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Millions of <keyword id="790242" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> users in India have been left baffled at the amount of international <keyword id="2232456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spam-calls" source="Orion">spam calls</keyword> they have been receiving in the last couple of days, leaving many at the risk of financial loss. These spam calls with international numbers, mostly from African and Southeast Asian countries, along with fake messages from unknown users, have flooded WhatsApp and Indians have nowhere to go but Twitter to share their ordeal. Meta-owned WhatsApp has close to 500 million users in India. "What is happening with WhatsApp? So much spam. So much," Gaurav Munjal, Founder, Unacademy Group, posted on Tuesday. "WhatsApp Business was a big blunder. Brian Acton (WhatsApp Co-founder) has been proved right," tweeted Sourabh Mathur, an entrepreneur. Although the mobile numbers show country codes of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ethiopia, it is not necessary that these calls are actually coming from these countries. Most of these calls start with +251 (Ethiopia), +62 (Indonesia), +254 (Kenya), +84 (Vietnam) and other countries. Ray Stings @Purba_Ray tweeted: "I keep getting missed calls on WhatsApp from unknown numbers from different parts of the world every single day. It's so bad, I have to keep my phone on silent". WhatsApp was yet to comment on the growing fake spam calls on its platform. "Same here. Seems to be an epidemic. @whatsapp needs to allow us to choose to get calls from contacts only," posted Shivam Vij, New Delhi-based independent journalist. Another affected WhatsApp user said: "I get that (scam calls) at 5 in the morning. Almost my daily morning alarms now". "That's <keyword id="118709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jamtara" source="Orion">JAMTARA</keyword> GLOBAL, for you," posted another. Another scam that is being reported in India is that of receiving job offers via WhatsApp messages. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/condom-maker-mankind-pharma-lists-at-20-premium-beats-grey-market-expectations/articleshow/100090002.cms">Mankind Pharma stock runs up in trade after listing at 20% premium</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/up-to-follow-netherland-model-to-check-school-dropouts/articleshow/100101677.cms">UP to follow Netherland model to check school dropouts</a>

'Jamtara Global': Indian WhatsApp users flooded with spam calls

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Americans have lost a record-breaking $4.2 billion to online scams in 2020.</li><li>A growing number of those being targeted are members of Generation Z, ages 20 and younger.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/online-scams-internet-phishing-2019-3">Scammers</a> are abusing social media platforms to reach younger users, who are typically more trusting when it comes to sharing personal data online.</li></ul>Teens and young adults are becoming victims of internet scams at a faster rate than other age groups, <a href="https://socialcatfish.com/blog/state-of-internet-scams-2021/">according to a new report</a>.Social Catfish, an online identity verification service, released a study analyzing data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, Federal Trade Commission, <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword> and their own surveys.Over 23,000 victims under the age of 21 fell victim to online scams in 2020, up 156% from just over 9,000 in 2017, IC3 reported. They represent over $70 million in total losses in 2020. All told, Americans lost a record-breaking $4.2 billion to online scams in 2020, the Social Catfish data found. People ages 18-29 were more likely to be victims of identity theft than those 45 and older, a survey conducted through <a href="https://www.security.org/resources/identity-credit-monitoring-consumer-shopping-report/">Security.org</a> also found.Younger, tech savvy generations are generally thought to be safer from scams than older generations. But younger generations are on the internet more and have more social media accounts, says Aliza Vigderman, senior editor at Security.org."They just might not be as knowledgeable about how to protect their information," added Vigderman. "I think growing up with the technology, they kind of inherently trust it, maybe moreso than someone who learned about it or started using it as an adult."Social platforms, including <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tinder-hinge-match-group-dating-apps-more-users-coronavirus-2020-8">dating apps</a>, drew in a lot of younger users during the predominantly online environment of the COVID-19 era. According to Social Catfish's findings, individuals are mainly targeted on social media platforms, the top being <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> Hangouts, <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>, and <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>. Scammers engineer fake social media profiles on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to direct message and engage with young users. Once they've gained young users' trust, scammers can lure them to platforms like Google Hangouts and WhatsApp to avoid getting reported on the former apps.Facebook and Google have said that they take action against <keyword id="41357" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scam">scam</keyword> ads on their platforms, but reports show the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-google-scam-ads-fraud-technology-2021-4">companies haven't been able to adequately crack down on fraudulent activity</a> on their platforms. Facebook and Google were unable to be reached for additional comment by time of publication.Social Catfish suggests people be careful not to trust others they've never met in-person and to verify their identity. Red flags include individuals who claim to have a job overseas or profiles with no mutual connections reaching out on social media. The company also suggests password managers to make it harder for scammers to guess passwords.If you have been a victim of an online scam, you should report the case to the <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Home/FileComplaint">IC3</a>, <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/">FTC</a>, and <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/tips/">FBI</a>.

Gen Z is falling prey to internet scams at a faster rate than its millennial and Gen X counterparts

The results of a Telenor Group survey done on internet scams suggest that work-from-home fraud, lottery scams and fake bank emails are the top three <keyword id="112985" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-scams">online scams</keyword> in India. 
 
