⚠️ Important Caution – Scam Alert! Dear friends, Someone recently used or hacked a contact from my phone and tried to scam me. The person greeted me pretending to be my friend and then asked me to send 3,800 birr, claiming that their account was blocked. When I asked a few questions to confirm their identity, they immediately went offline and disappeared — which proved it was a fraud attempt. 👉 Please be careful! Always verify before sending money, even if the message seems to come from someone you know. Scammers often use hacked or fake accounts to trick people. If someone asks for urgent financial help through chat, call them directly to confirm. Let’s stay alert and protect each other from such scams.

Eighteen people have been arrested following a German-led internationally coordinated investigation of online fraud and money laundering networks that used payment service providers, German authorities said on Wednesday. A total of 44 suspects, including six former employees of large German payment service providers, are believed to have taken part in the scheme, which involved stealing the credit card details of some 4.3 million people across 193 countries, German police and prosecutors said. The suspects partly used phishing to steal individuals' data and then created subscriptions for recurring bills on fake porn and dating services, all with support from payment firms, racking up more than 300 million euros in damages, the officials told a press conference in the German town of Wiesbaden. https://lnkd.in/gt7UzJWa

"Caller ID spoofing now accounts for roughly 64% of reported fraud cases involving phone calls and text messages". "A growing wave of caller ID spoofing attacks, in which criminals falsify the number displayed on a phone to appear legitimate, has prompted Europol to call for urgent, coordinated action across Europe". "The agency’s new Position Paper on Caller ID Spoofing highlights that the practice underpins a wide range of online fraud schemes and social engineering scams, costing an estimated €850m ($990m) globally each year". #CallerIDSpoofing #GoToKnow #Spoofing #CFCA #SpoofingAttacks #SpoofingAsAService #Fraud #Scams #SocialEngineering https://lnkd.in/dRBFArkc

They Said NO Again! The Bank’s Cold Mantra: “Deny & Let Them Cry In Episode 4 of our Deny and Let Them Cry, one senior returns to his bank — determined to make them do the right thing after being scammed and denied. He’s not giving up, even when he knows what they’ll say — it starts with “N” and ends with “O.” This ScamTV episode sheds light on how seniors are being failed twice — first by scammers, then by the financial institutions that should be protecting them. Watch as we expose the human cost of negligence, corporate loopholes, and moral failure. 💔 If you or someone you know has been scammed: Report fraud: https://www.ic3.gov FTC Scam Alerts: https://lnkd.in/d9-jqbGB Report to Stamp Out Scams: https://lnkd.in/gmjrySgH Elder Fraud Hotline \(US DOJ\): 1-833-372-8311 AARP Fraud Watch Network: https://lnkd.in/dgj26z8a 📺 Subscribe to ScamTV for more real stories and scam prevention videos: https://lnkd.in/gARgHf-H 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss an update — together, we can make sure victims’ voices are heard and stop the banks from saying “no.”

Here is a good update from Virgin Media O2 on how they continue to fight scams in the UK. Some key points: 1. Virgin Media O2 blocks 1 billion scam text messages on its mobile network 2. AI scam call detection for free to its customers 3. ‘Scam School’ sessions across the UK, offering free, in-person fraud awareness training workshops for people with low digital confidence.

How Scams Occur Targeting the victim --> building trust --> asking for something --> vanishing act --> repetition or retargeting BUILDING TRUST: Once criminals have built enough trust or fear, they make a request. This is the critical point where the scam turns into theft. THE HOOK: The initial “ask” is often small, just enough to test the waters before scaling up to larger requests.  THE EXIT: Often, victims don’t even realize they’ve been scammed until much later — when a package never arrives, money is gone or identity theft surfaces. REPETITION OR RETARGETING Some criminals don’t stop after one incident. They may  • Re-target the same victim, pretending to be someone else  • Sell victims’ information on the dark web  • Use successful scams as templates, refining and updating their tactics Scams continue because they work. Knowledge continues to be our best defense. By understanding the methods criminal use, we can identify red flags to better resist the manipulation and help stop the scam cycle. Federal Reserve FedPayments Improvement #breakthecycle #knowledgefirst

It's not news (I hope) that scammers and online thieves are constantly evolving their techniques to take advantage of our hard-earned money, credit standing and personal information. Social media platforms offer a way for criminals to interact with you as a "trusted contact" if they manage to hack the account(s) of someone you know. I recently spoke with the folks at MoneySense about some of the fraud schemes out there and some steps that can help keep us safer on social media. #kNOwfraud #FLM2025 #TalkMoney https://lnkd.in/giBuhcnz

This year’s Scam Awareness campaign by Citizens Advice focuses on educating people about current scams and providing practical guidance on how to stay Scam Aware. According to UK Finance annual fraud report, there were 3.13 million confirmed cases of unauthorised fraud reported in 2024 (up 14% compared to 2023) and losses totalled £722 million in 2024 (up 2%). To help employees recognise and avoid scams, we have compiled key phrases often heard from scam victims. Find out more here https://shorturl.at/UKovL #ScamAware

Victim shaming 101: Do not blame the victim! “It’s not helpful. It’s not true. It can happen to anyone, including me and you!” The world leaves many behind before they realize and/or have an opportunity to do something about it… We don’t need to reinvent the wheel when trusted resources like the AARP already does a solid job of empowering our community. Here are 3 resources to start with and share: 1) Let’s change how we talk about fraud victims: https://lnkd.in/eU7YtZj4 Changing our words can change outcomes. 2) Words Matter: Improving Outcomes for Scam Victims: https://lnkd.in/eC9_xx72 EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO SAY: INSTEAD OF THIS: How could you fall for that? Didn’t you see the flags? SAY THIS: This isn’t your fault – you experienced a crime. INSTEAD OF THIS: You should have known it was too good to be true. SAY THIS: Criminals use lies to convince us they are legitimate and that their claims are true. INSTEAD OF THIS: Fraud only happens to older people. SAY THIS: Fraud affects people of all ages. INSTEAD OF THIS: Get over it. There’s nothing you can do. SAY THIS: You are a crime victim; let’s report it to law enforcement and contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline for next steps at 877-908-3360. 3) About AARP Fraud Watch Network: https://lnkd.in/e6hghc_B AARP Fraud Watch Network is a free resource for all. You are not alone, our community is not alone, and we are all in this together. This is free knowledge that every person has access to. We can help or guide you in the right direction of trusted resources like the AARP. #cybersecurity #TAKEITLIGHT #cybersecurityawarenessmonth #real #genuine #impact #empathy #words #victimshaming #fraudvictim #cybercrime #financialcrime #support #share #free #resources

As Fraud and identity theft continue to spiral out of control, it’s clear that traditional fraud prevention and know-your-customer (KYC) processes are no longer effective. To truly prevent fraud today, you need to adopt a proactive approach that uses breach data, digital identity signals, and credential monitoring. https://lnkd.in/e_ewwptj