Latest news with #Scammers
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Police warn of lottery phone scam in Saskatoon
The Saskatoon Police Service is cautioning residents about a phone scam involving fraudulent lottery claims. According to police, scammers are posing as representatives of the STARS Lottery, claiming that recipients have won a new vehicle. To receive the prize, victims are advised to pay a fee via gift card. Police ask people to be vigilant and to never provide personal or financial information to unsolicited callers. Get the CTV News app for Saskatoon area breaking news alerts and top stories If you receive a suspicious call, police ask to hang up and block the number. Don't click on any link this caller sends you. Police say STARS Lottery will never require payments of any kind. If you have been a victim of any fraud or scam, contact police.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Forbes
Is This Spotify Email A Scam? How To Spot The Fakes
Spotify is a common target for email scams If you've received a Spotify email that you're worried is a scam, you've every reason to be susipcious. Spotify is a huge target for scammers. With 678 million registered users, according to the company's latest financials, there's a pretty strong chance that even a randomly targeted email will find its way to a Spotifty customer. A fake Spotify email can be very convincing, looking almost identical to an email you might receive from the company itself. So how do you tell the fake Spotify emails from the genuine ones? Here are some tips to spot the scams. Is This a Fake Spotify Email? Fake Spotify emails can be hard to detect The email above is typical of a phishing scam email that, at first, appears to be genuine. It's using the Spotify color scheme, the company's logo, and the address of the company's headquarters at the foot of the email. There are no obvious spelling or grammar errors, either, which is typical of phishing emails. The period at the end of the 'Final Billing Notice' header is a little odd, but not enough to immediately set alarm bells ringing. However, there are other signs that this email isn't genuine. The first thing to check is the sender's address. Some email software, particularly mobile apps, can hide the sender's address. But click into the full email and examine the header of the message and you'll normally see the full email address spelled out. In this case, the email was sent from 'spot@ They've made a weak attempt to disguise the email address as coming from Spotify, but there's no chance that a legitimate Spotify email would arrive from the domain. Indeed, when I attempted to visit that domain (and I strongly suggest you don't do that yourself), my Vivaldi web browser threw up a warning that 'attackers on the site that you tried visiting might trick you into installing software or revealing things like your passwords, phone or credit card numbers.' The browser reveals the danger lurking behind the fake email domain Genuine Spotify emails arrive from 'no-reply@ Other fake Spotify emails I've received have got much closer to that address, one of them arriving from 'noreply@ So take great care to carefully check the sender's email address, but don't rely on that alone. Another clue that's something not right about the email above is the destination of the link. Whatever you do, do not click on a link in a suspected spam email. However, most PC/Mac email apps let you hover the mouse over a link to reveal its address (it's much harder to do this on mobiles and you shouldn't even attempt it). When I hovered my mouse over the link in the email shown above, it was trying to take me to the ' domain, not That's an immediate red flag. This isn't a 100% accurate method of detecting a fake email. Sometimes links in genuine emails are disguised, perhaps because the sender is using software that's tracking clicks on the links. Nevertheless, the combination of strange email address and unrecognizable link address is a very strong indicator that this email is fake and should be binned. Don't Click On Spotify Email Links Even if the email address and links look fine, there's nothing be to gained from clicking the link in the email. Only risk. If you're concerned your Spotify payment method really has expired, the safest way to check is to visit the Spotify website, log in if necessary, and then click your profile picture in the top-right corner. Now select Account and you can access your billing details, adding a new credit card if necessary. The same applies to any email you receive asking you to click to update payment information. Never click on the email links, just in case, always go to the website of the service in question. What Should I Do If I've Clicked On A Fake Spotify Email? If you think you've clicked on a fake Spotify email, and particularly if you've entered your login details, you should visit the Spotify website and reset your password immediately. If you've entered payment details on what you believe is a fake website, you should contact your payments provider and have the card cancelled to minimize the risk of future fraud. If you think you've received a fake Spotify email, you can forward it to the company at spoof@ Then just delete it from your inbox, or use your email software to report it as spam.
News.com.au
04-07-2025
- News.com.au
Sydney rocked as $3m lost to alleged ‘Chinese blessing scams'
Police have shared new details of an alleged series of Chinese blessing scams, which have cost Sydneysiders a collective $3 million, as a woman is charged for allegedly targeting a 77-year-old. The scam generally targets elderly Chinese women and exploits their cultural fears by convincing them their families are at risk, and demanding money to protect them from illness or curses. 'The women are deceived and once the scammers are in possession of their money and valuables including jewellery, the items are swapped with items of no value and the women are encouraged not to open the bags for an extended time,' police said. In April, police launched Strike Force Sentinel to investigate reports of the scams across the Sydney area, including Ryde, Burwood, Parramatta and Hornsby areas. To date, they have received more than 80 reports of alleged scams, with more than $3 million in cash and valuables stolen. On Thursday, a 63-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney International Airport in relation to an alleged 'Chinese blessing scam'. Police allege the woman was involved with defrauding a 77-year-old woman of a 'large sum of money and jewellery' in Parramatta in June. She was taken to Mascot Police Station where she was charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception, participate criminal group contribue criminal activity and demand property in company with menaces with intent to steal. She was refused bail and is set to appear before Parramatta Local Court on Friday. Anyone who may have been victim of a 'blessing scam' is urged to make a report to police. Police have urged the public to be hyper vigilant of scammers, and to avoid following people to a doctor or letting strangers inside a home. 'Beware of people you don't know and can't identify seeking access to money and valuables,' they said. 'Beware of people asking for directions to a Chinese herbal doctor or spiritual healer. 'Do not follow people you have just met to a doctor or healer. Do not continue conversation with strangers and leave the location. 'Do not bring strangers home,' they added. 'Do not hand over money, jewellery, or valuable items to stranger, and do not put money or jewellery in a bag for any blessing ritual.'