As per the study, in a country like India where over one third of internet users surveyed have been victims to an internet scam, online security is extremely relevant. The survey also found that a further 57% of the users know a friend or family member who had been scammed online. Amongst those who were surveyed were people who have been victims of <keyword id="1368257" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="online-frauds">online frauds</keyword>, and 90% if them have lost money because of it. 
 
The global survey was done over multiple markets like India, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, and assessed the impact of scams on 400 internet users aged 18 to 65. 
 
“As a leader in telecommunications, Telenor India is dedicated to enhancing internet safety," said Sharad Mehrotra, CEO, Telenor India told ET. "We hope that the findings from this digital consumer study will encourage all of us to take preventative measures to stay safe online." 
 
"As Indian netizens, we all know that scams exist but to see that the highest sums stolen via scams is in India, shows this is an area we communally need to address," the company added. 
 
The Telenor study also revealed that around 85% of India's internet users know that there exists a term called 'Internet Scam', and also that they feel open to online threats. 63% of these users said they are 'very concerned' about online scams. 
 
<a href="http://stech3.firstpost.com/tech2images/640x359/proportional/jpeg/2014/03/cyber_crime_041705344679dsdasda-624x350.jpg">Image source</a>

Work-from-home, lottery, and fake bank emails top online scams in Telenor survey

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gen Zers lost more money to online scams than baby boomers last year, according to a survey.</li><li>But they may still feel immune to romance scams.</li></ul>Gen Zers may think they are digitally savvy and immune to online scams, but that very thought may leave them vulnerable to being lured into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scammed-out-of-family-savings-in-three-months-painful-2024-8">nefarious schemes</a>."Many Gen Zers are confident in their ability to spot scams, but scammers are evolving just as quickly," Bryn Thompson, the marketing director of Phonely, a scam-protection telephone service provider, told Business Insider."With romance scams in particular, scammers exploit emotional connections and rapidly build trust, which can lead to financial exploitation before the victim even realizes what's happening."It's long been a cliché that those who get wrapped up in romance scams are older because they have a smaller social circle, are divorced or separated, and are simply more lonely.But many Gen Zers went to college or started their careers during the COVID pandemic, meaning several of their formative years were interrupted, leaving them longing for connections too.Catfishing is rife on dating apps, as are the filters and subtle image and video enhancers that have become so ingrained in social media posts that they are almost undetectable. All of which forms a gray area where scammers can thrive.<h2 id="ddd9e651-9ca9-400e-928f-a154f7fee890">Trust in the internet</h2>A Better Business Bureau survey of 1,027 respondents in the US and Canada, released in April, found that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-loses-more-money-to-online-scams-than-boomers-2024-8">Gen Zers lose more money to internet scams</a> than baby boomers in 2023.The Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors Report, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://20740408.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20740408/CYBSAFE-Oh%20behave%20report%202022-220927%20MS%20-%20V1.pdf">released by the National Cybersecurity Alliance in 2022</a>, surveyed over 3,000 people from the US, UK, and Canada and found that Gen Zers noted a higher rate of falling for romance scams (15%) than Gen Xers (8%) and baby boomers (4%).Scams are always evolving, and the tricks Gen Zers believe they are wise to may be replaced by increasingly technologically advanced schemes they don't see coming.Lauren Hendry Parsons, the head of communications at ExpressVPN, told BI that Gen Zers are more acquainted with meeting people online and having entire relationships through social media."Your willingness to talk to someone you don't know online goes exponentially up depending on how young you are," Hendry Parsons said. "Which opens that extra channel for potential exposure."<h2 id="be523e56-6dc4-4327-9abd-28a955ee181c">Overconfident about AI</h2>According to Kevin Lee, the trust and safety architect at the fraud prevention platform Sift, the assumption that Gen Zers are too savvy to fall for a romance scam may leave them vulnerable.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://sift.com/index-reports-ai-fraud-q2-2024?aliId=">A Sift survey</a> of 1,066 US adults earlier this year found that 81% of Gen Z believe they can spot AI-generated fraud, though they were successfully phished this way at a higher rate (31%) than Gen Xers (18%), millennials (25%), and baby boomers (11%).<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/romance-scams-ai-deepfakes-yahoo-boys-nigeria-fraud-2024-4">Deepfakes and other AI tools</a> are developing all the time, Lee said, with scammers now able to create entirely fake identities on dating profiles, images, and videos."This technology allows criminals to seem real during phone calls or text messages," he said. "Making it challenging to distinguish between real and fake interactions."Hendry Parsons said the ubiquitousness of tools like Facetune and Photoshop is making it challenging for people to determine whether someone is really who they say they are.An <a target="_blank" class="" href=" https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/dark-side-of-online-dating-uk/">ExpressVPN survey</a> of 2,000 UK adults aged 18-50 last year found that 34% of respondents had created a fake dating profile, and 27% used AI to improve the look of their photos."It's not just scammers using these things; it's not just people with nefarious purposes, but it could be," Hendry Parsons said. "Which is fundamentally that gray space where scammers proliferate and succeed in encouraging people to hand over their data or hand over money."Those aged 18 to 24 were also more likely than average to have been catfished out of any age group, with 34% believing they had been the victim of it, according to the ExpressVPN survey.<h2 id="b9ca31d9-b1fb-4bc4-8c41-58a34e399da0">Increased isolation</h2>The COVID-19 pandemic isolated people and may have left many young people with their guards down.Perpetua Neo, a psychologist and leadership coach with expertise in toxic relationships, told BI that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktokers-are-documenting-the-epidemic-of-loneliness-2023-4">if you are lonely</a>, "then the way your brain sees the world is very different.""When you are in a state of anguish or anxiety, then you're likely to latch onto somebody else without really thinking too much because it's like any port in the storm," she said.Many zoomers missed out on several years of dating during global lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and scammers can exploit that desire for connection."The regular journey an adolescent is meant to take was disrupted," Neo said. "At the same time, it was a pandemic where we were electronically connected — which can give the impression that we have social rituals and bonds, but which may be superficial."People are still processing the years lost to the pandemic, particularly Gen Zers, whose brains were still developing, Neo added.Unresolved trauma and mental health challenges put us in a state of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, with our amygdala — the fear center of the brain — firing up regularly."This can make us more impulsive, less thoughtful of our choices, and can be a risk factor for romance scams," Neo said.Neo said scammers are highly sophisticated at creating profiles they think their marks will like. For some, this may involve a life of luxury, which may include travel, fancy meals, and expensive clothes.They're also well-versed in manipulation, she added, knowing that with the right push and pull of attention, they can hook their victims in with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-love-bombing-2017-7">love-bombing</a> and playing on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/anxious-attachment-style">fears of abandonment</a>."You are trained to answer them, and you're trained to give them information," Neo said. "You're trained to trust them, and then they start to build this idea of the future together really, really fast."<h2 id="a06a6c0a-ba0d-49c2-9fc8-f39c568393ca">A shared struggle</h2>Once the bond is formed, scammers will get to work. Gen Zers understand what it's like to struggle, with many facing economic instability and having difficulty with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-need-financial-support-parents-family-study-2024-7">bills</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennials-housing-costs-insurance-debt-election-trump-biden-2024-6">rent</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennial-neets-happy-idle-until-finding-right-job-2024-6">finding jobs</a>.This shared vulnerability, accelerated by the isolation of the pandemic, is something scammers can exploit, Hendry Parsons warned.For example, a new friend or romantic connection made on social media may say they don't have enough money for a plane ticket for a visit and ask to borrow money. They might say they can't afford a Netflix subscription, but they want to watch the same show together and ask to share your account.Many couples do this simple act to show trust. But when combined with the chance that your Netflix password may be similar to your online banking ones, this innocuous sharing of one service becomes "an entire threat vector," Hendry Parsons said, with the danger of identity theft and further fraud."You're actually opening up a Pandora's box of your entire online identity," she said. "Something that's small with the wrong person can become a lot bigger."

