisions, slow down before clicking

TikTok malware scam uses fake software activation guides to steal data

  • Our advice: Download software only from official sources

 

We’ll be back after the Thanksgiving weekend with more updates, scam news, and ways to stay cyber safe.

The post This Week in Scams: DoorDash Breach and Fake Flight Cancellation Texts appeared first on McAfee Blog.

How to Follow McAfee on Google News in One Simple Step

By: McAfee

Want McAfee’s latest scam alerts, cybersecurity tips, and safety updates to show up automatically in your Google News feed? You can follow McAfee directly on Google News with a single tap.

Google News now gives every official publisher a dedicated page — and McAfee has one. Once you follow us, our newest articles will appear in your Following tab and throughout your personalized news feed whenever they’re relevant to you.

Here’s how to do it in seconds.

Follow McAfee on Google News

Step 1: Go to our official Google News page

Tap or click this link:

McAfee Official Google News Source Page

This opens McAfee’s verified publisher page inside Google News.

Image shows McAfee's Google News source page.
Image shows McAfee’s Google News source page.

Step 2: Tap the ⭐ “Follow” button

You’ll see a star icon at the top of the page.

Tap Follow and you’re done.

That’s it — McAfee is now part of your personalized news feed.

What happens after you follow McAfee

When you tap the star:

  • McAfee appears under Following → Sources in Google News
  • Our stories show up more often when you search for cybersecurity topics
  • You’ll see McAfee alerts, safety tips, and threat updates sooner
  • Google prioritizes McAfee when we publish on topics you care about (AI scams, malware, identity theft, etc.)

No settings menus. No advanced search. Just one tap.

How to Unfollow or Manage Your Sources

If you ever want to update your feed:

  1. Open Google News

  2. Go to Following → Sources

  3. Tap the star again to unfollow

  4. Or rearrange which sources matter most to you

 

Image shows how to find your preferred sources in Google News

FAQs

Do I need the Google News app?

No. Following works in both browsers and the app.

Will this make McAfee show up first for every search?

Not automatically — but Google does prioritize publishers you follow when the content is relevant.

Can I follow McAfee on multiple devices?

Yes. It’s tied to your Google account, not your phone or laptop.

Is the follow button safe?

Absolutely. This is Google’s built-in publisher follow system.

Stay Updated, Stay Safer

Cyber threats move fast — following McAfee on Google News makes it easier to stay ahead of scams, breaches, and emerging AI risks.

The post How to Follow McAfee on Google News in One Simple Step appeared first on McAfee Blog.

This Week in Scams: New Alerts for iPhone and Android Users and a Major Google Crackdown

By: McAfee

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.

The “We found your iPhone” scam

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 …

A smartphone screenshot showing a fraudulent text message claiming a lost iPhone 14 has been located and instructing the recipient to click a link. A large red diagonal stamp reading “Betrug / Fraud” overlays the message, indicating it is a scam.
Source: NCSC, Switzerland

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.

Here’s what the NCSC suggests:

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.

Android phone takeover scam

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.

Here’s how you can avoid that:

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.

Google takes aim at phishing scams with a lawsuit against an alleged criminal organization

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.

And now for a quick roundup …

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

Nearly 80% of parents fear their kids will fall for an AI scam, but they aren’t sure how to talk about it

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.

This Week in Scams: Fake Steaks and Debit Card Porch Pirates

By: McAfee

We’re back with a new edition of “This Week in Scams,” a roundup of what’s current and trending in all things sketchy online.

This week, we have fake steaks, why you should shop online with a credit card, and a new and utterly brash form of debit card fraud.

Fake steaks from “0maha Steaks”

Yes, the letter “O” for Omaha in the subject line of this email scam is actually a zero. And that’s not the only thing that’s off with this email, it’s a total scam.

An image of a scam 0maha Steaks email.

 

If you like your choice cuts, the name Omaha Steaks might be a familiar one. They’ve been around for almost 110 years, and since 1953 they’ve been in the mail order meat business. Today, they sell, well, just about anything you can picture in the butcher or seafood case. With that, the company enjoys a premium reputation, so it’s little surprise scammers have latched onto it and built a phishing attack around the brand—one they garnish with a nod to concerns over rising food prices.

A few things can quickly tip you off to this scam. For starters, the scammers oddly spell Omaha with a zero in the subject line, as mentioned. From there, the sender’s email address is a straight ref flag. In this case, it’s the curiously spelled “steaksamplnext” followed by a (redacted) domain name that isn’t the legitimate omahasteaks dot-com address. Also curious is the lack of an actual price for the bogus “Gourmet Box.” And lastly, you might think that a premium foods brand would showcase some pictures of their famous fare in the email. Not so here.

Rounding it out, you’ll see the classic scammer tactics of scarcity and urgency, which scammers hope will pressure people to act immediately. In this case, only 500 of these supposed boxes are available, and the offer “concludes tomorrow.”

How to avoid Omaha Steak scams and phishing scams like them

Even as this scam makes the rounds, it’s easy to spot if you give it a closer look and a little thought—giving it a sort of old-school feel to it. However, more and more of today’s phishing emails look increasingly legit, thanks to AI tools, which might get you to click.

As for phishing attacks like this in general, you can protect yourself by:

Always checking the email address of the sender. If it doesn’t match the proper address of the company or brand that’s supposedly sending the email, it’s a scam. In this case, from the people at Omaha Steaks themselves, “If it doesn’t show OmahaSteaks.com and @OmahaSteaks, it’s not us!”

Looking for addresses and links that look like they’ve been slightly altered so that they seem “close enough” to the real thing. In this case, the scammer didn’t even bother to try. However, you could expect an alteration like “omahasteakofferforyou.com” to try and look legit.

Getting a scam detector. Our Scam Detector, found in all core McAfee plans, helps you stay safer with advanced scam detection technology built to spot and stop scams across text messages, emails, and videos. It’ll also block those sites if you accidentally tap or click on a bad link.

One good reason for using your credit card when shopping online.

What’s the most common kind of fraud? If you said, “credit card,” you’ll find it number five on the list. The top form is debit cards, according to 2025 findings from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

As reported by financial institutions, the Fed found that attempts at debit card fraud rose to 73% with 52% of those attempts being successful.

There’s a good reason for that debit card fraud ranks highest for attempts and success rate. It’s the same reason that credit card fraud is relatively low. Debit cards don’t have the same fraud protections in place that credit cards do.

As you might have read in our blogs before, credit cards offer additional protection thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). Your maximum liability is $50 for fraudulent charges on a lost or stolen card if you report the loss to your issuer within 60 days. In the case of relatively unprotected debit cards, those losses often go unrecovered.

Keep this in mind as you sit down for your online shopping for the holidays: use a credit card instead of a debit card. That gives you the protection of the FCBA if your shopping session gets hacked or if the retailer experiences a data breach somewhere down the road. Also think about making it even safer by shopping with a VPN. Our VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” that protects your data from crooks and prying eyes, so your card info stays private.

A new debit card scam with a porch pirate twist

First reported by the FBI last year, we’re seeing continued reports of a brash and bold form of debit card scam—people physically handing over their cards to scammers.

The scam starts like many card scams do, with a phone call. Scammers spoof the caller ID of the victim’s bank or credit union, ring them up, and tell them there’s a “problem” with their account. From there, scammers direct victims to cut up their current card—but with a twist. They tell victims to keep the little EMV chip for tap-and-go payments intact.

Why? Victims get instructed to leave the cut-up card and intact chip in the mailbox for a “courier” to pick up for “security purposes.” Once in hand, scammers get access to the bank account associated with the chip. Even if the scammers don’t wrangle a PIN number out of their victims with a little social engineering trickery, they can still make purchases with the chip as some points of sale don’t require a PIN number when tapping to pay.

Here’s how you can avoid the “porch pirate” debit card scam

Shred your old cards in a paper shredder. Then, take the next step. Grab the shredded pieces and throw them away in separate batches. This will all make it fantastically tough for a scammer to piece together your card and steal your info.

Call back your bank yourself. If you get a call, voicemail, or text saying there’s an issue with your account, you can verify any possible issue yourself by calling the number on the back of your card.

Know that banks won’t send “couriers” for cards. And they’ll simply never ask you to leave your card in your mailbox.

Other scam and cybersecurity headlines this week

That’s our roundup for this week. We’ll catch you next Friday with more updates, scam news, and ways you can stay safer out there.

The post This Week in Scams: Fake Steaks and Debit Card Porch Pirates appeared first on McAfee Blog.

The Louvre Used Its Own Name as a Password. Here’s What to Learn From It

By: Brooke Seipel
The Louvre at night

If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve probably seen the headlines out of Paris: one of the most audacious heists in decades took place at the Louvre, where thieves made off with centuries-old crown jewels worth tens of millions of dollars.

But amid the cinematic drama, a quieter detail emerged that’s almost harder to believe—according to French newspaper Libération (via PC Gamer), auditors discovered that the password protecting the museum’s video surveillance system was simply “Louvre.”

While it’s not yet confirmed whether this played a direct role in the robbery, cybersecurity experts point out that weak or reused passwords remain one of the easiest ways for criminals—digital or otherwise—to get inside.

Safety Lessons You Can Learn from The Louvre

The Louvre’s cybersecurity audits, dating back to 2014, reportedly revealed a pattern of outdated software and simple passwords that hadn’t been updated in years. Subsequent reviews noted “serious shortcomings,” including security systems running on decades-old software no longer supported by developers.

That situation mirrors one of the most common security issues individuals face at home. Whether it’s an email account, a social media login, or your home Wi-Fi router, using an easy or repeated password is like leaving the front door open. Hackers don’t need to break in when they can just walk through.

As experts here at McAfee have explained, cybercriminals routinely rely on “credential stuffing” attacks, in which they test stolen passwords from one breach against other sites to see what else they can access. If you’ve used the same password for your streaming account and your online banking, it’s not hard to imagine what could go wrong.

What’s A Bad Password?

  • Obvious or guessable: Anything like “password,” “123456,” or even the name of the service (“Louvre,” “Netflix,” “Chase”) can be cracked in seconds.
  • Dictionary words: Real words or phrases are easier for hacking programs to guess, even when combined creatively.
  • Repeated passwords: Reusing a password across multiple sites means one breach can expose everything.
  • Personal details: Pet names, birthdays, and favorite bands can all be scraped from social media—making them the first thing a hacker will try.

What Makes A Strong Password

A strong password is long, complex, and unique. Cybersecurity experts recommend at least 12–16 characters that mix uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A short password can be guessed in minutes; a long one can take decades to crack.

If that sounds like a lot to juggle, you’re not alone. That’s why password managers exist.

Why A Password Manager Is Your Best Guard

A password manager takes the work—and the guesswork—out of creating and remembering complex passwords. It generates random combinations that are nearly impossible to crack, then stores them securely using advanced encryption.

The added bonus? You’ll never have to reuse a password again. Even if one account is theoretically compromised in a breach, your others remain protected because each password is unique.

McAfee’s password manager also uses multi-factor authentication (MFA), meaning you’ll need at least two forms of verification before signing in—like a code sent to your phone. That extra step can stop hackers cold, even if they somehow get your password.

How to protect yourself

To keep your digital treasures safer than the Louvre’s jewels:

  • Use strong, unique passwords for every account. Longer is better.
  • Change passwords regularly and especially after any breach or suspicious activity.
  • Turn on MFA wherever possible—it’s one of the simplest and most effective protections.
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive logins, or use a secure VPN.
  • Store passwords safely with a reputable password manager instead of your browser or a notepad.

The bottom line

Reports of the Louvre’s weak password might make for an easy punchline, but the truth is that millions of people make the same mistake every day—reusing simple passwords across dozens of accounts. Strong, unique passwords (and the right tools to manage them) are still one of the most powerful defenses against data theft and identity fraud.

As scams and breaches continue to evolve, your best defense is awareness and protection that adapts just as fast. McAfee’s built-in Scam Detector, included in all core plans, automatically detects scams across text, email, and video, blocks dangerous links, and identifies deepfakes—stopping harm before it happens.

The post The Louvre Used Its Own Name as a Password. Here’s What to Learn From It appeared first on McAfee Blog.

AWS Outage Disrupts Major Apps Like Reddit and Snapchat—What Happened and How to Stay Safe

By: Brooke Seipel

Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the world’s largest cloud providers, recently experienced a major outage that disrupted popular websites and apps across the globe—including Snapchat, Reddit, Fortnite, Ring, and Coinbase, according to reports from CNN and CNBC.

The disruption began out of Northern Virginia, where many of the internet’s most-used applications are hosted.

AWS said the problem originated within its EC2 internal network, impacting more than 70 of its own services, and was tied to DNS issues, the system that tells browsers how to find the right servers online.

A few hours after the initial reports of outages, AWS said the problem had been “fully mitigated,” though it took several more hours for all users to see their systems stabilized, according to CNBC.

There is no indication the outage was caused by a cyberattack, and Amazon continues to investigate the root cause.

Why So Many Apps Went Down

When Amazon Web Services falters, the ripple effects reach far beyond businesses. Millions of consumers suddenly lose access to everyday apps and tools, including everything from banking and airline systems to gaming platforms and smart home devices.

“In the past, companies ran their own servers—if one failed, only that company’s customers felt it,” said Steve Grobman, McAfee’s Chief Technology Officer. “Today, much of the internet runs on shared backends like Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud. That interconnectedness makes the web faster and more efficient, but it also means one glitch can impact dozens of services at once.”

Grobman noted the issue was related to a capability called DNS within AWS, he described DNS as providing the directions on how systems find each other and even if those systems are operational, it can be detrimental.. It’s analogous to  “tearing up a map or turning off your GPS before driving to the store.” The store might still be open and stocked, he explained, but if you can’t find your way there, it doesn’t matter.

“Even with rigorous safeguards in place, events like this remind us just how complex and intertwined our digital world has become,” Grobman added. “It highlights why resilience and layered protection matter more than ever.”

Outages Create Confusion—And Opportunity for Scammers

Events like this sow uncertainty for consumers. When apps fail to load, people may wonder: Is my account hacked? Is my data at risk? Is it just me?

Cybercriminals exploit that confusion. After past outages, McAfee researchers have seen phishing campaigns, fake refund emails, and malicious links promising “fixes” or “status updates” appear within hours.

Scammers often mimic legitimate service alerts—complete with logos and urgent wording—to trick users into entering passwords or payment information. Others push fake customer-support numbers or send direct messages claiming to “restore access.”

How to Protect Yourself During a Major Outage

Here’s how to stay secure when the :

  1. Pause before you click. Be skeptical of any unsolicited message about outages, refunds, or account verification.
  2. Go straight to the source. Check the official app or website status pages—don’t follow links in emails or texts.
  3. Ignore urgent “fix” offers. Legitimate companies won’t ask you to download tools or send payment to restore access.
  4. Watch for red flags. Requests for money via gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers are almost always scams.
  5. If you clicked a suspicious link:
    1. Change your password immediately (and for any accounts using the same one).
    2. Turn on or refresh two-factor authentication (2FA).
    3. Monitor recent transactions and set up alerts.
    4. Run a trusted security scan to remove any unwanted apps or remote-access tools.

How McAfee Can Help

Using advanced artificial intelligence, McAfee’s Scam Detector automatically detects scams across text, email, and video, blocks dangerous links, and identifies deepfakes, stopping harm before it happens.

McAfee’s identity protection tools also monitor for signs that your personal information may have been exposed and guide you through steps to recover quickly.

Sign in to your McAfee account to scan for recent breaches linked to your email. You can also sign up for a free trial of McAfee antivirus to protect your devices.

The post AWS Outage Disrupts Major Apps Like Reddit and Snapchat—What Happened and How to Stay Safe appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Hackers Trick Staff Into Exposing Major Companies’ Salesforce Data–Find Out if You’re Safe

By: Brooke Seipel

Cybercriminals tricked employees at major global companies into handing over Salesforce access and used that access to steal millions of customer records. 

Here’s the McAfee breakdown on what happened, what information was leaked, and what you need to know to keep your data and identity safe: 

What’s Happening 

Hackers claim they’ve stolen customer data from multiple major companies, including household names like Adidas, Cisco, Disney, Google, IKEA, Pandora, Toyota, and Vietnam Airlines. Security Week has reported throughout 2025 on a wave of social-engineering attacks exploiting human – rather than platform – vulnerabilities. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, the hacking group has already released millions of Qantas Airlines customer records and is threatening to expose information from other companies next.  

The data reportedly includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and loyalty program details. While it doesn’t appear that financial data was included, this kind of personal information can still be exploited in phishing and scam campaigns. 

Salesforce has issued multiple advisories stressing that these attacks stem from credential theft and malicious connected apps – not from a breach of its infrastructure. 

Unfortunately, incidents like this aren’t rare, and they’re not limited to any one platform or industry. Even the most sophisticated companies can fall victim when hackers rely on social engineering and manipulation to breach secure systems. 

How the Hackers Did it 

Hackers reportedly called various companies’ employees pretending to be IT support staff—a tactic known as “vishing”—and convinced them to share login credentials or connect fake third-party tools, essentially handing the criminals the keys to their accounts. Once inside, they accessed customer databases and stole the information stored there. 

Think of it less like a burglar breaking a lock, and more like someone being tricked into opening the door. 

What data was leaked 

So far, leaked data appears to include: 

  • Names and email addresses 
  • Phone numbers 
  • Dates of birth 
  • Home or mailing addresses 
  • Loyalty or frequent-flyer numbers 

There’s no indication of credit card or banking data in the confirmed leaks, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.  

Why this matters to you 

Even if your financial information isn’t exposed in a data breach, personal details like name and address can still be used for targeted scams and phishing.  When that information is stolen and sold online, scammers use it to: 

  • Send realistic phishing emails or texts that reference real details about you. 
  • Try to log into your other accounts if you reuse passwords. 
  • Launch “refund” or “account verification” scams tied to brands you trust. 

Even if your data isn’t part of this specific leak, these attacks highlight how often your information moves through third-party systems you don’t control. 

How to find out if you’ve been affected 

  • Check your email: If you’re a member or customer of one of the named companies, watch for official notifications.  
  • Avoid “dark web lookup” services: Some of these are scams themselves. Stick to legitimate sources. 

What to do now 

1) Change your passwords—today.
Use strong, unique passwords for every account. McAfee’s password manager can help. Try our random password generator here. 

2) Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA).
Even if a hacker has your password, they can’t get in without your code. 

3) Monitor your financial and loyalty accounts.
Watch for strange charges, redemptions, or password reset emails you didn’t request. 

4) Freeze your credit.
It’s free and prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. You can unfreeze it anytime. McAfee users can employ a “security freeze” for extra protection. 

5) Be extra cautious with “breach” emails or calls.
Scammers often pretend to be from affected companies to “help you secure your account.” Don’t click links or give information over the phone. Go directly to the company’s website or app or your own IT team if a breach happens at your workplace. 

6) Consider identity protection.
McAfee’s built-in identity monitoring can monitor your personal info across the dark web, send alerts if your data appears in a breach, and include up to $1 million in coverage for identity recovery expenses. 

 

What scams to expect next 

  • Fake refund or compensation offers. “We noticed your account was impacted. Claim your refund here.” Don’t click. 
  • Loyalty-point phishing. Emails that look like they’re from an airline or retailer asking you to log in to “protect your rewards.” 
  • MFA fatigue scams. Attackers repeatedly send login codes to wear you down, then call pretending to be support asking you to read one aloud. Don’t. 

