AI scams

Family group chats can provide scammers with current details, such as appointments or travel updates, making impersonation scams more believable. Scammers use public data broker sites (like Spokeo and Whitepages) combined with personal social media posts to create convincing lies, particularly targeting seniors. The article advises users on protecting themselves against AI scams, fraud, and identity theft.

A recurring job scam is spreading via text message, impersonating Amazon's remote recruitment team and offering high pay for minimal effort without prior application. These scams are marked by red flags such as lacking an explanation of how recipients were contacted and instructing users to send texts to a separate phone number. The article warns that scammers often change the names and contact information but keep the basic fraudulent offer intact.

INTERPOL has reported a 'dramatic increase' in cybercrime across Asia and the South Pacific, driven by digitalization, internet expansion, new technologies, organized criminal networks, and uneven cybersecurity readiness. Phishing is highlighted as the most widespread threat in the region.