Scam of the Week

In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are using artificial intelligence (AI) to try to trick you into clicking malicious links. You receive a text message or voice call from someone claiming to be a senior United States government official. They will try to establish a friendly relationship with you by sounding genuine, making the official seem trustworthy.

In this week’s scam, you receive an email that appears to be from Coinbase, a platform that allows you to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency (crypto). The email says that a new wallet address has been set up to make withdrawals from your account. Wallets are tools that are used to manage crypto that you sell or receive. An unexpected email about a new wallet might alarm you, since it might seem like someone is making unauthorized purchases on your account.

Cybercriminals have come up with a new way to scam you by using device codes, which are numeric codes that allow you to log into the same account using multiple devices. You may have used these codes in the past. If you’ve ever attempted to log in to a streaming service such as Netflix from your TV, your TV will display a numeric code that you can enter on your phone.

In this week’s scam, someone calls you claiming to be a representative of a big retailer, such as Amazon. They warn you that criminals have taken over your account and are using it for illegal activities.

In this week’s scam, you receive a text message that says you have an unpaid invoice, fee, or toll. It seems legitimate because the text message appears to come from a local organization, such as your government’s toll service, tax office, or postal service. It may even contain official logos and branding.

In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are stealing students’ and teachers’ login information through phishing emails. You receive an email with an attachment containing a QR code. In the email, you are instructed to scan the code to update your contact information, check your benefits, or apply for opportunities at your university.