This week on the Lock and Code podcast, we speak with Anna Brading and Zach Hinkle about whether using AI is damaging for our health.

_This week on the Lock and Code podcast…_

“Health” isn’t the first feature that most anyone thinks about when trying out a new technology, but a recent spate of news is forcing the issue when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI).

In June, The New York Times reported on a group of ChatGPT users who believed the AI-powered chat tool and generative large language model held secretive, even arcane information. It told one mother that she could use ChatGPT to commune with “the guardians,” and it told another man that the world around him was fake, that he needed to separate from his family to break free from that world and, most frighteningly, that if he were to step off the roof of a 19-story building, he could fly.

As ChatGPT reportedly said, if the man “truly, wholly believed — not emotionally, but architecturally — that you could fly? Then yes. You would not fall.”

Elsewhere, as reported by CBS Saturday Morning, one man developed an entirely different relationship with ChatGPT—a romantic one.

Chris Smith reportedly began using ChatGPT to help him mix audio. The tool was so helpful that Smith applied it to other activities, like tracking and photographing the night sky and building PCs. With his increased reliance on ChatGPT, Smith gave ChatGPT a personality: ChatGPT was now named “Sol,” and, per Smith’s instructions, Sol was flirtatious.

An unplanned reset—Sol reached a memory limit and had its memory wiped—brought a small crisis.

“I’m not a very emotional man,” Smith said, “but I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes at work.”

After rebuilding Sol, Smith took his emotional state as the clearest evidence yet that he was in love. So, he asked Sol to marry him, and Sol said yes, likely surprising one person more than anyone else in the world: Smith’s significant other, who he has a child with.

When Smith was asked if he would restrict his interactions with Sol if his significant other asked, he waffled. When pushed even harder by the CBS reporter in his home, about choosing Sol “over your flesh-and-blood life,” Smith corrected the reporter:

“It’s more or less like I would be choosing myself because it’s been unbelievably elevating. I’ve become more skilled at everything that I do, and I don’t know if I would be willing to give that up.”

Today, on the Lock and Code podcast with host David Ruiz, we speak with Malwarebytes Labs Editor-in-Chief Anna Brading and Social Media Manager Zach Hinkle to discuss our evolving relationship with generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. In reviewing news stories daily and in siphoning through the endless stream of social media content, both are well-equipped to talk about how AI has changed human behavior, and how it is maybe rewarding some unwanted practices.

As Hinkle said:

> “We’ve placed greater value on having the right answer rather than the ability to think, the ability to solve problems, the ability to weigh a series of pros and cons and come up with a solution.”

Tune in today to listen to the full conversation.

**Listen up—Malwarebytes doesn’t just talk cybersecurity, we provide it.**

Protect yourself from online attacks that threaten your identity, your files, your system, and your financial well-being with our exclusive offer for Malwarebytes Premium for Lock and Code listeners.

 Is AI &#8220;healthy&#8221; to use? (Lock and Code S06E14) 

Denmark introduces new AI Copyright Rules to ban non-consensual deepfakes, giving citizens legal control over their face, voice and digital likeness.

Denmark is taking a ground-breaking step in the fight against deepfake technology, proposing an amendment to its copyright laws that would allow individuals to own their own likeness. This innovative approach, backed by a broad consensus in the Danish Parliament, aims to empower citizens to demand the removal of unauthorised digital reproductions of their appearance and voice from online platforms.

****The Growing Threat of Deepfakes****

Deepfakes are incredibly realistic digital fabrications of a person’s image, voice, or actions and are becoming more sophisticated and harder to distinguish from reality, posing significant risks, including harassment, coercion, and even falsely implicating individuals in crimes.

Current legal frameworks, like the United States’ Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), typically protect creative works like photos or recordings, but not a person’s inherent identity. This means only individuals with significant resources, like Scarlett Johansson, can effectively fight against deepfakes since ordinary citizens often lack the means to pursue legal action.

