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This article is from Trend Micro.
This week we’ve found a large number of scams that you need to watch out for, including ones relating to Airbnb, Shell, Walmart, Ray-Ban, and more. Would you have been able to spot all the scams?
To begin with, this week we detected several fake websites impersonating famous brands to try to trick you. Scammers spread links to these fake websites via text message and email, luring you to open the link with various excuses. Below are some examples:
The summer traveling season is not over! Have you planned your vacation and booked your hotel yet? As we’ve reported several times before, scammers create fake hotel booking websites, pretending to be big brand names like Airbnb or Booking.com. Here’s what these fake pages might look like.
Fake Airbnb page
Fake Booking.com page
Fake Booking.com page
Don’t spend a cent on these fake sites. You won’t get anything for your money. And nothing would be worse than being far away from home with nowhere to stay.
These fake sites are designed to steal your personal information, including log-in credentials and credit card details. Scammers can thus use them to commit other cybercrimes such as identity theft.
Trend Micro Check is a browser extension and mobile app for detecting scams, phishing attacks, malware, and dangerous links — and it’s FREE!
After you’ve pinned the Trend Micro Check extension, it will block dangerous sites automatically! (Available on Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge).
You can also download the Trend Micro Check mobile app for 24/7 automatic scam and spam detection and filtering. (Available for Android and iOS).
Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check.
Fake online shops are one of the most popular categories among scam sites. For example, posing as Ray-Ban, scammers use irresistible sales campaigns to get your attention, prompting you to click on the attached link in their scam emails:
The attached link will lead you to a fake Ray-Ban online shop. Watch out!
“Dating Site For Singles” — Scammers are now sending random emails containing links to suspicious adult pages. Did you receive any of them?
Scammers try their best to lure you into clicking on the links, which lead to fake adult websites where you could end up exposing your credentials. Don’t get scammed!
Sample scam adult page
Impersonating famous brands, scammers send out fake text messages and emails containing phishing links and try to entice you into opening them with various lies. These links will take you to online survey pages that state you can claim a gift by filling out an online questionnaire. After you complete the questionnaire, you are prompted to enter credit card details before your “gift” can be delivered. Here are some examples:
We’ve written about Shell gift card scams before, and this week they are circulating again:
PRlZEWlNNER: We’re HAPPY to AWAR’D #8138432928 1 OF 8 $500ShelIvchs. FiII-out your deets: <URL> STOPtoUnSub
Promising you a Shell gift card voucher, scammers try to trick you into clicking on the phishing link that leads to a fake Shell online survey page:
In the end, you are asked to provide personal details like credit card information. Scammers can record everything you submit on this page and use it to steal your money or commit other cybercrimes such as identity theft. Don’t let them!
Walmart is one of the most commonly impersonated brands. This week, scammers have been urging people to take part in an online raffle to earn money via the attached link:
Again, in the end, you will need to enter credit card information as well as other personal information. Don’t fall for it!
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Source: pexels.com
