Hey listeners, it’s Scotty here, your wit-powered guide to all things scams, cyber, and hacking. Let’s jump right in, because if there’s one thing cybercrooks never do, it’s procrastinate.
So, what’s hot in scam news this week? First up, Martin County, Florida is buzzing. Authorities just issued a warrant for Kenique Bellamy—a local woman who turned jury duty into a $23,600 Bitcoin fever dream. Bellamy posed as a sheriff’s officer, claiming the victim missed federal jury duty and had a warrant out for his arrest. The twist? She scared him into dumping thousands in a Bitcoin ATM. Law enforcement’s warning: always verify calls about legal matters; real officers will never demand payment via crypto, especially not with the clock ticking and your freedom allegedly on the line.
Moving north, Waltham is dealing with a cluster of bank text scams. Victims got texts supposedly from Citizens Bank and Santander, lost nearly $10,000 apiece after handing over account info over the phone. The police believe these are linked—so if you get a message “from your bank,” call the number on the card, not the one in the text. And never share account details with anyone who initiates contact with you—period.
The digital crooks are diverse. Monroe, Georgia police just tackled a scam where someone posed as a cartel, demanding $25,000 for a kidnapped daughter—who wasn’t even kidnapped. It’s old-school fear-mongering, dialed up with text messages.
On the tactical front, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and this year the FBI is warning about a spike in AI-driven phishing scams. Scammers use AI chatbots to polish language and images, forging emails and acting like your relatives. They even harness AI to clone voices. If your “loved one” calls and starts talking in language that doesn’t fit—be skeptical, confirm their identity with a pre-chosen codeword, and never send money under pressure.
Holiday shoppers need eyes in the back of their digital heads. Allstate just reported that fake online stores are popping up everywhere, often with deals that seem unreal. Their data shows a spike in identity theft and new account fraud this October, mostly tied to scam retail sites, TikTok shop impersonators, and delivery scams. Before entering payment info, check the web address for “https” and the padlock—no padlock means no purchase. Use credit cards for online buys, and read independent reviews before clicking on any “too-good-to-be-true” deal.
Gift cards aren’t safe either. Jingle Thief, a cybercrime group, wriggled into dozens of cloud accounts lately—stealing Microsoft 365 logins and patiently issuing fake gift cards to sell on the black market. They’re not in a hurry. They get in, set up fake authenticator apps, and hang out for months. Companies are scrambling to keep up.
For every scam, there’s a smart move. Use strong, unique passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, keep devices updated, and never click sketchy links or download files from pop-ups. Shoppers, keep your social media profiles private—scammers are harvesting voices and images to build convincing impersonations.
Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to subscribe for the next segment so you never get left behind by the hackers. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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