Phishing scams have been one of the scammers’ favorite weapons for a long time. While impersonating famous brands, they send out fake text messages and emails containing phishing links with the aim of enticing you into opening them with promises of prizes or discounts.

Most commonly, the phishing links lead to online survey pages that state you can claim a gift by completing an online questionnaire. After you fill out the survey, you are prompted to enter personal information, such as credit card numbers, before your “gift” can be delivered. In other instances, the links lead to fake log-in pages that seem to belong to various brands. These pages require you to submit log-in credentials to check a package’s delivery status, change your account settings, or whatever other task the scammers have asked you to complete.

The scammers’ ultimate goal is to steal your information — they’ll record everything you enter on these fake pages and use it to commit cybercrimes: e.g., hack into your bank account, withdraw money, or steal your identity. Don’t let them!

1. PS5 Delivery Scam

The past year is likely to be a long one for those who’ve been waiting for their PlayStation 5! We’ve reported on PS5 lottery scams before, but now we’ve spotted a new take on SMS phishing scams, this time featuring the PS5. In this scam, the scammers falsely claim that your PS5 is going to be shipped and ask you to click on the attached link to view the status of the delivery:

• Thank you CID#95076 Your P S .5 is ready to ship upon confirmation – <URL>

As mentioned, the link will take you to a phishing website where you could end up exposing your personal information. Don’t fall for it!

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2. Browsing History Scam

We can all agree that sometimes we have some things in our browsing history that we’d rather keep a secret.  And now scammers are leveraging this to try to trick you:

• Your browsing history showed visits to unsecured websites. You now have (3) virus on your device. Clean your phone <URL>

Again, the link is a phishing link. Stay alert and don’t click on it!

3. AT&T Survey Scam

The December version of “AT&T bill paid” scams has been circulating for a few weeks:

• ATT Free Msg: December bill is paid. Thanks,  Here’s a little gift for you:  <URL> Happy New Year

The attached link will take you to a fake AT&T online survey page that promises you a free “Smart Health Watch”:

As mentioned above, you will be asked to enter credit card information. (Of course, don’t do so!)

M247 Europe New Year Scam

We’ve written about scammers impersonating cloud services company M247 Europe SRL before, and now the scams have started to advertise Dyson vacuum cleaners as rewards:

• Ronnie, the New Year is the perfect time to freshen up your home. And what better way than with a brand new DYSON Vacuum Cleaner? You’re one step closer when you complete this super quick survey and submit it back to us <URL>

Again, after that, you will have to enter credit card information (that will go straight into the scammers’ hands)!

5. Sports Jersey New Year Sale Scam

We’ve seen tens of thousands of scam online shops, with most of them circulating via text messages containing tempting sales information:

• [j\e\rs\ey weekend promotion] enjoy 70% off today. extra $3 off for over $60. view all <URL> text stop to opt out

These messages always contain links to fake online shops:

As the BBB reported, bogus online websites may provide products or services of low quality. In some cases, victims didn’t even receive the products they paid for. Don’t shop on these websites!

6. Kay Jewelers New Year Sale Scam

Love jewelry? Kay Jewelers has long been impersonated, and here’s the latest version of the fake text messages:

• [weekend deals] all 90% off-k’a’y jewelry’s! extra $10/$15 off for $89/$150! click here <URL> text stop to opt out

7. Home Depot Scam

We’ve seen at least 3 Home Depot scams, including fake official websites and phishing text messages — now there’s a new email version to watch out for! Posing as Home Depot, scammers tell you that you’ve been selected to receive an exclusive offer via the embedded button in the email.

You already know what will happen! Don’t click on anything from unknown sources!

8. Maersk Line Shipping Scam

Package shipment scams are nothing new. In fact, they’re some of the most popular, with FedEx and DHL the most regularly impersonated companies. However, this week we detected a lot of fake emails pretending to be from Maersk Line:

Scammers instruct you to click on the links in the email to check on the status of your package. Again, the links are phishing links, leading to a fake tracking page where you are asked to enter personal information. Don’t fall for it!

How to Protect Yourself

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address.
• Free gifts or prizes are always a major red flag.
• Always go to the official website/application instead of using links from unknown sources.
• Use Trend Micro ScamCheck to surf the web safely (it’s free!)
• Add an extra layer of protection to your device with Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection can help you combat scams and cyberattacks. Click the button below to give it a try:

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