 

Need ongoing protection? 

Your data could already be out there, but you don’t have to leave it there. 

McAfee helps you take back control. Using advanced artificial intelligence, McAfee’s Scam Detector automatically detects scams across text, email, and video, blocks dangerous links, and identifies deepfakes, stopping harm before it happens. 

And McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup can help you check which data brokers have your private details and request to have it removed on your behalf. 

Stay ahead of scammers. Check your exposure, clean up your data, and protect your identity, all with McAfee. 

Learn more about McAfee and McAfee Scam Detector.  

 

More reading: 

What to do if you’re caught up in a data breach 

How to delete yourself from the internet 

How to spot phishing emails and scams  

The post Hackers Trick Staff Into Exposing Major Companies’ Salesforce Data–Find Out if You’re Safe appeared first on McAfee Blog.

This Week in Scams: $16.6 Billion Lost, Deepfakes Rise, and Google Email Scams Emerge

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

Welcome to the first edition of This Week in Scams, a new weekly series from McAfee breaking down the latest fraud trends, headlines, and real-time threats we’re detecting across the digital landscape. 

This week, we’re spotlighting the FBI’s shocking new cybercrime report, the rise of AI-generated deepfakes, and a sophisticated Gmail impersonation scam flagged by Google. We’re also seeing a surge in location-specific toll scams and fake delivery alerts—a reminder that staying ahead of scammers starts with knowing how they operate. 

Let’s dive in. 

Scams Making Headlines 

$16.6 Billion Lost to Online Scams in 2024
The FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report is here—and the numbers are staggering. Americans lost $16.6 billion to online scams last year, up from $12.5 billion in 2023. Older adults and crypto investors were hit especially hard, but the agency warns the real total is likely much higher, since many victims never report the crime.
Read more

AI-Powered Deepfake Scams Get More Convincing
Deepfake-enabled fraud has already caused more than $200 million in financial losses in just the first quarter of 2025.  

McAfee researchers estimate the average American sees three deepfakes per day, many of which are designed to mimic real people, services, or news stories. Whether it’s fake crypto pitches, job offers, or social media stunts—seeing is no longer believing.
Read more 

Google Warns Users of Sophisticated Email Scam  

Google is alerting Gmail users to a new type of phishing email that looks like it comes from Google itself. These messages often appear in legitimate email threads and pass all typical security checks, but lead victims to a cloned Google login page designed to steal credentials. The scam highlights how attackers are evolving to outsmart traditional filters.
Read more 

 

From Experts at McAfee 

McAfee Researchers have observed a recent surge in the following scam types: 

Fake Delivery Notifications: Scammers impersonate delivery services like USPS, UPS, and FedEx, sending fake tracking links that install malware or steal payment info

Invoice Scams: Fraudulent messages that claim you owe money for a product or service, often accompanied by a fake invoice PDF or request for payment via phone

Cloud Storage Spoofs: Emails that pretend to be from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, prompting you to “log in” to view shared files. The links lead to phishing sites designed to capture your credentials. 

Toll Text Scams: Personalized smishing messages that claim you owe a toll and link to fake payment sites. These messages often use location data—like your area code or recent city visits—to appear legitimate. McAfee Labs saw toll scam texts spike nearly 4x between January and February.

This week, Steve Grobman, executive vice president and chief technology officer at McAfee, said the toll scam is effective because it hits all the correct social points for a consumer. 

These scams often rely on urgency and familiarity—pretending to be something you trust or expect—to get you to act quickly without double-checking. 

How to Stay One Step Ahead 

  1. Be skeptical of emails—even from familiar senders.
    The Gmail scam shows that even official-looking messages can be fake. If an email asks you to log in, don’t click the link. Instead, go to the website directly through your browser and log in from there.
  2. Understand how deepfakes are being used.
    Whether it’s a voice message from someone you know or a video of a public figure promoting an investment, deepfakes are designed to exploit trust. If a message pressures you to act urgently—especially involving money—slow down and verify it through another channel.
  3. Don’t assume personalization means legitimacy.
    Scams like the toll fraud texts feel real because they include specific location data. But scammers can use leaked or purchased personal data to tailor messages. Just because it sounds accurate doesn’t mean it’s trustworthy.
  4. Watch for emotional triggers.
    The most effective scams—whether it’s a fake support email, a travel deal, or a message about a missed toll—create urgency or panic. If something is pushing you to act fast, that’s your cue to stop and verify.
  5. Protect yourself with tools that go beyond basic filters.
    Traditional spam filters aren’t enough anymore. Use security tools—like McAfee Scam Detector—that look at full message context and help flag advanced scams, impersonation attempts, and deepfakes before they cause harm.

Thanks for reading—See you next week with more scam alerts, insights, and protection tips from the McAfee team. 

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Your Phone Is the #1 Target in a New Wave of IRS Scams, McAfee Finds

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

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: 

  • We’ll see a surge in tax scams – The number of malicious tax scam URLs nearly quadrupled from February 1 (2.9% of activity) to February 28 (10.5%) last year, with the biggest spike at the end of the month.  
  • Mobile attacks will dominate – 76% of all tax scam activity in 2024 targeted mobile users via text, often using URL shorteners to disguise fraudulent links. 
  • Highly coordinated scam campaigns will roll out – A single campaign accounted for 17.3% of all tax-related blocked URLs in 2024, using fake IRS-style links (like, ”irs.gov.tax-helping[.]com”). 

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.  

Common Tax Scams To Look Out For 

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: 

  1. Steal account info – Scammers try to highjack account or financial info associated with credit cards and banks to steal funds and make purchases with a victim’s card.
  2. File false returns – Scammers also try to file false returns in a victim’s name and claim their refunds, which leaves the victim without their money and a fraud claim on their hands.
  3. Commit identity theft – Scammers use the info they steal to open new credit lines and accounts in a victim’s name. 
  4. Re-sell stolen info – Finally, scammers can also turn a profit on their victims by selling stolen info on dark web marketplaces. Instead of using it to commit identity theft
    themselves, they sell it to others who will.     

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.   

How Tax Scams Work

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.  

 

How To Avoid Tax Scams

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: 

  • Be suspicious of emails and phone calls claiming to be from the IRS. The IRS typically contacts people by physical mail, not by email or text. (See their list of ways the IRS will contact you for more details.)
  • Never give out personal info on the phone. The IRS will never call to ask for personal info over the phone, and no government agency will ever ask you for money over the phone. Payments demanded in money orders, gift cards, and online payment platforms other than IRS.gov are an absolute red flag. 
  • Go straight to the source. Verify all websites and emails, even when it looks like they come from a trusted tax consultant or partner. Go straight to the source instead of clicking on links in emails or texts. 
  • Remove your personal info from sketchy data broker sites. Scams over email, phone, and text all require something—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. Our Personal Data Cleanup scans some of the riskiest data broker sites and shows you which ones are selling your personal info. 
  • Lastly, file your taxes as quickly as possible. One way to keep a scammer from claiming your refund is to claim it first. In some cases, taxpayers only find out they’ve been scammed once they file a return—only to discover that it’s already been filed. 

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AV-Comparatives Crowns McAfee as 2024’s Leader in Online Protection and Speed

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

McAfee Total Protection users can feel even more secure online knowing that AV-Comparatives has named it the best in 2024 for both real-world protection and overall speed.

The two awards – the 2024 Real-World Protection Gold Award and the Best Overall Speed Gold Award – underscore McAfee’s commitment to providing powerful security without compromising PC performance, a critical combination at a time when 59% of people globally report falling victim to an online scam or knowing someone who has, with 87% of these individuals losing money—an astounding average loss of $1,366 USD.

“We are honored to receive both the Best Real-World Protection and the Best PC Performance awards,” said McAfee Chief Technology Officer Steve Grobman. “AV-Comparatives is a renowned institute with a reputation for analysis and quality assurance that stands tall, and this recognition further reinforces our leadership in online protection. With our AI-powered threat protection, we remain committed to staying one step ahead of cybercriminals while having the lowest impact on PC performance, so that people can enjoy their online lives with confidence.”

Why McAfee Stands Out

Each year, AV-Comparatives rigorously tests leading consumer security products to evaluate their effectiveness in real-world scenarios as well as their impact on system performance. McAfee’s standout results reflect the strength of its:

  • Real-World Protection: AV-Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Test measures a product’s ability to combat malware under everyday conditions. Winners of this test, such as McAfee, provide high levels of protection with minimal false alarms, sparing users the stress and burden of identifying whether something is harmful.
  • Performance: The PC Performance Test evaluates the impact of a security product on system performance. McAfee ranked with the lowest impact on PC performance throughout 2024, ensuring users can stay secure online without their devices losing speed and slowing down.

Learn More About Our Award-Winning Protection

Protect yourself and your family today with McAfee Total Protection, which includes the award-winning anti-malware technology, scam protection, identity monitoring, Secure VPN, password management, and safe browsing capabilities for all-in-one security.

Get started with a free trial of McAfee Total Protection here. McAfee’s award-winning technology is also available in McAfee+ Premium, McAfee+ Advanced, and McAfee+ Ultimate.

Read the full report on AV-Comparatives’ awards here.

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McAfee Deepfake Detector: Fighting Misinformation with AMD AI-Powered Precision

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

In a world where deepfake scams and misinformation are increasingly pervasive, McAfee is taking a bold step forward with major enhancements to its AI-powered deepfake detection technology. By partnering with AMD and harnessing the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) within the latest AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series processors announced at CES, McAfee Deepfake Detector is designed to empower users to discern truth from fiction like never before. 

Deepfakes: A Growing Global Concern 

As deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated, so too does the challenge of identifying manipulated content. Nearly two-thirds of people globally report rising concerns over deepfakes, emphasizing the need for tools that can accurately detect falsified content. 

To address this growing issue, McAfee introduced its cutting-edge AI technology, now supercharged through its collaboration with AMD, McAfee Deepfake Detector can deliver detection in seconds to help consumers navigate videos increasingly riddled with misinformation. 

How McAfee’s AI Deepfake Detector Works

Cybercriminals are leveraging AI to manipulate audio and video, creating hyper-realistic deepfakes that are difficult to identify with the naked eye. McAfee’s Deepfake Detector uses advanced Convolution Neural Network models—AI tools specifically trained to identify manipulated or AI-generated audio within videos. 

The AI Advantage

  • Dynamic Detection – Quickly identifies suspicious content and alerts users. 
  • Local Processing – Inference occurs locally on the device. 
  • Empowerment – Gives users the confidence to navigate online spaces and distinguish authentic content from fake. 

This groundbreaking technology is aimed at not only enhancing online safety but also setting a new standard for AI-powered tools. 

Powered by AMD’s NPU: Next-Level Enhanced Speed, Efficiency, and Privacy 

McAfee’s partnership with AMD takes deepfake detection to the next level. By leveraging the 50 TOPS of performance in the latest AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series processors, McAfee Deepfake Detector achieves lightning–fast detection of deepfakes. This collaboration announced at CES marks a significant leap forward in balancing AI performance with user privacy, giving consumers the best of both worlds: robust protection and peace of mind.  

This newest generation of AMD mobile processors represents huge leaps forward not just in compute and graphics performance but also in AI capabilities and experiences, all powered by the world’s most advanced family of processors1. McAfee Deepfake Detector leverages AMD XDNA™ 2 architecture providing up to a 5X increase in NPU power vs. the previous generation2, confirming continued AMD leadership in innovation and performance in this new category of AI PC computing. 

McAfee’s Deepfake Detector integrates effortlessly into the user’s workflow, ensuring that everyone—from professionals to casual users—can access next-level protection without technical hurdles. 

The Future of Online Safety: Detect Deepfakes, Stay Secure

As deepfake technology evolves, McAfee Deepfake Detector is a game-changer in the fight against misinformation and scams. By combining AI-powered detection with the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series processors and NPU technology, McAfee delivers: 

  • Smarter AI detection of manipulated deepfake videos
  • Faster, power-efficient local processing
  • Cutting-edge security features to inform users on what’s real and what’s fake

 Stay one step ahead of deepfake threats. Whether you’re a professional, a consumer, or simply navigating the digital world, McAfee empowers you to discern truth from fiction—designed for a safer, more secure online experience. 

 

1 Based on node size. As of January 2024, AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series processors are amongst the most advanced series of processors based on 4nm node size, whereas available competitive (non-AMD) x86 laptop processors are based on 7nm TSMC process.

2 Based on engineering specifications as of May 2024 comparing total TOPS capacity for Ryzen AI 300 Series processor’s NPU to Ryzen 7040 Series processor’s NPU.

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2024 Data Breaches Wrapped

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

It’s been a big year for big data breaches. Billions of records on millions of people have been exposed at an estimated cost of nearly $10 trillion dollars to people and businesses alike worldwide.[i]

While we still have a few weeks in the year left to go, here’s a roundup of five of the most noteworthy breaches this year. And while you can’t prevent big data breaches from happening, you can still take several preventive steps to protect yourself from the fallout. We’ll cover them here too.

The National Public Data (NPD) breach

News of a major data breach that involved nearly three billion records came to light over the summer from a somewhat unusual source — a class-action complaint filed in Florida.

The complaint concerned National Public Data (NPD), a company that provides background checks. Per their website, “[NPD obtains] information from various public record databases, court records, state and national databases, and other repositories nationwide.”

The complaint alleged that NPD was hit by a data breach in or around April 2024. [ii] The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court further alleges:

  • The company had sensitive info breached, such as full names; current and past addresses spanning at least the last three decades); Social Security numbers; info about parents, siblings, and other relatives (including some who have been deceased for nearly 20 years); and other personal info.
  • The company “scraped” this info from non-public sources. This info was collected without the consent of the person who filed the complaint and the billions of others who might qualify to join in the class action complaint.
  • The company “assumed legal and equitable duties to those individuals to protect and safeguard that information from unauthorized access and intrusion.”

Typically, companies self-report these breaches, thanks to regulations and legislation that require them to do so in a timely manner. That way, initial word of breaches reaches customers through emails, news reports, and sometimes through notifications to certain state attorney generals.

In this case, it appeared that no notices were immediately sent to potential victims.

As to how the primary plaintiff discovered the breach, he “received a notification from his identity theft protection service provider notifying him that his [personal info] was compromised as a direct result of the ‘nationalpublicdata.com’ breach …” (And you can certainly add online protection software to the list of ways you can find out about a data breach before a company notifies you.)

Further, in June, The Register reported that a hacker group by the name of USDoD claimed it hacked the records of 2.9 billion people and put them up for sale on the dark web.[iii] The price tag, U.S. $3.5 million. The group further claimed that the records include U.S., Canadian, and British citizens.

The Ticketmaster breach

Just how big was the Ticketmaster data breach? It appears that over a half-billion people might have had their personal info compromised.

Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, first announced the breach in late May. The company said that it had identified “unauthorized activity” from April 2 to May 18, 2024.

Soon after, the noted hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach.[iv] According to the hackers, their 1.3 terabyte haul of data includes 560 million people — along with a mix of their names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, order information, and partial payment card details. They allegedly posted that info for sale on the dark web in late May.[v]

Live Nation then began notifying potential victims by physical mail, stating:

“The personal information that may have been obtained by the third party may have included your name, basic contact information, and <extra>.”

Per a support document posted by Ticketmaster, the <extra> part varied by individual. Depending on what was compromised, that might have included “email, phone number, encrypted credit card information as well as some other personal information provided to [Ticketmaster].”[vi]

A breach at insurance and financial tech vendor, Infosys McCamish Systems

Also affecting millions of people in 2024, a breach at Infosys McCamish Systems (IMS), a company that provides solutions and services to insurance companies and financial institutions. Per an announcement from IMS[vii], the company,

“[D]etermined that unauthorized activity occurred between October 29, 2023, and November 2, 2023. Through the investigation, it was also determined that data was subject to unauthorized access and acquisition.”

There’s a good chance you haven’t heard of IMS before reading this article. Yet to put the attack in perspective, it affected people who hold accounts with companies like Bank of America, Oceanview Life and Annuity Company, Fidelity Investments Life Insurance, Newport Group, and Union Labor Life Insurance.

Also per IMS, the full run of personal info swept up in the attack included:

·       Social Security Numbers

·       Dates of birth

·       Medical records

·       Biometric data

·       Email address and passwords

·       Usernames and passwords

 ·       Driver’s license and state ID numbers

·       Financial account info

·       Payment card info

·       Passport numbers

·       Tribal ID numbers

·       US military ID numbers

Notifications went out to potential victims in several ways and at several times. Bank of America sent notices to 50,000 people in February, alerting them that their info was compromised by an unidentified third party.[viii] Fidelity Investments Life Insurance notified 28,000 potential victims in March.[ix] In late June, IMS began contacting the six million potential victims overall — eight months after the date of the initial attack.[x]

A breach at a U.S. debt collector — Financial Business and Consumer Solutions

The second breach involves (FBCS), a bonded collection agency based on the U.S. east coast. On February 26, 2024, the company noted unauthorized access to their systems, which covered a twelve-day period starting on February 14.[xi] In an April notice of a “data event,” FBCS stated that people might have had the following info compromised:

“[C]onsumer name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, driver’s license number, other state identification number, medical claims information, provider information, and clinical information (including diagnosis/conditions, medications, and other treatment information), and/or health insurance information.”

FBCS went on to say that the compromised info varied from person to person.

Initially, the scope of the breach appeared to approach two million victims.[xii] Several updated filings continued to increase that number. At last reporting, the figure had ballooned to more than four million people affected.[xiii]

The AT&T breach

In April, mobile carrier AT&T learned that hackers had stolen the call and text logs of nearly all its customers, estimated at nearly 100 million people. That further included customers who used Cricket, Boost Mobile, and Consumer Cellular, which are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that use AT&T’s network.

The compromised data covered a period between May 1, 2022, and October 31, 2022, with a small number of records from January 2, 2023, also affected. According to AT&T, hackers gained access through a third-party cloud platform account.[xiv]

The stolen data revealed the phone numbers customers communicated with, along with the frequency and total duration of calls and texts for specific periods. In this way, the breach affected more than just customers of AT&T — it affected anyone who may have called or texted with an AT&T customer.

However, AT&T assured customers that the content of calls or texts, timestamps, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, or other personal details were not compromised.

Of concern, a determined hacker with access to the data could infer a lot from these logs, such as businesses and people customers regularly speak with. In turn, this could fuel phishing scams by giving them extra credibility if the scammer poses as the businesses and people involved.

How to protect yourself against data breaches

These breaches show the risks and frustrations that we, as consumers, face in the wake of such attacks. It often takes months before we receive any kind of notification. And of course, that gap gives hackers plenty of time to do their damage. They might use stolen info to commit identity crimes, or they might sell it to others who’ll do the same. Sometimes, we’re in the dark about a data breach until we get hit with a case of identity theft ourselves.

Indeed, plenty of breaches go unreported or under-reported. Even so, word of an attack that affects you might take some time to reach you. With that, preventative measures offer the strongest protection from data breaches.

To fully cover yourself, we suggest the following:

Check your credit, consider a security freeze, and get ID theft protection.

