The last year has seen a lot of tech advancements. Fueled by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, 2024 has been a year for innovation across the tech landscape.
Unfortunately, innovation is a double-edged sword, with this technology not only being used to generate funny pictures and improve business software, but also to bolster cybercrime effort from bad actors online.
As a result, 2024 has seen some of the most sophisticated scams in modern history, with hackers pulling out all the stops to separate innocent online users from their financial and personal data.
The Microsoft 365 Sextortion Scam
Sextortion scams aren’t entirely uncommon, with plenty of hackers claiming that they have webcam footage of their potential victims in precarious situations to get money or cryptocurrency out of them to stay quiet.
However, in 2024, one of these scams came out of the spam folder and into the primary inbox of a wide range of users, with one sextortion scam that was somehow sporting a very legitimate email address from the Microsoft 365 Message Center. This made it far more likely to be seen and responded too, as many of these emails are relegated to the trash folder before they ever see the light of day.
Users on LinkedIn and X reported the scam, tagging Microsoft to get an explanation for how this could happen, which we are still waiting on.
Check out our article on the Microsoft 365 sextortion scam to learn more
The Taylor Swift Le Creuset Deepfake
Generative AI has not only made written scams harder to spot, but the technology has also improved other scam types like deepfakes.
These convincing likenesses of celebrities have been used on numerous occasions this year to get individuals to purchase fake products or download fake apps in service of stealing personal information, or worse, your hard-earned money.
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One of the most controversial deepfake scams in 2024 was fueled by the fact that the world’s biggest pop star was at the center of it. Taylor Swift was found in a video online offering her followers Le Creuset kitchenware sets if they sign up for a special deal.
Of course, that wasn’t Taylor Swift, nor would those who followed her instructions receive any free kitchenware. Instead, you’d be taken to a fake Le Creuset website where you would have to input financial details to “cover the shipping cost,” and alas, your personal and financial data is in the hands of scammers.
The Cash App Giveaway Scam
In 2024, there was a popular trend on Twitter in which Cash App, the financial service company, would give away money, cryptocurrency, and stock on social media through the hashtag #CashAppFridays.
Unfortunately, scammers saw an opportunity to ruin something great, and they started targeting those participating in hopes of a payoff. They would send them a message that they had won the giveaway and needed to provide some information to claim their prize.
That was, of course, not the case, as the victims would receive no free cash, cryptocurrency or stock, and would instead of handed their personal and financial information over to a scammer.
Check out our guide to the latest Cash App scams to avoid them in the future
Screenshot of X post showing a giveaway scam in action
The Creepy Voice Cloning Scam
In most cases, scams are pretty easy to spot if you’re paying attention. Spelling errors and odd requests should set off the alarm bells in your head, especially if you’re talking to a stranger. But what if the same is being perpetrated by someone you know, or at least, someone that sounds like them?
Voice cloning scams in 2024 did just that by cloning the voice of an individual and then calling friends and family members to ask for money to get them out of a jam, like a car accident or an arrest.
While you might think you could easily spot this kind of scam, you probably shouldn’t be too confident. Studies have found that people aren’t great at recognizing voice cloning, which means this kind of scam could have serious long term implications if it gets more sophisticated in the new year.
The Bounty of Temu Scams
Temu became a decidedly popular ecommerce platform in 2024, offering breathtakingly low prices for everyday items. In fact, the app become the #1 downloaded free app in the Google Play Store for a few months, even surpassing Amazon.
However, with low prices often make way for scams, and Temu was no different. The ecommerce platform suffered — and continues to suffer — a wide range of problems, from third-party sellers that don’t actually sell anything to phishing emails that promise gift cards in exchange for personal information.
With Temu, it’s always important to remember that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. If you still want to use the bargain ecommerce platform, make sure to stay up to date on the latest Temu scams before you buy.
How to Avoid Scams in 2025
If these scams have you worried about the state of online privacy in 2025, we don’t blame you. It seems like all this new technology could have a significant impact on the future of your personal and financial data, and staying safe should be a top priority.
Luckily there are some obvious tips that can help you avoid the worst of the worst. For starters, don’t click on any questionable links. Whether it was sent to you by a stranger in a Telegram message or you came across them in too-good-to-be-true pop-up deal, these links are never worth the hassle and almost always lead to trouble.
On top of that, it never hurts to give something a quick Google search before making any decisions. Even a cursory search will almost immediately let you know if you’re looking at a legitimate deal or an actual scam.
All in all, just be vigilante when it comes to inputting your personal data and financial information. Most scams are pretty easy to spot if you’re paying attention, so just keep your eyes up and keep your data to yourself when you can.
