Truth Social Crashes as Trump Live-Posts Iran Bombing

The social network started experiencing global outages within minutes of Donald Trump posting details of a US military strike on Iran.

Israel Says Iran Is Hacking Security Cameras for Spying

Plus: Ukrainian hackers reportedly knock out a key Russian internet provider, China’s Salt Typhoon hackers claim another victim, and the UK hits 23andMe with a hefty fine over its 2023 data breach.

Iran’s Internet Blackout Adds New Dangers for Civilians Amid Israeli Bombings

Iran is limiting internet connectivity for citizens amid Israeli airstrikes—pushing people towards domestic apps, which may not be secure, and limiting their ability to access vital information.

Israel-Tied Predatory Sparrow Hackers Are Waging Cyberwar on Iran’s Financial System

After an attack on Iran’s Sepah bank, the hyper-aggressive Israel-linked hacker group has now destroyed more than $90 million held at Iranian crypto exchange Nobitex.

Minnesota Shooting Suspect Allegedly Used Data Broker Sites to Find Targets’ Addresses

The shooter allegedly researched several “people search” sites in an attempt to target his victims, highlighting the potential dangers of widely available personal data.

RFK Jr. Orders HHS to Give Undocumented Migrants’ Medicaid Data to DHS

Plus: Spyware is found on two Italian journalists’ phones, Ukraine claims to have hacked a Russian aircraft maker, police take down major infostealer infrastructure, and more.

'No Kings’ Protests, Citizen-Run ICE Trackers Trigger Intelligence Warnings

Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.

CBP's Predator Drone Flights Over LA Are a Dangerous Escalation

Customs and Border Protection flying powerful Predator B drones over Los Angeles further breaks the seal on federal involvement in civilian matters typically handled by state or local authorities.

Here’s What Marines and the National Guard Can (and Can’t) Do at LA Protests

Pentagon rules sharply limit US Marines and National Guard activity in Los Angeles, prohibiting arrests, surveillance, and other customary police work.

Social Media Is Now a DIY Alert System for ICE Raids

The undocumented migrant community in the United States is using social networks and other digital platforms to send alerts about raids and the presence of immigration agents around the US.

Apple Intelligence Is Gambling on Privacy as a Killer Feature

Many new Apple Intelligence features happen on your device rather than in the cloud. While it may not be flashy, the privacy-centric approach could be a competitive advantage.

The ‘Long-Term Danger’ of Trump Sending Troops to the LA Protests

President Trump’s deployment of more than 700 Marines to Los Angeles—following ICE raids and mass protests—has ignited a fierce national debate over state sovereignty and civil-military boundaries.

Airlines Don’t Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS

A contract obtained by 404 Media shows that an airline-owned data broker forbids the feds from revealing it sold them detailed passenger data.

The Dangerous Truth About the ‘Nonlethal’ Weapons Used Against LA Protesters

While they can cause serious injuries, “nonlethal” weapons are regularly used in the United States to disperse public demonstrations, including at the recent ICE protests in Los Angeles.

A Researcher Figured Out How to Reveal Any Phone Number Linked to a Google Account

Phone numbers are a gold mine for SIM swappers. A researcher found how to get this precious piece of information through a clever brute-force attack.

The Mystery of iPhone Crashes That Apple Denies Are Linked to Chinese Hacking

Plus: A 22-year-old former intern gets put in charge of a key anti-terrorism program, threat intelligence firms finally wrangle their confusing names for hacker groups, and more.

Cybercriminals Are Hiding Malicious Web Traffic in Plain Sight

In an effort to evade detection, cybercriminals are increasingly turning to “residential proxy” services that cover their tracks by making it look like everyday online activity.

Ross Ulbricht Got a $31 Million Donation From a Dark Web Dealer, Crypto Tracers Suspect

Crypto-tracing firm Chainalysis says the mysterious 300-bitcoin donation to the pardoned Silk Road creator appears to have come from someone associated with a different defunct black market: AlphaBay.

The Texting Network for the End of the World

Everyone knows what it’s like to lose cell service. A burgeoning open source project called Meshtastic is filling the gap for when you’re in the middle of nowhere—or when disaster strikes.

How the Farm Industry Spied on Animal Rights Activists and Pushed the FBI to Treat Them as Bioterrorists

For years, a powerful farm industry group served up information on activists to the FBI. Records reveal a decade-long effort to see the animal rights movement labeled a “bioterrorism” threat.

Cops in Germany Claim They’ve ID’d the Mysterious Trickbot Ransomware Kingpin

The elusive boss of the Trickbot and Conti cybercriminal groups has been known only as “Stern.” Now, German law enforcement has published his alleged identity—and it’s a familiar face.

A Swedish MMA Tournament Spotlights the Trump Administration's Handling of Far-Right Terrorism

A member of a California-based fight club seems to have attended an event hosted by groups with ties to an organization the US government labeled a terrorist group. Will the Trump administration care?

The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database

Customs and Border Protection has swabbed the DNA of migrant children as young as 4, whose genetic data is uploaded to an FBI-run database that can track them if they commit crimes in the future.

The US Is Building a One-Stop Shop for Buying Your Data

Plus: A mysterious hacking group’s secret client is exposed, Signal takes a swipe at Microsoft Recall, Russian hackers target security cameras to spy on aid to Ukraine, and more.

Feds Charge 16 Russians Allegedly Tied to Botnets Used in Ransomware, Cyberattacks, and Spying

A new US indictment against a group of Russian nationals offers a clear example of how, authorities say, a single malware operation can enable both criminal and state-sponsored hacking.

Why 3D-Printing an Untraceable Ghost Gun Is Easier Than Ever

On today’s episode of ‘Uncanny Valley,’ we discuss how WIRED was able to legally 3D-print the same gun allegedly used by Luigi Mangione, and where US law stands on the technology.

A Silicon Valley VC Got Israel Starlink Access Within Days of October 7 Attack

During a webinar hosted by Israel’s Defense Ministry, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire discussed helping connect Israel with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet far earlier than was known.

We Made Luigi Mangione’s 3D-Printed Gun—and Fired It

In the wake of Luigi Mangione’s alleged killing of a health care CEO with a partially 3D-printed pistol, we built and tested the exact same model of weapon ourselves. And it was entirely legal.

How the Signal Knockoff App TeleMessage Got Hacked in 20 Minutes

The company behind the Signal clone used by at least one Trump administration official was breached earlier this month. The hacker says they got in thanks to a basic misconfiguration.

Coinbase Will Reimburse Customers Up to $400 Million After Data Breach

Plus: 12 more people are indicted over a $263 million crypto heist, and a former FBI director is accused of threatening Donald Trump thanks to an Instagram post of seashells.

The Internet’s Biggest-Ever Black Market Just Shut Down Amid a Telegram Purge

Following a WIRED inquiry, Telegram banned thousands of accounts used for crypto-scam money laundering, including those of Haowang Guarantee, a black market that enabled over $27 billion in transactions.

North Korean IT Workers Are Being Exposed on a Massive Scale

Security researchers are publishing 1,000 email addresses they claim are linked to North Korean IT worker scams that infiltrated Western companies—along with photos of men allegedly involved in the schemes.

An $8.4 Billion Chinese Hub for Crypto Crime Is Incorporated in Colorado

Before a crackdown by Telegram, Xinbi Guarantee grew into one of the internet’s biggest markets for Chinese-speaking crypto scammers and money laundering. And all registered to a US address.

ICE’s Deportation Airline Hack Reveals Man ‘Disappeared’ to El Salvador

Plus: A DOGE operative’s laptop reportedly gets infected with malware, Grok AI is used to “undress” women on X, a school software company’s ransomware nightmare returns, and more.

US Customs and Border Protection Plans to Photograph Everyone Exiting the US by Car

A CBP spokesperson tells WIRED that the agency plans to expand its program for real-time face recognition at the border, potentially aiding Trump administration efforts to track people who self-deport.

US Customs and Border Protection Quietly Revokes Protections for Pregnant Women and Infants

CBP’s acting commissioner has rescinded four Biden-era policies that aimed to protect vulnerable people in the agency’s custody, including mothers, infants, and the elderly.

Customs and Border Protection Confirms Its Use of Hacked Signal Clone TeleMessage

CBP says it has “disabled” its use of TeleMessage following reports that the app, which has not cleared the US government’s risk assessment program, was hacked.

The Trump Administration Sure Is Having Trouble Keeping Its Comms Private

In the wake of SignalGate, a knockoff version of Signal used by a high-ranking member of the Trump administration was hacked. Today on Uncanny Valley, we discuss the platforms used for government communications.

The Signal Clone Mike Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats

A new analysis of TM Signal’s source code appears to show that the app sends users’ message logs in plaintext. At least one top Trump administration official used the app.

