#avoiding email scams
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Tech-Up Tuesday: Phishing 101 - How to Recognize and Avoid Email Scams
Welcome to Tech-Up Tuesday! đ Today, weâre diving into the world of phishing and equipping you with the knowledge to recognize and avoid those sneaky email scams. But fear not, we wonât let these cyber tricksters get the best of us. Instead, weâll tackle the topic with a humorous twist, using analogies and emojis to make it easy for even the most novice readers to understand. So, grab yourâŚ
View On WordPress
#avoiding email scams#cyber anglers#email scams#online security#phishing#phishing prevention#recognizing phishing#social engineering#spoofed sender#two-factor authentication
0 notes
Text
>:(((( I have a phonecall today that I have to answer, and ofc some other random phone call came in and I answered bc thought it was that. >:((( it wasnât and now todayâs total is going to be 2 phone calls. this is my nightmare
#it was some customer review thing idk#I canât hear ppl to well on the phone idk why#asked my email & address and like Iâm not giving those on the phone to some random bc like idk if that actually was legit#so I had a real awkward tinfoil-hat question of ââso⌠whatâs this for exactly?ââ and ugh#but he didnât ask those again and if he would have I think I wouldâve just hung up the phone#I did google that phonenumber now and it was a legit one and so Iâm hella embarrassed now :D super!!#Iâve become way too wary of phonecalls bc like 90% of them are scam attempts#so I avoid saying my name or too clear yes/no and itâs like a fucking mindgame answering phonecalls#february 2024#2024
27 notes
¡
View notes
Text
eh jean-jacques ramène la guillotine
#WHAT THE FUCK........#long story short : someone got an email saying their account got suspended for inactivity and would be deleted in 30 days#there was a link in the email to log in to their account and reactivate it to avoid it being deleted#they thought it sounded fishy like a scam email and contacted ubisoft support#ubisoft confirmed that it was a real email and had THE AUDACITY#to tweet something like ''we don't want you losing your games !!! so let us know if you need help logging in blabla''#YOU DONT WANT US LOSING GAMES THEN GKFJFJFJD DONT DELETE ACCOUNTS ??????#THE NERVE OF DEMANDING THAT PEOPLE LOG INTO THEIR ACCOUNTS#FOR A SERVICE THAT PEOPLE WILL ONLY OCCASIONALLY USE IF THEY WANT TO PLAY A UBISOFT GAME
2 notes
¡
View notes
Note
Hello dearsđ! I am asking youđ to support my campaign to help međ reach my goal. I am now in dire need of your support to help me surviveđGaza is a very dangerous place both in terms of living and lives. I need your financial support to enable me to get the basic needs for my family until the Rafah crossing is reopened to transport my family to safety and peace. Please help a family survive through your donations or through your shares to others. Thank you very much for standing by the oppressedđľđ¸
Idk if this is real or not (emojis in posts freak me out) but i feel like its an important subject regardless
#idk man seeing emojis makes me think of those scam emails#so like double check b4 donating?#this is why i avoid political shit#this has been in my asks 4 like a week bc i wasnt sure if it was fr#like the profile seems fine enough ig???#free palestine
0 notes
Text
Someone accessed my Gmail 2 days ago, compromising my linked accounts like Twitter and YouTube. Here's how it happened, why I fell for it, and what you can learn to avoid making the same mistake:
The scam I fell victim to was a cookie hijack. The hacker used malicious software to steal my browser cookies (stuff like autofill, auto sign in, etc), allowing them to sign in to my Gmail and other accounts, completely bypassing my 2FA and other security protocols.
A few days ago, I received a DM from @Rachael_Borrows, who claimed to be a manager at @Duolingo. The account seemed legitimate. It was verified, created in 2019, and had over 1k followers, consistent with other managers Iâd seen at the time n I even did a Google search of this person and didnt find anything suspicious.
She claimed that @Duolingo wanted me to create a promo video, which got me excited and managed to get my guard down. After discussing I was asked to sign a contract and at app(.)fastsigndocu(.)com. If you see this link, ITS A SCAM! Do NOT download ANY files from this site.
Unfortunately, I downloaded a file from the website, and it downloaded without triggering any firewall or antivirus warnings. Thinking it was just a PDF, I opened it. The moment I did, my console and Google Chrome flashed. Thatâs when I knew I was in trouble. I immediately did an antivirus scan and these were some of the programs it found that were added to my PC without me knowing:
The thing about cookie hijacking is that it completely bypasses 2FA which should have been my strongest line of defense. I was immediately signed out of all my accounts and within a minute, they changed everything: passwords, 2FA, phone, recovery emails, backup codes, etc.
