Apple, Costco, Airbnb, and Booking.com: Top Scams of the Week

This week, we’ve found lots of scams in which scammers are impersonating famous brands, including Apple, Costco, Airbnb, and Booking.com. Would you have been able to spot all these scams?  

Phishing Scams  

Impersonating trusted brands, scammers love to spread phishing links via text message or email that lead to phishing sites designed to steal your personally identifiable information (PII): email address, credit card number, Social Security number, and more. No matter what false pretenses scammers employ, their goal is to use your PII to commit cybercrimes, such as draining your bank account or stealing your identity.  

Most often, scammers create fake online survey forms and use various incentives like sales campaigns or free gifts to try to lure you into revealing your PII. Below are some examples:  

Apple Survey Scam 

Posing as Apple, scammers pretend that you need to manage the delivery of a gift by clicking on the attached link: 

If you click on the link, you will be taken to an online form that states you’ve won a gift: 

Apple Survey Scam (1/2)

Scammers will then instruct you to fill out the form and provide lots of PII, including a delivery address and credit card details. Scammers will record this PII and use it for their own good. Don’t let them! 

Apple Survey Scam (2/2)

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Costco Survey Scam 

Besides text messages, scammers also often send tricky phishing emails. This week we’ve detected a lot of fake Costco emails with bogus survey links. Have you seen this before? 

The button will take you to a fake Costco survey page where you could end up exposing all your PII. Don’t fall for the scam! 

Fake booking websites – Airbnb and Booking.com 

If you’re planning a trip this summer, chances are that you might need to make reservations on booking websites — but are you sure the websites you visit are legitimate? We reported on copycat Airbnb and Booking.com websites months ago, and this week we’ve detected even more.  

Sample URLs of fake booking websites: 

• shrtlink[.]net 
• securepropertycheck[.]com 
• airbnb[.]ld83528[.]ru 
• booking[.]upgrade-account[.]com 
   
  Note: The legitimate web addresses are Airbnb.com and Booking.com. Keep an eye out! 

Again, scammers could access your PII if you enter it onto these fake websites, such as your full name, address, phone number, and credit/debit card info. With such information, cybercriminals can commit any number of other crimes, including identity theft. Be careful! 

Tips to Stay Safe Online  

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number and email address. Even if it seems legitimate, think twice before you take any action.        
• Free gifts are often a red flag.        
• Only use official websites and apps. Never click on dubious links!
• Check if any of your PII has been leaked and secure your social media accounts using Trend Micro ID Protection.  
• Finally, add an extra layer of protection to your devices with Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection will help you combat scams and cyberattacks.

If you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please SHARE it with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected. Also, please consider leaving a comment or LIKE below.  

This article was published in collaboration with Trend Micro.

Image source: unsplash.com