Digitally-native Gen Zers aren't immune to romance scams

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jamey and Lauren Bertram's house, worth over $1 million, was posted on Zillow without their consent.</li><li>A scammer listed the house for just $10,000, asking interested buyers to wire $200 to secure a tour.</li></ul>Picture waking up one day to find your inbox flooded and doorbell ringing with eager buyers all clamoring to purchase your home.In this sluggish real estate market, it might seem like a dream — that is, if you're actually looking to sell.For Kansas City homeowners Jamey and Lauren Bertram, the situation turned into a nightmarish ordeal when they realized their 5,300-square-foot home, purchased for around $1 million in 2019, had been falsely listed for sale on Zillow for a mere $10,000.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article289094909.html?tbref=hp">Kansas City Star</a> first reported the mixup."My wife and I both started getting emails from our friends saying, 'Hey, are you selling your house?' Of course, we're not," Bertram, who LinkedIn says is senior vice president at architecture and engineering firm Burns and McDonnell, told the newspaper. "I didn't know what they were talking about."According to the Star, when Bertram first saw his home posted on Zillow, featuring images from the 2019 listing, it was for sale at its market value. However, within a few days, the price had been slashed to a fraction of its true worth: $10,000.The Star quoted the listing description that Bertrams presumed was written by a scammer: "Once a year we sell one or a few of our homes to first time buyers for under $25,000. This is done to bless a family or individual that needs it, but also as a tax write off for us."The listing description said that real-estate agents, lenders, investors, wholesalers, and attorneys should not inquire further, according to the Kansas City Star. It directed interested buyers to contact an individual named Mandi at a phone number with a Las Vegas area code.The newspaper said when it tried reaching out to Mandi, it received a response instructing potential buyers to send $200 via an online banking app to the "owner's mom." It claimed a walk-through of the house would be provided, and a refund would be issued to anyone who didn't end up making an offer.The listing was removed last week, but it wasn't clear how long it was live. Requests for comment to the Bertrams by phone and email was not immediately returned.<h2 id="7847af05-474d-485e-b33b-8a9593288287">These scams are relatively common</h2>Despite their brazenness, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-buying-home-got-scammed-by-real-estate-wire-fraud-2024-3">real-estate scams</a> are pretty routine.In 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center saw more than 880,000 complaints about internet scams totaling $12.5 billion in losses. That's a 49% increase in the amount of money reported lost in 2022, according to FBI data that BI's Jordan Pandy cited in March.Real estate scams are an especially popular internet crime.According to the FBI, real estate wire fraud is classified as business email compromise (BEC). In the FBI's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.ic3.gov/Home/AnnualReports">Internet Crime Complaint Center's annual report</a>, BEC ranked as the second-costliest crime in 2022, following investment fraud, with reported losses totaling $2.9 billion.Data from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a> shows that in 2023, over 9,500 people from across the country filed complaints of real estate fraud.Homebuyers are easy prey for scammers right now.In a housing market burdened by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-outlook-home-prices-mortgage-rates-prediction-kevin-oleary-2024-6">high prices</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buying-a-home-new-construction-shortage-supply-mortgage-rates-housing-2024-6">few available homes</a>, many prospective buyers are eager to secure a good deal. Scammers, motivated by the potential to earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars, can turn to real-estate marketplaces like Zillow. Taking advantage of anonymity, they can create listings with appealing descriptions and unrealistically low prices to lure unsuspecting buyers.In November, Galen Caldwell told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/million-dollar-seattle-home-listed-10245-those-interested-send-money-my-mom/RLGD7AER45HCNILXHNN5BU3IHA/">news station KIRO 7</a> that his million-dollar Seattle home had been listed for sale on Zillow without his consent, priced at $10,245. The incident was connected to the Bertrams' situation by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/zillow-real-estate-scams/">CBS News</a>. In Caldwell's case, too, a scammer told prospective buyers to contact "Mandi" in Las Vegas and send $245 to the seller's mother.Both Caldwell's and the Bertrams' listings have since been taken down.But Bertram said that he and his wife are still receiving inquiries from people who want to buy their home."I'm kind of stuck here," Bertram told the Kansas City Star. "People want to see the house. It's just a complete scam."