I tried all methods but hit dead ends trying to recover them. Thankfully, my Discord wasnât connected, so I alerted everyone I knew there. I also had an alternate account, @JLCmapping, managed by a friend, which I used to immediately inform @/TeamYouTube about the situation
Meanwhile, the hackers turned my YouTube channel into a crypto channel and used my Twitter account to spam hundreds of messages, trying to use my image and reputation to scam more victims
Thankfully, YouTube responded quickly and terminated the channel. Within 48 hours, they locked the hacker out of my Gmail and restored my access. They also helped me recover my channel, which has been renamed to JoetasticOfficial since Joetastic_ was no longer available.
Since then, Iâve taken several steps to secure my accounts and prevent this from happening again. This has been a wake-up call to me, and now I am more cautious around people online. I hope sharing it helps others avoid falling victim to similar attacks. (End)
(side note) Around this time, people also started to impersonate me on TikTok and YouTube. With my accounts terminated, anyone searching for "Joetastic" would only find the imposter's profiles. Iâm unsure whether they are connected or if itâs just an unfortunate coincidence, but it made the situation even more stressful.
3K notes
¡
View notes
Text
For anyone wondering what it looks like!! (First image is a screenshot of a fake email that CrashnCash sent, who was also hacked. The rest are screenshots that I took for legal purposes!!)
đ¨ATTENTION EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS ME ON DISCORDđ¨
Hi! I was scammed and there's a good likelyhood they're still using my account to target people. If you get messaged by me on there, IT AINT ME HOMIE. I've been locked out of my account and can't contact anyone there, so if word can get spread around that would be amazing!!
The scammer posed as discord support reaching out to me about my account being flagged. I followed all of his instructions, hoping to get the issue resolved, realized far too late that it was all a ruse. I'm currently trying to get my account back, but no luck.
Spread the word about this scam, it was incredibly easy to believe. Please be safe out there guys <3
#reach out to actual discord support!! they helped me really quickly!!#like i sent the support email and they got it done in like 20 minutes for me#i was very lucky in this case though but you should def try your best. provide the current email and your previous email#ofc the best thing would be to avoid getting scammed entirely but please remember that the ACTUAL support is here to help#from grian <3
37 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Discord scam alert
If you get messages like this from a discord friendâs account, your friend has just become the victim of a phishing scam and the scammer is trying to get you too.
But my friend got his account back within an hour of this conversation, and your friend can get theirs back too.
The MO: using this scare story, the scammer tricks people into changing the email on their account to give the scammer control of the account. Once they have control, they use the hijacked account to send the scam pitch to all the victimâs friends
The motive: to try to get people who have nitro to bite, so the scammer can steal their credit card
Hereâs how to keep your account safe and help your friend
DO NOT follow any of the instructions your friendâs account sends you. The scammer will lie to you and give you instructions to hand over control of your account.
DO:
Keep your cool. The scare story is a lie. The scammer has no power to force you to follow their instructions, they only have lies to try to trick you into it.
Ghost the scammer. Itâs what I did as soon as I realised this was definitely a scam (I smelled shit immediately because my friend has a totally different typing style, but it would be harder to recognise coming from a random acquaintance), and they didnât persevere any further after the end of the screenshot. Scammers target the vulnerable and avoid wasting effort on more difficult victims; if you ghost them they will sense youâre not biting and leave you alone.
Contact your friend on another platform if possible, to confirm that itâs not them and let them know theyâve been hacked
Direct your friend to the discord support ticket platformâ my friend got his account back in like 30 minutes by sending a âhacked accountâ ticket here.
If your friend has nitro, make sure they get going on cancelling any compromised payment methods before the scammer can steal their money
Take this as a lesson to avoid repeated passwords and turn on 2FA on all your accounts, especially ones with any payment info attachedâ even if you think youâre too smart to get scammed, everyone has moments of not paying attention, and thatâs what scammers prey on
#scams#scam awareness#discord#psa#idk what to tag this to get the info out#tried to make it as parseable in a stressful situation as possible#edited for some wording but itâs already got 200 notes so I doubt the edit will propagate
2K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Mural commission scams/Commission scams
(Mural commission scams/Commission scams)
If you are an artist who regularly posts art to tumblr, you may have received DMs/replies from accounts who are either asking to use your art in a mural because a client wants it or a message asking you if you take commissions (even if you have a post that would answer that question) before requesting you to draw their pet/family member.
