Scams never cease. Scammers try their best to invent new ways of exploiting every aspect of life: delivery, banking, shopping… everything can become scammers’ tactics to trick us. In this post, we will share the details of 4 trending scams – HSBC fraud alert scam, Hermes delivery phishing, Amazon Prime Day lucky draw scam, and Walmart giveaway scam. Check how these scams work and learn tips to protect yourself from them. Can you spot all these scams?

HSBC Bank “Fraud Alert” Text Message Scam

Scammers impersonate HSBC Bank and reach out to you by text messages, saying that you have authorized a payment and that you can cancel it via a link if you did not make the transaction. It leads you to a fake HSBC website where you will be asked to sign in to your bank account to make changes.

However, the web page is phishing, and scammers can record the account credentials and other sensitive data you have entered. With the information, they can transfer all your money away, take over your account, and even use it for other scams.

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HSBC FRAUD ALERT: You have authorised a payment of £240.00 to Mr C Jones. If this was not you, please cancel via: <URL>

Hermes Delivery Phishing Scam

Following old delivery phishing scams, including USPS, FedEx, and DHL, the UK delivery service Hermes is now the new target for scammers. Scammers pose as Hermes and send text messages, falsely claiming that they have missed you and that you have to reschedule the delivery through a link they provide.

The link is a phishing link that takes you to a fake Hermes website. Next, you have to enter personal information such as your home address and phone number. To “cover the service fee,” they will then request sensitive data like your credit card number and CVC code. The credentials you submit will end up in scammers’ hands so that they can steal your money as well as your identity.

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Hermes: Sorry we missed you. Our driver will be rede- livering tomorrow. Please reschedule and cover the £1.45 service fee here: <URL>

Amazon Prime Day Scam

Amazon Prime Day was postponed to October last year because of the pandemic, but this year, it is possible to be in the summer as it used to be. Feel excited? So do scammers!

They send fake text messages from Amazon, falsely claiming that you have won in an Amazon Prime Day lucky draw and can get a brand new Macbook Pro as a reward through the link in the message. It reads, “The Amazon Prime Day Winner Is Allan! Congratulations, collect your brand new Macbook Pro right now: <URL>“

The link is, again, a phishing link. Once you click on it, you will enter an online survey page. If you finish all the questions, a message saying that you have won a prize will pop up. In the end, you will be once again redirected to a page and asked to submit banking details such as your credit card number, expiration date, and CVC code. That said, scammers can steal your money and use all your sensitive data for identity theft.

This is how the scam unfolds:

Walmart Giveaway Scam

We noticed many fake text messages from Walmart recently. Scammers pretend to be from Walmart and send text messages with a link, claiming that there is a giveaway campaign and that you can click on the link to claim a reward.

The link is a phishing link, and it will lead you to a website and ask you to enter personal information, such as your credit card number and CVC code. In a worse situation, malware will start to download once you click on the link. Please do not fall for it!

How to protect yourself from phishing scams?

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address.
• Reach out to the official website or customer support directly for help.
• NEVER click links or attachments from unknown sources. Use Trend Micro Check to detect scams with ease!
  Copy-paste any link and send it to Trend Micro Check on Messenger or WhatsApp for immediate scam detection:

You can also send a screenshot of suspicious text messages to Trend Micro Check. It detects scams for you in a second.

Trend Micro Check is also available as a Chrome extension. It will block dangerous sites for you automatically:

Did you successfully spot the scams? Remember, always CHECK before your next move.

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