This week we’ve found a large number of scams that you need to watch out for, including ones relating to Voyager, Amazon, Costco, Walmart, and Louis Vuitton. Would you have been able to spot all the scams?

Phishing Scams

Phishing is one of the most commonly used tactics by scammers. Conventionally, while impersonating famous brands, they send out fake text messages and emails containing phishing links and try to entice you into opening them with various lies.

In such phishing schemes, the links will take you to fake log-in pages that appear to belong to various brands. These pages require you to submit log-in credentials to download a software update, change account settings, or whatever other tasks the scammers have asked you to complete. Here are some examples:

Voyager Account Phishing

Business internet and phone provider Voyager has had its customers targeted by a recent phishing scheme:   

By sending out fake billing notices, scammers trick you into opening the attachment to check the details. However, once you click on the attachment, a Microsoft log-in page will appear, prompting you to submit log-in credentials.

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

Voyager has already published a notice on its website, warning users of this phishing scam and providing protection tips:

• Do NOT open any attachments.
• Delete and ignore these fake emails.
• Change passwords immediately if you’ve entered log-in information.
• Enable two-factor authentication to protect your account better.

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Phishing links also often lead to online survey pages that state you can claim a gift by filling out an online questionnaire. After you complete the questionnaire, you are prompted to enter credit card details before your “gift” can be delivered:

Amazon Gift Card

Amazon is one of the most impersonated brands in the world. Posing as Amazon, scammers falsely claim that you can win a $50 Amazon gift card and prompt you to fill out an online survey to get it.

If you click on the embedded link, you will be taken to a phishing page where you could end up exposing your sensitive credentials. Don’t get scammed!

Walmart

We’ve seen a lot of Walmart online survey scams recently, and this week we observed a new wave of them:

• if you’ve been our long time customer, now is your chance to redeem your $1000 Amazon gift card and use it on anything you want! Take this survey now to see if you qualify <URL>

The link leads to a fake Walmart online survey page that says you can get an iPad Pro as a reward. However, if you provide any personal information, the scammers will record it all! Don’t get scammed!

Costco

Complete an online survey and get a pair of AirPods Pro for free? Think it sounds too good to be true? It’s because it is!

• Costco wanted to show you our April 2022 Questionnaire. Anyone who finishes this by April. 30 2022 will claim a Complimentary gift. <URL>

Again, the attached links will take you to an online survey page that asks you to provide personal information, like your credit card details. Don’t fall for it!

Online Shopping Scams

Besides phishing scams, online shopping scams are also rampant:

Louis Vuitton

We’ve seen Louis Vuitton scams several times before, and this week they are circulating again:

Featuring fake Louis Vuitton promotional campaigns, these emails contain links that lead to pretend Louis Vuitton websites. These sites may look nearly identical to the legitimate one, but you can tell from the web addresses that they are all fake.

Below are two fake web addresses that we detected:

• www[.]90offbags[.]com
• www[.]lzclv[.]com

How to Protect Yourself

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address.
• Be suspicious of free gifts and prizes.
• Always shop only on legitimate online shops.
• Go to the official website/application instead of using links from unknown sources.
• Never click on links or attachments from unknown sources. Use Trend Micro Check 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:

As ever, if you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please do SHARE it with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected.