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For this week in scams, we have fake AI-generated shopping images that could spoil your holidays, scammers use an Apple Support ticket in a takeover attempt, and a PlayStation scam partly powered by AI.
Let’s start with those fake ads, because holiday shopping is in full swing.
Keep a sharp eye out for fake AI shopping ads that sell knockoff goods
Turns out that three-quarters of people (74%) can’t correctly identify a fake AI-generated social media ad featuring popular holiday gifts—which could leave them open to online shopping scams.
Less than one in 10 (8%) people feel “very confident” in their ability to spot an AI-generated ad on social media.
More than half (56%) fear that they or a family member could get scammed as a result.
About two-thirds (63%) said that they won’t purchase anything from social media platforms because they’re not sure what’s real and what’s fake.
From the study … could you tell these ads are both fake?
Fake ads, like this, have been popping up across social.
Could you tell this ad is fake?
In all, cheap and readily available AI tools make spinning up fake ads quick and easy work. The same goes for launching websites where those “goods” can get sold. In the past, we’ve seen scammers take two different approaches when they use social media ads and websites to lure in their victims:
Phishing sites
During the holidays, scammers pump out ads that offer seemingly outstanding deals on hot items. Of course, the offer and the site where it’s “sold” is fake. Victims hand over their personal info and credit card number, never to see the items they thought they’d purchased. On top of the money a victim loses, the scammer also has their card info and can run up its tab or sell it to others on the dark web.
Knock-off sites
In this case, the scammer indeed sells and delivers something. But you don’t get what you paid for. The item looks, feels, fits, or works entirely differently than what was advertised. In this way, people wind up with a cheaply made item cobbled together with inferior materials. Worse yet, these scams potentially prop up sweatshops, child labor, and other illegal operations in the process. Nothing about these sites and the things they sell on them are genuine.
So, fake AI shopping ads are out there. What should you look out for? Here’s a quick list:
First off, any offer that sounds too good to be true and heavy discounts on hard-to-find or popular items are major signs of a scam—and have been for years running now.
See if the image looks a little too polished or even cartoony in some cases. As for people in AI ads, they can look airbrushed and have skin tones that seemingly give off an odd glow.
Look up reviews of the company. Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau offer great resources for that. Even simple a search using “CompanyName scam” can give you an idea if it’s a scam or not.
Over the course of nearly 30 minutes, a scammer calmly and professionally walked Moret through a phony account takeover attempt.
It started with two-factor authentication notifications that claimed someone was trying to access his iCloud account. Three minutes later, he got a call from an Atlanta-based number. The caller said they were with Apple Support. “Your account is under attack. We’re opening a ticket to help you. Someone will contact you shortly.”
Seconds later came another call from the same number, which is where the scam fully kicked in. The person also said they were from Apple Support and that they’d opened a case on Moret’s behalf. Sure enough, when directed, Moret opened his email and saw a legitimate case number from a legitimate Apple address.
The caller then told him to reset his password, which he did. Moret received a text with a link to a site where he could, apparently, close his case.
Note that at no time did the scammers ask him for his two-factor authentication code throughout this process, which is always the sign of a scam. However, the scammers had another way to get it.
The link took him to a site called “appeal-apple dot com,” which was in fact a scam site. However, the page looked official to him, and he entered a six-digit code “confirmation code” sent by text to finish the process.
That “confirmation code” was actually a fresh two-factor authentication code. With that finally in hand, the scammers signed in. Moret received a notice that a new device had logged into his account. Moret quickly reset his password again, which kicked them out and stopped the attack.
So, what went wrong here? Let’s break down three key moments in this account takeover scam:
The unsolicited phone calls. That’s an immediate sign to hang up and call an official support number to confirm the “issue” yourself.
The fake website. A site with a URL like “appeal-apple dot com” is a scam site, even if it looks “official.” Scammers can create them easily today.
The code heist. Scammers trick people into handing over their authorization code by calling it something else, like a “confirmation code.”
So, how can you protect yourself from account takeover scams? Let’s break that down too.
Know that Apple Support won’t call you or open a case on your behalf.
Also know that anyone can create an Apple Support ticket for anyone else, without verification. If you didn’t create it yourself, it’s a strong sign of a scam.
Only interact with Apple through sites and emails with the proper “apple dot com” address. Watch out for altered addresses like the “appeal-apple dot com” used here.
Never, ever share your authentication code in any way … verbally, in an email, in a text, or a website. Any request for it from anyone is a scam.
