USPS, Walmart, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and MORE – Top Scams of the Week
Author: Trend Micro
We’ve found lots of scams this week, including ones relating to USPS, Walmart, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and MORE. Would you have been able to spot all these scams?
Scammers Want More Than Your Money
Impersonating trusted brands, and under a variety of pretenses, scammers love to spread 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 attached phishing links to complete various tasks, e.g. track a package delivery, update account information, fill out an online survey, or more.
USPS “Redelivery” Scam Text
We’ve reported on fake USPS texts many times before. Pretending to be USPS, scammers prompt you to schedule a “redelivery” of a non-existent package by using their link to update the delivery address.
Sample fake USPS text (1/3). Source: Reddit
Sample fake USPS text (2/3). Source: Reddit
Sample fake USPS text (3/3). Source: Reddit
The links attached are phishing links that lead to phishing sites designed to record your PII. In this case, you will be taken to a fake USPS tracking page that will look identical to the legitimate one, except that the web address is not usps.com.
Sample fake USPS tracking page (phishing page!)
If you fall for the scam and submit your information, scammers can commit identity theft or other crimes using your data.
Say Goodbye to Phishing Scams
The top safety tip to avoid phishing scams is NEVER to click on any unknown links. Or, you can use our 100% FREE tool, Trend Micro Check, to help fight scams with ease!
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!
The Trend Micro Check browser extension blocks dangerous sites in real time!
The Trend Micro Check app automatically detects and filters scams and spam 24/7.
Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check.
Walmart Jackpot Scam
Have you ever received a text from Walmart that says you’ve won a reward? Beware — it’s a scam! We’ve reported on Walmart survey scams many times, and this week we detected a peak in phishing attempts using Walmart’s name:
You have struck the jackpot! You are Walmart’s current month’s rewards recipient! <URL>
The attached phishing link will take you to a fake Walmart page where scammers promise you a $500 Walmart gift card as a reward and try to trick you into revealing all your credentials in the end.
Sample fake Walmart survey page. (1/2)
Once again, any data entered will end up in the scammers’ hands.
Sample fake Walmart survey page. (2/2)
Fake Intuit Security Alert (QuickBooks)
Back in 2022, we wrote about fake security alert emails impersonating QuickBooks, Intuit’s finance tool. Well, this week they’ve started to circulate again. Falsely claiming that your QuickBooks account is on hold, scammers instruct you to verify your identity via the link in the email.
Sample fake QuickBooks security alert email. (Intuit)
Take a closer look at the sender’s email address: the legitimate one should end with intuit.com, but the one shown here is missing an “i”. Plus, what’s extra tricky is that although the link seems genuine (www.intuit.com), it will take you to a fake Intuit login page instead. If you hover over the attached link you will realize. Don’t click!
Online Shopping Scams
Besides phishing scams, last week we also detected lots of fake online shops running bogus Memorial Day and Father’s Day sales campaigns (76,863 fake sites from May 15 to May 22 in total!).
#1 – Memorial Day
- texasbg[.]com
Sample fake Memorial Day-related promo campaign
#2 – Father’s Day
- tiendahat[.]com
- moderndeal[.]co
- manualliy[.]com
Some red flags to watch out for when shopping online:
- The acceptance of unusual payment methods (wire transfer/mobile payment apps etc.).
- Unreasonable requests for detailed personal information.
- Typos and questionable wordings.
- Lack of genuine reviews/lots of irrelevant reviews.
- Too-good-to-be-true deals.
More Safety Tips
- Shop on well-known, legitimate websites.
- 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 with Trend Micro ID Protection if any of your PII gets leaked.
- 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
If you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please SHARE it with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected. Also, please consider leaving a comment or LIKE below.
This article was published in association with Trend Micro.
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
Scam Categories
Help & Info
Popular Stories
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the