These are actually known as scam messages/asks and were originally mainly spotted on deviantART/Twitter (X), Instagram, etc. You get these if you use certain tags as these mainly blank blogs are usually watching them for new artists to target and con money (or time) out of. These are never real people wanting art from you and are always scammers who have no interest in paying you for your hard work.
One of the most common things is that they will never look at your commission sheet or read your TOS, and will avoid answering any specific questions you may have since theyâre not here to talk. Their talking is just trying to flatter you (claiming they love your art) and to make you think youâll be getting a lot of money for little work. Unfortunately, these blogs do not want to pay you and they will not give you the funds no matter how much it is.
These kind of scammers will ask for your email and then send you a fake PayPal email claiming they sent you money but there was a problem and you need to âupgradeâ your account to receive the funds. This email is not officially sent by PayPal and is made to scare you into thinking something has went wrong. Do not worry. It is not a real PayPal email. It is a fake one.
Keep in mind these scam blogs will not use the payment methods you already offer. Their task is getting your email then trying to get your personal information.
If someoneâs offering to pay you $300+ for a simple drawing of a generic dog took off Google images, be wary of the account and ask them questions first. If you feel like something is off, cut contact and report them immediately before blocking them.
If you drew the art anyway, just edit the drawing to have a block of text saying the commissioner was a scammer and then advertise your commissions!
Always have a clear Terms of Service around payment options and do not let high payments trick you into drawing for scammers.
I am post this with the art tag as it relates to art and the current situation of artists over here now getting the same scam messages that deviantART users get. Please share this post to your art friends.
#Mural commission scams#commission scams#scam#artists on tumblr#art#psa#important information#how to spot a scam blog#kyra45 speaks#long post
200 notes
¡
View notes
Note
trying to scam people on gofundme is like trying to rob a bank using only email. it'd be easier, faster, and far less tedious to make money by walking around hoping for dollar bills to appear
also talk to a doctor before you kill yourself with iron supplements jfc
Gofundme scams are a widely documented problem, which is why any quick search on google vel sim will deliver you plentiful advice on avoiding them. Just last year, there was a major headline conviction for a viral scam that netted its perpetrators almost half a million usd. Have you ever tried setting up a gfm? Its not exactly an onerous process
I should really stop talking about this, though. There is evidently smth in the way my friends and i write or think about the topic that instead has caused ppl generally to double down on making insecure, clearly inefficient donations for this extremely important cause. And to add insult to injury, ive lost multiple friends over my stance on this by now. I really, truly do not understand the psychology behind the animosity on this subjectâthere is clearly some value or principle or perceived moral quality to which other ppl are responding to which i am completely insensitive. Im not going to try to engage in the equivalent of debating about music as someone congenitally deaf
152 notes
¡
View notes
Text
FREEGÄ°VEAWAYCENTER - SÄ°LVER
Online giveaways have become a popular way for companies to engage with their audience and attract potential customers. Understanding the different types of online giveaways can help individuals discern the authenticity of such offers. Some common types of online giveaways include: - Social media giveaways on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter - Website giveaways hosted by brands on their official websites - Email giveaways where participants enter by subscribing to a newsletter or mailing list - Sweepstakes and contests with specific entry requirements and rules Being aware of the various formats of online giveaways can assist participants in identifying legitimate opportunities to win prizes like the win iPhone 15 pro max.
iPhone 15 pro max giveaway can present exciting opportunities to win coveted prizes, it is crucial to watch out for red flags that may indicate potential scams or fraudulent activities. Some red flags to be cautious of in online giveaways include: - Requests for payment or purchase to enter the giveaway - Unsolicited messages claiming you have won a prize - Lack of official rules or terms and conditions - Poor website design or unprofessional communication By recognizing these warning signs, individuals can protect themselves from falling victim to online giveaway scams and ensure a safe and authentic participation experience.
