Technology

Teen hackers recruited through fake job ads

Published

2 months ago

January 13, 2026

Teen hackers recruited through fake job ads

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At first glance, the job posts look completely harmless. They promise fast money, flexible hours and paid training. No experience required. Payment comes in crypto. But these are not tutoring gigs or customer service roles. They are recruiting ads for ransomware operations.

And many of the people responding are middle and high school students. Some posts openly say they prefer inexperienced workers. Others quietly prioritize young women. All of them promise big payouts for “successful calls.”

What they leave out is the risk. Federal charges. Prison time. Permanent records. This underground ecosystem goes by a familiar name. Insiders often refer to it as “The Com,” short for “The Community.”

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HACKERS ABUSE GOOGLE CLOUD TO SEND TRUSTED PHISHING EMAILS

Fake job ads promising fast cash and flexible hours are quietly recruiting teens into ransomware and extortion schemes, often paying in cryptocurrency to hide criminal activity. (Donato Fasano/Getty Images)

How The Com operates behind the scenes

The Com is not a single organized gang. It functions as a loose network of groups that regularly change names and members. Well-known offshoots tied to this ecosystem include Scattered Spider, Lapsus$, ShinyHunters and related splinter crews. Some groups focus on data theft. Others specialize in phishing or extortion. Collaboration happens when it benefits the operation.

Since 2022, these networks have targeted more than 100 major companies in the U.S. and UK. Victims include well-known brands across retail, telecom, finance, fashion and media, including companies such as T-Mobile, Nike and Instacart. The combined market value of affected companies exceeds one trillion dollars.

Teenagers often take on the riskiest roles within these schemes. Phone calls, access testing and social engineering scripts typically fall to younger participants. More experienced criminals remain in the background, limiting their exposure.

That structure mirrors what identity and fraud experts are seeing across the industry. Ricardo Amper, founder and CEO of Incode Technologies, a digital identity verification company, says fake job ads are effective because they borrow trust from a familiar social contract.

“A job post feels structured, normal and safe, even when the actual behavior being requested is anything but,” Amper said. “A job posting implies a real process – a role, a manager, training and a paycheck. That’s exactly why it works. It lowers skepticism and makes risky requests feel like normal onboarding.”

Amper notes that what’s changed is not just the scale of recruitment, but how criminals package it. “Serious crime is now being sold as ‘work.’”

Why teens excel at social engineering attacks

Teenagers bring a unique mix of skills that make them highly convincing. Fluent English and comfort with modern workplace technology help them sound legitimate. Familiarity with tools like Slack, ticketing systems and cloud platforms makes impersonation easier.

According to Amper, teens don’t need technical expertise to get pulled in. “The on-ramp is usually social, a Discord server, a DM, a ‘quick gig,’” he said. “It can feel like trolling culture, but the targets are real companies and the consequences are real people.”

Risk awareness is often lower. Conversations frequently take place in public chats, where tactics and mistakes are shared quickly. That visibility accelerates learning and increases the likelihood of detection and arrest.

Gaming culture feeds the pipeline

For many teens, it starts small. Pranks in online games turn into account takeovers. Username theft becomes crypto theft. Skills escalate. So do the stakes.

Recruitment often begins in gaming spaces where fast learning and confidence are rewarded. Grooming is common. Sextortion sometimes appears. By the time real money enters the picture, legal consequences feel distant.

Amper compares the progression to gaming itself. “These crews package crime as a ladder,” he said. “Join the group, do small tasks, level up, get paid, get status.”

Why young women are being targeted

Cybercrime remains male-dominated, but recruiters adapt. Young women are increasingly recruited for phone-based attacks. Some use AI tools to alter accents or tone. Others rely on stereotypes. Distress lowers suspicion faster than authority. Researchers say women often succeed because they are underestimated. That same dynamic puts them at risk inside these groups. Leadership remains overwhelmingly male. Girls often perform low-level work. Training stays minimal. Exploitation is frequent.

Red flags that signal fake job scams and ransomware recruitment

These warning signs show up repeatedly in cases involving teen hackers, social engineering crews and ransomware groups.

Crypto-only pay is a major warning sign

Legitimate employers do not pay workers exclusively in cryptocurrency. Crypto-only pay makes transactions hard to trace and protects criminals, not workers.

Per-call or per-task payouts should raise concern

Promises of hundreds of dollars for a single call or quick task often point to illegal activity. Real jobs pay hourly or a salary with documentation.

Recruitment through Telegram or Discord is a red flag

Criminal groups rely on private messaging apps to avoid oversight. Established companies do not recruit employees through gaming chats or encrypted DMs.

Anonymous mentors and vague training are dangerous

Being “trained from scratch” by unnamed individuals is common in ransomware pipelines. These mentors disappear when arrests happen.

Secrecy requests signal manipulation

Any job that asks teens to hide work from parents or employees to hide tasks from employers is crossing a line. Secrecy protects the recruiter, not the recruit.

Amper offers a simple rule of thumb: “If a ‘job’ asks you to pretend to be someone else, obtain access, move money, or share sensitive identifiers before you’ve verified the employer, you’re not in a hiring process. You’re in a crime pipeline.”

