The security & privacy stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A driver says a fake Uber rep nearly tricked him into sending his wallet balance to a scammer's card. Here is how the trick works and how to spot it.
Read more: Scammers pose as Uber staff to drain drivers' earningsThe FBI says North Korean hackers stole about $6.3 billion from Binance in 20 minutes, the biggest crypto theft on record, after breaking into one engineer's laptop.
Read more: FBI says North Korea stole $6.3 billion from crypto exchange BinanceA man in Ahmedabad allegedly lost Rs 5.9 lakh after opening a fake transport app file on WhatsApp. His saved card did the rest.
Read more: Fake government app on WhatsApp costs man Rs 5.9 lakhPolice cyber adviser warns Diwali shoppers about fake shopping sites, apps, QR codes, delivery texts and refund calls that can drain a bank account fast.
Read more: Festival shoppers face fake sites, fake apps and fake refund callsExplicit videos appeared on digital billboards in Egypt, Malaysia and Brazil. If you run any connected screen, the lesson is to change default passwords.
Read more: Hackers Put Explicit Videos on Billboards in Several CountriesCriminals now use AI-made video, cloned voices and fake images to pose as celebrities, bosses and relatives. A familiar face or voice no longer proves who is real.
Read more: Fake videos and cloned voices are now used to steal moneyA Hong Kong woman lost about ₹3 crore after a call claiming she was linked to money laundering. The scam relies on fear, and anyone with a phone can be a target.
Read more: Hong Kong woman loses about ₹3 crore to fake money-laundering callAARP is promoting a fraud prevention teletown hall, a group event to help people spot scams before they lose money. Details on timing are not yet confirmed.
Read more: AARP Hosts Fraud Prevention Town Hall to Help You Spot ScamsRoyal Mail says fake delivery texts, emails and cards demanding fees are rising. A tap on the wrong link could cost you money or personal details.
Read more: Royal Mail warns of fake parcel texts and emails asking for feesWhich? says fake NatWest emails and Barclays texts are trying to steal personal details, and Lloyds reports impersonation scams cost its customers 10% more.
Read more: Scammers are posing as NatWest and Barclays to steal your detailsScammers are copying a Newfoundland craft council's look and tone to sell fake vendor tables. One shop owner lost several thousand dollars.
Read more: Scammers are posing as a craft fair to steal vendor fees and dataA Brazilian court fined two law firms about $16,000 for hiding a command to AI in white text. Any business that lets AI read outside documents should take note.
Read more: Brazilian court fines two law firms for hiding commands to AI in a filingA swapped-out speed-tracking script on Polymarket's site moved some traders' funds to hackers. Polymarket is paying back $3.9 million in total.
Read more: Hackers drain about $2.7 million from Polymarket traders through a tampered website toolFrom Nov 2, Singapore police will phone people only from 6000-0999, a new number meant to make real police calls easier to tell apart from scammers.
Read more: Singapore police will now call from one number only: 6000-0999Silent scam calls often come from automated dialers, not a person who forgot to speak. Knowing why can help you avoid common traps.
Read more: Why Some Scam Calls Go Silent When You Pick UpA Northbrook, Illinois woman lost $92,240 after calling a number in a fake Geek Squad email. Police say the same week brought several similar phone and app scams.
Read more: Fake Geek Squad Email Costs Illinois Woman More Than $92,000India's Supreme Court is asking whether banks should repay 'digital arrest' scam victims, as losses pass ₹3,000 crore. Here is how the scam works and what to do.
Read more: India's top court asks if banks should repay 'digital arrest' scam victimsNorthflank, a hosting platform for developers, says customers' AI keys were used without permission. Anyone with keys stored there could face a surprise bill.
Read more: Hackers stole AI account keys from a hosting company's customersA researcher released working attack code for an Android flaw that can crash a phone or cut off calls with one text. Older phones may stay exposed.
Read more: A single text message can crash some Android phonesReddit says it will slowly require accounts to see more of the site, starting with a test outside the US. Here is what that could mean if you read without logging in.
Read more: Reddit will start requiring logins to see more of its contentExperts expect more fake delivery texts, often posing as Royal Mail, as Christmas online shopping peaks in November and December.
Read more: Fake parcel texts are expected to spike as Christmas shopping startsJaipur Police say a suspected kingpin paid workers for ID papers to open bank accounts that moved about ₹24 crore in fraud and betting money.
Read more: Police say workers' ID papers were sold to run a fraud money networkA congressional review finds federal agencies cannot say how much scam money is lost or returned, while the FBI reports losses above $2 million an hour.
Read more: Americans lost nearly $18 billion to online scams, and little comes backScam callers are posing as the Chickasaw County Sheriff's Office and demanding money for an overdue balance, and the calls may show a local number.
Read more: Sheriff warns of fake deputy calls demanding payment