Participating in legitimate online giveaways can be a fun and rewarding experience when done thoughtfully and cautiously. To increase the chances of engaging with genuine giveaways and avoiding potential scams, consider the following tips: - Research the hosting company or brand to verify their credibility - Read the giveaway rules and terms carefully before entering - Avoid sharing personal information beyond what is necessary for participation - Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true - Opt for well-known and reputable websites or social media platforms for participation By following these tips and staying vigilant, individuals can navigate the online giveaway landscape securely and potentially win exciting prizes like the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
608 notes
¡
View notes
Text
how to avoid getting scammed/phished: cultivate a mindset that everyone should leave you the hell alone
dont answer phone calls
dont read text messages
dont check your emails
throw mail into a box and leave it there
someone trying to contact you? fuck em
376 notes
¡
View notes
Text
đScam Exam(ination)đ
Seen as: Click here! / Read more... Scam type(s): Phishing / Malicious website
Good day everyone, today I'd like to talk about a scam that is some what pretty obvious to spot on tumblr. Unless you're someone who straight up lets curiosity get the best of them and you go clicking links on sketchy looking blogs without thinking. (Don't do that.) You'll probably be able to avoid it.
Now, for safety reasons I'm not going to be linking the blog in question that is running this scam because I'm not going to 'tempt fate' for the sake of documentation. But I will be showing you through the help of a couple useful websites, what's going on behind the scenes.
-----
The first thing I noticed (other than the blog only being a few days old) when I saw this persons posts was, well, what I consider to be one of the most biggest and immediate red flags that was on every single post of theirs.
If you know anything at all about internet history and internet safety, one of the most common and well known ways that malicious actors try to get you to go to their scam/phishing website is with the temptation of a big reward if you do x to y.
'You've won a free $100 gift card! Click here to claim!'
'Hot local singles in your area! Click here now to find them!'
Memes aside, it should go without saying that you should not, under any circumstances, click links that look like this that you receive via email, text, or that you see in advertisements. Not only could these links lead you to a phishing page (wiki) that mimics tumblr or another social media platform in an attempt to get you to log in. Doing so would result in your account being compromised and your login information being stolen.
Tempting links like these could also lead to a web page like the one that this one in particular I'm about to show you, too.
With the help of Cloudflare via their url scanner tool I was able to examine this website, see where it redirects people to, view the HTML (for you nerdy folks) and in turn see the landing page it takes you to when you click it. Without clicking it myself.
Want to know what this takes you to?
A page leading to a fake popup with a link to install a virus.
Now, let me be 100% clear: These viruses are bad.
From what I know of them, not only do they hijack and steal all of your login information on the device you installed it on, 9/10 it will also install a keylogger onto your system. What this does is: even if you uninstall the virus and your system seems clean, these bad actors will still be able to monitor your device and steal your information unless you factory reset your device or PC.
Here's information on keyloggers. (malwarebytes)
If these bad actors really, really wanted to ruin someones day, by installing these 'free apps' it could also put what is known as Ransomware on your device. A trojan that locks down your device, encrypts your files, and demands you pay a ransom for it to be unlocked. All of which is under a timer or it will completely brick your system.
Here's a video by IBM that explains how ransomware works.
Another very, VERY useful website I'd like to share that I became familiar with through some channels on youtube that talk about scams is VirusTotal. https://www.virustotal.com (despite its name, it's not a virus!)
This website has two key features I think are awesome: 1- You can scan a url for viruses/malicious activity to see if it's been flagged by one of the many antivirus vendors on the market. and 2- You can upload files you downloaded to see if they are infected by trojans or malware before you even open them.
CloudFlare and VirusTotal are 100% free to use websites with no sign up or cost. (No this isn't an ad and no I am not sponsored. These are just resources and I am giving them to you lol)
-----
Final thoughts: I know curiosity may get the best of us at times, but don't let that become your downfall. If you see blogs that are only a few days old exhibiting this behavior, please make sure you report them on your own time and don't encourage mass reporting by making posts about them.
Remember: Stop and think before you click that link. :)
Other helpful guides on spotting scams. (by @kyra45)
63 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Want to keep using Windows 10 after 2025?
It'll cost you $61 the first year. Per machine.
And $122 in year two and $244 in year three, doubling every year after that until by 2038 it hits $499,712 bucks.
Just kidding. But not about that first part. Seriously, they really do plan to double the annual fee for the first few years. Yikes.
Assuming you want security updates. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a break from Windows Update doing secret shit to my workstation without asking.
It remains unclear what happens to Windows 10 users who opt out of the Extended Security Updates program. Nag screens? Windows goes into a throttled Limp Home mode?
I doubt they'd brick your machine, but based on Microsoft's recent disdain for its own customers anything is possible.
Honestly, if you avoid clicking on suspicious links and email phishing scams you're pretty safe even if you never update Windows. I've still got perfectly fine XP and Windows 7 machines in my network that have never been compromised by evildoers or malware.
All of this is engineered fear from Microsoft trying to move people off Windows 10.
251 notes
¡
View notes
Text
i keep thinking about the "belgian scam ring" conspiracy because it think it betrays a misunderstanding of how internet scams work.
like, the majority of scammers don't really spend their time carefully maintaining a story? they're often low effort by design. i got a series of spam emails recently telling me they'd recorded me masturbating through my webcam and i need to give them bitcoin or they'd send the footage to all my contacts. my webcam is never plugged in and i have no email contacts, i know that's bullshit, but it doesn't matter because i imagine they're sending that same email to a thousand people, and statistically at least one of them will fall for it. it's the same with the classic nigerian prince style emails, or the 'my cat is sick' posts from near-empty blogs with stolen photos. there's just not much point crafting a story to cover your ass when a half assed one will catch a few easy marks.
so seeing some users peddle the idea that the majority of palestinian gofundmes are fake and everyone who verifies them is actually in on it is like... farfetched? or at least it would be a logistical nightmare. i'm not gonna say high effort, organised scams have never existed, and i'm not gonna begrudge people for being cautious with their funds. but at some point the reality you have to construct is so convoluted that i can only assume it's just an excuse to avoid saying that you don't want to donate to people. and that's your choice, but at least be honest about it, because trying to discredit fundraisers based on flimsy evidence is doing tangible damage in the real world.
#not to mention the fact that those palestinian bloggers HAVE refuted the claims heavily#but like im saying even if they hadnt the premise is flawed#long post#also ive rewritten this like 6 times bc i kept going into tangents about gofundme's verification process
93 notes
¡
View notes
Text
â ď¸ WARNING - SCAM âźď¸
DO NOT ORDER FROM JELLYFROG
My mum paid nearly ÂŁ50 for a Ghost box from this company 26th August.
It was suppose to arrive the end of September, on the 6th October I emailed them asking when it was suppose to arrive and I got this email back.
We waited.. and waited..
Itâs now 25th November so my mum filed a chargeback and now theyâre trying to counterclaim the chargeback
We have received absolutely NOTHING
Not even a tracking number or even an updated email saying itâs been âdispatchedâ
AVOID THIS COMPANY!!
#the band ghost#ghost band#ghost ghouls#ghost bc#nameless ghouls#ghost#nameless ghost#shitghosting#please reblog to spread the word#damagedghoulette
30 notes
¡
View notes
Note
AITA for ghosting my girlfriend?
So, this happened years ago, and is extremely niche and online, but it still kind of weighs on me. I'm AFAB, and when I was younger (10-14yo) I would "pretend" to be a boy on the internet. Most of my time was spent playing Animal Jam and Minecraft, as well as being involved in the Animal Jam-related Google Plus/Blogger circles, all the time presenting as male.
I should also mention that I was raised in a very conservative and anti-gay religion. My parents knew that I was pretending to be a boy, they figured it would help "protect" my identity online. I didn't know what "transgender" meant until this whole incident was over.
Around the time this all happened I was heavily involved with a blog dedicated to posting Animal Jam users who would scam others out of their items, in hopes that our readers would avoid them. I and the four other people who ran the blog (between 13-16 y/o) had all become very close friends, but our interest in Animal Jam and in running this blog was waning. It was around this time I (14Complicated) began dating my fellow moderator V (13F). We had grown close over the course of many months invoved with the blog, and she had confessed her feelings to me over email. I responded that I felt the same way. Truthfully, I did. I felt things for her that I'd never felt before. Things that scared me.
V and I continued dating for many months. Over that time, our friendgroup had made the decision to shut the blog down for good. Us moderators stayed friends, and opened up a Minecraft server so we could still play together. V and I accomplished the all-important milestone of putting our beds together in Minecraft. The seriousness of our relationship weighed heavy on me, for two reasons: One, I was a girl dating a girl, and that was a sin. Two, I had been "pretending" to be a boy while I was dating V, and I had no idea how to tell her the truth. Looking back now, that second point was kind of stupid. V was openly bisexual and actually knew what transgender meant.
Because of these conflicting feelings, I just up and ghosted V one day. Logged out of every account associated with that friend group and went full no contact. I thought it would stop the feelings of guilt. It didn't help, and in fact, hurt a lot. I'm 20 now, openly nonbinary, and I still feel guilty about leaving V in the dark like that.
TL;DR I ghosted my online girlfriend because I was having gay thoughts and felt guilty for "lying" about my gender. AITA?
What are these acronyms?
175 notes
¡
View notes