Online Safety

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How to Spot and Avoid Backdoored Productivity Tools Browser extensions are a staple of modern web browsing. They can block ads, manage passwords, save articles, and organize tabs. But because extensions can read and modify every page you visit, they also represent a significant security risk. Recent reports have shown how attackers are turning popular productivity extensions into backdoors, gaining access to corporate data and personal information alike. For everyday users, the threat is real but manageable with the right habits. ...

A New Google Scam Looks Surprisingly Real – Here’s How to Avoid It If you use Gmail, Google Drive, or any other Google service – and most of us do – there’s a new phishing scam circulating that’s worth understanding. According to a recent report from Reader’s Digest, the fraudsters have refined their approach. The fake emails and pop-ups look convincingly like real Google messages, and even people who are normally careful have been tricked. ...

That “Google Account Alert” Email Might Be a Scam — Here’s What to Look For A new wave of phishing emails is making the rounds, and this one is more convincing than most. The message appears to come from Google, warns of an “unauthorized sign‑in attempt,” and invites you to click a link to secure your account. The link leads to a login page that looks nearly identical to Google’s real one. But it’s a trap. ...

That “Google” Email Might Be a Scam? Here’s How to Tell and What to Do You open your inbox and see a message from “Google Support” about unusual activity on your account. The logo looks right, the email format feels familiar, and the language sounds official. It asks you to verify your details by clicking a link. Before you do, pause. ...

How to Spot Social Media Scams Before They Cost You Money If you’ve ever scrolled past a Facebook ad for a heavily discounted designer bag or received a direct message from a stranger who seems too charming, you’ve encountered the front lines of one of the fastest-growing fraud channels. Last year alone, social media scams cost Americans billions, and older adults were hit especially hard, losing a reported $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission. What’s worse, scammers are now using generative AI to make fake profiles, photos, and even video calls look disturbingly real. ...

How to Spot the Latest Google Phishing Scam That Looks Totally Real Another wave of phishing emails is making the rounds, and this one is unusually convincing. The scam works by replicating the look and feel of official Google notifications—like alerts about a suspicious sign‑in attempt, a document shared in Google Drive, or an account security warning. The messages appear to come from a legitimate Google address and often include the familiar Google logo and formatting. But the link inside leads to a fake login page designed to steal your credentials. ...

Social media scams cost Americans billions: 5 ways to protect yourself now Fraud has found a comfortable home on social media. According to Federal Trade Commission data, older Americans alone lost $2.4 billion to scams in 2024, and the total across all age groups runs much higher. Scammers are flooding Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms with fake storefronts, bogus investment offers, and impersonation attempts. Meanwhile, AI tools have made their messages and profiles more convincing than ever. Here is what is happening, why it matters, and what you can do about it. ...

Are Your Chrome Extensions Spying on You? How to Spot and Stop Malicious Add-Ons If you’re like most Chrome users, you’ve probably installed a handful of extensions to make your browser work harder for you: a grammar checker, a note‑taking tool, a coupon finder, a tab manager. They seem harmless, even helpful. But a growing body of evidence suggests that some of these productivity tools are actually data‑harvesting machines, and attackers are getting good at disguising malware as convenience. ...

How to Spot and Stop Social Media Scams: A Practical Guide Intro If you spend any time on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you’ve likely seen posts offering unbelievable deals, romantic messages from strangers, or urgent pleas for help from a friend’s hacked account. These aren’t just annoyances — they’re part of a fast-growing wave of social media scams that cost Americans billions every year. According to the Federal Trade Commission, older Americans alone lost $2.4 billion to scams in 2024. And with scammers now using artificial intelligence to create fake voices, realistic profile pictures, and convincing messages, it’s getting harder to tell what’s real. ...

How Productivity Chrome Extensions Can Become Backdoors – and What to Do About It If you’re like most people, you’ve installed a handful of Chrome extensions to make your life easier – a grammar checker, a password manager, a screenshot tool, maybe a tab organizer. These pieces of software run inside your browser, often with broad access to the websites you visit. That convenience comes with a real security risk, and recent reports show that attackers are exploiting that risk in increasingly sophisticated ways. ...