You can see the devices signed into your account any time. Go to Settings, tap your Name, and scroll to see all devices linked to your Apple ID.
The FCC takes aim at the Wal-Mart PlayStation 5 Robocall Scam
Maybe you didn’t get a scam call from “Emma” or “Carl” at Wal-Mart, but plenty of people did. Around eight million in all. Now the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enforcement Bureau wants to put a stop to them.
According to the FCC, the call plays out like this:
“A preauthorized purchase of PlayStation 5 special edition with Pulse 3D headset is being ordered from your Walmart account for an amount of 919 dollars 45 cents. To cancel your order or to connect with one of our customer support representatives, please press ‘1.’ Thank you.”
Pressing “1” connects you to a live operator who asks for personal identifiable such as Social Security numbers to cancel the “purchase.”
If you were wondering, it’s unlawful to place calls to cellphones containing artificial or prerecorded voice messages absent an emergency purpose or prior express consent. According to the FCC’s press release, SK Teleco didn’t respond to a request to investigate the calls. The FCC further alleges that it’s unlikely the company has any such consent.
Per the FCC, “If SK Teleco fails to take swift action to prevent scam calls, the FCC will require all other providers to no longer accept call traffic from SK Teleco.”
We’ll see how this plays out, yet it’s a good reminder to report scam calls. When it comes to any kind of scam, law enforcement and federal agencies act on complaints.
Get a scam call? Who’s here you can report it to:
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Report fraud, especially if you lost money, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC): Report unwanted calls, texts, and caller ID spoofing at DoNotCall.gov.
Amazon is experimenting again. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dig into our scoop on Amazon Now, the company’s new ultrafast delivery service. Plus, we recap the GeekWire team’s ride in a Zoox robotaxi on the Las Vegas Strip during Amazon Web Services re:Invent.
In our featured interview from the expo hall, AWS Senior Vice President Colleen Aubrey discusses Amazon’s push into applied AI, why the company sees AI agents as “teammates,” and how her team is rethinking product development in the age of agentic coding.
When you secure excellent components for your PC, you expect things to run smoothly. Smooth frames, fast loading times, the works. So when you've shelled out for an awesome GPU and still have game stuttering, it can be immensely frustrating, but the problem might be something less obvious.
If you buy something, you should own it. Amazon is, by far, the biggest name in the eBook market, but the company puts tight DRM restrictions on these eBooks so you can't take them outside the Kindle ecosystem.
NotebookLM may just be an assistant to many people, but this is just the most basic functionality. You can take advantage of its system to do whatever you want, and that means it can be a way to have fun.
If you're like me, you use Discord for communication all day long. Those hours of use mean Discord has the opportunity to soak up lots of data about you and your use of the app. A few settings keep the collection at bay.
The week of November 30 to December 6, 2025, recorded $478.9 million in crypto VC funding across 18 projects. As per the data, Turkish digital asset platform Paribu’s $240 million acquisition of CoinMENA led the funding period. Here’s a comprehensive…
Two long-dormant Casascius coins, each loaded with 1,000 Bitcoin, were activated on Friday, unlocking more than $179 million that had sat untouched for over 13 years.
According to onchain data, one of the coins was minted in October 2012 when Bitcoin traded at $11.69. The other dates back to December 2011, when BTC was worth $3.88, giving that piece a theoretical gain near 2.3 million% since minting.
Historic Physical Coins Activated
Based on reports, Casascius coins (metal coins) were produced between 2011 and 2013 by Utah entrepreneur Mike Caldwell as physical representations of Bitcoin. Each coin or bar concealed a paper with a private key, and a tamper-resistant hologram covered that key.
Two Casascius coins, each containing 1,000 BTC, have just moved after being dormant for more than 13 years. pic.twitter.com/nlFUy39MkD
Records show only 16 of the 1,000 BTC bars and 6 of the 1,000 BTC coins were ever made, making these items both rare and historically important.
Caldwell shut down the operation after receiving a letter from FinCEN that raised questions about whether his business qualified as an unlicensed money transmitter.
How The Coins Worked
The mechanism was simple in practice but strict in outcome: whoever removed the hologram and revealed the private key could claim the full Bitcoin value stored beneath it.
Once that sticker was lifted and the private key used, the coin no longer carried any Bitcoin value. Based on reports, collectors treat that moment as irreversible. Some owners chose to move funds off the physical coins without cashing out.
