The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is warning of scams using shortened URLs that might hide malicious intent. “Don’t click links without verifying their source to protect yourself from fraud.”
Per MCPD: Scammers use link shorteners like bit.ly to defraud others by sending victims to a fake website created by the scammer. When you click on a fake shortened link, you are taken to a website that looks legitimate but isn’t.
The fake website may ask you to enter your personal information, such as your credit card number or Social Security number. Once you enter your personal information, the scammer can access it, steal your identity, or commit fraud.
Fraudulent links can also initiate unauthorized payments or transfers from your mobile payment accounts and put you at risk of identity theft or further fraudulent activities.
Signs of Fake Link Shortener
- Like the fake OR code scam, this scam can be difficult to detect because the normal cues for identifying malicious websites are missing from the link shortener’s abbreviated name.
- The purveyor of the link is unknown, unfamiliar, or does not look quite legitimate.
Prevention Tips
- Only use link shorteners from trusted sources, such as reputable businesses or official marketing materials.
- You should also be careful about clicking links in emails or social media.
- If you are unsure whether a link is legitimate, contact directly the company or organization the link is supposed to be from to verify it.
- Avoid entering sensitive information prompted by link shorteners unless you are confident in the source’s legitimacy.
Recovering from this scam
- Install and run reputable antivirus or anti-malware software on your device to detect and remove any potential threats.
- If you entered login credentials or personal information through a fake link shortener, immediately change the passwords for the affected accounts and closely monitor your financial and online accounts for any suspicious activity.
- Please report scams to the MCPD’s non-emergency number at 301-279-8000. There is no web portal for reporting crimes. Also, please be aware that electronic mail is inherently insecure, so do not send sensitive data via email.
- You may want to report this crime to other authorities.
- Share your experience with family and friends and on social media platforms to alert others about the scam and prevent them from falling victim. However, beware that scammers monitor social media to offer so-called “ recovery scams,” claiming to recover your losses for a fee.
- Review your bank statements, credit reports, and other financial accounts for unauthorized activity. Report any suspicious charges or accounts to the respective institutions. See Identity Theft for additional ways to protect your finances.
References:
- Black, D. (2023, October 31). Enter the Puma: phishing link-shortening gang caught in the wild. Cybernews. Retrieved fromhttps://cybernews.com/security/phishing-url-shortening-service-cybercrime/
- Krebs, B. (2023, October 31). “.US Harbors Prolific Malicious Link Shortening Service. Krebs on Security.https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/10/us-harbors-prolific-malicious-link-shortening-service/.