Online scammers continue to dupe the majority of American adults as they infiltrate virtual calendars and security systems meant to defend users against the poaching of personal information.
A recent survey of more than 9,000 U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center found that approximately 73% experienced at least one or more online scams or attacks.
The most common virtual cons were credit card fraud, online shopping scams and ransomware attacks—a type of malicious software that prevents you from accessing your computer files or system until a ransom is paid.
About 24% of those surveyed said they had received a scam email, text message or call that tricked them into giving away personal information.
An estimated 32% of respondents said they were victims of a scam within the last year.
It’s often said that older adults are more vulnerable to online fraudsters. However, in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission reported that Gen Z adults, millennials and Gen Xers, collectively between the ages of 18 and 59, were 34% more likely than adults who are 60 and older to report losing money to fraud.
These generational groups are getting tricked by online schemes that originate from a social media ad, an investment scam or fake job opportunities.
The latest phishing attacks, or attempts to acquire sensitive data, are happening through your online calendar (Google or Outlook calendar), multi-factor authentication app and HTML attachments.
Evading online scams is proving to be a challenge, but cybersecurity experts say there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
Unsolicited calendar invites
Scammers are constantly finding new ways to lure you into unknowingly giving up your personal information and the calendar connected to your email account is one of them, said Iskander Sanchez-Rola, director of artificial intelligence and innovation for Norton.
Unlike traditional phishing scams such as an unwanted text or call that requires your engagement, this invitation automatically appears on your calendar without you approving or denying it.
Anyone can easily be fooled by this because it can confuse you into thinking you accepted the invitation at some point, Sanchez-Rola said.
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