Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, Coinbase, MetaMask, and MORE — Top Phishing Scams of the Week

Header

Author: Trend Micro

April 1, 2022

This article is from Trend Micro.

 

This week we’ve found a large number of phishing scams that you need to watch out for, including ones relating to Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, Bitcoin, Coinbase, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet. Would you have been able to spot all the scams?

Phishing scams are one of the most commonly used tactics by scammers. Conventionally, while impersonating famous brands, they send out fake text messages and emails containing phishing links and try to entice you into opening them with various lies.

In such phishing schemes, the links lead to online survey pages that state you can claim a gift by filling out a questionnaire. After you complete the questionnaire, you are prompted to enter credit card details before your “gift” can be delivered. Here are a few examples:

 

Home Depot Survey Scam

We’ve written about several popular Home Depot scams before. And recently scammers have started trying to deceive people via email:

The embedded button will take you to a fake online survey page where you could eventually end up having your personal information exposed. Don’t get scammed!

 


Browse the web safely with Trend Micro Check (it’s free!)

http://

Trend Micro Check is an all-in-one browser extension for detecting scams, phishing attacks, malware, and dangerous links — and it’s FREE!

After you’ve pinned Trend Micro Check, it will block dangerous sites automatically! It’s available on Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.

Check out this page for more information on Trend Micro Check.

Walmart Survey Scam

Scammers pose as Walmart and claim that you’ve won a prize in a “customer draw”. They send you messages such as this:

  • You're a winner, CHERYL! The 4th place in our weekly customer draw is yours and here's your prize: <URL>

 

The links inside the messages will take you to fake Walmart online survey pages that say you can get an iPad Pro as a reward after completing one of the questionnaires:

Amazon Gift Card Scam

We’ve seen Amazon survey scams several times, and now they’re popular again, but this time they’re using an updated layout:

  • You'll receive something beautiful today, kym. A loved one is sending you a Valentine's Day Amazon gift card. Get it now: <URL>

In the end, you will have to enter credit card information to claim your reward — and you know what will happen: no gifts will ever appear, and your credentials will be sent directly to a scammer!

Scammers’ ultimate goal is to steal your personal information — they’ll record everything you enter on their fake pages and use it to commit cybercrimes: e.g., hack into your bank account or steal your identity!

Crypto Phishing Scams

Besides directing you to online survey pages, the links, in other instances, take you to fake log-in pages that appear to belong to various brands. These pages require you to submit log-in credentials and recovery phrases to download a software update, change account settings, or whatever other tasks the scammers have asked you to complete:

Crypto Wallet Scams

#1 Coinbase

Posing as Coinbase, scammers send fake security alerts via SMS to try to lure you into clicking on phishing links:

  • coinbase wallet security upgrade vulnerability has been fixed, please download again: www[.]coinbasee[.]cc, download and log in to receive 10usdt
  • by july 2022, the c0inbase wallet is upgraded and the taxes paid on the revenue generated will be paid by c0inbase. downl0ad link:hxxps://www[.]coinaase[.]com/

Note: Take a close look at the web address. The legitimate web address of Coinbase is coinbase.com!

Examples of fake Coinbase websites. (Check the web address!)

 

#2 MetaMask

Besides text message scams, this week we’ve detected many fake MetaMask security alert emails that falsely claim your MetaMask wallet is going to be suspended for some security issue:

#3 Trust Wallet

Fake Trust Wallet emails have also been very popular with scammers lately:

In all these types of scams, you are encouraged to click on an embedded link. The link then takes you to a fake MetaMask/Trust Wallet website.

If you submit credentials like your recovery phrase, scammers can hack into your wallet and transfer all your crypto away! What’s worse, since cryptocurrencies are decentralized, it would be nearly impossible to get your money back! Watch out!

Bitcoin Giveaway Scams

Scammers also try to trick you into sending them cryptocurrency directly.

Who doesn’t want free bitcoin? What would you do if a random person online asked you to send them bitcoin and promised to double it? Sound too good to be true? It is. Don’t expect any bitcoin in return!

  • bitcoin giveaway. hurry now and take part in the michael saylor 5000 btc giveaway. to take part in this giveaway kindly follow the steps in the link

The scam web address: www[.]btcgivefast[.]com

 

How to Protect Yourself

  • Double-check the sender’s mobile number/email address.
  • Free gifts or prizes are always a major red flag.
  • Always go to the official website/application instead of using links from unknown sources.
  • Use Trend Micro Check to surf the web safely (it’s free!).
  • Add an extra layer of protection to your device with Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its Web Threat Protection, Ransomware Protection, Anti-phishing, and Anti-spam Protection can help you combat scams and cyberattacks. Click the button below to give it a try:

As ever, if you’ve found this article an interesting and/or helpful read, please do SHARE it with friends and family to help keep the online community secure and protected.

Report a Scam!

Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!

Help & Info

Popular Stories

As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu

So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking.  If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller.  The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the