With your personal info potentially on the dark web, strongly consider taking preventive measures now. Checking your credit and getting identity theft protection can help keep you safer in the aftermath of a breach. Further, a security freeze can help prevent identity theft if you spot any unusual activity. You can get all three in place with our McAfee+ Advanced or Ultimate plans. Features include:

  • Credit monitoring keeps 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.
  • Security freeze protects you proactively by stopping unauthorized access to existing credit card, bank, and utility accounts or from new ones being opened in your name. And it won’t affect your credit score.
  • ID Theft & Restoration Coverage gives you $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support if it is determined you’re a victim of identity theft.​ This way, you can cover losses and repair your credit and identity with a licensed recovery expert.

Monitor your identity and transactions.

Breaches and leaks can lead to exposure, particularly on dark web marketplaces where personal info gets bought and sold. Our Identity Monitoring can help notify you quickly if that happens. It keeps tabs on everything from email addresses to IDs and phone numbers for signs of breaches. If spotted, it offers advice that can help secure your accounts before they’re used for identity theft.​

Also in our McAfee+ plans, you’ll find several types of transaction monitoring that can spot unusual activity. These features track transactions on credit cards and bank accounts — along with 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.

Keep an eye out for phishing attacks.

With some personal info in hand, bad actors might seek out more. They might follow up a breach with rounds of phishing attacks that direct you to bogus sites designed to steal your personal info — either by tricking you into providing it or by stealing it without your knowledge. So look out for phishing attacks, particularly after breaches.

If you are contacted by a company, make certain the communication is legitimate. Bad actors might pose as them to steal personal info. Don’t click or tap on links sent in emails, texts, or messages. Instead, go straight to the appropriate website or contact them by phone directly.

For even more security, you can use our Text Scam Detector. It scans links in texts and lets you know if it’s risky. And if you accidentally click or tap a bad link, it blocks the sketchy sites they can take you to.

Update your passwords and use two-factor authentication.

Changing your password is a strong preventive measure. Strong and unique passwords are best, which means never reusing your passwords across different sites and platforms. Using a password manager helps you keep on top of it all, while also storing your passwords securely.

While a strong and unique password is a good first line of defense, enabling two-factor authentication across your accounts helps your cause by providing an added layer of security. It’s increasingly common to see nowadays, where banks and all manner of online services will only allow access to your accounts after you’ve provided a one-time passcode sent to your email or smartphone.

[i] https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1280009/cost-cybercrime-worldwide

[ii]https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/HofmannvJericoPicturesIncDocketNo024cv61383SDFlaAug012024CourtDoc?doc_id=X6S27DVM6H69DSQO6MTRAQRIVBS

[iii] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/03/usdod_data_dump/

[iv] https://www.pcmag.com/news/ticketmaster-confirms-user-email-addresses-phone-numbers-stolen-in-hack

[v] https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1335258/000133525824000081/lyv-20240520.htm

[vi] https://help.ticketmaster.com/hc/en-us/articles/26110487861137-Ticketmaster-Data-Security-Incident

[vii] https://www.infosysbpm.com/mccamish/about/notice-of-cybersecurity-incident.html

[viii] https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/bank-america-responds-to-breach-a-4487

[ix] https://www.securityweek.com/fidelity-investments-notifying-28000-people-of-data-breach/

[x] https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/b152fd39-9f84-4ca5-a149-d20b94ed8ef6.html

[xi] https://www.fbcs-inc.com/cyber-incident/

[xii] https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/5fe1ede5-aafd-4da2-b1a4-0057a6cdadc6.shtml

[xiii] https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/7e6ff931-a035-480f-a977-e11a8af7f768.html

[xiv] https://about.att.com/story/2024/addressing-illegal-download.html

 

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Deepfakes of Prince William Lure Social Media Users into an Investment Scam

By: Charles McFarland

Deepfakes of Prince William and the UK Prime Minister are pushing investment scams on Facebook and Instagram.

Uncovered by Fenimore Harper Communications, a media research organization, the deepfakes take the form of ads that lead to a phony cryptocurrency platform.[i] According to Fenimore Harper, the equivalent of $27,000 U.S. dollars has been spent on these ads and they have reached more than 890,000 people.

In all, scammers fueled the ads with 14 different currencies as diverse as Columbian Pesos, Thai Bahm, Uruguayan Peso, Bangladeshi Taka, and United Arab Emirates Dirham.

In one of the ads, a fake Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announces a “national invest platform,” and “to make money on this official platform, all you need is a phone or computer.” Another ad claims that 45 individuals have been specially selected to earn “life-changing money” through a mysterious project.

Another ad features a fake Prince William saying, “I am pleased to announce that I, Prince William, and the entire royal family fully support Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initiative and his new platform.”

Fenimore Harper says that some of the ads are still running. The organization said that it identified these ads using Meta’s own AI model, Llama 3.1 70B.

Prince William and UK Prime Minister deepfakes lead to a phony investment site

Fenimore Harper’s report then found that some of the ads directed people to a bogus cryptocurrency platform called “Immediate Edge.”

Once on the site, people were asked to provide basic contact info, followed by encouragement to make investments.

Fenimore Cooper found several negative reviews for the platform on Trustpilot, “mostly from victims complaining they lost their money or were hounded by scammers over the phone.”

Many of the links to the bogus platform appear to be dead now, even as some ads still appear to circulate.

As reported by The Independent, a spokesperson for Meta said, “Our systems detected and removed the vast majority of these adverts before this report was published. As part of our ads review process—which can include both automated and human reviews — we have several layers of analysis and detection, both before and after an ad goes live. It is against our policies to run ads that improperly use images of public or political figures for deceptive purposes, and we remove these ads when detected.”[ii]

A sophisticated scam hides behind low-quality deepfakes

A fake ad featuring Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Fenimore Harper’s report shows that the deepfakes are low-grade. In their example, the scammers use previously aired footage of the Prime Minister dubbed over with AI voice-cloned audio. As in the case of many cheaper deepfakes, the lip-synching matches poorly.

With that, this scam echoes the Taylor Swift cookware deepfake scam we reported on earlier this year. It also used poorly dubbed AI voice-cloned audio atop clips of previously aired footage.

However, despite the low-quality deepfake, this scam sets itself apart with the way the scammers manipulated Google search results. Given that many people use search to research potential investments, the scammers made sure to give themselves favorable reviews.

According to Fenimore Harper, the scammers used SEO-hacking techniques so that the scammers could “place their own copy in Google’s ‘featured snippets’ … [making the] top result a glowing endorsement for the scam.”

Fenimore Harper says that the scammers further duped Google’s AI overview feature, which summarizes search results. In their example, people must scroll through several results that contain disinformation before they get to a credible source for reviews.

In all, it appears the scammers put extra thought and care into their scam. They did more than bank on a deepfake and a bogus site to lure in victims. They anticipated the next move for many victims, which was to hop on a search engine and see if the opportunity was legit.

Protecting yourself from online investment scams

Scammers have increasingly turned to AI deepfakes of celebrities and other public figures to push their scams. What’s new here is that we have a prime minister and a member of the royal family falling victim to a deepfake as part of the scam.

However, you can steer clear of online investment scams like these, whether they use AI deepfakes or not. Consider the following as apparent “opportunities” crop up online:

Go with a pro.

Working with an accredited financial adviser is always a sound step with any investment you choose to make, as is only investing funds you can afford to lose if the investment falls through.

Watch out for new, untried platforms.

Steer clear of investments that ask you to contribute money directly from one of your own accounts rather than via a reliable, verified platform.

Seek trusted research sources.

As we saw above, the top results in a search might not be the most credible source of info. When researching financial opportunities, look for established, trustworthy sources of review. Consult several sources as well.

Be wary of celebrity and pop culture tie-ins.

Regard any investment based on a pop culture reference like movies, memes, and shows with a highly critical eye. The same goes for public figures. It might very well be a scam built around buzz rather than a legitimate investment, such as it was with the Squid Game cryptocurrency scam we saw in 2021 and the more recent AI deepfake scams featuring a fake Elon Musk promoting bogus investments.

Use online protection software.

AI-powered online protection like you’ll find in our McAfee+ plans sniffs out links to suspicious sites that promote scams and contain malware. Scams like these take you to shady corners of the internet, and our protection will warn you before you tap or click — and block those sites if you tap or click by mistake.

[i] https://www.fenimoreharper.com/research/starmer-disinformation-meta-deepfakes

[ii] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/starmer-prince-william-ai-deepfake-crypto-scam-b2595554.html

 

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Data Breach Exposes 3 Billion Personal Information Records

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

News of a major data breach that could affect nearly three billion records comes to light from a somewhat unusual source — a class-action complaint filed in Florida. Even as details come to light, we advise people to act as if this is indeed a large and significant breach and thus will need to take precautions. In this case, we will guide you on what to do if your sensitive personal information has been exposed in a data breach and how you can stay protected in the future.

The National Public Data breach

First, the details. The filed complaint concerns the National Public Data (NPD), a public records data provider that offers background checks and fraud prevention services. Per their website, “[NPD obtains] information from various public record databases, court records, state and national databases, and other repositories nationwide.” The complaint alleges that NPD was hit by a data breach in or around April 2024. The complaint filed in the U.S. District Court further alleges that:

  • The company had sensitive information breached, such as full names, current and past addresses spanning at least the last three decades, Social Security numbers (SSNs), info about parents, siblings, and other relatives including some who have been deceased for nearly 20 years, and other personal info.
  • The company “scraped” this information from non-public sources. This info was collected without the consent of the complainant and the billions of others who might qualify to join in the class action complaint.
  • The company “assumed legal and equitable duties to those individuals to protect and safeguard that information from unauthorized access and intrusion.”

