Scam Spotting 101
This scam starts with a fake love story and ends with a request for money
What is a romance scam?
Hackers first gather employee names or peek in windows to look for clues.
What is recon (reconnaissance)?
A good password has at least this many characters and includes numbers, symbols, and letters.
What is 12?
Always do this before clicking on a link in an email.
What is hover over the link?
AI videos rarely last longer than this many seconds without a camera cut.
What is 8-10 seconds?
“Grandma, it’s me! I’m in trouble in Mexico and need $1,000” is an example of this scam.
What is a grandparent scam?
This tool helps you create and manage strong, unique passwords.
What is a password manager?
A hacker might leave this in a parking lot, hoping someone plugs it in.
What is a USB?
In an AI photo or video this may appear jumbled or confusing.
What is text?
This tactic creates pressure by making the victim feel they must act immediately or face serious consequences.
What is urgency?
The hacker gets into a low-level account, then looks for ways to gain more control.
What is privilege escalation?
If you use a weak password you may be vulnerable to this type of attack.
what is brute force?
This USB-like tool acts like a keyboard and types out attack commands.
What is a Rubber Ducky?
AI image generators often struggle to make these body parts look correct.
What are hands?
A caller claims to be from the IRS or Medicare and demands payment using gift cards to avoid arrest or service cancellation.
What is a government impersonation scam?
After stealing data or locking down systems, the hacker deletes logs and tools to avoid being traced.
What is cleanup?
It's a good idea to do this often, especially when after hearing about a data breach
what is changing your passwords?
These red flags often appear in phishing emails: [list two].
What are spelling errors, mismatched URLs, urgent language, unknown attachments?
The act of using AI to recreate someone's voice
What is voice cloning?
This scam tactic manipulates emotions by pretending to be a loved one in distress, often using voice cloning or stolen social media info.
What is familiarity?
If the attacker compromises one account and uses it to access others or gain higher privileges, this tactic is being used.
What is privilege escalation or lateral movement?
This extra step after typing your password keeps your account safer by asking for a code or phone check.
What is Multi-factor Authentication? (MFA)
You should do this when you receive an unexpected link from your bank in an email.
What is go to a trusted channel, or go to the source?
In AI-generated videos, this issue happens when the person or background changes between shots — like someone suddenly wearing different clothes or a building disappearing.
What is Continuity error?