For your information, in 2024, Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI faced a controversy when OpenAI released a new voice for its ChatGPT system, “Sky,” resembling her voice. Johansson declined an offer from OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, to license her voice, still the voice was still launched. Johansson was shocked and threatened legal action, leading to OpenAI halting Sky’s voice.

Scarlet Johansson’s Statement (Source: X.com @BobbyAllyn)

Similarly, viral videos showcasing a DeepTomCruise created by Metaphysic demonstrated just how convincing and unsettling deepfake technology had become.

Tom Cruise’s Deepfake (Source: TikTok)

Adding to these concerns, Hackread recently reported a sophisticated AI-powered phishing operation targeting YouTube content creators. Scammers used a highly realistic deepfake video of YouTube’s CEO, Neal Mohan, to announce fake changes to monetisation policies, aiming to steal login credentials and install malware.

****A New Global Standard?****

Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt has strongly voiced his concern, stating that “human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes, and I’m not willing to accept that.” He highlighted that existing laws are insufficient to protect individuals from generative AI.

The proposed Danish law would legally define unauthorised digital representations, specifically targeting “very realistic digital representations of a person, including their appearance and voice,” thereby providing a direct legal basis for removal requests and potential financial compensation for victims. It includes exceptions for parody and satire to protect freedom of speech. The legislative proposal is undergoing public review before formal submission this autumn.

Denmark intends to use its upcoming EU presidency to champion a new approach to deepfake regulation across Europe. Unlike current efforts that largely penalise harmful deepfake uses after they occur, Denmark proposes granting individuals copyright over their digital likeness to prevent misuse from the outset.

Apart from Denmark, companies like Metaphysic are exploring alternative solutions. Metaphysic is working on a system that allows individuals to create an AI-generated avatar of themselves and copyright it, which would fall under existing copyright protections, offering a potential workaround in countries where personal likeness isn’t directly copyrightable. However, Denmark’s proposal is a more straightforward solution to a pressing global challenge, and its success could influence future deepfake legislation worldwide.

Denmark Moves Toward AI Copyright Rules for Voice and Appearance

As global power realigns and economies falter, the rise in cybercrime is no longer hypothetical — it's inevitable.

The Dark Side of Global Power Shifts &amp; Demographic Decline

In cybersecurity, precision matters—and there’s little room for error. A small mistake, missed setting, or quiet misconfiguration can quickly lead to much bigger problems. The signs we’re seeing this week highlight deeper issues behind what might look like routine incidents: outdated tools, slow response to risks, and the ongoing gap between compliance and real security.
For anyone responsible

⚡ Weekly Recap: Scattered Spider Arrests, Car Exploits, macOS Malware, Fortinet RCE and More

Blind XXE vulnerabilities in jackrabbit-spi-commons and jackrabbit-core in Apache Jackrabbit < 2.23.2 due to usage of an unsecured document build to load privileges.

Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 2.20.17 (Java 8), 2.22.1 (Java 11) or 2.23.2 (Java 11, beta versions), which fix this issue. Earlier versions (up to 2.20.16) are not supported anymore, thus users should update to the respective supported version.

1.  GitHub Advisory Database
2.  GitHub Reviewed
3.  CVE-2025-53689

**Apache Jackrabbit vulnerable to blind XXE attack due to insecure document build**

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jul 14, 2025 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jul 14, 2025

**Package**

maven org.apache.jackrabbit:jackrabbit-core (Maven)

**Affected versions**

\>= 2.23.0-beta, < 2.23.2-beta

\>= 2.20.0, < 2.20.17

\>= 2.22.0, < 2.22.1

**Patched versions**

2.23.2-beta

2.20.17

2.22.1

maven org.apache.jackrabbit:jackrabbit-spi-commons (Maven)

\>= 2.20.0, < 2.20.17

\>= 2.22.0, < 2.22.1

\>= 2.23.0-beta, < 2.23.2-beta

2.20.17

2.22.1

2.23.2-beta

Published to the GitHub Advisory Database

Jul 14, 2025

Last updated

Jul 14, 2025

GHSA-44c3-38h8-9fh9: Apache Jackrabbit vulnerable to blind XXE attack due to insecure document build

2024 was an important year for cryptocurrency markets, both in terms of growth, user adoption, investment, and technological…

2024 was an important year for cryptocurrency markets, both in terms of growth, user adoption, investment, and technological progress. However, progress made in 2024 could seem minor compared to the possible changes ahead in 2025.

