Fake Publisher’s Clearing House:

A Colorado citizen reported a scam impersonating Publisher’s Clearing House that charged his father over $22K in ‘taxes and fees’ to receive the prize. CyberWyoming Note: Not only is the real Publisher’s Clearing House in trouble with the FTC for misleading consumers (consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/06/publishers-clearing-house-deceived-consumers-about-their-sweepstakes-contests-ftc-says) but the FTC’s most recent data shows that Americans lost over $300 million to prize scams (consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/are-you-really-lucky-winner-spot-prize-scams). Talk to a friend or family member before sending money or sharing personal information.

Tis the Season for Fake Diet Ads:

As the New Year’s begins, legitimate and illegitimate marketers will prey upon our New Year Resolutions to lose weight. A Laramie citizen reported an email with the subject line of Is The Keto Diet Really Worth Is? (Note the wrong word is instead of it). The ad features fireworks and a rush order for Keto gummies, yet the link has been flagged as spam by Fortinet.

Important Announcement from Campbell County Chamber of Commerce WY:

“It has come to our attention that some of our members have been contacted by a company called CGI regarding a video marketing opportunity. The representative from CGI has stated that they are working with the Chamber of Commerce, and that the business they are contacting has been specifically selected by the Chamber. We are NOT working with CGI and have not hand-selected any members for them to contact. We are not working with ANY third-party solicitors at this time. It is our recommendation that if you are contacted by anyone other than Chamber staff, to stop and call us before committing to anything.”

An AARP Alert:

The AARP Fraud Watch Network has released a report called Holiday Fraud: Fight Back Against Joy-Stealing Criminals. The report warns that as retailers release their seasonal deals, scammers take advantage. Many bogus offers are used to harvest personal information for financial or identity theft. To learn more about this alert or to get a copy of the report check out www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/holiday.html.

Haves and Have-Nots:

AI's Impact on Cybersecurity Resilience: The gap in cybersecurity capabilities is expected to widen, leading to a divide between organizations equipped with AI to combat cyber threats and those lacking resources. Experts express concerns about AI exacerbating inequality in cybersecurity, foreseeing a scenario where financially constrained companies struggle to defend against hackers compared to those able to invest in AI technology. This issue was a focal point of discussion among cybersecurity experts at the Aspen Institute's Cyber Summit in New York. – Brought to you by Secure The Village

FTC warning about impersonators:

Scammers want to gain your trust. That’s why they keep pretending to work for government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission. They might use the names of real FTC employees, but the stories they tell are a bunch of lies. Scammers have a long list of tall tales they tell. They might say you won a prize (you didn’t) and must pay to collect it (you don’t). Or that there’s a virus on your computer or an issue with one of your accounts (there isn’t).

The scammers’ stories change, but here’s what won’t.

• The FTC will never call you to demand money.
• The FTC will never threaten you with arrest.
• The FTC will never promise you a prize.

Anyone who does is a scammer. Report them to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

So how might the real FTC communicate with you?

• If you reported something to the FTC and provided an email address, you’ll get an email with advice about how to recover and protect yourself.
• If you’re getting a refund or payment from an FTC case, you’ll get it by check, prepaid debit card, or PayPal. The payment or claim form will tell you more about the case and why you’re getting money.

To see a list of FTC cases that resulted in refunds, the name of the company sending payments, and a phone number to call with questions, go to ftc.gov/refunds.

– Brought to you by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

MS-ISAC and CISA Patch Now Alert:

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) or the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has published a patch now (update your software) alert for Apple products, Apache Struts 2, Atlassian products, Microsoft products, the Backup Migration Plugin for WordPress, and Mozilla Products. If you use these products, make sure the software (or firmware) is updated.

Data Breaches in the News:

Sony's subsidiary (Insomniac Games), GokuMarket, Ledger (web3 dApps), Asper Biogene, MongoDB (Atlas), Mr. Cooper Group Inc, VF Corporation, and Xfinity.

Note: If you have an account with one of these companies, be sure to change your password and consider placing a credit freeze on your accounts through the three credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

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Please report scams you may experience to phishing@cyberwyoming.org to alert your friends and neighbors.

Other ways to report a scam:

• Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker: bbb.org/scamtracker/us/reportscam
• Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection 307-777-6397, 800-438-5799 or ag.consumer@wyo.gov
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• Report your scam to the FBI at www.ic3.gov/complaint
• Reported unwanted calls to the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registration. Online at donotcall.gov/report.html or call 1-888-382-1222, option 3
• Office of the Inspector General: oig.ssa.gov
• AARP Fraud Watch Network (any age welcome) Helpline 877-908-3360
• IRS: report email scams impersonating the IRS to phishing@irs.gov
• Call the Wyoming Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) for assistance with potential Medicare fraud, abuse, or errors at 1 800 856-4398
• Victim Support: The AARP Fraud Watch Network and Volunteers of America (VOA) created a new, free program to provide emotional support for people impacted by a scam or fraud, called ReST. Visit www.aarp.org/fraudsupport to learn more about the free program and register