Tulsi Gabbard Reused the Same Weak Password on Multiple Accounts for Years

Now the US director of national intelligence, Gabbard failed to follow basic cybersecurity practices on several of her personal accounts, leaked records reviewed by WIRED reveal.

US Border Agents Are Asking for Help Taking Photos of Everyone Entering the Country by Car

Customs and Border Protection has called for tech companies to pitch real-time face recognition technology that can capture everyone in a vehicle—not just those in the front seats.

Signal Clone Used by Mike Waltz Pauses Service After Reports It Got Hacked

The communications app TeleMessage, which was spotted on former US national security adviser Mike Waltz's phone, has suspended “all services” as it investigates reports of at least one breach.

Security Researchers Warn a Widely Used Open Source Tool Poses a 'Persistent' Risk to the US

The open source software easyjson is used by the US government and American companies. But its ties to Russia’s VK, whose CEO has been sanctioned, have researchers sounding the alarm.

Hacking Spree Hits UK Retail Giants

Plus: France blames Russia for a series of cyberattacks, the US is taking steps to crack down on a gray market allegedly used by scammers, and Microsoft pushes the password one step closer to death.

AI Code Hallucinations Increase the Risk of ‘Package Confusion’ Attacks

A new study found that code generated by AI is more likely to contain made-up information that can be used to trick software into interacting with malicious code.

WhatsApp Is Walking a Tightrope Between AI Features and Privacy

WhatsApp's AI tools will use a new “Private Processing” system designed to allow cloud access without letting Meta or anyone else see end-to-end encrypted chats. But experts still see risks.

Millions of Apple Airplay-Enabled Devices Can Be Hacked via Wi-Fi

Researchers reveal a collection of bugs known as AirBorne that would allow any hacker on the same Wi-Fi network as a third-party AirPlay-enabled device to surreptitiously run their own code on it.

Car Subscription Features Raise Your Risk of Government Surveillance, Police Records Show

Records reviewed by WIRED show law enforcement agencies are eager to take advantage of the data trails generated by a flood of new internet-connected vehicle features.

Pete Hegseth’s Signal Scandal Spirals Out of Control

Plus: Cybercriminals stole a record-breaking fortune from US residents and businesses in 2024, and Google performs its final flip-flop in its yearslong quest to kill tracking cookies.

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

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. 

The post This Week in Scams: $16.6 Billion Lost, Deepfakes Rise, and Google Email Scams Emerge appeared first on McAfee Blog.

Gmail’s New Encrypted Messages Feature Opens a Door for Scams

Google is rolling out an end-to-end encrypted email feature for business customers, but it could spawn phishing attacks, particularly in non-Gmail inboxes.

The Tech That Safeguards the Conclave’s Secrecy

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican is preparing to organize a new conclave in less than 20 days. This is how they’ll tamp down on leaks.

How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border

Customs and Border Protection has broad authority to search travelers’ devices when they cross into the United States. Here’s what you can do to protect your digital life while at the US border.

Florida Man Enters the Encryption Wars

Plus: A US judge rules against police cell phone “tower dumps,” China names alleged NSA agents it says were involved in cyberattacks, and Customs and Border Protection reveals its social media spying tools.

ICE Is Paying Palantir $30 Million to Build ‘ImmigrationOS’ Surveillance Platform

In a document published Thursday, ICE explained the functions that it expects Palantir to include in a prototype of a new program to give the agency “near real-time” data about people self-deporting.

New Jersey Sues Discord for Allegedly Failing to Protect Children

The New Jersey attorney general claims Discord’s features to keep children under 13 safe from sexual predators and harmful content are inadequate.

This ‘College Protester’ Isn’t Real. It’s an AI-Powered Undercover Bot for Cops

Massive Blue is helping cops deploy AI-powered social media bots to talk to people they suspect are anything from violent sex criminals all the way to vaguely defined “protesters.”

‘Stupid and Dangerous’: CISA Funding Chaos Threatens Essential Cybersecurity Program

The CVE Program is the primary way software vulnerabilities are tracked. Its long-term future remains in limbo even after a last-minute renewal of the US government contract that funds it.

Here’s What Happened to Those SignalGate Messages

A lawsuit over the Trump administration’s infamous Houthi Signal group chat has revealed what steps departments took to preserve the messages—and how little they actually saved.

Suspected 4chan Hack Could Expose Longtime, Anonymous Admins

Though the exact details of the situation have not been confirmed, community infighting seems to have spilled out in a breach of the notorious image board.