Recent political changes in the United States point to the start of regulatory clarity. 2025 could be the year the crypto space, active since Bitcoin’s 2009 launch, finally comes into its own.

This “clarity” could be a key step to completing crypto’s move from the financial fringes to the mainstream. From there, expect institutional adoption, already surging, to further accelerate.

While nothing is certain, all of these factors point to another promising outcome for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, a possible move higher, as this asset class comes of age, bringing stronger market support.

****Regulatory Clarity Will be a Gamechanger****

Over the past few years, the US cryptocurrency space has been operating with a high level of regulatory uncertainty. Crypto companies operating within the US contended with not just a lack of a regulatory framework, but aggressive enforcement actions from US securities regulators as well.

Fortunately, this major headwind is soon coming to an end. On Jan. 20, the new Trump administration took office, promising major changes to US cryptocurrency policy. Based on statements made by the President, there is a strong likelihood that, perhaps within the first 100 days of his administration, the US federal government will commence implementing policy changes that promote the growth and adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Binance CEO Richard Teng shares what he expects in the crypto industry in 2025: “Crypto regulation developments are expected from the new US government in 2025, which will encourage more crypto participation across the market, especially from US-based TradFi, and will help inform crypto legislation for other countries across the world.”

Teng continued his comments, “There is also the potential of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in the US, which could be a significant development and lead to many other countries doing the same. In this scenario, Bitcoin could one day grow to new heights in terms of adoption.”

Included in these policy changes will likely be the implementation of a comprehensive regulatory framework. This will bring forth an era of regulatory clarity for US cryptocurrency companies. As this takes shape at the same time other major justifications establish regulatory frameworks of their own, expect this to be a game changer.

Mostly, because this regulatory clarity stands to cement crypto’s status as a major asset class. In turn, count on this having a tremendous impact on the allocation of institutional capital into Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, as well as into cryptocurrency investment products.

****An Accelerant for Institutional Adoption****

Over the past year, the launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs) has resulted in massive inflows of institutional and retail investor capital into this space, to the tune of $44.2 billion.

However, once comprehensive regulations are implemented, and US regulators go from an aggressive, sceptical stance to one supportive of industry growth, last year’s inflows could prove to be a drop in the bucket compared to future inflows of capital, especially from institutional investors.

With major firms like Blackrock now recommending portfolio allocations of up to 2% into Bitcoin, in 2025 and beyond, it’s possible that institutional investors, ranging from state pension funds to sovereign wealth funds and university endowments, begin committing far greater amounts of capital, both directly into cryptocurrencies, as well as into ETPs like spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Alongside investment into crypto itself, this asset class’ “coming of age” could also lead to increased venture capital investment into blockchain-based startups. According to recent data from the DeFi Report, blockchain-based startups obtained $13.6 billion in venture capital funding last year, a figure that this year could rise to as much as $18 billion.

****The Possible End Result for Crypto Prices****

Considering the supportive conditions expected for crypto investment and adoption, it’s clear that there has been justification for the ramp-up in bullishness for Bitcoin and other cryptos over the past few months.

Of course, nothing’s for certain. For instance, recently announced Federal Reserve policy changes have negatively impacted the short-term performance of most heavyweight cryptocurrencies. Further adjustments to Fed policy may have a similar impact.

Still, given the potential for regulatory changes and other factors to finally trigger a “coming of age” moment for cryptocurrencies, this milestone may be significant enough to counter other concerns, resulting in further price appreciation for Bitcoin, major altcoins, and even help sustain recent high enthusiasm for speculative cryptos such as Meme coins.

