Write@Home
Winter 2015

General

Fraud Online Phishing Scam

Romance scams are becoming more popular these days because of on-line dating sites and social media. One recent example of this type of scam was shared by a Korean public broadcaster.

One day, a Korean woman who is a fan of Elon Musk received a message from Elon Musk on social media. He said he randomly contacted his fans and built friendships with them, and showed evidence such as his ID card and work photos. Besides, considering how unusual he was, it didn't seem strange. In addition, there was no doubt because they made a video call. In the end, he stole $70,000 from her by tricking her investing, saying he wanted her to become rich too.

As science, technology and AI develop, it has become very easy to copy voices or videos, and it has become difficult to distinguish them from the real thing. Additionally, it has become easier to obtain personal information about people online and through social media. No matter how much evidence and story you have to believe the other person, if they ask for personal information or money, be careful it is probably a scam!