In Sunday’s segment on Sky News Australia (Weekend Edition with Kristie Lloyd) we took a look at the analysis of the – Illuminati spam campaign – revealing the scam has expanded from email to message apps.
Bitdefender Antispam Lab researchers have conducted research on an ongoing scam involving targeting Australians, where so-called ‘Illuminati cabals’ are promising A$300,000+ monthly salaries, new houses, appointments with celebrities and free access to the Bohemian Grove, an elite invitation-only club.
A sample batch of international phone numbers used to set up WhatsApp business accounts to scam victims were from the US, Italy and Greece, and Bitdefender decided to contact all of them
Australia has been the second most targeted country for the scam after the US, with scammers referring to themselves as ‘Grand Masters’ and ‘Brothers’ over WhatsApp and requesting people’s trust and loyalty as they attempt to get them to fill out a form packed with personally identifiable information. Bitdefender led one scammer along and eventually called them out and ghosted them, leading to the scammer making threats for ‘tempting him’.
The ‘Illuminati’ scammers may also begin targeting users using the same copied/recycled messages via social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We advise individuals to remain vigilant and ignore any messages claiming to be sent on behalf of grand masters or special recruiters on behalf of any Illuminati or Illuminati-affiliated organisations.
NEW BELKIN CHARGER IS A DREAM FOR APPLE WATCH USERS
Belkin’s first-of-its-kind power bank provides fast charge capabilities for newer Apple Watch models and iPhone simultaneously while on-the-go. It’s out next week but I already have one here.
Able to fully charge the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Series 7 from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes, and Apple Watch Ultra 0% to 80% in about an hour.
It can charge the Apple Watch Series 8 fourteen times, or iPhone 14 twice.
It also supports wireless charging for Airpods Pro (2nd generation).
Additional Product features:
- Built with a 20W USB-C PD port for fast charging the power bank itself as well as an additional device
- Provides up to 36 hours of video playback for iPhone 14 with 10,000mAh cell capacity
- Built with overcharge protection and fully certified by USB-IF and MFi to deliver safe, fast, efficient power
- Includes 12-inch USB-C cable for charging power bank
- Ships in plastic-free retail packaging
- Belkin’s Connected Equipment Warranty covers up to $2500 for peace of mind
The BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K will be available from Tuesday, June 13 online from https://www.belkin.com/au/ for $139.95.
AMAZON FIRE TV IS NOW A COMPELLING STREAMING DEVICE
It now includes BINGE and Kayo Sports which means if you travel you can take those channels with you. Both apps were recently added to the Amazon Fire App Store. Punters were demanding it from Amazon and they have now delivered.
The advantage is portability. You can move the Fire TV Stick from TV to TV via HDMI port. This includes hotels. All you have to do is connect to the hotel WIFI or Hotspot and you have a big screen TV wherever you want to go.
And now that means BINGE and Kayo too.
AUSSIE MADE APP HELPS WITH TIGHT BUDGETS
Building a budget has never been more important, and following the RBA’s 12th rate rise since April 2022, Australians need one now more than ever.
The first time you load Aussie made app Simplsaver, it will present you with the four most common budget costs to get you on your way: housing, shopping, phone, and internet. Everything is preset and ready, and all you need to do is enter your costs to get started ASAP.
Those first few costs can take as little as 30 seconds to enter, kickstarting a budget immediately. From there, you can add any other costs and build a more complete view, letting you know where you can cut back on spending, if you can.
It relies on two things – your costs and salary – and quickly calculates your finances for the month based on regular or one-off spends. And if you go into budget stress, your remaining dollar figure will turn into a button to offer resources aimed to help.
Alongside the speed and simplicity of the app are extra features, such as pre-populated services pricing, built-in comparison calculators on select costs, and total privacy.
Everything entered into Simplsaver is stored entirely on a user’s phone, with no data stored in a shared cloud environment whatsoever. In an age where data leaks have become the norm, Simplsaver bucks the trend by going the other way, and ensuring users aren’t the product.
Simplsaver was created by Australian tech journalist Leigh Stark.