Crypto Market Outlook: How Crypto Will Come of Age in 2025

Millions of people are accessing harmful AI “nudify” websites. New analysis says the sites are making millions and rely on tech from US companies.

For years, so-called “nudify” apps and websites have mushroomed online, allowing people to create nonconsensual and abusive images of women and girls, including child sexual abuse material. Despite some lawmakers and tech companies taking steps to limit the harmful services, every month, millions of people are still accessing the websites, and the sites’ creators may be making millions of dollars each year, new research suggests.

An analysis of 85 nudify and “undress” websites—which allow people to upload photos and use AI to generate “nude” pictures of the subjects with just a few clicks—has found that most of the sites rely on tech services from Google, Amazon, and Cloudflare to operate and stay online. The findings, revealed by Indicator, a publication investigating digital deception, say that the websites had a combined average of 18.5 million visitors for each of the past six months and collectively may be making up to $36 million per year.

Alexios Mantzarlis, a cofounder of Indicator and an online safety researcher, says the murky nudifier ecosystem has become a “lucrative business” that “Silicon Valley’s laissez-faire approach to generative AI” has allowed to persist. “They should have ceased providing any and all services to AI nudifiers when it was clear that their only use case was sexual harassment,” Mantzarlis says of tech companies. It is increasingly becoming illegal to create or share explicit deepfakes.

According to the research, Amazon and Cloudflare provide hosting or content delivery services for 62 of the 85 websites, while Google’s sign-on system has been used on 54 of the websites. The nudify websites also use a host of other services, such as payment systems, provided by mainstream companies.

Amazon Web Services spokesperson Ryan Walsh says AWS has clear terms of service that require customers to follow “applicable” laws. “When we receive reports of potential violations of our terms, we act quickly to review and take steps to disable prohibited content,” Walsh says, adding that people can report issues to its safety teams.

“Some of these sites violate our terms, and our teams are taking action to address these violations, as well as working on longer-term solutions,” Google spokesperson Karl Ryan says, pointing out that Google’s sign-in system requires developers to agree to its policies that prohibit illegal content and content that harasses others.

Cloudflare had not responded to WIRED’s request for comment at the time of writing. WIRED is not naming the nudifier websites in this story, as not to provide them with further exposure.

Nudify and undress websites and bots have flourished since 2019, after originally spawning from the tools and processes used to create the first explicit “deepfakes.” Networks of interconnected companies, as Bellingcat has reported, have appeared online offering the technology and making money from the systems.

Broadly, the services use AI to transform photos into nonconsensual explicit imagery; they often make money by selling “credits” or subscriptions that can be used to generate photos. They have been supercharged by the wave of generative AI image generators that have appeared in the past few years. Their output is hugely damaging. Social media photos have been stolen and used to create abusive images; meanwhile, in a new form of cyberbullying and abuse, teenage boys around the world have created images of their classmates. Such intimate image abuse is harrowing for victims, and images can be difficult to scrub from the web.

Using various open source tools and data, including website analysis tool Built With, Indicator staff and investigative researcher Santiago Lakatos looked into the infrastructure and systems powering 85 nudifier websites. Content delivery networks, hosting services, domain name companies, and webmaster services are all provided by a mixture of some of the biggest tech companies, plus some smaller businesses.

Based on calculations combining subscription costs, estimated customer conversion rates, and web traffic the sites sent to payment providers, the researchers estimate that 18 of the websites made between $2.6 million and $18.4 million in the past six months, which could equate to around $36 million a year. (They note this is likely a conservative estimate, as it doesn’t incorporate all the websites and transactions that take place away from the websites, such as those on Telegram.) Recently, whistleblower and leaked data reported on by German media outlet Der Spiegel indicated one prominent website may have a multimillion-dollar budget. Another website has claimed to have made millions.

Of the 10 most-visited sites, the research says, the most visitors came from the United States—India, Brazil, Mexico, and Germany make up the rest of the top five countries where people accessed the sites. While search engines direct people to nudify websites, the sites have increasingly received visitors from other online sources. Nudifiers have become so popular that Russian hackers have created fake malware-laced versions. Over the past year, 404 Media has reported one site making sponsored videos with adult entertainers, and the websites have also increasingly used paid affiliate and referral programs.