A couple got shocked messages from friends asking if they were moving. Nope, a scammer had put their home on Zillow.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Regina Smith, 34, owned three homes and wanted to buy another to rent out.</li><li>Smith inadvertently sent her $60,000 down payment to a scammer. Then her home purchase fell through.</li></ul>Regina Smith had found a two-bedroom house in the historic district of Memphis, Tennessee. It was over 100 years old with lots of character in an artsy part of town — perfect for a short-term rental.Her offer of $280,000 was accepted and she prepared for closing in January 2023.When Smith had bought three houses previously, she'd used a cashier's check to deliver the down payment or brought the money to the title company's office. Because loans for investment properties often require a bigger down payment, she was dealing with a larger sum of money: $60,000. She anticipated having to wire the money before closing.A day before the scheduled closing, Smith received an email that appeared to be from the title company and included instructions about where to wire the $60,000. She obliged, sending the funds online.About an hour later, she received an email with wire instructions from the real title company. The first email was fake."The first thing I felt was complete and utter despair," Smith told Business Insider. "I just could not believe this was happening to me. I sat on the floor and I cried for maybe 45 minutes."Smith was a victim of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/wire-fraud">wire fraud</a>, a broad term that refers to a group of criminal activities that includes <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/phishing-scams-in-your-inbox-waiting-to-steal-your-money-2023-4">email phishing</a> and money laundering. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints about internet scams totaling $12.5 billion in losses in 2023 — a 49% increase in the amount of money lost the previous year. Real-estate wire fraud falls under the category of business email compromise, or BEC, according to the FBI. In the FBI's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ic3.gov/Home/AnnualReports">Internet Crime Complaint Center's annual report</a>, BEC was the second-costliest crime, behind investment fraud, in 2022, with a reported $2.9 billion in losses.And more people are falling victim to real-estate crimes. In 2021, the FBI reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/land-fraud-home-title-theft-prevention-tips-2023-9">11,578 people lost $350,328,166</a> in real-estate scams, a 64% increase from the previous year, showing how common it's become. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.certifid.com/state-of-wire-fraud">A report from the wire-fraud-protection company CertifID</a> found that one in 20 homebuyers and sellers were victims of real-estate fraud in the past three years — with the median loss exceeding $70,000.Smith is not alone. A retired couple in New Jersey, who got conned by a real-estate wire-fraud scam in 2017 when they were looking to buy a smaller house, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2023/real-estate-wire-fraud.html">told AARP</a> that they wired $91,500 to the wrong person after they got an email from someone impersonating their real-estate attorney. Similarly, Virginia resident Darryl Aldrich sent $28,000 to a fraudster when buying a house, even showing up to his closing with the email as proof of payment — but the title officer couldn't accept it."All of our hearts just sank at that point," Aldrich told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/real-estate-fraud-risk-on-rise-victims-sounding-alarm">Fox Business</a>. "That money was just gone out of our account."What happened to Smith, who was hardly a wide-eyed newcomer to the real-estate market, shows that these scams can happen to anyone.<h2>How Smith was deceived</h2>In Smith's case, the fraudster was able to hack into the title company's system and access the details of the sale — including the date of the closing and the costs — making it easier to impersonate the title company in their email."They made it look as if this information came directly from the title company that we were utilizing," she said. "I mean, it looked almost identical to previous email correspondence that we received."<div type="image" title="Highways converge in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, as they approach the Mississippi River." height="3000" width="4000" msid="108658281" hostid="261" sizebytes="604900"></div>Even though it wasn't Smith's first time buying a home, she admitted she got caught up in the familiar excitement."Hindsight is always 2020," she said. "When you're excited about this deal that's about to happen, you've been working towards it, you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel — it's almost like you have rose-colored glasses."When she reread the scammers' email later, Smith noticed some red flags, like an extra character in the name of her realtor, who was cc'd.But it's easy to see why she was misled: The hackers had enough information to imitate someone who'd been involved in the home-sale transaction from the beginning."They had the exact closing costs down to the cent," Smith said. "They had the address of the home, a closing date, time, and location. They had the assistant's name that worked for the title company — almost as if they'd previously received emails or correspondence from this individual because they were able to mirror that person's signature, their title, their entire profile."<h2>Smith got her money back but lost the house</h2>After realizing she made a mistake, Smith reached out to her title company, the bank, local law enforcement, and the FBI, who put her in touch with the Secret Service.She had wired the funds on a Thursday, and by Monday, the $60,000 was back in her bank account thanks to the help of her local Secret Service branch, Smith said. (The Secret Service had not yet responded to a request for comment before publication.)Homebuyers are able to recover funds 28% of the time, the CertifID study found.Smith was happy to get her money back, but it cost her that house. Without the down payment, Smith was unable to close on the house, and the sellers chose a different buyer.Fortunately, she's happy with the outcome."My husband and I were able to find another property, and actually, it all worked out for the good because the property that we found is 10 times better," Smith said, adding that the five months they've had the property as a short-term rental have been fruitful so far. "So although it was a very difficult road and journey, we are definitely doing well. I'd say nothing good comes easy."