When combined, these data points create a comprehensive profile of an individual, significantly increasing the risk of sophisticated identity theft. With this information, criminals could open new lines of credit, file fraudulent tax returns, or access other sensitive accounts in your name. While details of the NPD breach are still emerging, the potential scope of this personal data breach means it’s wise to act now to protect your identity.

Unreported data breach discovered by McAfee

In the United States, there is no single federal law governing data breach notifications. Instead, a patchwork of laws across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories requires companies to notify consumers if their personal information is compromised. These laws specify who must be notified, when, and how.

Typically, companies self-report these breaches, thanks to regulations and legislation that require them to do so in a timely manner. Consumers then receive notifications via email or physical mail. However, as this alleged National Public Data breach shows, information about an incident can sometimes surface through other channels, such as court filings, security researcher reports, or identity theft protection alerts, occasionally even before a formal announcement from the affected company.

That way, initial word of breaches may reach customers through emails, news reports, and sometimes through notifications to certain state attorney generals. In this case, it appears that no notices were sent to potential victims. Further, we were unable to find any filings with state attorneys general.

The primary plaintiff discovered the breach when he “received a notification from his identity theft protection service provider notifying him that his [personal info] was compromised as a direct result of the ‘nationalpublicdata.com’ breach …”

Further, in June, The Register reported that a hacker group by the name of USDoD claimed it hacked the records of nearly 3 billion people and put them up for sale on the dark web. The price tag—U.S. $3.5 million. The group further claimed that the records include information about U.S., Canadian, and British citizens.

From an online protection standpoint, this alleged breach could contain highly sensitive information that, if true, would put three billion people at risk of identity theft. The mere possibility of breached Social Security numbers alone makes it something worth acting on.

Data breaches and how they happen

A data breach is a security incident where sensitive, protected, or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen, or used by an individual unauthorized to do so.

The main goal for attackers is often financial gain; they can sell vast datasets of personal information on the dark web or use it directly for identity theft and fraud. Large, aggregated records like those allegedly exposed in the NPD breach are especially valuable because they provide a complete picture of an individual, making fraudulent activities easier to execute.

Data breaches happen in several ways:

  • Phishing and social engineering: Criminals trick employees or individuals into revealing sensitive information, like passwords or account details, through deceptive emails, texts, or calls.
  • Stolen or weak credentials: Hackers use passwords and usernames exposed in previous breaches (a technique called credential stuffing) to gain access to other systems. Using simple or reused passwords makes this easy.
  • Software vulnerabilities: Cybercriminals exploit security flaws in outdated software, applications, or operating systems to gain unauthorized access to a company’s network.
  • Misconfigured databases and cloud services: Sometimes, sensitive data is left on servers that are not properly secured, making them publicly accessible to anyone who knows where to look.
  • Insider threats: A data breach can be caused intentionally or unintentionally by a current or former employee with access to sensitive information.

Data breach impact on Social Security numbers

The legal complaint against National Public Data explicitly alleges that Social Security numbers were part of the compromised information. An SSN is one of the most critical pieces of personal data because it is a unique, lifelong identifier used for employment, banking, credit, and government benefits.

Unlike a credit card number, an SSN cannot be easily changed. If your SSN is exposed in a data breach, it puts you at a much higher risk for serious financial and legal fraud that can be difficult to resolve. Given the severity of this allegation, it is essential to take immediate preventative actions as if your SSN has been compromised.

Check if your Social Security data is exposed

It’s natural to want to know immediately if your information was part of a data breach. However, you should be extremely cautious. Never enter your Social Security number or other sensitive data into an unknown website that claims to have the capability to check for breach exposure.

Many of these are scams designed to steal your information. The safest approach is to use a trusted identity monitoring service, which scans the dark web and breach databases for your information without requiring you to share sensitive details insecurely. Be wary of phishing emails that pretend to be official notifications about the breach. Instead of clicking links, go directly to the company’s official website for information.

Follow these steps if your Social Security number is exposed

  1. Place a security freeze on your credit. Contact all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to freeze your credit. A freeze restricts access to your credit report, making it much harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name.
  2. Set up fraud alerts. A fraud alert requires potential creditors to verify your identity before issuing new credit. You can place an initial one-year alert for free by contacting just one of the credit bureaus, which will then notify the other two.
  3. Change your passwords: Secure your online accounts, starting with your email, financial, and government accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for each one and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible.
  4. Monitor your financial accounts and credit reports. Keep a close eye on your bank accounts, credit card statements, and credit reports for any suspicious activity. You are entitled to free weekly credit reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.
  5. File a report if you see fraud. If you find evidence of identity theft, file a report immediately with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov. This report is crucial for disputing fraudulent charges and accounts.
  6. Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). This is a six-digit number known only to you and the IRS, which provides an extra layer of protection against tax refund fraud.
  7. Check your Social Security benefits. Create a “my Social Security” account on the Social Security Administration’s website to check your statement for any unauthorized activity.
  8. Document everything: Keep detailed records of all calls, emails, and correspondence related to the theft. Note dates, times, and the names of people you speak with.

Protect yourself against data breaches moving forward

The NPD breach shows the risks and frustrations that we, as consumers, face in the wake of such attacks. It often takes months before we receive any kind of notification. And of course, that gap gives hackers plenty of time to do their damage. They might use stolen info to commit identity crimes, or they might sell it to others who’ll do the same.

Either way, we’re often in the dark until we get hit with a case of identity theft ourselves. Indeed, word of an attack that affects you might take some time to reach you. With that, a mix of measures offer the strongest protection from data breaches. To fully cover yourself, we suggest the following:

Check your credit, consider a security freeze, and get ID theft protection

With your personal info potentially on the dark web, strongly consider taking preventive measures now. Checking your credit and getting identity theft protection can help keep you safer in the aftermath of a breach. Further, a security freeze can help prevent identity theft if you spot any unusual activity. You can get all three in place with our McAfee+ Advanced or Ultimate plans. Features include:

  • Credit monitoring keeps an eye on changes to your credit score, report, and accounts, providing timely notifications and guidance so you can take action to tackle identity theft.
  • Security freeze protects you proactively by stopping unauthorized access to existing credit card, bank, and utility accounts or from new ones being opened in your name. And it won’t affect your credit score.
  • ID Theft & Restoration Coverage gives you $2 million in identity theft coverage and identity restoration support if it is determined that you’re a victim of identity theft.​ This way, you can cover losses and repair your credit and identity with a licensed recovery expert.

Monitor your identity and transactions

Breaches and leaks can lead to exposure, particularly on dark web marketplaces where personal info gets bought and sold. Our Identity Monitoring can help notify you quickly if that happens. It keeps tabs on everything from email addresses to IDs and phone numbers for signs of breaches. If spotted, it offers advice that can help secure your accounts before they’re used for identity theft.​

Also in our McAfee+ plans, you’ll find several types of transaction monitoring that can spot unusual activity. These features track transactions on credit cards and bank accounts, along with 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.

Keep an eye out for phishing attacks

With some personal info in hand, bad actors might seek out more. They might follow up a breach with rounds of phishing attacks that direct you to bogus sites designed to steal your personal info — either by tricking you into providing it or by stealing it without your knowledge. So look out for phishing attacks, particularly after breaches.

If you are contacted by a company, make certain the communication is legitimate. Bad actors might pose as authorized services to steal personal info. Don’t click or tap on links sent in unsolicited or unexpected emails, texts, or messages. Instead, go straight to the appropriate website or contact them by phone directly.

For even more security, you can use our new Scam Detector. It puts a stop to scams even before you click by detecting any suspicious links and sending you an alert. If you accidentally tap a bad link, it blocks the sketchy sites they can take you to.

Update your passwords and use two-factor authentication

Changing your password is a strong preventative measure. Strong and unique passwords are best, which means never reusing your passwords across different sites and platforms. Using a password manager helps you keep on top of it all, while also storing your passwords securely.

While a strong and unique password is a good first line of defense, enabling two-factor authentication across your accounts helps your cause by providing an added layer of security. It’s increasingly common to see nowadays, where banks and all manner of online services will only allow access to your accounts after you’ve provided a one-time passcode sent to your email or smartphone.

Remove your personal info from data broker sites

According to the filed complaint, National Public Data “scrapes” personal info from non-public sources. Further, the home page of the website mentions that it gathers info “from various public record databases, court records, state and national databases, and other repositories nationwide.” While we can’t confirm this ourselves, we can cautiously call out that these sources might include data broker sites.

While any damage here has already been done, we recommend removing your personal info from these data broker sites. This can prevent further exposure in the event of future breaches elsewhere. Our Personal Data Cleanup can do this work for you. It scans data broker sites and shows you which ones sell your personal info.

From there, it shows how you can remove your data. McAfee+ Advanced and Ultimate plans come with full-service Personal Data Cleanup, and automatically sends removal requests on your behalf..

Additional steps to help prevent future data breaches

  • Minimize data sharing: When signing up for new services or apps, provide only the minimum information required. The less data you share, the less can be exposed in a breach.
  • Set up account alerts: Enable notifications for your financial and credit card accounts to get real-time alerts for transactions or login attempts.
  • Keep software updated: Regularly update your operating system and applications to patch security vulnerabilities.
  • Limit your digital footprint: Use a service like McAfee’s Personal Data Cleanup to find and request the removal of your personal info from data broker sites that collect and sell it.

Final thoughts

News of a massive personal data breach can be unsettling, but it’s important to respond with calm, proactive steps rather than panic. The best defense is a strong offense: actively monitor your financial accounts and credit reports, consider placing a security freeze on your credit as a powerful preventative measure, and strengthen your online account security with unique passwords and two-factor authentication. By using identity monitoring services and taking these incremental actions today, you can significantly reduce your risk and stay ahead of potential threats, empowering you to live your digital life more confidently.