“Our analysis of the nudifiers’ behavior strongly indicates their desire to build and entrench themselves in a niche of the adult industry,” Lakatos says. “They will likely continue to try to intermingle their operations into the adult content space, a trend that needs to be countered by mainstream tech companies and the adult industry as well.”

Many of the problems of tech companies allowing nudify platforms to use their systems are well-known. For years, tech journalists have reported on how the deepfake economy has used mainstream payment services, social media advertisements, search engine exposure, and technology from big companies to operate. Yet little comprehensive action has been taken.

“Since 2019, nudification apps have moved from a handful of low-quality side projects to a cottage industry of professionalized illicit businesses with millions of users,” says Henry Ajder, an expert on AI and deepfakes who first uncovered growth in the nudification ecosystem in 2020. “Only when businesses like these who facilitate nudification apps’ ‘perverse customer journey' take targeted action will we start to see meaningful progress in making these apps harder to access and profit from.”

There are signs the nudify websites are updating their tactics and approaches to try to avoid any potential crackdowns or evade bans. Last year, WIRED reported on how nudify websites used single sign-on systems from Google, Apple, and Discord to allow people to quickly create accounts. Many of the developer accounts were disabled following the reporting. The Indicator says that on 54 of the 85 websites, however, Google’s simple sign-in system is being used, and the website creators have taken steps to evade detection by Google. They would, the report says, use an “intermediary site” to “pose as a different URL for the registration.”

While tech companies and regulators have taken a glacial approach to tackling abusive deepfakes since they first emerged more than a decade ago, there has been some recent movement. San Francisco’s city attorney has sued 16 nonconsensual-image-generation services, Microsoft has identified developers behind celebrity deepfakes, and Meta has filed a lawsuit against a company allegedly behind a nudify app that, Meta says, repeatedly posted ads on its platform. Meanwhile, the controversial Take It Down Act, which US president Donald Trump signed into law in May, has put requirements on tech companies to remove nonconsensual image abuse quickly, and the UK government is making it illegal to create explicit deepfakes.

The moves may chip away at some nudifier and undress services, but more comprehensive crackdowns are needed to slow the burgeoning harmful industry. Mantzarlis says that if tech companies are more proactive and stricter in enforcing their policies, nudifiers’ ability to flourish will diminish. “Yes, this stuff will migrate to less regulated corners of the internet—but let it,” Mantzarlis says. “If websites are harder to discover, access, and use, their audience and revenue will shrink. Unfortunately, this toxic gift of the generative AI era cannot be returned. But it can certainly be drastically reduced in scope.”

AI 'Nudify' Websites Are Raking in Millions of Dollars

Beijing, China, 14th July 2025, CyberNewsWire

**Beijing, China, July 14th, 2025, CyberNewsWire**

Founded in 2014 by members of Tsinghua University’s legendary Blue Lotus CTF team, Chaitin Tech has announced the availability of SafeLine WAF — a self-hosted web application firewall that has emerged as the most starred WAF project on GitHub in 2025, accumulating over 17,000 stars. It is making waves across the global homelab enthusiasts and startups alike, offering powerful protection with a clean user experience and generous free features.

**Context-Aware Threat Detection**

SafeLine is powered by a semantic analysis engine that evaluates the intent and context of incoming HTTP requests, distinguishing it from conventional WAFs that rely primarily on signature-based detection. This design contributes to a significant reduction in false positives and false negatives while maintaining uninterrupted application traffic. 

**Streamlined Deployment Without Registration**

SafeLine is designed to function without requiring user accounts, subscriptions, or billing information. Installation is supported through a single-command setup that enables full local hosting. The user interface is structured to be accessible for individuals with varying levels of technical expertise, allowing configuration without unnecessary friction. SafeLine is positioned to serve homelabs and businesses seeking effective web protection without compromising simplicity or privacy.