A millennial who'd bought 3 houses got scammed out of $60,000 buying her fourth — and it's more common than you might think

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Abbott is recalling Similac baby formula products due to faulty bottle caps that may cause spoilage. </li><li>The products hail from a manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio that distributes nationally. </li></ul>Abbott is again recalling Similac baby formula products — this time due to faulty bottle caps. The company issued a voluntary recall on Friday for several Similac ready-to-feed liquid products produced at its Columbus, Ohio facility. It discovered caps on 2 fluid-ounce bottles "that may not have sealed completely, which could result in product spoilage," <a href="https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/2-fl-oz-recall-information.html">Abbott said in a statement</a>. According to the announcement, the recalled formula is "distributed primarily to hospitals, doctor's offices, distributors, and some retailers in the US, including Puerto Rico," with limited supplies sent to Canada and select countries in Central and South America. "This recall equates to less than one day's worth of the total number of ounces of infant formula fed in the U.S. and is not expected to impact the overall U.S. infant formula supply," Abbott said in a <a href="https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/voluntary-recall-of-certain-2-fl-oz-liquid-products.html">press release</a>. The announcement comes after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-baby-formula-shortage-fda-european-abbott-nutrition-2022-5">Abbott recalled baby formula products</a> in February when strains of a potentially deadly bacterial virus were found at a manufacturing plant in Sturgis, Michigan. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fda-investigation-cronobacter-infections-powdered-infant-formula-february-2022">FDA further warned</a> against using the products while it investigated the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-investigated-up-to-nine-deaths-linked-baby-formula-report-2022-6">deaths of up to nine infants</a> possibly connected to ingesting bacteria in the formula. The recall led to a widespread shortage of baby formula, from which many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-formula-shortage-expected-to-last-until-the-summer-wsj-2022-6">retailers are still struggling</a> to recover. The lack of formula swelled into a national crisis as concerned parents struggled to find alternatives, with some <a href="https://www.insider.com/formula-shortage-scam-parents-price-gouging-feeding-babies-2022-5">falling prey to internet scams</a> involving paying hundreds of dollars to fraudlent sellers. In May, the Biden administration stepped in to launch <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/operation-fly-formula-78000-pounds-infant-formula-arrives-us-indiana-2022-5">Operation Fly Formula,</a> an effort using military cargo planes to deliver baby formula to the US from global facilities including Nestle's distribution center in Switzerland and Danone's in New Zealand. Operation Fly Formula has sourced 26 flights — including most recently a shipment that arrived September 29 from the Netherlands — bringing a total of 97.9 million 8-ounce bottle equivalents to the US, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/05/president-biden-announces-twenty-sixth-operation-fly-formula-mission/">according to the White House</a>.

Abbott is recalling baby formula again after discovering faulty bottle caps on Similac products produced at Ohio facility