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CrowdStrike Outage Provides Opportunities for Scammers 

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

Recently, a significant global outage resulted in thousands of Windows computers being brought offline. The source of the outage was linked to a faulty CrowdStrike security update.McAfee has observed opportunistic scammers exploiting the current outage, which has disrupted essential systems across industries including banking, airlines, emergency services, and more, as well as consumers trying to access their Windows devices. Given the global impact of this outage, consumers are urged to remain highly vigilant to protect their personal information and ensure their data remains secure.  

Affected Sectors and Services 

 The outage has severely impacted numerous high-profile services: 

Banking: Major Australian banks faced disruptions, affecting transactions and customer access. 

Airlines: Carriers such as Ryanair, along with Delta, United, and American Airlines reported significant operational delays. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also noted disruptions in airline operations. 

Broadcasting: TV broadcasters in Australia and the UK broadcaster Sky News experienced interruptions in their services. 

Emergency Services: In Alaska, several 911 emergency call centers reported difficulties, potentially affecting response times to emergencies. 

Travel: Airports are among the transportation hubs experiencing delays, affecting thousands of flights and countless travelers. 

The Ripple Effect of the Outage 

The outage has been far-reaching, affecting everything from the London Stock Exchange to everyday consumers facing the dreaded blue screen on their Windows devices. With Microsoft systems constituting about 70% of desktop operating systems worldwide, the effects of this outage are extensive, influencing many millions of people across the globe. 

The Rise of Opportunistic Scams 

Amidst this chaos, opportunistic scammers are capitalizing on the situation. McAfee has already seen scams, where fraudsters are exploiting the current vulnerabilities to deceive consumers. These scams range from phishing attacks related to flight rescheduling, to cybercrooks posing as banks to steal login information, and even retailers requesting alternate payment methods. 

 

 

How to Protect Yourself 

Given the current scenario, it is crucial for consumers to remain vigilant and protect their personal information. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind: 

  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Communications: Always be skeptical of unsolicited messages that ask for personal information or urge you to act quickly. Avoid clicking on suspicious links and directly verify any requests for personal information or payments. 
  • Avoid Unconventional Money Transfers: Be cautious if asked to wire money, use cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards and share the card numbers and PINs. These are often signs of a scam. 
  • Monitor your accounts: Regularly check your bank and other sensitive accounts for any unauthorized transactions or alerts. Report any suspicious activity immediately. 
  • Verify the Source: If you receive a suspicious call or message, verify the caller’s identity. Be aware of tools like voice cloning and number spoofing that make calls appear legitimate. If in doubt, hang up and contact the entity directly. 
  • Use AI-Powered Text Scam Detection: Employ AI tools, such as Text Scam Detector that can block dangerous links in emails, text messages, social media, or web browsers to enhance your online security. 
  • Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect a cyber-attack, such as voice cloning, report it immediately to authorities like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 

The recent global outage affecting Windows systems has had a profound impact across multiple sectors, disrupting essential services and exposing vulnerabilities that opportunistic scammers are keen to exploit. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly interconnected, the importance of maintaining rigorous cybersecurity measures cannot be overstated. Consumers and organizations alike must stay vigilant, enhance their security protocols, and remain proactive in safeguarding their personal and operational data against such threats. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the cascading effects that a single point of failure can have in our globally networked environment. 

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The Kaspersky Software Ban—What You Need to Know to Stay Safe Online

By: McAfee

Citing national security concerns, the U.S. Department of Commerce last June 2024 issued an immediate ban on the sale of all antivirus software by Russia-based Kaspersky Lab, Inc. in the United States or to U.S. persons. This ban also applied to Kaspersky’s affiliates, subsidiaries and parent companies, as well as to security updates that keep its protection current.

In its official statement, Kaspersky denied the allegations, proposing a “comprehensive assessment framework providing for the verification of its solutions, database updates, threat detection rules by an independent trusted reviewer.” The U.S., however, maintained the ban, warning that Kaspersky users had until September 29, 2024 to switch to new online protection software to stay protected from the latest threats.

To assist digital users with the switch, McAfee put together a quick Q&A to shed light on the pertinent points of the ban and help Kaspersky users find alternative online protection software.

FAQs: The Kaspersky and switching to a new security suite

Did the U.S. government ban the sale of Kaspersky?

Yes. The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a Final Determination, asserting that:

“The Department finds that Kaspersky’s provision of cybersecurity and anti-virus software to U.S. persons, including through third-party entities that integrate Kaspersky cybersecurity or anti-virus software into commercial hardware or software, poses undue and unacceptable risks to U.S. national security and to the security and safety of U.S. persons.”

(i) This news follows the 2017 ban on using Kaspersky software on government devices.

(ii) That ban alleged that Russian hackers used the software to steal classified materials from a device that had Kaspersky software installed.

(iii) Kaspersky has denied such allegations.

Why did the U.S. ban Kaspersky software?

The U.S. government enacted the Kaspersky ban, citing significant national security risks, as Kaspersky software has ties with Russia. U.S. officials are concerned that the Russian government could legally compel Kaspersky to provide sensitive data about its American customers or use its antivirus software’s deep system access to conduct espionage or launch cyberattacks. Antivirus software, by its nature, requires privileged access to a computer’s files, applications, and network traffic, making it a powerful tool if compromised.

This decision began in 2017 when Kaspersky software was initially banned from U.S. federal government systems. In June 2024, the Department of Commerce expanded this prohibition to all U.S. consumers and businesses, halting new sales and critically ending software updates after September 2024. For everyday users, this means the software will no longer be able to protect against new threats, making it imperative to find a secure alternative.

What global actions were undertaken against Kaspersky software?

The Kaspersky software ban in the United States is part of a larger trend of similar warnings and restrictions from several governments. For example, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security warned consumers against using Kaspersky products shortly after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, citing the risk of the Russian IT solutions provider being used for hostile actions. Similarly, Lithuania and the Netherlands phased out the software from their government and critical infrastructure systems, citing similar national security concerns. As a result, international travelers and remote workers using Kaspersky could be left digitally unprotected when connecting from countries with active warnings.

What are the alleged security risks linked to Kaspersky Software?

The fundamental Kaspersky software issues cited by security experts and government bodies go beyond simple software bugs. The primary risks for users include:

  • Potential for government exploitation: The main concern is that the Russian government could force Kaspersky to cooperate in malicious activities, such as accessing sensitive user data or deploying malware through its updates. This poses serious risks to both privacy and national security.
  • Cessation of security updates: Because all Kaspersky software updates for U.S. users were set to stop on September 29, 2024, users of the software would not receive daily patches, exposing their devices and information to viruses, ransomware, and other evolving cyber threats.
  • Privileged system access: Antivirus software integrates deeply into your operating system to protect you. If the software itself is compromised, this deep access becomes a powerful point of entry for attackers to steal information, monitor your activity, or take control of your device.
  • Supply chain integrity: The U.S. Commerce Department has identified the software’s supply chain as an unacceptable risk, because the process of creating and delivering the software could be compromised, potentially embedding vulnerabilities before it even reaches your computer.

Will I need new online protection software to replace Kaspersky software?

Yes. In addition to barring new sales or agreements with U.S. persons from July 20, 2024, the ban also applies to software updates. Like all online protection software, updates protect users from the latest threats. Without updates, the software leaves people increasingly vulnerable over time. The update part of the ban took hold on September 29, 2024, giving Kaspersky users roughly three months to get new online protection.

Is Kaspersky safe to use in 2025?

No, it is not safe to use Kaspersky software in the U.S., especially after the September 29, 2024 termination of security updates. Cybercriminals constantly create new malware, and without patches, your software will be unable to detect or block these emerging threats, making your computer an easy target for viruses, ransomware, and identity theft. Given this, the clear and urgent recommendation is to uninstall Kaspersky and switch to a trusted security provider to ensure your protection is not interrupted.

How do I remove Kaspersky software?

Removing any type of antivirus depends on your device. The links below lead to the following support pages that can walk you through the process:

Use the official removal tool for a clean uninstall

For a truly clean slate, we recommend using the official Kaspersky Removal Tool, also called “Kavremover.” Standard uninstallation can leave behind residual files, drivers, and registry keys that might conflict with your new security software. This complete Kaspersky removal guide ensures everything is gone.

To start, search for and download the Kavremover tool from Kaspersky’s official support website. For best results on a Windows PC, restart your computer in Safe Mode to ensure no Kaspersky processes are running. Then, simply run the tool, accept the terms, and let it automatically detect and remove all traces of the software. A final restart after the tool finishes will complete the process, leaving your system ready for a new, trusted antivirus solution.

What features should I consider when looking for online protection?

Today, you need more than antivirus to keep you safe against the sophisticated threats of today’s digital age. You need comprehensive online protection that secures your devices, identity, and privacy against hackers, scammers, and thieves.

Comprehensive also means your software continues to evolve, proactively rolling out new features as new threats appear, such as:

  • Text scam detector that protects you against the latest scams via text, email, QR codes, and social media. Should you accidentally click, web protection blocks sketchy links that crop up in searches and sites.
  • Social privacy manager that helps you adjust more than 100 privacy settings across your social media accounts in a few clicks. Aside from YouTube, we also protect privacy on TikTok, making us the first service to protect users on that platform. That means we now cover the top two platforms that teens use, TikTok and YouTube.
  • AI-powered protection. Our U.S.-based, AI-driven award-winning protection blocks the latest threats while providing 3x faster scans with 75% fewer processes running on the PC, as tested by independent labs like AV-Comparatives.

A trusted, integrated alternative

Our solution offers you and your family a single, easy-to-use protection that effectively blocks malware and zero-day attacks; system performance that ensures protection without slowing down your computer; privacy policies that scrutinize how websites handle your data; and overall features for value, including tools like virtual private networks, identity monitoring, and password managers.

