A Free Public Service

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo Country, California.

February 3, 2022

FAKE USB SCAM

Courtesy Scambusters

Say ‘No’ to USBs:

Don’t be tempted to insert that mysterious USB drive that arrived in the mail. It’s a late trick being used by scammers to get you to install malware and ransomware on your PC. USBs are as cheap as dirt these days, so crooks send out malware-laden ones in the thousands, hoping that curiosity will prompt recipients to try to see what’s on them—then reveal personal information.  Don’t open it.

Crooks are netting an estimated $80 million per month globally from fake surveys and giveaways by impersonating well-known brands through fake USBs.. Using ads, text messages, social media, and on-screen pop-ups, they lure victims to cloned and malicious sites, then take their victims through a series of pages during which they gather personal information for identity theft or data harvesting—while pretending a big prize is just one more click away. It never is.

You can notify the US Federal Trade Commission @www.ftc.gov.

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