Hey listeners, it’s Scotty – your friendly, cyber-savvy scam sentinel, and let me tell you, the Grifters of the Internet have been busy lately. No long intro, let’s attack the sneaky stuff making the news right now.
If you shop online, you better double-check that web address before you surrender your credit card digits. Over in Orlando, Daren Maas got stung for $1,200 when he thought he was buying a Gibson Les Paul from what looked like Guitar Center. Surprise – the site was a clever fake. The real Guitar Center is at guitarcenter.com. Daren’s money, on the other hand, went to some Shane Griffin and vanished like free Wi-Fi in a basement. According to the Better Business Bureau, fake ads and websites are everywhere, and Holly Salmons at the BBB says if the price looks too good to be true or the URL feels fishy, dodge it. Pro tip from the pros: never click on pop-up social media ads—always go straight to the store you know.
Now, let’s zip to India where “digital arrest” scams are exploding – and the elderly are prime targets. In Bangalore, an 81-year-old man—let’s call him “grandpa with a smartphone”—was scammed out of over 1.7 crore rupees after ten days of pure psychological warfare. Scammers posing as Mumbai police and even central agencies hit him with forged warrants and legal threats, claiming his Aadhaar was linked to a Jet Airways money laundering case. They even sent fake arrest warrants via WhatsApp. By the time it was all over, his savings were history. Law enforcement says they’re seeing a spike in cases, all using fear and fake authority. The big tip here: real police don’t do arrests by WhatsApp or ask for money in return for “cooperation.” If you get a call like this, hang up and verify with your local authorities directly.
Speaking of rotten calls, in the US, the FCC and telecoms are battling a flood of fraudulent phone calls and texts. Scammers are now using fancy VoIP calls—they might show up with a +697 or +698 prefix, looking weird and international. Thailand’s NBTC flagged these for scams, especially because crooks often use VPNs to hide their tracks. The Indian government even set up the Chakshu portal to report dodgy calls. Rule of thumb: if a stranger demands urgent action or personal info by phone, just don't bite.
QR codes aren’t safe from hackers either—quishing scams are spiking fast. Professor Gaurav Sharma (go Rochester!) says as QR codes are plastered everywhere, crooks slap fake QR stickers in public places—parking meters, utility bills—you name it. Scan in a hurry, and they’ve got you. Be alert for sketchy codes or ones demanding you “scan now to avoid penalty.” When in doubt, don’t scan.
Real-life crooks are still getting hauled in. Just days ago, Issa Asad, CEO of Q Link Wireless, was arrested in Florida for one of the biggest federal frauds in US history. And in New York, a TikTok-fueled scam drained $17 million from Summer Youth Employment Program cards in just three days. These kids were targeted because of viral trends teaching them how to “hack” the system.
Whether it’s fake texts about road tolls, “urgent” calls from overseas, or too-good-to-be-true online deals, the same rule applies: slow down, check the facts, and don’t let urgency override common sense. Monitor your accounts often—if you see weird charges, act fast.
Thanks for tuning in, scan safely, and don’t feed the grifters! Subscribe for more scam alerts and digital hacks. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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