Oh, those wacky Nigerian princes and their tales of lost fortunes. If only they had your help! But they don't, of course, because anybody with half a brain can see through the scam. And that's the key to the scheme, one Microsoft researcher says in a 14 page report about Nigerian scams; the fantastic stories serve to screen out skeptical folks, leaving the scammers free to pick off the low-hanging fruit that responds to wild emails from African royalty.
Some of the ways scammers part fools and their money sure are deviously ingenuitive. A new variation of scareware is making the rounds in Europe, but rather than sticking to the age-old "Your computer is infected, buy this antivirus program now!" trope, this malware claims that the government is locking down your PC until you pay a fine for downloading music illegally.
It sucks, but malicious apps are beginning to be a common occurrence on Android phones. Studies have shown that malware-ridden Android apps have been on a meteoric rise throughout the year. A new report says the havoc is spreading; many of us know better than to click on a link from an untrusted source, but scammers have started working around that by offering scannable QR codes that link directly to malware.
Are we the only ones who ignore telemarketers? Between caller ID, voicemail, and the oh-so-awesome Do Not Call list, it's easier than ever to avoid being hassled about aluminum siding while you're trying to eat your dinner. Apparently, not everybody's gotten the message: Microsoft's reporting that there's a new computer scam making the rounds, only this time you're swindled over the phone rather than via email. Your wallet still gets hit just as hard.
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