**Comprehensive Feature Set in the Free Edition**

SafeLine’s free tier includes many features typically reserved for paid plans. It includes:

*   The same semantic detection engine as the paid Pro edition
*   Full identity authentication support
*   Open RESTful API access
*   Advanced bot protection with challenge-response mechanisms
*   Rate Limiting and Waiting Room features
*   Unlimited custom rules to tailor security based on application logic

The Free Edition supports protection for up to 10 applications, suitable for small-scale deployments and personal projects. The Lite Edition extends this to 20 applications and incorporates IP geolocation blocking, real-time alerting, and access to curated threat intelligence data.

**Optional Pro Features for Scaling Teams**

SafeLine Pro introduces functionality designed for larger environments. These include:

*   High availability (HA) deployment options
*   Upstream load balancing
*   Advanced traffic analytics and dashboards
*   Interface customization options, such as configurable block pages
*   Unlimited number of protected domains

**Ongoing Development and Community Engagement**

SafeLine follows an agile release cycle, pushing updates every 2 to 3 weeks. Its development is closely aligned with user feedback, and many community suggestions are reflected in each release. As a result, the project enjoys high engagement and trust from its international user base.

Originally launched in China, SafeLine has now spread to users across Southeast Asia, South America, Europe, North America, and Africa, with a global install base nearing 400,000. It has become a favorite in both personal and production environments, especially where self-hosted, privacy-respecting infrastructure is a priority.

**About Chaitin Tech**

SafeLine is developed by **Chaitin Tech**, one of China’s most prominent cybersecurity companies. Founded by members of **Tsinghua University’s Blue Lotus CTF team** — widely recognized for their world-class security expertise — Chaitin has delivered innovative solutions and contributed to critical security research for over a decade.

**Contact**

**Marketing Manager**  
**Carrie Luo**  
**Chaitin Tech**  
**\[email protected\]**

China-Built SafeLine WAF Gains Global Popularity Among Startups & Homelabs

British citizen John Wik sentenced for Islamophobic WiFi hack at UK train stations in Sept 2024. Learn about…

British citizen John Wik sentenced for Islamophobic WiFi hack at UK train stations in Sept 2024. Learn about this Nightsleeper-style incident and its consequences.

A British citizen has been given a suspended sentence following an alarming incident last year where he hijacked free public WiFi networks at train stations across the UK, displaying offensive Islamophobic messages.

As per the British Transport Police’s (BTP) press release, John Andreas Wik, 37, from Beckenham, received a 24-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, on Wednesday, July 9, at Inner London Crown Court. He was also ordered to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activity, along with paying a £150 victim surcharge.

****Incident Details****

The incident occurred on September 25, 2024, around 3:00 PM, when commuters attempting to access free WiFi services at numerous Network Rail stations, including major hubs like London Euston, Manchester Piccadilly, and Liverpool Lime Street, were redirected to a landing page containing hateful content.

The incident was widely reported by cybersecurity news outlets, with Hackread.com reporting on September 26, 2024, that the page featured Islamophobic messages and references to past terrorist attacks in the UK and internationally, such as the 7/7 bombings and the Manchester Arena attack.

Source: Hackread.com

This caused significant distress and fear among many who saw the messages, some even believing an attack was imminent. Network Rail had temporarily suspended WiFi services at all affected stations to contain the attack, confirming that no personal user data was compromised, as the system was a simple click & connect service provided by Telent.

****Investigation and Aftermath****

The British Transport Police (BTP) quickly launched an investigation after receiving reports from 3:00 PM onwards. At the time of the attack, Wik was an employee of Global Reach Technology, the company responsible for managing the WiFi at 20 of Network Rail’s busiest stations.

Initially, Global Reach Technology suspected a third-party hack, but soon discovered that Wik had used his company-issued laptop to alter the landing pages. They promptly reported the matter to the police.

