Scams

AI Chatbots and Shopping Searches: How to Spot the Scam Websites Creeping Into Results If you’ve asked ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to find a good deal on a specific product, you are not alone. More shoppers now use AI chatbots as a starting point for product research and price comparisons. But consumer groups are warning that these tools increasingly return links to fraudulent websites designed to steal your money or personal data. ...

How to Spot Malware Hidden Inside Productivity Apps: The TamperedChef Threat If you’ve ever downloaded a productivity app from a site that wasn’t the developer’s official page or a trusted app store, you might have encountered something more dangerous than a buggy program. A new malware campaign called TamperedChef is using signed productivity applications to deliver information stealers and remote access trojans (RATs) to Windows and possibly macOS systems. The twist: these apps carry valid code‑signing certificates, making them look trustworthy to both users and security software. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: A Practical Guide The convenience of buying almost anything online has made shopping scams increasingly common. Fraudsters have grown more sophisticated, creating fake storefronts that look legitimate, sending convincing phishing emails, and using pressure tactics to rush you into a purchase. Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs published an advisory reminding shoppers—especially veterans and military families—to stay alert. But the advice applies to anyone buying online. ...

Malware Is Hiding in Signed Productivity Apps – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever downloaded a free PDF editor or a lightweight office suite from an unofficial website, you’re not alone. Many people turn to third‑party sources to save money or find a tool that does exactly what they need. But a new malware campaign called TamperedChef is exploiting exactly that habit—by hiding inside productivity apps that appear to be digitally signed and legitimate. ...

TamperedChef Malware: How Hackers Use Signed Productivity Apps to Steal Your Data A new malware campaign, tracked as TamperedChef, is taking advantage of the trust people place in signed software. The attackers are distributing legitimate-looking productivity apps — clones or repackaged versions of tools like Notion, Trello, and Asana — that carry valid digital signatures. Once installed, these apps quietly deliver information stealers and remote access trojans (RATs) to the victim’s device. ...

New ‘TamperedChef’ Malware Hides in Fake Productivity Apps – How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever searched for a free PDF editor or note-taking app and downloaded it from a random website, you’re not alone. Many people do it to save money or time. But a recent malware campaign called TamperedChef shows why that habit can be dangerous. The attackers are distributing malware that appears to be legitimate productivity software—and because the files are digitally signed, they look trustworthy even to security software. ...

When a Digital Signature Isn’t Enough: How to Spot Malware Disguised as Legitimate Productivity Apps You download a PDF editor or a note-taking app. It looks normal, installs without warning, and even shows a valid digital signature from a software publisher. Most people would assume that makes it safe. But a recent malware campaign called TamperedChef shows why that assumption can be dangerous. ...

New Malware Signs Productivity Apps to Steal Your Data – Here’s How to Stay Safe A recent malware campaign called TamperedChef is making the rounds, and it takes a different approach than most. Instead of hiding in shady downloads or suspicious email attachments, it disguises itself inside legitimate-looking productivity apps that carry a valid digital signature. That signature is often enough to trick users and even some antivirus tools into trusting the software. ...

TamperedChef Malware Uses Signed Productivity Apps: How to Protect Yourself If you download a productivity app that looks legitimate and even carries a digital signature, you might assume it’s safe. That assumption is exactly what the creators of a new malware campaign called TamperedChef are counting on. Security researchers have identified a growing wave of attacks where signed versions of popular office tools and note-taking apps are used to deliver information stealers and remote access trojans (RATs). Here’s what happened, why it matters for anyone who uses productivity apps, and what you can do to stay safe. ...

New ‘TamperedChef’ Malware Spreads via Fake Productivity Apps – What to Do A new malware campaign called TamperedChef is making the rounds by distributing fake versions of popular productivity apps like Notion and Trello. What makes it especially tricky is that the malicious installers carry valid digital signatures, which means they can slip past some basic security checks that users and antivirus tools rely on. ...