Senior Cyber Safety Briefing – September 13, 2025

🚨ALERT - “Phantom Hacker” scam steals over $1B, heavily targeting seniors
👉Why it matters - Scammers are using a three‑phase fraud: tech support / bank / government impersonation to trick people (often seniors) into moving life savings into “safe accounts” that turn out to be fake. Once the money is gone, it’s almost always gone. 
📣Call to Action - Don’t let someone walk you through account access unless you initiated contact. If anyone asks you to move money to some “safe” account, double‑check with someone you trust, or call the bank yourself using a known number.

🧠MUST‑READ - Microsoft’s September Patch Tuesday fixes 80+ vulnerabilities including a serious SMB privilege escalation bug (CVE‑2025‑55234) 
👉Why it matters - If your Windows computer isn’t up to date, an attacker might use this to get higher privileges and possibly take over, especially on networks or devices with older settings. 
📣Call to Action - Install the latest Windows updates now, and make sure automatic updates are turned on. Also check that your system settings enforce SMB signing and other protections where possible.

📈ECONOMY & SECURITY - “Boss scams” / spear phishing rise sharply; scam emails target new / vulnerable employees using impersonation of executives 
👉Why it matters - Even for folks not in a corporate environment, similar techniques are used in family situations (someone pretending to be a relative or authority figure) or to trick caregivers. The emotional pressure makes people more likely to comply without checking. 
📣Call to Action - Whenever you receive a request (especially for money, access, or personal info) from someone claiming to be an authority, check via a separate known channel. Never act just because it's urgent or sounds official.

🔥PRIVACY & BIG TECH - No major new privacy scandal today, but parts of the latest AI threats and breach trends show that once‑trusted vendors & third‑party tools remain high risk. 
👉Why it matters - Even if it’s not your device being breached, vendor breaches or software flaws can expose your data if you use those services. Also, AI‑related attacks are evolving; what worked to scam people last year may now look much more convincing using deepfake, voice cloning, or impersonation. 
📣Call to Action - Review privacy settings on apps & devices; uninstall apps you no longer use; keep software (especially communication tools) updated. Be suspicious of unexpected messages, even if they seem familiar.

💡OPPORTUNITY - New hardware & system protections are improving (e.g. Apple’s “Memory Integrity Enforcement” in newer iPhones) that make spyware and some attacks much harder to pull off. 
👉Why it matters - Upgrading devices or using newer models can buy you security that’s just not easily patchable on older gear. Some of these protections are automatic in newer devices. 
📣Call to Action - If possible, plan for replacing aging devices (phones, tablets, computers) with newer ones that support the latest security features. Meanwhile, enable any enhanced security features on current devices.

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✅Quick Safety Tip of the Day
Whenever asked to move money or share access “for your own safety,” pause immediately—scammers lean on urgency to trick good people. Always verify.

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(AI was used to create this article.)

🙋Closing Note

Stay safe, stay secure, stay curious, and remember my friends—you’re never too old to outsmart a scammer👋