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People are sharing post-<keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> selfies and pictures of their vaccine cards on <keyword id="6354632" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="social-media">social media</keyword>.</li><li>But scammers can use pictures of the vaccine cards to steal your identity or create fake cards.</li><li>It's better to block personal information from the card or leave it out of your photo altogether.</li></ul>There are countless benefits to getting your COVID-19 vaccine.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-vaccines-compared-vaccine-pfizer-oxford-moderna-astrazeneca-side-effects-2021-2">authorized vaccines</a> are highly effective at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-effective-in-the-real-world-2021-3">preventing infection</a>, and once you're fully vaccinated, you can <a href="https://www.insider.com/experts-no-quarantine-necessary-post-travel-if-vaccinated-covid-2021-3">travel relatively safely</a> and hug your loved ones with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccines-reduce-coronavirus-transmission-early-research-2021-2">peace of mind</a>. You also get the option to share your vaccinated status online with a <keyword id="1725157" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Selfie">selfie</keyword>.But cybersecurity experts are warning that including a photo of your vaccine card in that selfie might put you at risk of identity theft. <h2>Your vaccine selfie could be an internet scam in the making</h2>Vaccination cards contain personal information, including your full name, date of birth, where you were vaccinated, which vaccine you received, and the date you received it.They're designed to remind people when their second vaccine appointment is and to offer proof that you were vaccinated since the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lost-vaccine-card-what-to-do-covid-19-vaccine-record-2021-2">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US is not tracking who has been vaccinated</a>, as Insider's Allana Akhtar previously reported.But because they have personal information on them, scammers can use vaccine cards for nefarious purposes. <div type="image" title="COVID-19 vaccine record card" height="1198" width="1597" msid="81789987" hostid="261"></div>People can use names and birth dates to commit identity theft. So when you post a photo of your vaccine card, you might be putting yourself at risk.In addition, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23675-bbb-tip-dont-share-your-vaccine-card-on-social-media">scammers can use photos of vaccine cards</a> to create fake cards to be sold on the black market, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).Exposing your full vaccine card in a photo on social media can also pose a threat to other people - not just your own security.People who don't yet have access to or don't choose to get vaccinated may attempt to use falsified cards to travel internationally or book cruises, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-covid-19-vaccines-for-sale-dark-net-ads-research-2021-3">Insider's Aleeya Mayo previously reported</a>.The fake-vaccination status puts communities at risk of being exposed to the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>, even if the people who are actually part of those communities are following public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> guidelines.<h2>Protect yourself if you share a vaccine selfie</h2>If you are going to post a selfie after getting vaccinated, it's probably safest to simply leave your card out of the photo. You can indicate you've gotten a shot by writing it in a caption or pointing at the Band-Aid on your arm.If you really want to include your card in your picture, you should edit it so it doesn't give away personal information.You should block your birth date, name, patient number, and the location at which you were vaccinated from the photo.You can blur the details, cover them with a line, hold your hand over the words, or use a fun sticker to protect the information. <div type="image" title="vaccine selfie colorado" height="1125" width="1500" msid="81789991" hostid="261"></div>The BBB also recommends <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23675-bbb-tip-dont-share-your-vaccine-card-on-social-media">reviewing the privacy settings on your social media accounts</a> before sharing a photo of your vaccine card, as it's less likely your data will be taken if your accounts are private.In addition, if you are still waiting for a vaccination appointment, be aware that there are people trying to scam those who are making appointments as well, as <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23939-bbb-tip-hunting-for-a-covid-vaccine-be-careful-sharing-personal-info">the BBB reported</a>.There are a plethora of fake vaccination sites on the web that are charging people for appointments or to get on a vaccine waitlist.All coronavirus vaccines are free, so if any vaccine site asks for your credit card information, it's best to exit the page and go through a more trustworthy site, such as a city- or hospital-operated vaccine center or a known pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens, the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23939-bbb-tip-hunting-for-a-covid-vaccine-be-careful-sharing-personal-info">BBB says</a>.

Experts say posting photos of your COVID vaccine card can be dangerous - but selfies without them are fine

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://youtu.be/78m80acYumM">Screenshot / YouTube</a>Fans of YouTuber Philip DeFranco were scammed by someone impersonating the internet celebrity.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Online <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/scams">scams</a> prey on internet users' sympathy, fear, and greed.</li><li>Some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/internet">internet</a> scams, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/phishing">phishing</a> and the dreaded "Nigerian prince" email, have been around for decades, but are growing in sophistication.</li><li>We compiled 11 of the biggest scams on the internet today.</li></ul>As the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/internet">internet</a> continues to expand into every aspect of society, online <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/scams">scams</a> are only growing in sophistication.From <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/phishing">phishing schemes</a> to fake ticket vendors, online scams prey on different facets that drive us, like sympathy, fear, and greed.What online scams all have in common is that they prey on their audiences' naïveté and ignorance.Some of the most elaborate scams are circulating the corners of the internet right now, from the front page of YouTube to right in your inbox.Here are some of the most sophisticated online scams on the internet.

The 11 most sophisticated online scams right now that the average person falls for

