We’ve found a large number of scams and phishing attempts this week, including ones relating to Binance Holdings PayPal invoice, UPS, iCloud, Costco, Walmart, and Kohl’s. Would you have been able to spot all these scams?

Binance Holdings PayPal Invoice Scam 

Not all email invoices from PayPal are legitimate! We’ve reported on PayPal-based invoice scams several times before, and this week the most impersonated brand is Binance:

Although the sender’s email address seems genuine (service@paypal.com), you should still be careful, as these invoices are sent by scammers. They send out bogus invoices via PayPal to try to prompt you to call the included phone number by alarming you with the (fake) charge.

If you fall for it, scammers will try their best to trick you into sharing your personal and/or financial information over the phone — which they can use to commit any number of other crimes (using YOUR IDENTITY)!

How Did the Scammers Get My Email Address?  

Scammers will most often get email addresses from underground internet forums or the dark web — two places that are hotbeds for stolen/leaked data. 

Protect Your Identity and Personal Info   

With our new (and FREE!) ID Protection tool, you can:   

• Check  to see if your data (email address, phone number, password, social media) has been exposed in a leak.   
• Secure  your social media accounts with our Social Media Account Monitoring tool, with which you’ll receive a personal report.   
• Receive  the strongest tough-to-hack password suggestions from our advanced AI.  

Phishing Scams 

Besides PayPal invoice scams, scammers have a lot of other tactics they use to try to get you to fall for phishing scams.

Impersonating trusted brands, and under a variety of pretenses, scammers will send you phishing links via text message or email — always with the goal of stealing your personally identifiable information (PII) (i.e. email address, Social Security number, credit card number, and more). They will prompt you to click on phishing links to complete various tasks or to take action (e.g. verify an account, update billing information, or check a delivery’s status).

The phishing links lead to scam/phishing sites designed to record any PII you submit. Not surprisingly, scammers will then use your stolen information to commit identity theft or other crimes. Below are some examples.

UPS Shipping Scam 

A reoccurring pretense that scammers use is fake package delivery. They send you fake delivery notifications and ask you to check the status via the attached phishing link:

[Information]    Your parcel number 3687888692    We tried to deliver your parcel today but you weren’t in or there was no safe place to leave it.    Your action is required. If this item is unclaimed by the date, then it will be returned to sender.    Please reschedule delivery > <URL>    The first and second delivery attempt was free of charge.    To schedule a new delivery, a shipping fee must be paid.    Best Regards,  UPS 

The phishing link will take you to a fake UPS package tracking page that instructs you to “reschedule delivery” by filling out detailed personal information:

You could end up exposing your credit card information and other PII, and these credentials will all end up in scammers’ hands. Don’t let that happen!

Stay Protected From Phishing Scams (Free Tool!)  

The best way to prevent phishing scams is to never click on links or attachments from unknown sources, but a FREE tool to help you fight scams wouldn’t hurt either, would it? Trend Micro Check, is a free browser extension and mobile app for detecting scams, phishing attacks, malware, and dangerous links. Download today and surf the web with confidence!

Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check.  

iCloud Phishing Scam

Scammers also use free iCloud storage updates to try to lure you into clicking on their phishing links:

The scam email will take you to a fake iCloud page.

Phishing links also often lead to fake online survey pages that falsely guarantee you free gifts for completing questionnaires:

Costco Survey Scam 

Have you been sent a text message about taking a Costco online survey for cash? It’s very likely a scam! Here’s one example of such a message:

• CostcoMsg: Winter is long gone and we’re asking current consumers to complete a few quick questions for us. <URL> 

The phishing link leads to fake Costco survey pages that, once again, can collect all your personal information:

The fake pages will even ask you to provide credit card details for “the delivery of your gift” (of course, there is no gift). Be careful!

Other online survey scams are sent via email, and similarly, they will direct you to a phishing page where you could have your PII compromised. See below for two examples.

Walmart Survey Scam

Kohl’s Phishing Scam

Tips to Stay Safe from Scams    

• Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address. Even if it seems legitimate, think twice before you take any action.
• Free gifts are a red flag.
• Only use official websites/applications. Never click on dubious links! (Use Trend Micro Check) 
• Get alerted if any of your PII gets leaked using Trend Micro ID Protection. 
• Finally, add an extra layer of protection to your devices with Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection will help you combat scams and cyberattacks.

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