Rarity And Returns
Numbers here show why collectors and investors watch these events closely. Two coins at 1,000 BTC each represent a huge hoard when prices are high. Even leaving aside the cost of minting, the December 2011 coin’s rise from $3.88 to current market valuations yields a headline-grabbing multiple.
But experts warn that turning the private key into spendable Bitcoin is only the first step; what happens next depends on the holder’s choices. Some will hold. Others may move funds into cold storage. Selling is not guaranteed.
Derivatives Market Shock
Meanwhile, the spot and derivatives markets are experiencing high volatility. Based on CoinGlass data, today’s derivatives activity showed an 11,588% liquidation imbalance that overwhelmingly wiped out long positions.
Bitcoin, at the time of writing, was trading below $90,000, and more than $20 million in BTC long liquidations occurred in minutes while short positions barely budged. That kind of one-sided pressure happens when many traders are crowded in the same direction and conditions change quickly.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Crypto firm Ripple recently announced its mission to be the one-stop shop for crypto infrastructure. This came as the firm highlighted the acquisitions it made this year in a bid to achieve this mission.
Ripple Unveils One-Stop Shop For Digital Asset Infrastructure
In a blog post, Ripple touted itself as the one-stop for crypto infrastructure. The firm noted that it had invested almost $4 billion into the crypto ecosystem through strategic investments and acquisitions. It added that 2025 marked its most ambitious year yet with four major acquisitions pointing toward one mission of being the one-stop infrastructure provider for moving value the way information moves today.
Ripple stated that some acquisitions will plug directly into Ripple payments to give its customers a unified, seamless operating environment with even more capabilities and currencies. Meanwhile, others will operate independently while benefiting from shared infrastructure. The firm noted that together, these companies will bring it closer to owning the full financial plumbing behind global value movement.
Furthermore, the company noted that businesses are operating in real time, but their financial infrastructure still isn’t. The firm believes that its unified offering gives companies the ability to bring their money management and movement up to the expectations of the digital world. It then went on to highlight how its newest acquisitions are critical to powering this change.
Highlighting The Role Of Its Latest Acquisitions
The firm stated that its now-closed acquisition of GTreasury marks a significant expansion into the multi-trillion-dollar corporate finance arena, a market that it noted many predict will lead the next phase of crypto adoption. The firm further remarked that through access to the global repo market via Ripple Prime and Ripple Payments’ real-time cross-border rails, corporate treasury teams can unlock idle capital, move money instantly, and open up new growth opportunities.
Ripple then highlighted its $200 million acquisition of Rail, which it stated will make the firm’s Payments the market’s most comprehensive end-to-end stablecoin payments solution. The firm said that it is compliantly connecting the best of fiat and crypto assets so that businesses can move money faster, save costs, and build to grow.
Ripple stated that its acquisition of Palisade broadens the range of customer use cases for custody, which is one of its central product strategies. It noted that Palisade’s “wallet-as-a-service” technology extends the company’s Custody’s inherent appeal to banks and financial institutions that carry out high-frequency transactions.
Lastly, the payment firm highlighted its acquisition of Hidden Road, which is now Ripple Prime. It stated that this completes the liquidity and execution layer of its one-stop shop vision. The Prime offers institutional-grade prime brokerage, clearing, and financing. This enables clients to execute OTC spot trades for major crypto assets, including XRP and RLUSD. While Palisade custodies assets and Rail moves them, Ripple noted that its brokerage business ensures that they can be traded efficiently, financed responsibly, and accessed through regulated channels.
Coinbase predicts a December recovery driven by rising global M2 liquidity and lower interest rates, but Fed Chair Powell’s remarks may limit upside, analysts say.
Google's Pixel watches are rolling out an improved always-on display.
Tech site 9to5Google spotted that with Wear OS 6, the Pixel Watch has added always-on capabilities for media controls (such as controlling your music) as well as the timer app. Previously, these sorts of tools would blur after a certain amount of time. Now, they remain on the screen, with the display having been slightly changed from its previous iteration.
That could mark a major improvement for people who use their watch to, say, time a workout or track what they're cooking. Mashable named the Google Pixel Watch 4 the best Android smartwatch of 2025 — so it's an improvement on an already good product. Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth wrote it was "elegant enough to wear to the office, but comfortable and smart enough to monitor workouts." Senior reporter Christianna Silva, meanwhile, wrote in their review that the "Pixel Watch 4 is a true runners' watch, and it's gorgeous too."
So now, if you're a serious runner doing sprints on a track, you won't need to fiddle with the display to check your times. That's a small change that could have a big impact.
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