Welcome to Our New Anti-Scam Campaign: Let’s Fight Fraud Together
Online scams pose a bigger threat than ever. In the past few years alone, these attacks have grown in both number and complexity, with official reports indicating billions of dollars are lost annually to cyber crooks.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported that victims in the United States lost nearly $10 billion to online scams in 2023 alone. This alarming trend is set to continue, and governments and private entities are calling us to be more vigilant and take action to keep ourselves and our communities safe.
To combat this growing threat, Bitdefender spent the past year developing automated anti-scam technologies. At the same time, though, we know that education is as important as technology when it comes to scams.
That’s why we’re so eager to announce the launch of a new forum category — Scam Busters.
Its mission is to provide a dedicated space for people to share information, raise awareness, and collaborate to stay ahead of scammers. This initiative aligns with our global efforts, such as Bitdefender's latest partnership with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, to turn the tide against fraudsters.
As we get the first conversations going, you might want to check out our existing coverage of online scams or go through these 7 basic tips that help you spot a scam.
Basic Tips and Tricks to Steer Clear of Scams
- Verify Sources: Always double-check the authenticity of emails, messages, and websites before giving out personal information. Look for official verification marks if they exist (and cannot be spoofed) and contact the organization directly if in doubt.
- Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Offers: Scammers often lure victims with offers that seem too good to be true. Remember that strangers don’t share money-making tips with random people, so be wary of unsolicited messages promising huge rewards or urgently requesting money.
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Protect your online accounts by using complex passwords for every account and changing them regularly. Consider a password manager to keep track of your credentials. Speaking of which, we have a great one available for download here.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an extra layer of security to your accounts can keep intruders out, even if they manage to steal your password.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Bookmark this link or add it in your favorite RSS reader to stay informed about the latest scam tactics and share this knowledge with friends and family. Awareness is a powerful tool against fraud.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you encounter a scam or suspect fraudulent behavior, report it to the relevant authorities and platforms, including this one. Your action can help prevent others from falling victim.
- Use Scamio by Bitdefender: Take advantage of tools like Scamio to check for scams.
Scamio helps you identify and avoid phishing sites, ensuring you stay safe while browsing online. For those not familiar with this tool, Scamio is a free, multi-channel AI scam-checking chatbot that can analyze any text, email, social media message, link, or even QR code!
Join our community to share your experiences amid the rising tide of online scams, consult with cybersecurity experts, and learn effective strategies to protect yourself. Whether you’ve encountered phishing attempts, fraud, or other digital threats, this forum is a safe space to discuss, get advice, and stay updated on scammers’ latest tactics.
Together, we can enhance our online security and stay a step ahead of cybercriminals.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
Comments
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Greetings Mr. Alex !
I ” m with You !
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It is extremely important that people are educated on this and I'm glad to see Bitdefender taking proactive steps to combat the rising threat of online scams.
I appreciate the focus on both technology and education. While tools like Scamio are crucial, teaching people how to recognize and avoid scams is equally important. The seven tips provided are a great starting point, but I believe we need to go further.
That's why I think it would be valuable to implement a scam detection flag feature across various communication channels. This could serve as both a protective measure and an educational tool, alerting users to potential scams in real-time and helping them understand what makes certain messages suspicious.
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You are perfectly right Sir !
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Good morning,
I think it’s very important that the general public be made aware of this issue so that they can act in a preventive rather than "reactive" way.
I will follow the subject carefully.
Thank you Alex
Windows 11 Famille 23H2
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.70 GHz
Bitdefender Premium Security Plus
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Hello.
In the past few days, a lot of people from my city are registered to this app:
The people, including some of my friends, pay money (from 250 US dollars to 750 US dollars) for very attractive offers.
For example, you give 250 US dollars, and in 3 months they will give you back 750 US dollars, that the app owner has some contract with Google which is valid until February 2025, but for me that is nonsense.
I tried to speak to them, telling them to read the reviews about the app, that the app is delivered by someone in Pakistan (and NOT Google or any other trusted company) and that the app is nothing but scam/fraud, but unfortunatelly they already paid the money.
Even today i had a conversation with them, but with no luck, they act just like brainwashed zombies, and few minutes later i gave up.
But, they are all grown persons, and there's nothing more that i can do about it.
Regards.
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Hi !
It's a Ponzi Scheme !
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@Gjoksi thanks for sharing, that sounds like a scam. Whenever something sounds to good to be true, it usually is.
I think we should be wary of promises of high returns with little risk, and beware of high-pressure tactics to invest or join quickly.
These schemes attract investors by guaranteeing consistent returns, and they provide fake financial statements showing high returns, which builds trust and encourages investors to reinvest their earnings or recruit new investors. You will find that some people may even say that they earned money at first, so they'll try to convince you that you are missing out on a real business opportunity. What actually happens is that instead of generating profits through legitimate activities, early investors are paid with the money from new investors. This creates the illusion of a profitable business.
