Google has recently issued a warning regarding the increasing cases of cyber fraud. The company told about five new online fraud trends prepared by its Trust and Safety Team. Google has advised people to be cautious of these fraudulent methods. New methods are constantly being adopted by cyber criminals, due to which common people easily fall prey to fraud. This danger has increased even more with the increasing use of digital platforms. Google said that the main objective of fraudsters is to trap people in their trap through social engineering, freebies and attractive offers.
The threat of Deepfake
These days the biggest danger is related to Deepfake technology. Cyber criminals use this technology to create videos of public figures that look so real that people easily fall prey to fraud. Google said that this technology is used by fraudsters for fake investments, giveaways and other attractive offers. People trust the messages of public persons appearing in these videos and get trapped in the trap of fake investment. Google has warned that if a public figure shows unnatural expressions or any other disturbances on his face in a video, then stay away from such videos and be cautious.
Fraud in crypto investment
Google has also mentioned cases of fraud related to cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is a high-value digital asset, and the lure of its good returns is being used to deceive people. Fraudsters often offer fake crypto investment schemes, which actually have no benefits. Google has warned people to avoid offers promising unnaturally high returns in any investment scheme. To avoid fraud in the name of crypto investment, Google has advised to invest only from certified and trusted platforms.
Fake apps and landing page cloaking
Google has also exposed the methods of fraud related to fake apps and landing page cloaking. Cybercriminals create fake apps of big brands and get them downloaded from users. Through these fake apps, personal information of users like bank details etc. is stolen. Google has warned that users should avoid unknown third party apps and download apps only from official app stores. Apart from this, always make sure that the URL is secure before visiting the web site, that is, it starts with “https”. Google also said that fraudsters use landing page cloaking technology to send users to fake websites. Here users fall prey to fraud by filling in their credit or debit card details.
Taking advantage of big events
Google has also mentioned cases of cyber criminals taking advantage of big events and natural disasters to commit fraud. Cyber criminals often run fake charity campaigns in the name of elections, natural disasters or other big events. Under these campaigns, instead of sending their donations to the right place, people lose their money in the hands of fraudsters. Google has advised that to avoid such cases, before donating to any charity, confirm its authenticity. Especially when there is a big national or international crisis, cases of fraud increase at such times.
This warning from Google is an important step so that users can avoid these fraudulent methods. New methods are emerging every day in the digital world, and vigilance and awareness are necessary to avoid them. Google has appealed to people not to ignore any suspicious activity and always follow digital security measures.
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