“Join the Heartline Study by J&J in collaboration with AppIe!”, “Win a $1,000 Amazon gift card!” Check out the hot scams of the week and see how many of them you’ve spotted!

Phishing Scams

Phishing is when scammers pose as big recognizable companies and try their best to lure you into clicking on phishing links in text messages and emails.

The scammers’ ultimate goal is to steal your personal information. The phishing links often lead to fake online survey pages that state you can claim a gift by completing an online questionnaire.

Or, in other instances, the links take you to fake log-in pages impersonating various brands, featuring fake online application forms. These pages require you to submit log-in credentials, change your settings, or do whatever else the scammers have said that you need to do.

Scammers can record all the credentials you enter on these pages and use them to commit cybercrimes. For example, they could hack into your account and withdraw your money, or even use your information to commit identity theft. Don’t let them!

SMS Phishing Scams

1. Johnson & Johnson / Apple Heartline Study Lottery Scam

Recently we’ve seen a lot of phishing scams mentioning “the Heartline Study” targeting people 60 and older. Scammers pose as Johnson & Johnson and Apple and send text messages with phishing links:

• Are you 60 years or older? Do you want $150 for participating in the Heartline Study, by Johnson & Johnson in collaboration with Apple. See if you qualify <URL>

The links lead to a page that hosts a lottery campaign:

After you’ve spun the virtual fruit machine, you’re instructed to claim your gift (AirPods in this case) by entering your credit card details to schedule their delivery. Of course, it’s a scam!

2. iPhone 13 Survey Scam

We’ve reported on it before, but scammers are continuing to claim that they are giving away free iPhone 13s. They prompt you to click on links leading to fake online survey pages:

• Katie, we appreciate your honesty! This is what you earned by just being who you are. Thank us later! <URL>

3. Best Buy Black Friday Extension Scam

Although it’s over, scammers are using Best Buy Black Friday “extension” sales, with the promise of cheap Apple iPad Pros as a ruse in their phishing scams:

• black friday extensl0n! here’s your, appie-ipad-prov2 trkld**1p6c. last chance is today; <URL>

Again, the attached link will take you to a phishing page that records your personal information:

Email Phishing

1. Amazon Gift Card Email Scam

A lot of people have received this email from Amazon that says they can get an Amazon voucher by completing an online survey. Watch out!

If you take the bait and click on the embedded button, you will be led to an online form featuring Squid Game, the famous Netflix series. Again, all the credentials you submit here will end up in scammers’ hands!

3. Windows Registry “Pending Messages” Scam

Got an email notifying you that you have pending messages? Don’t click on the button! If you take a closer look at the sender’s email address, you will notice that it doesn’t seem like an official one.

The button will take you to a phishing website that prompts you to submit login information. Now, you know what will happen – scammers can gain access to all these credentials!

Top Fake Online Shops

Scammers create tens of thousands of fake online shops every day to try to exploit you, making it sometimes really hard to tell if an online shopping website is legitimate or not. Fake online shops don’t have standard processes regarding refunds and disputes. What’s worse, victims could end up having their personal information sold on underground online forums or the dark web.

Last week many people were searching for these 2 fake websites. Don’t get scammed!

#1 kenwebs[.]com

#2 Interyoyo[.]com

This fake website features a lot of shoes from Hey Dude for 50% off, but be careful — this is not the official Hey Dude site (the web address should be heydude[.]com)!

Other Online Shopping Scams via Text Messages

We noticed that scammers also use SMS to spread links to scam websites, pretending there are promotional campaigns:

#1 Crocs

• [[crocs] black friday is coming! up to 70% off everything! lowest price from 9.99usd! hxxps://www[.]crocvls[.]com/  reply stop unsubscribe

Legitimate website: crocs[.]com

Fake website: crocvls[.]com

#2 Maui Jim

Watch out for this fake copycat designer sunglasses shop!

• [maui jim] black friday is coming! up to 70% off everything! lowest price from 9.99usd! hxxps://www[.]maujmrsj[.]shop/ reply stop unsubscribe

Legitimate website: mauijim[.]com

Fake website: maujmrsj[.]shop

#3 Kendra Scott

Looking to buy some Kendra Scott jewelry? Make sure you’re on the real website!

• [kendra scott] black friday is coming! up to 70% off everything! lowest price from 9.99usd! hxxps://www[.]kendsjewelimk[.]store/ reply stop unsubscribe

Legitimate website: kendrascott[.]com

Fake website: kendsjewelimk[.]store

How to Protect Yourself

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address.
• Free gifts or prizes are always a major red flag.
• Reach out to an organization’s customer service directly for help and support.
• NEVER click links or attachments from unknown sources. Use Trend Micro Check to detect scams with ease!

Don’t forget to add an extra layer of protection to your device with Trend Micro Maximum Security! It includes Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection to help you combat scams and cyberattacks. Click the button below to give it a try: