1. A text message from “N.E.X.I”: a €1,085 payment was requested on your card, call this number to cancel. What is it?
Answer: A callback scam — the number reaches the scammer. A craftsman in Civitanova Marche, Italy, lost about €54k after calling the number in a fake Nexi text; police recovered €35k (reported October 2026).
2. Why would a scam put dots between the letters of a brand name?
Answer: To dodge filters that look for the brand. You still read “Nexi.” A simple filter sees nonsense. Brand obfuscation appeared in 7 of 18 attack types.
3. A message gives no link, only a phone number to call. Is that safer?
Answer: No — the phone number is the trap. In callback phishing the number is the payload. A scripted “agent” then talks you into paying or installing software.
4. Hotel staff got Booking.com emails about a bad review, with a link to “respond.” What did the link do?
Answer: Led to a fake CAPTCHA that installed malware. Microsoft tracked this from December 2024: the page faked Booking.com and asked staff to paste a command.
5. Which kinds of brand notification do scammers copy most?
Answer: Reviews, bookings, new connections and account checks. Everyday notifications from Booking, LinkedIn and others feel routine, so people act without thinking.
6. The sender name says “Your Bank Security” but the address is random. What counts?
Answer: The actual address — names can be anything. Display names are free text. Check the address, and even then, contact the bank through its app or card number.
7. A delivery text has a link on a domain registered this week. That’s:
Answer: A strong warning sign. New domains are cheap and disposable. Fresh registration age is a classic sign of phishing infrastructure.
8. A message mentions your real recent purchase. Does that make it genuine?
Answer: No — data from breaches makes scams specific. Leaked order data lets scammers sound informed. Specific details are not proof of who is writing.
9. The safest way to check a brand alert:
Answer: Open the brand’s app or type its address yourself. Go around the message entirely. If the alert is real, you’ll see it in the app or account.
10. True or myth: a scam message always contains a link or attachment.
Answer: Myth. Some only ask you to call, reply or approve a payment. Others use real links and add a fake recovery phrase or phone number.