Because of spyware companies like the NSO Group, and their Pegasus spyware, it can now be fatal to click a link sent to you in a text message or email. That is what experts believe happened to Jamal Khashoggi, and perhaps almost to Omar Abdulaziz, who received a fake text message supposedly from DHL, and which experts believe installed the NSO Pegasus spyware on his phone.

We’ve talked about DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notices before, both how easy they are to file, and how easy it is to use them to falsify a situation and get content that you don’t like taken down, even if it isn’t actually violating somebody’s intellectual property rights such as copyright or trademark. Now, in a twist on this, it’s been proven that it is very easy to get Amazon to remove a product based only on a fake intellectual property claim from a fake law firm.

Fake + Instagram = Finstagram. A Finstagram account (or, as the in kids call it, their ‘finsta’) is a second, fake Instagram account that people use to post those pictures that they don’t really want publicly associated with them. You know, embarrasing photos, slutty videos, you get the idea.

We all know that fake reviews on sites such as Yelp and Amazon are the bane of both the business and their customers. And some of us knew that you can buy fake reviews for your product on places such as FiveRR. Now Amazon is suing over one thousand Fiverr sellers, all whom have advertised, sold, and posted phony reviews on Amazon, says Amazon.

Stringray device phone technology tricks your cellphone into connecting to the Stingray ‘phone tower’ (your phone doesn’t realize it’s connecting to a cell phone simulator interceptor rather than your provider’s tower – it’s the ultimate in cell phishing), and then sucks down all of your International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information, including not only your call details, but even your text messages, email, and other private information. (This is also known as an IMSI catcher.) Now being deployed by local police and sheriff departments, these cell phone interception and eavesdropping devices are not only legal, but they require no warrant, and their use is jealously protected by the Feds.

A rash of fake Verizon Wireless account notifications hit the Internet this week, showing outrageous charges that are, supposely, hitting your bill. They have the subject line of either “Thank You for your Verizon Wireless Payment” or “Your Bill Is Now Available”. Of course, the links take you to all sorts of spam and scam sites, so don’t be taken in. Here are some examples of the fake notices, with links to places such as https://www.theinternetpatrol.com/brick-wall/, https://www.theinternetpatrol.com/brick-wall/ and http://www.mayphe.com.br/DyXEBK63/index.html.

A spate of fake “Amazon.com – Your Confirmation” emails is making the rounds – they are phishing emails, with the supposed ‘Amazon’ links actually being hidden links going to such interesting places as http://drevmash.alfaspace.net/admiral.html, https://www.theinternetpatrol.com/brick-wall/, and meeknew.com. The subject (which so far appears to use the same “confirmation” number for everyone), is “Amazon.com – Your Confirmation (0113-567494-3518071)” and supposedly comes from the email address order-update@amazon.com. In reality, they are coming from IP address 124.217.216.112, and the emails are sent from (almost certainly spoofed) email addresses such as claude.simpson@ameritrade.com and lwjtvbwrqksz@young-world.com.