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A <keyword id="11965160" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="data-breach" source="Orion">data breach</keyword> is when your personal data is accessed, copied, or changed by someone without your permission.</li><li>Most <keyword id="12224444" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="data-breaches" source="Orion">data breaches</keyword> involve hacked email accounts and stolen bank information.</li><li>The best way to protect against data breaches is to use strong passwords, make backups, and be wary of clicking links.</li></ul>Our daily lives revolve around the internet more than ever. And while this is great for working remotely, making friends in other countries, and shopping from your couch, it also comes with risks.In 2020, <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 791,790 complaints from victims of cyber crime</a>. And while a lot of these complaints came from users who were simply tricked into sending money to scammers, a massive amount of them stemmed from data breaches.Data breaches are the most common form of cyber crime, and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/09/30/is-identity-theft-fraud-heres-how-ai-and-graphing-tools-help-solve-the-puzzle/#:~:text=Identity%20crimes%20are%20on%20the,and%20fraud%20in%202020%20alone." target="_blank" rel="noopener">experts estimate that there's a new victim every two seconds</a>. Despite this, data breaches aren't hard to protect yourself from — it just takes some care and skepticism.Here's everything you need to know about data breaches, including how they work, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you're hacked.<h2>What is a data breach?</h2>A "data breach" is a general term for any time that someone accesses electronic data or information that they're not supposed to.The simplest example of a data breach is a hacked email account. If someone gets your email password and logs into your account, they've breached your data. At that point, they can send emails with your name, see all your contacts and sell their email addresses to marketers, and of course see any personal info that you've sent or received.Hackers might also target your bank accounts. Someone who gets access to your credit card information, social security numbers, or even online banking password can wreak a lot of havoc on your finances.<div type="image" title="senior woman shopping online on laptop holding credit card" height="1249" width="2500" msid="88216272" hostid="261"></div>Things get trickier if it's the servers of a major company that get breached. In 2019, First American Financial — one of the biggest mortgage insurance companies in the world — <a href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/06/first-american-financial-pays-farcical-500k-fine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced that over 800 million real estate documents had been leaked and stolen from its website</a>. This included 16 years of bank records, phone numbers, home addresses, and more.The actual customers couldn't do anything to protect themselves here. It was the company that they trusted with their personal data that caused the problem.If you use a password manager, you might occasionally get a notification saying that a password of yours was included in a data breach. This doesn't necessarily mean that your accounts have been hacked — more likely, your password was included in a massive company leak like we described above. Still not good, but it gives you more time to protect yourself.<div type="image" title="A warning from Google Chrome that a user password was found in a data breach." height="625" width="1074" msid="88216274" hostid="261"></div>And hackers aren't always the computer masterminds you see in movies, constantly prodding at big websites to find a way in. A great deal of breaches stem from social engineering <keyword id="12273077" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scams" source="Orion">scams</keyword>, where a user gets tricked into giving up their passwords to a scammer they think they can trust. Some breaches even happen accidentally — maybe a company stores user passwords on a public website without realizing. But no matter the cause, when it comes to your personal <keyword id="6361948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cybersecurity" source="Orion">cybersecurity</keyword>, there are a few best practices you should follow to protect yourself.<h2>How to protect yourself from a data breach</h2>Dave Hatter, a cybersecurity specialist from InTrust IT, tells me that "It's never been easier to have access to tools that make yourself a much more difficult target."You can protect yourself against data breaches and hacks in the same ways that you protect against most cyber crimes: Be proactive, be unique, and be skeptical.<h3>Be proactive</h3>The best time to worry about cybersecurity is before you're ever in danger. This means making a security plan and sticking to it.If you have data stored online that you can't risk losing, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-backup-files-on-windows-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">make backups of it</a>. This might mean taking screenshots, downloading documents, and moving things onto an external hard drive. The more backups you have, the safer you are.Keep a close eye on your finances. Aside from checking your monthly statements, cybersecurity experts I spoke to all recommended signing up for a credit monitoring service that can keep track of any suspicious activity in your credit report.Hatter also says that computer users should make sure they have a good antivirus program installed. Windows users are lucky that all new PCs come with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/windows-defender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Windows Defender</a>, one of the best antivirus programs available, pre-installed. But "the top antivirus changes all the time," he says, "so be aware of what options are out there."If an app or website offers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/two-factor-authentication" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-factor (also called multi-factor) authentication</a>, enable it for your account. It's a simple but powerful way to lock strangers out of your data.<div type="image" title="Google asking for a verification code to prove that the user really owns this Google account." height="644" width="575" msid="88216275" hostid="261"></div>Enterprise users and companies should invest in a good firewall, keep a dedicated cybersecurity team on retainer, and perform regular "vulnerability tests" to see how strong their defenses really are. Also make sure you have a cyber insurance policy that can keep you safe in the event of a hack.Darren Shou, the CTO of cybersecurity firm NortonLifeLock, says to keep all your devices updated — even including "printers, Wi-Fi routers, and smart devices." It's easy to brush off updates as being useless or annoying, but they almost always come with important security patches to help keep you safe against new threats.<h3>Be unique</h3>Most websites only ask for a single username and password combo to log in. This means that if you have an easy-to-guess password, or use the same password on multiple websites, it's incredibly easy to break into your account.This means that you want to use a different password for all your separate accounts. And that password should be "strong" — in other words:<ul><li>It should be long (at least 12 characters, minimum)</li><li>Use upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols</li><li>Don't use common words or phrases like "password," or personal details like your birthday</li></ul><div type="image" title="Password Pin security" height="1500" width="3000" msid="88216277" hostid="261"></div>If you're reading this and feeling overwhelmed, don't worry: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/are-password-managers-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This is what password managers are made for</a>.Dave Hatter, along with every cybersecurity expert I've spoken to, fully recommends using password managers like LastPass. These apps will create incredibly strong passwords for all your apps, and then automatically enter them when you need them. This lets you keep your data secure without needing to remember dozens of different passwords.The only password that you need to create for yourself and keep ultra-safe is your LastPass master password. This is the password that protects all the others, so don't skimp on it.Quick tip: If you're worried about LastPass itself getting hacked and leaking all your passwords, don't be. Companies like LastPass use "zero-knowledge encryption," meaning that even they don't know your passwords or store them internally — they just provide the software.Some cybersecurity experts <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-often-should-i-change-my-password" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also recommend changing all your passwords every few months</a>. And while this certainly doesn't hurt, having strong passwords and two-factor authentication set up is much more important.You can test how good your passwords are for free <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-secure-is-my-password" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using NordVPN's "online strength checker."</a><h3>Be skeptical</h3>Backups are important, updates are important, and passwords are crucial. But all the time you spend keeping yourself safe doesn't mean anything if you don't apply what Darren Shou calls "common-sense skepticism."If you receive an email from someone you don't know asking you to download an attachment, you probably know not to do it. But what if you get a text, seemingly from your bank, warning about fraud on your account? Or a private message from a friend asking you to click a "hilarious" link?Darren Shou refers to these scams as "an attack on the human operating system." They're designed to prey on users who aren't thinking about what they click, or who completely trust that they're protected.<div type="image" title="A Twitter post promising &quot;100,000,000 DOGE&quot; to users who clicked a fake link." height="886" width="1228" msid="88216278" hostid="261"></div>Don't click links if you don't know exactly where they're taking you. When you get a suspicious email or text, ask yourself: "Was I expecting to receive this? Do I know the sender? Is it even important?" If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.If you're not sure, directly contact your bank, or friend, or whoever is claiming they know you and ask. There's a good chance that they'll tell you you're dealing with a fake.And if you're managing a large group of people, make sure that they're educated about internet scams, data breaches, and suspicious links. It doesn't matter how strong your locks are if someone inside just opens the door.<h2>What to do if your data is breached</h2>But what if someone does manage to slip past your defenses and access your accounts? How do you recover and repair the damage?Before anything, remember: Don't panic.In the aftermath of a data breach, "You have to keep calm and keep your common sense," says Shou. Lots of scammers are trained to strike at people who have just been scammed by someone else, hoping to take advantage of their desperation. Keep your guard up and stay skeptical.Quick tip: There are dozens of websites and social media pages who claim they can easily get any stolen money or data back for a fee. Some will even offer to "counter-hack" whoever breached you. Don't trust these sites — they're scams.Ideally, you'll want to figure out how many accounts were hacked, and change all their passwords. If you use a password manager, change your master password too.Triple-check your financial records, and if anything seems off, don't hesitate to freeze your accounts and credit. Some identity theft monitoring services will let you meet with an attorney, if need be.<div type="image" title="Man frustrated at computer at work" height="1986" width="3972" msid="88216279" hostid="261"></div>If you're a company that's been breached, get in touch with your cyber insurance team and report the breach, along with your in-house legal and IT teams. While your IT team works to limit the damage, you'll need to make some decisions about whether to notify your customers (it's required by law in some cases) and whether to contact law enforcement.Dave Hatter warns that while you might be tempted to delete everything that the hacker saw, you shouldn't do it. If you do decide to get law enforcement involved, deleting too much data can count as destroying evidence.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Data breaches can be devastating, and only get more common as we move our lives online.But both consumers and businesses can take concrete and simple steps to protect their data and themselves. Create strong passwords, keep your electronics updated, make copies of your data, and don't trust every link that comes your way.And of course, don't go crazy trying to manage everything alone. Services like LastPass, NortonLifeLock, and SentinelOne are designed to make cybersecurity easier. If you have the money and want to boost your security, check them out.

