Scam Research

Fake shops target shoppers across Europe with fake Samsung deals, counterfeit goods and World Cup scams 2026-06-23 at 15:55 By Alecsandru Cătălin DAJ A Bitdefender Labs investigation identified more than 55 fake-shop campaigns targeting consumers across 12 European countries between March and May 2026. The campaigns mimicked some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including […]

Inside APAC’s malvertising ecosystem: How scams spread through social media ads 2026-06-02 at 06:32 By Alina BÎZGĂ Bitdefender Labs has uncovered a large-scale malvertising ecosystem operating across APAC, where scam campaigns are distributed through paid advertising on Meta platforms and quickly generate massive reach. Key takeaways * Bitdefender Labs identified 12,000 scam campaigns across 13

Football Fever Fuels Scam Campaigns Across Email and Social Media 2026-05-27 at 15:56 By Alina BÎZGĂ Football fans are increasingly targeted by scams exploiting club loyalty, national teams, football collectibles, streaming demand, and the growing excitement around the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to Bitdefender Labs. Our most recent investigation uncovered more than 55 football-related

Operation Road Trap: Fake toll and parking texts are spreading worldwide 2026-04-29 at 15:55 By Alecsandru Cătălin DAJ A new mass smishing campaign uncovered by Bitdefender Labs shows that scammers are sending tens of thousands of fraudulent text messages to mobile users across 12 countries, impersonating transport authorities, toll operators, and parking services. Key takeaways

Global Scam Machines: Inside a Meta-Powered Investment Fraud Ecosystem Spanning 25 Countries 2026-03-09 at 15:37 By Alecsandru Cătălin DAJ In February-March 2026, Bitdefender Labs identified and mapped a sprawling global scam infrastructure and scalable disinformation-for-profit network that uses trusted news brands, real personalities, fabricated media narratives, emotional hooks, and advanced evasion techniques to drive victims

Active Subscription Scam Campaigns Flooding the Internet 2025-04-30 at 16:21 By Silviu STAHIE Bitdefender researchers have uncovered a surge in subscription scams, both in scale and sophistication, spurred by a massive campaign involving hundreds of fraudulent websites. What sets this campaign apart is the significant investment cybercriminals have undertaken to make these fake sites look

Deep Dive on Supplement Scams: How AI Drives ‘Miracle Cures’ and Sponsored Health-Related Scams on Social Media 2024-07-10 at 16:21 By Ionut Alexandru BALTARIU Sponsored social media content has become increasingly present on feeds. Sponsored ads can often be beneficial as they are customized to suit online personas, offering relevant content tailored specifically for you.

Sponsored Ad Fraud: Mystery Box Scams Flood Social Media 2024-02-29 at 16:02 By Andrei ANTON-AANEI Social media platforms are overflowing with scams. In the past couple of months, Bitdefender Labs has been monitoring a steep increase in fraudulent social media ads on Facebook promoting various swindles ranging from crypto-doubling [https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/stream-jacking-2-0-deep-fakes-power-account-takeovers-on-youtube-to-maximize-crypto-doubling-scams/] to AI-generated celebrity-endorsed giveaways [https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/audio-deepfakes-celebrity-endorsed-givea