The suite spot for scammers.
This week, hosts of N2K CyberWire Maria Varmazis and Dave Bittner alongside Joe Carrigan are discussing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with some follow up, including a milestone for Maria’s 100th episode and a listener’s thoughts on whether it should be called “Catch of the Week” instead of “Catch of the Day.” We also revisit FINRA’s Market Data and Investments Explorer. Joe covers a major taxpayer fund scam in Mobile, Alabama, and another report on the growing threat of financial fraud. Maria explores the European Commission’s investigation into Booking.com’s handling of scams, including fake property listings and phishing messages targeting travelers with legitimate reservations. Dave examines a new FTC report showing that reported fraud losses among Americans aged 60 and older have climbed fivefold since 2020, with investment scams, impersonation schemes, and romance scams contributing to devastating financial losses. Our Catch of the Day comes from Michael, who received a phishing email claiming there was a problem with his ChatGPT payment method. The giveaway? He doesn’t have a ChatGPT subscription.
Resources and links to stories:
- ‘This is bad’: Nearly $15 million in Mobile taxpayer funds missing after scam
- Don't fall for this - how to protect yourself from AI scams
- Fake 10 Downing Street listing on Booking.com highlights security failures
- New Data Show How Much Worse Scams Are Getting for Americans Over 60
Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