How to protect yourself from data breaches and what to do if your personal data is compromised online

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kewl/8576064449">Flickr / Tristan Schmurr</a></div></div>At this point, disenfranchised Nigerian royalty asking for money through a poorly worded email is the ultimate cliche of internet scams.
So why does it still exist?
According to new book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Freak-Authors-Freakonomics/dp/0062218336" target="_blank">Think Like A Freak</a>," a follow up to the popular "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freakonomics-Economist-Explores-Hidden-Everything/dp/0060731338/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1401221761&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=freakonomics" target="_blank">Freakonomics</a>" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, the scam's obviousness is its chief selling point.
The book refers to research from <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Microsoft Research</a> computer scientist Cormac Herley, who looked at Nigerian scams - technically called advance-fee fraud - from the point of view of the scammer. How, he wondered, were scammers who never sent an email free of typos earning enough money for the United States Secret Service to establish its own task force to fight them?
In fact, those typos are a key part of the scam.
Levitt and Dubner explain the genius behind such an obvious scam in terms of "false positives," referring to email recipients who engage with the scammers but don't ultimately pay. Reaching out to scores of potential victims isn't much work, thanks to the ease of email, but with each reply from a gullible target, the scammers are required to put forth a little more effort.
Therefore, it's in the scammers' best interest to minimize the number of false positives who cost them effort but never send them cash. By sending an initial email that's obvious in its shortcomings, the scammers are isolating the most gullible targets. If you trash their email, that's fine. They don't want you, someone from whom there's virtually no chance of receiving any money. They want people who, faced with a ridiculous email, still don't recognize its illegitimacy.
As Herley tells the book's authors, "Anybody who doesn't fall off their chair laughing is exactly who they want to talk to."
While no one is recommending you engage with scammers, Herley tells Levitt and Dubner that the best defense against these crooks is to game their system and waste their time. Ideally, he says, this would take the form of a chatbot that engages with scammers, to make them put in the effort toward the false positives they're trying to avoid.

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