Scotty here, your cyber scam whisperer, coming at you with the latest reality check from Scamville—and trust me, it’s a wild ride out there. So, let’s hack right past the pleasantries and get straight to the main event.
First up, New Yorkers have been getting peppered with “Inflation Refund” scam texts like it's the new Pumpkin Spice latte—everywhere, and risky if you don’t know what’s in it. The messages, allegedly from the New York Department of Taxation and Finance, dangle the promise of an inflation rebate but warn if you don’t click their link and cough up private info—name, address, email, social and banking details—you’ll miss out. Here’s the actual deal: if you’re eligible for such a refund, it gets sent automatically. Anyone asking for your sensitive details is more likely a crook than a state worker. Governor Kathy Hochul even called this scam out, saying never click unsolicited links. Smishing, that’s SMS phishing, is getting nastier, folks.
Traveling down scam alley, a big headline this week was the arrest of Mitchell Thomas Kloter in Connecticut. His alleged MO? Running a limo service, collecting cash from clients, and then ghosting them. Multiple counts of larceny and telephone fraud landed him in cuffs. Pro tip: use trusted, reviewed services, and never hand over cash before a service is complete. If it sounds bumpy, it’s not just the ride—sometimes it’s the driver.
Crypto crooks are turbocharging their game this year. Bitcoin ATM fraud is surging across the states, targeting especially seniors. Scammers pose as IRS agents or bank security, then scare folks into depositing cash into crypto ATMs—with warnings of “your account’s compromised.” These digital machines turn your cash into bitcoin faster than bad WiFi—gone to an untraceable wallet, poof. South Hadley, Massachusetts saw one poor soul lose $11,000 in a single hit; Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania had someone taken for $22,000. FBI data for 2024 showed 11,000 reports and $247 million in crypto ATM scam losses. Rule of thumb: the IRS, banks, and law enforcement do not ask you to move your money via Bitcoin ATM. Ever.
Let’s talk pop-up scams—those fake tech support warnings popping up on your grandma’s screen. Chad Burney at GTE Financial says fraudsters use pop-up warnings to trick people into calling bogus “tech support.” Victims hand over credit card details, get charged, and nothing gets fixed. If you get one of these, close your browser, don’t call any number on the pop-up, and reach out to your real software provider through their official website.
And job scams? This month, Bitdefender reported fraudsters holding fake interviews under their brand. If a recruiter pushes urgency or wants money up front, hit the escape key.
Here’s the firewall tips: never click unexpected links or download random attachments, use a long passphrase instead of a simple password, and don’t recycle the same password across sites. If someone pressures you to act fast, slow down. Scammers feed on urgency because panic is vulnerability.
Thanks for tuning into my cyber watch. Stay sharp, techie friends, and smash that subscribe button. For more, check out quiet please dot ai. This has been a quiet please production.
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