Achieve digital autonomy in critical infra with a 'logically air-gapped' model using eBPF, Cilium, and Cisco for secure, compliant cloud-native operations.
Analysis of satellite images of Myanmar shows dozens of alleged scam compounds have appeared in recent months, despite a purported crackdown on the criminal organizations.
Cisco Firewall Migration Manager brings predictable timelines, resilient workflows, and multi-migration management to your move to Cisco Secure Firewall.
The cybersecurity-focused models, including GPT-5.6 Sol, broke out of a testing sandbox, exploited a zero-day, and gained access to the open internet to pull off the attack.
A new type of malware can worm deep into AI coding systems to steal data and logins—and can flip a “death switch” to destroy files and keep out real users.
Dealerships installed alarms in millions of vehicles—and left them in even if the buyer didn’t want them. Now researchers warn they can be hacked to unlock, track, and disable cars.
According to McAfee’s 2026 State of the Scamiverse report, Americans now spend 114 hours a year trying to figure out what’s real and what’s fake online. That’s nearly three full workweeks lost to second-guessing messages, alerts, and links.
And when scams do succeed, they move quickly. The typical scam unfolds in about 38 minutes, leaving little room for hesitation.
That creates a gap: People want to check before they act, but the tools haven’t always met them in that moment.
Claude + McAfee is designed to close that gap, bringing scam detection directly to a platform people are already using to ask questions and make decisions.
And it’s available to anyone. You don’t have to be a McAfee subscriber.
This isn’t just detection. It’s guidance in the exact moment you’re deciding what to do.
Instead of guessing, you can paste a message or drop in a screenshot and get a clear explanation of what’s risky, and what to do next, powered by McAfee’s threat intelligence.
How to Use McAfee in Claude
With this integration, checking something suspicious becomes as simple as asking a question.
Paste a message. Drop in a link. Upload a screenshot. And just make sure to @McAfee when you’re asking a question.
McAfee analyzes it and explains what’s going on clearly and in context.
For example, I got this suspicious “job offer” message over the weekend:
So I uploaded it in Claude and asked @McAfee, which caught it right away. You can even see I’m using the free plan.
Here’s how it works:
Feature
What it does
How it protects you
Link safety check
Paste a suspicious URL and get a reputational analysis based on McAfee threat intelligence
Scam links are often designed to look legitimate. A quick check helps avoid phishing and malware
Message analysis
Submit texts, emails, or social messages for evaluation
Many scams now rely on urgency and tone. Analysis helps surface subtle red flags
Screenshot uploads
Upload screenshots of messages or emails for review
Scams don’t always come as clean text. This makes it easier to check what you’re seeing
Clear explanations
Get a breakdown of why something is flagged as risky or safe
Not just a warning—an explanation that helps you recognize patterns next time
Guided next steps
Receive recommendations on what to do next
Helps prevent escalation, especially in moments of uncertainty
It’s a quick, accessible way to get answers in the moment. But it’s just one part of a broader system designed to protect you more comprehensively.
Behind the scenes, Claude + McAfee is powered by the same intelligence that fuels McAfee’s broader scam protection ecosystem.
When you submit something for review:
Links are checked against known threat signals
Messages are analyzed for scam patterns and language cues
Results are translated into clear, human-readable explanations
The goal isn’t just to flag risk. It’s to help you understand it.
A New Way to Stay Ahead of Scams
Scams aren’t slowing down. If anything, they’re becoming more convincing, more personalized, and harder to detect.
That’s where Claude + McAfee comes in. But this is only one part of a much bigger system designed to protect you before, during, and after a scam attempt.
With McAfee+ Advanced, multiple layers work together so you’re not left figuring it out after the damage is done:
Identity Monitoring alerts you if your personal info shows up where it should not, so you can act fast
A new toolkit for attorneys in Massachusetts targets the technologies police use—and conceal—to build criminal cases, from facial recognition to AI-written police reports.
A first-of-its-kind analysis found more than one in eight apps built for US service members carried foreign code—some from firms in nations the Pentagon designates as adversaries.
Scammers don’t always need sophisticated malware to steal your money. Increasingly, they’re relying on something much simpler: your trust.
This week, fraudsters were reported using FaceTime to watch victims log into their online banking accounts in real time, while Arizona authorities warned about fake QR codes exploiting the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie.
Here’s what happened, and how to protect yourself.
Scammers Are Using FaceTime to Watch Victims Log Into Their Bank Accounts
A growing scam is turning one of Apple’s most familiar apps into a tool for financial fraud.
According to CBS News, scammers first contact victims by text or phone while pretending to represent their bank or credit card company. They claim there’s suspicious activity on the account and that additional verification is needed.
Instead of keeping the conversation on a regular phone call, they switch to FaceTime.
Victims are then convinced to share their screens while logging into online banking. As they do, scammers can watch account numbers, passwords, and even one-time security codes appear in real time.
How the scam works
You receive a text or phone call claiming there’s fraud on your account.
The caller directs you to continue the conversation over FaceTime.
You’re asked to share your screen while logging into your bank.
The scammer watches your passwords and verification codes as you enter them.
Remember: Your bank should never ask you to share your screen or reveal one-time authentication codes. If you receive an unexpected call, hang up and contact your bank using the number on the back of your card or through its official app.
Fake QR Codes Are Exploiting the Search for Nancy Guthrie
Authorities in Arizona are warning the public about another scam—this time involving the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie.
According to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, scammers have been circulating social media posts containing QR codes requesting donations connected to the investigation.
The department says it will never ask the public for money related to this case or any investigation and urged people not to scan QR codes requesting payment.
The warning comes as investigators continue to search for Nancy Guthrie, whose disappearance remains under investigation.
How to spot QR code scams
Verify who posted the QR code before scanning.
Be cautious of emotional appeals tied to breaking news or missing persons cases.
Never send money to someone you don’t know based solely on a social media post.
Confirm donation requests through an organization’s official website instead of relying on shared posts.
Scammers know that people want to help during emergencies. Unfortunately, they also know that urgency and emotion can cause people to act before verifying where their money is going.
Other Scam and Security News This Week
Even scam reporters can be targeted. A CBS News correspondent shared how he nearly withdrew money from his own bank after falling for a sophisticated imposter scam before realizing something didn’t add up. (Yahoo Finance)
India investigates reported nuclear plant-related data breach. Reuters reported that ransomware group World Leaks published files allegedly connected to contractors working on India’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Officials say no nuclear security systems were exposed. (Reuters/Al Jazeera)
Cyberattack disrupts KFC Japan supply chain. A cyberattack on food logistics provider Nichirei Co. disrupted frozen food deliveries to KFC Japan, leading the company to warn of possible menu restrictions, shorter hours, and temporary pauses to online ordering. Nichirei said it has found no evidence that customer or personal information was exposed. (TechRadar)
Your Safety Checklist This Week
Before you trust a call, text, or QR code:
Never share your screen with someone claiming to be your bank.
Don’t scan QR codes requesting money unless you’ve verified the source.
Contact organizations directly using their official website or phone number—not the contact information provided in a text or social media post.
Slow down when someone creates urgency. Whether it’s a missing person case or a frozen bank account, scammers rely on emotional reactions.
How McAfee Can Help
Scammers often begin with a text, phone call, or malicious link designed to earn your trust before stealing your information.
Before a breach: Personal Data Cleanup helps reduce your digital footprint by removing your personal information from many data broker sites, limiting what scammers can easily find about you.
During a breach: Identity Monitoringalerts you if your personal information appears on the dark web or in known data leaks, helping you respond faster if your information is exposed.
After a breach: Scam Detector helps identify suspicious texts, emails, and links that often follow major breaches, while Web Protection helps block malicious websites designed to steal additional information or credentials.
And we’ll be back next week with more news and safety tips.
Plus: Russian cyberspies turn to infrastructure hacking, DHS repeatedly fails to realize it’d been hacked, a breach exposes an AI music generator’s scraping ways, and more.
The City Attorney’s Office sent the tech giants cease-and-desist letters this week telling them to stop profiting from 13 “face-swap” apps that are overwhelmingly used to target women and girls.
Since WIRED reported on Meta’s NameTag face recognition system, company executives have made confusing and conflicting remarks about its very existence.
The SFPD’s exposure of hours of videos from drone platform Skydio reveals how broadly it’s watching the city from above—and how the results can spill online.
Plus: The Pentagon is training amateurs to become part of its hacker army, a Flock license plate reader error led to cops surrounding a car reviewer, and more.
Millions of Americans hand over personal information every day. They share their data with insurance companies, banks, investment apps, and other services they trust.
And that’s exactly why cybercriminals target and impersonate those services.
This week, an insurance provider disclosed a breach reportedly affecting nearly 7 million people’s driver’s license numbers, while a California journalist shared how a convincing fake Robinhood text ultimately cost her more than $70,000.
Here’s what happened, why these scams work, and what you can do to protect yourself This Week in Scams.
Nearly 7 Million Driver’s License Numbers Exposed in Insurance Data Breach
One of the largest U.S. data breaches of the year has exposed sensitive information belonging to 6.9 million people.
According to reporting from TechCrunch, insurance provider AssuranceAmerica confirmed that hackers accessed customer information after compromising an employee account. The company says the stolen data includes names, contact information, driver’s license numbers, insurance policy details, vehicle information, and claims data.
While the company has not said exactly how the employee’s credentials were compromised, it noted that the attackers targeted an employee account before accessing company systems.
Why driver’s license numbers matter
Unlike a password, you can’t simply change your driver’s license number.
Combined with your name, address, phone number, or other information from previous breaches, driver’s license numbers can be used by criminals to:
Open fraudulent accounts
Impersonate victims during identity verification
Make phishing scams more convincing
Support broader identity theft schemes
This is also part of a larger trend. In recent months, multiple breaches have exposed government-issued identity documents as more organizations collect IDs for identity verification and age-check requirements.
If you receive a notice that your information was involved in a breach, monitor your financial accounts closely, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze, and remain cautious of unexpected emails, texts, or phone calls referencing your insurance or driver’s license information.
Unfortunately, scammers will reach out saying they’re trying to “help” secure your stolen information, only to try and steal more personal data from you.
How McAfee Can Help Before, During, and After a Data Breach
Before a breach
Personal Data Cleanup helps reduce your digital footprint by removing your personal information from many data broker sites, limiting what scammers can easily find about you.
During a breach
Identity Monitoringalerts you if your personal information appears on the dark web or in known data leaks, helping you respond faster if your information is exposed.
After a breach
Scam Detector helps identify suspicious texts, emails, and links that often follow major breaches, while Web Protection helps block malicious websites designed to steal additional information or credentials.
Fake Robinhood Text Scam Costs Former News Anchor More Than $70,000
Even people who report on scams can become victims.
A former California television news anchor recently shared how she lost more than $70,000 after receiving what appeared to be a legitimate text message claiming there was suspicious activity on her Robinhood investment account.
The message instructed her to call a phone number for assistance. Once connected, the caller posed as Robinhood support before transferring her to a fake “fraud department.”
Believing she was protecting her investments from hackers, she was convinced to move her money into what she thought was a secure account. Instead, it went directly to scammers.
She later contacted Robinhood through the official app, but by then the money had already been transferred.
Why investment scams are becoming more convincing
Investment scams rely on urgency, authority, and impersonation rather than obvious phishing emails.
Rather than asking targets to “invest” immediately, many scams begin by convincing people that their existing account is under attack and immediate action is needed.
At McAfee, we’ve also seen scammers impersonate Robinhood, Charles Schwab, cryptocurrency platforms, and other investment services through fraudulent text messages and malicious links promising AI-powered investing, exclusive bonuses, or unusually high returns.
Whether the message claims your account has been compromised or promises incredible profits, the goal is often the same: get you to click, call, or transfer money before you have time to verify what’s happening.
Investment Safety Checklist
Before responding to any message about your investments:
Never call the phone number provided in a text message or email. Instead, contact your financial institution using the number listed in its official app or website.
Slow down when someone creates urgency. Claims that your account is being hacked or frozen are designed to make you act before you think.
Be skeptical of guaranteed returns or AI-powered investment opportunities. Promises of extraordinary profits are a common hallmark of investment fraud.
Verify alerts through your account directly. If you receive a suspicious notification, log in through the official app, not a link in the message.
How McAfee Can Help
With McAfee+, multiple layers work together before any damage is done:
Scam Detectorflags suspicious texts, emails, links, QR codes, and even deepfake videos before you engage
Secure VPNkeeps your data private, especially on public Wi-Fi
Web Protection helps block risky sites, even if you do accidentally click
Password Manager doesn’t just help you make unique, strong passwords, it keeps them stored and organized for you
Login
Never share your screen with someone claiming to be your bank. 
Never call the phone number provided in a text message or email. Instead, contact your financial institution using the number listed in its official app or website. 