Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Google Chat is a popular communication software that allows you to share content and send messages in real time. Individuals use it for personal communication or collaboration with teams at work. However, as its popularity is increasing, people are using it as their primary form of communication.

Pig butchering scams came onto the scene a few years ago and have been gaining momentum ever since. A unique take on an old classic, pig butchering is a typical investment scam with a romantic or relationship-based twist. The large sums of "invested" money are typically funneled into fake crypto apps where they are promptly lost.

You can stay protected against tech-support scams by learning to spot them and following tips to avoid them, such as never answering unsolicited calls from unknown numbers, never giving someone remote access to your computer and not clicking on malicious advertisements. Continue reading to learn more about how you can protect yourself against tech-support scams and what to do if you’ve fallen for this type of scam.

Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world today and list out ways to explore these trends. This week, we’re showing you how to spot a fraud call and avoid getting scammed. Microsoft, AT&T, the FBI, and the IRS—what do these four entities have in common? Most likely, you or someone you know has received a call from somebody impersonating these entities.

A large-scale fraud operation, dubbed "Ticket Heist," is exploiting over 700 domain names to sell fake tickets for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. This campaign, which appears to predominantly target Russian-speaking users, extends beyond the Olympics to other major sports and music events, posing a significant risk to potential ticket buyers. Details of the Ticket Heist Campaign.

Pretexting is a type of social engineering attack in which the scammer manipulates their target into sharing private information or sending money by making up a story. Pretexting can occur on the phone, via text message, through email or in person. The goal of pretexting scams is typically to infect your device with malware, steal your money, breach private data and more.

Read Also: Four cybercrime ring members arrested for hacking government websites, teen gets one year in prison for hacking teacher’s laptop, and more.

Employee fraud is not just a rare occurrence, but a prevalent issue in the American workplace. Shockingly, three out of four employees have confessed to stealing from their workplace at least once for personal gain. The types of fraud are diverse, ranging from petty theft to complex schemes involving benefits, accounts receivable fraud, or intellectual property. The risk of employee fraud affects both small and large businesses.

Researchers at Check Point observed more than a thousand newly registered malicious or suspicious web domains related to Amazon last month. The criminals are likely gearing up to target users during Amazon Prime Day next week. “While Prime Day offers incredible savings, it is crucial for shoppers to remain vigilant, exercise caution while clicking on links or providing sensitive information, and ensure they are navigating legitimate platforms,” the researchers write.

WhatsApp is a messaging app that enables users to message and voice call other WhatsApp users. Many people from all over the world use WhatsApp to communicate. This has made it a common platform for scammers to target people. Some of the most common scams on WhatsApp include an invitation to “WhatsApp Gold,” impersonation scams, WhatsApp tech support scams, as well as charity and romance scams.