Just as importantly, trust is paramount when choosing from software alternatives. As a U.S.-based company with over 30 years of cybersecurity leadership, McAfee goes beyond traditional antivirus solutions with AI-powered threat detection and a comprehensive suite of tools to protect your identity and privacy.

How do I stay protected after removing Kaspersky?

Once you have uninstalled Kaspersky, it is crucial to take immediate steps to secure it. Follow this checklist to ensure your digital life remains safe:

  • Consider a trusted security solution: Choose one that gives you a reliable, proven, and comprehensive suite of tools to protect your identity and privacy,
  • Install your chosen security suite: Your top priority is to install one of the reliable software alternatives, like McAfee Total Protection. This immediately restores your defense against viruses, malware, and other online threats.
  • Activate built-in OS protections: While you install your new software, ensure your device’s native security features, such as Windows Security or macOS’s XProtect, are enabled as a temporary safety net.
  • Update everything: Make sure your operating system (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS) and all of your applications are fully updated. These updates often contain critical security patches that protect against known vulnerabilities.
  • Run a new system scan: After installing your new security software, perform a complete system scan to ensure no threats were missed during the transition period.
  • Backup your important data: Proactively and regularly back up your critical documents, photos, and other files to a secure cloud service or an external hard drive.
  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA): Add an extra layer of security to your important online accounts, such as email and banking, by enabling MFA.
  • Use a password manager: Secure your accounts with strong, unique passwords for every site, managed easily through a password manager.
  • Schedule regular scans: Configure your new security software to run regular, automatic scans to maintain ongoing protection.

Will I get a refund for my Kaspersky subscription?

You will need to contact Kaspersky customer support directly to inquire about their refund policy in light of the ban. Policies can vary, so checking with the source is the best course of action.

What happens if I don’t make the switch?

The U.S. government strongly recommends switching immediately due to the identified national security risks. In addition, not switching or installing a new online security solution leaves you unnecessarily exposed. It is far safer to make the switch.

Can I run two antivirus programs at once?

No, you should never have two antivirus programs installed on one device. There is a possibility that they will conflict, causing system slowdowns, crashes, and can even lower your overall security. Always fully uninstall one before installing another.

What about my data that Kaspersky has already collected?

This is a key element of the concerns surrounding the ban. While it’s impossible to retrieve data that has already been collected, you can prevent any future collection by immediately uninstalling the software. Choosing a new security provider with a transparent, user-first privacy policy is the best way to safeguard your data going forward.

Will my new security software import my old settings?

No, security settings are not transferable between different antivirus brands. You will need to configure the settings, such as scheduled scans or parental controls, within your new software. Modern suites like McAfee make this process simple and intuitive.

Final thoughts

The Kaspersky software ban implications extend beyond just one company; it’s a powerful reminder that online security is a continuous journey, and that staying protected means being proactive.

Make it a habit to regularly review the software that protects your digital life, stay updated on the latest security news, and practice safe online behaviors. Your security is in your hands. By choosing trusted partners and staying informed through reliable resources like the McAfee Blog, you can navigate the digital world with confidence.

We hope you’ll strongly consider McAfee as you look for a safe and secure replacement for Kaspersky software. Our decades-long track record of award-winning protection and the highest marks from independent labs speaks to our commitment to protecting you and the global online community.

The post The Kaspersky Software Ban—What You Need to Know to Stay Safe Online appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Your Social Security Number Could be for Sale: Old AT&T Data Leak Exposes 44M SSN Numbers

By: Jasdev Dhaliwal

If you’re an AT&T customer, now’s the time to take action. A previously reported data breach has exposed personal information from millions of accounts—and that data is reportedly up for sale on underground hacking forums.

According to cybersecurity researchers, a database containing up to 86 million AT&T customer records is being sold on Russian cybercrime forums. This leaked info includes sensitive personal details like:

  • Full names
  • Birthdates
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • Physical addresses
  • And nearly 44 million Social Security numbers stored in plain text

Yes, you read that right—Social Security numbers stored in plain text. That’s a goldmine for identity thieves.

What Should You Do?

AT&T released the following statement to McAfee, “After analysis by our internal teams as well as external data consultants, we are confident this is repackaged data previously released on the dark web in March 2024. Affected customers were notified at that time. We have notified law enforcement of this latest development.” Additonally, AT&T offered credit monitoring and identity theft protection to those customers whose sensitive personal information was compromised as part of the notice in 2024.

However, for extra peace of mind, McAfee recommends the following:

1. Check your credit reports – Look for any unfamiliar accounts or activity. You’re entitled to a free credit report every year from each major bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com.

2. Change your AT&T account password – Especially if you haven’t updated it recently, or if you reuse that password elsewhere.

3. Set up fraud alerts or credit freezes – It’s a smart move to stop scammers from opening new accounts in your name.

4. Monitor for identity theft – Consider using an identity monitoring service that can alert you to suspicious activity across your credit, bank, and public records.

5. Protect your digital life – Consider signing up for a McAfee+ protection plan. You’ll get automatic scam alerts, security for unlimited devices, and 24/7 identity monitoring—plus up to $2 million in identity theft coverage and recovery support from U.S.-based experts. McAfee handles the heavy lifting with dark web monitoring and scam prevention, so you can get back to living your life with confidence.

Taking steps now can help keep your identity safe in the long run.

 

 

The post Your Social Security Number Could be for Sale: Old AT&T Data Leak Exposes 44M SSN Numbers appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Hybrid Workplace Vulnerabilities: 4 Ways to Promote Online Safety

By: Vishnu Varadaraj

Over the past year and a half, workers everywhere have gotten used to working from home. They have adopted an entirely new work from home mindset and diverted their weekly commuting hours to other productive and more enjoyable pursuits. As parts of the world return to a “new normal,” another change is on the way: a gradual return to the office. 

The hybrid working model is met with mixed reviews from employees and business security teams alike. For some employees, a clearer separation between work and home is a welcome change. CTV News reports 66% of Canadian respondents to an International Workplace Group poll say they are looking forward to splitting their working hours between the office and home. 

For business security teams who are just catching their breath after the monumental shift to a remote workforce, they are now gearing up for the new online safety challenges posed by the hybrid work model. According to a VMware Canada Threat Report, 86% of security professionals agree that cyberattacks aimed at their organizations have become more sophisticated since the onset of the pandemic. Additionally, 91% of global respondents cite employees working from home as the cause of cyberattacks. Challenges of the hybrid workforce include the constant back-and-forth of company-issued devices, the lack of control over home office setups, and mixing personal and company devices with company and personal business respectively. For example, if you pay your bills or shop online using your work device, it opens several new avenues for a hacker to walk right onto the corporate network. When your guard is down even a little bit when you are off the clock, you could fall victim to e-skimmers, fake login pages, or phishing scams. 

Best Practices for Mitigating Attacks in the Hybrid Workplace 

No matter how advanced your company’s threat detection system, hackers know where vulnerabilities lie and are on the hunt to exploit them. Check out these tips to ensure you are not the weak link in your organization. 

1. Use a VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that scrambles online browsing data, making it impossible for nefarious characters to decipher your activity. This is an excellent way to deter hackers from tracking your movements and picking up sensitive pieces of information. 

VPNs are essential if you are working in a public area, sharing a wireless network with strangers, or using a Wi-Fi connection that is not password protected. Public Wi-Fi networks are notoriously easy pickings for hackers seeking entry into unsuspecting users’ devices. On the days where you are not in the office, make sure your wireless connection is secure. 

2. Lockaway your passwords 

While a VPN is an excellent tool, security measures and your accounts are vulnerable without a strong and private password or passphrase to protect them. The gigantic Colonial Pipeline hack is being blamed on a hacker gaining entry through an unused VPN that was not secured with multifactor authentication. Multifactor authentication is an online safety measure where more than one method of identity verification is needed to access the valuable information that lies within password-protected accounts. 

Consider using a password manager to organize all your passwords and logins. Password managers remember each pairing so you don’t have to, plus most managers are secured with multifactor authentication. A password manager makes it easier to add variety to your passwords and prevents you from ever having to write them down.

3. Secure work-issued devices 

Professionals who travel between their home and an office are likely transporting their devices back and forth, increasing the number of opportunities for devices to be forgotten at either location or in transit. As convenient as it may be, never use your personal device for official business. Even if you pride yourself on sound online safety habits, your company device likely has more defenses ingrained in its hardware than your personal devices. 

With your personal devices, you should carefully vet everything you download. With your work-issued devices, this vetting process is even more important as company information is at stake. The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario states that employees should never download applications to their work devices without permission from the IT team. Apps and programs often have security vulnerabilities that could open a gateway for hackers. 

4. Practice a personal Zero Trust model 

Zero Trust is a security philosophy that is exactly what it sounds like: trust no one. Businesses are employing Zero Trust models to greatly limit who has access to sensitive data sources. Adopt your own personal Zero Trust philosophy concerning your passwords, logins, and device access. This means never sharing passwords or log in details, especially over email, instant messenger, or over a video conference. Hackers commonly eavesdrop on all three mediums. Also, even your most trusted coworker could mishandle your passwords and login details, such as writing them down and leaving them in a public place.  

A key aspect of the Zero Trust model is only granting employees access to platforms that are vital to their job. Sharing your logins with coworkers who may not be authorized for using that platform undermines all the hard work the IT team does to keep tabs on data access. 

Work Intelligently, Diligently, and Securely 

Every time you turn on the nightly news, another ransomware attack has hit another organization, each one bigger than the last. This heightened prevalence is a reflection on the wiliness of hackers, but also the number of security holes every company must plug.  

There are several vulnerable points of entry in every company, and some of those vulnerabilities are heightened by the hybrid work model. Always heed the advice of your company’s IT team, and make sure to do your part to keep your devices and work information secure. 

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