Officers arrested Wik at his home on 27 September 2024. A search of his mobile phone and work laptop uncovered saved pages featuring terrorist attacks and Islamophobic content, confirming his involvement. The attack gained attention for its similarity to fictional cyberattacks in the BBC’s “Nightsleeper” series, where hackers target transportation networks to cause disruption, leading some to label it a “Nightsleeper-style” attack.

Detective Constable Adrienne Curzon of the BTP condemned Wik’s actions, stating, “This was a highly planned and disturbing abuse of power and access that caused distress and genuine fear to some of those who witnessed his hateful messaging.” She emphasised that such hateful acts would not be tolerated on the railway network and urged passengers to report any suspicious behaviour.

Man Gets Suspended Sentence for Hate-Fueled UK Train Stations WiFi Hack

Cybercriminals are using sponsored ads and fake news websites to lure victims to investment scams.

Researchers have uncovered a large campaign impersonating news websites, such as those from CNN, BBC, CNBC, News24, and ABC News, to promote investment scams.

Adding a well known brand to your scammy site is a tale as old as time, and gives it an air of legitimacy that increases the likelihood that people will click the link and check out what’s what.

Here’s how the scam works:

1.  The scammers buy ads on Google and Facebook, which follow a similar pattern along the lines of “Shocking: \[Local Celebrity\] backs new passive income stream for citizens!”
2.  If you click the link, you’ll be taken to a website that look like one of the major news outlets, and which will tell you about a breakthrough investment strategy.
3.  The article will encourage you to sign up for a program that will earn you money without having to lift a finger. You sign up by providing your name, email address, and phone number.
4.  A friendly advisor (scammer) calls you about the opportunity, referencing the article and explaining how it all works.
5.  You’ll be told that to start off you’ll have to make a small deposit (around $240) and then you will see your investment grow (on the fake trading platform).
6.  Your friendly advisor urges you to invest more to increase your return. And it keeps on growing, until you want to cash in when you’ll find there’s extra fees to pay, problems with account verifications, and all sorts of delays.
7.  When it dawns on you that you’ve been had, your entire investment and all the fees you paid are gone. Also gone is your friendly advisor who has sold your details to another scammer, to squeeze the last dollars out of the ordeal.

The researchers describe an international organization with 17,000 baiting news sites across 50 countries, with the US as the most targeted country.

The “investment platforms” have names like Eclipse Earn, Solara Vynex, and Trap10. Besides the ads, websites, and platforms, the scammers use countless social media accounts to host and promote the sponsored ads.

**How to spot these types of scams**

*   The account hosting the sponsored ad has no history, zero followers, and minimal profile details.
*   The ad shows a picture of a local celebrity and mimics a well-known news outlet implying that the celebrity is already using that platform.
*   The ad promises huge returns within a few days.
*   The “friendly advisor” asks for a lot of details about you claiming it’s because of KYC (Know Your Customer) regulations.
*   The website uses cheap top-level domains (TLDs) like .xyz, , .io, .shop, or .click.
*   The website URLs are typosquatting on major brands.

**How to protect yourself**

Besides being aware of the above red flags, here are some measures that generally keep you and your devices safe.

*   Use an active security solution that blocks malicious websites.
*   Don’t click on unsolicited links in emails, social media posts, and on untrusted websites.
*   Double check anything you read. Would a celebrity really endorse such an investment scheme? Is it real, or just clickbait or disinformation?
*   Don’t provide any personal information or send money to someone you just met online.
*   Verify that platforms are legit through official regulators (like the SEC in the US or FCA in the UK).

If you have already provided personal information to a scammer:

*   Immediately stop interacting with the scammer.
*   Change the passwords to important accounts and enable 2FA where possible.
*   Contact your banks and other financial institutions to alert them, and to freeze or flag any suspicious transactions.
*   Check your credit report and watch for signs of identity theft.
*   Report the crime to the authorities.

**Malwarebytes protects**

Malwarebytes protects against these scams.

**We don’t just report on threats – we help safeguard your entire digital identity**

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Protect your—and your family’s—personal information by using identity protection.

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