Promoters create a sense of urgency or exclusivity, pressuring people to invest quickly before the opportunity is gone. They might claim there’s limited availability or time-sensitive benefits. When looking at the reviews for the app above, you can quickly realise that most of them are fake, except of course for the ones that reveal the loss of money and expose the scam. These apps/schemes often promise 'high earnings' and 'financial freedom', showcasing success stories and lavish lifestyles of top earners, but in reality the scammers take the money from investors for as long as they can and before you know it, they are gone. Then they move their 'business' someplace else and focus on a new audience, opening other apps and continue scamming people, so they are difficult to catch.
I also know people who were tricked by similar ponzi schemes, and even tried to convince me to invest.
There's no such thing as easy money. As a rule of thumb when investing, always check if the company is registered with relevant regulatory bodies and has proper licenses and do a thorough research before throwing your hard-earned money away.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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None of the antimalware vendors detect the latest version of the "Conti Entertain" app as malicious.
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d529d4af515b577e70bcd38285b62b41eef1b13ec2898b8ea4bb2234eae60645?nocache=1
There are multiple apps which work for some users and not for others. Reviews do matter, but in the end, it comes down to how one likes it to work. On the Play Store, in the review section of "Conti Entertain" app, it's a tie between 1 star and 5 stars. I have shared the app with different antimalware vendors, including Bitdefender, to get it checked.
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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Well, obviously they pose as a legitimate app that can help you get 'rich'. Right. While it may not contain something malicious inside, the fact they lure people into investing money with the promise of an exponential return of investment based on the amounts you deposit, or on bringing in new users, it's clearly a red flag and more than likely a scam. Not really sure what antimalware vendors can do here, because I don't think a detection can be added. Best thing to do is to report the app to Play Store and raise awareness about the red flags.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Hello.
I already reported the app to Google, but at this moment the app is still available.
Regards.
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Good morning, everyone.
Personally, I never trust the Google play store. At least, I never install applications that are not very well known such as Bitdefender, Permobil, etc.).
Of course, this is only my opinion and my personal position.Regards,
Windows 11 Famille 23H2
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.70 GHz
Bitdefender Premium Security Plus
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I have yet to receive a response from the Bitdefender malware research team, but I have received a response from the ESET malware research team. They confirmed the file was malicious, and a detection was released by them.
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d529d4af515b577e70bcd38285b62b41eef1b13ec2898b8ea4bb2234eae60645?nocache=1
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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Here's another scam app:
These are fraudulent applications that deceive users by promising high returns through automated cryptocurrency trading using artificial intelligence. These scams exploit the growing interest in cryptocurrency and AI technology.
The apps often advertise guaranteed high returns with little to no risk, claiming their AI technology can predict market movements with high accuracy. The scammers operate with professional-looking websites, flashy advertisements like the one above, and often fake testimonials to lure victims.
Similar with the app reported by Gjoksi earlier on this thread, they operate by allowing initial small investments to yield positive returns to build trust. This encourages users to invest more money. Once a significant amount of money is invested, the app might start generating losses, or users might find they can no longer withdraw their funds.
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Hello.
Here's another scam/phising website:
https://siemens-usdt.com/#/register?ic=363066
Another Ponzi Scheme website/app.
Regards.
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Windows 11 Famille 23H2
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.70 GHz
Bitdefender Premium Security Plus
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Hello again.
Another scam/phising website:
https://rt2024.com/#/reg
The website pretendes to be the official Rotten Tomatoes website, but it's not.
This is the official website:
Regards.
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Good evening to all !😀 Thank you for the information!
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New report out by AV-Comparatives:
Fake-Shops Detection Test 2024
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Security Products Against Internet Fake Shops (Scams).All Bitdefender Home Product User Guides: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/user-guides/
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Hello @Scott ,
Thank you for sharing this information.
The article demonstrates that most security suites have progress to make in detecting fake shops (scams).Regards,
Windows 11 Famille 23H2
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.70 GHz
Bitdefender Premium Security Plus
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Hiya everyone,
Glad to see this being taken into action by Bitdefender. I have seen alot of of of these scams coming in on facebook and also sometimes in my work email when I have been away for sometime here from the community due to work, but I hope to also share information on scams starting from today. Its been a while☺️
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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Cheers @Flanksy and welcome back! Sure, you can join the conversation on scams here and report any online scams you come across. You can also share your experience with the community, if you have ever been a victim of scams. One of our colleagues opened the thread below in the same category:
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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Cheers @Alexandru_BD it's great to be back as well as it is great to see you again. Sure thing, will definitely share some experience in the given category hopefully soon enough 😁
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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This is a fantastic initiative—kudos to Bitdefender for launching the Scam Busters forum category! Online scams are indeed becoming more sophisticated, and having a dedicated space to share experiences and knowledge is a critical step in combating these threats.
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Finally, Bitdefender also created the detection.
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d529d4af515b577e70bcd38285b62b41eef1b13ec2898b8ea4bb2234eae60645?nocache=1
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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Windows 11 Famille 23H2
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.70 GHz
Bitdefender Premium Security Plus
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