He adds that legitimate employers collect sensitive information only after a real offer, through verified HR systems. “The scam version flips the order,” he said. “It asks for the most sensitive details first, before anything is independently verifiable.”

Urgency and emotional pressure are deliberate tactics

Rushing decisions or creating fear lowers judgment. Social engineering depends on speed and emotional reactions.

If you see more than one of these signs, pause immediately. Walking away early can prevent serious legal consequences later.

MICROSOFT TYPOSQUATTING SCAM SWAPS LETTERS TO STEAL LOGINS

Cybercrime recruiters are targeting middle and high school students for risky roles like social engineering calls, exposing them to federal charges and prison time. (Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Law enforcement is cracking down on teen cybercrime

Since 2024, government indictments and international arrests have shown cybercriminal groups tied to The Com and Scattered Spider are under increasing scrutiny from law enforcement. In Sept. 2025, U.S. prosecutors unsealed a Department of Justice complaint against 19-year-old Thalha Jubair, accusing him of orchestrating at least 120 ransomware and extortion attacks that brought in over $115 million in ransom payments from 47 U.S. companies and organizations, including federal court networks. Prosecutors charged Jubair with computer fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

Across the Atlantic, British authorities charged Jubair and 18-year-old Owen Flowers for their alleged roles in a Transport for London cyberattack in 2024 that compromised travel card data and disrupted live commuter information. Both appeared in court under the U.K.’s Computer Misuse Act. Earlier law enforcement action in the U.S. included criminal charges against five Scattered Spider suspects for mass phishing campaigns that stole login credentials and millions in cryptocurrency, laying out how members of this collective staged coordinated extortion and data theft.

Federal agencies are also issuing advisories about the group’s social engineering techniques, noting how attackers impersonate help desks, abuse multi-factor authentication and harvest credentials to access corporate networks.

Parents often learn the truth late. In many cases, the first warning comes when federal agents arrive at the door. Teens can move from online pranks to serious federal crimes without realizing where the legal line lies.

How parents and teens can avoid ransomware recruitment traps

This type of cybercrime thrives on silence and speed. Slowing things down protects families and futures.

Tips for parents and guardians to spot fake job scams early

Parents play a critical role in spotting early warning signs, especially when online “work” starts happening behind closed doors or moves too fast to explain.

1) Pay attention to how online “jobs” are communicated

Ask which platforms your child uses for work conversations and who they talk to. Legitimate employers do not recruit through Telegram or Discord DMs.

2) Question sudden income with no clear employer

Money appearing quickly, especially in crypto, deserves scrutiny. Real jobs provide paperwork, supervisors and pay records.

3) Treat secrecy as a serious warning sign

If a teen is told to keep work private from parents or teachers, that is not independence. It is manipulation.

4) Talk early about legal consequences online

Many teens do not realize that cybercrime can lead to federal charges. Honest conversations now prevent life-changing outcomes later. Also, monitoring may feel uncomfortable. However, silence creates more risk.

Tips for teens to avoid fake job offers and cybercrime traps

Teenagers with tech skills have real opportunities ahead, but knowing how to spot fake offers can mean the difference between building a career and facing serious legal trouble.

1) Be skeptical of private messages offering fast money

Real companies do not cold-recruit through private chats or gaming servers.

2) Avoid crypto-only payment offers

Being paid only in cryptocurrency is a common tactic used to hide criminal activity.

3) Choose legal paths to build skills and reputation

Bug bounty programs, cybersecurity clubs and internships offer real experience without risking your future. Talent opens doors. Prison closes them.

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FBI WARNS OF FAKE KIDNAPPING PHOTOS USED IN NEW SCAM

A loose cybercrime network known as “The Com” has been linked to major U.S. and U.K. data breaches affecting companies worth trillions combined. (Photo by Uli Deck/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Kurt’s key takeaways

What makes this trend so unsettling is how ordinary it all looks. The job ads sound harmless. The chats feel friendly. The crypto payouts seem exciting. But underneath that surface is a pipeline pulling teenagers into serious crimes with real consequences. Many kids do not realize how far they have gone until it is too late. What starts as a quick call or a side hustle can turn into federal charges and years of fallout. Cybercrime moves fast. Accountability usually shows up much later. By the time it does, the damage is already done.

If fake job ads can quietly recruit teenagers into ransomware gangs, how confident are you that your family or workplace would spot the warning signs before it is too late? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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Technology

Intel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life ever

Published

11 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Intel and LG Display may have beaten Apple and Qualcomm with the best laptop battery life ever

Just how little power might it consume? Notebookcheck has tested a version of the laptop with that LG Display screen and a new Intel Panther Lake chip — and it appears to be the most efficient laptop that’s ever gone through its Wi-Fi web browsing test. At idle, the Core Ultra 325 laptop drew as little as 1.5 watts, and lasted nearly 27 hours of web browsing despite only housing a 70 watt-hour pack. That’s well shy of the 99.5Wh Dell has sometimes crammed into its 16-inch models.

That’s more battery life than Notebookcheck has gotten out of any MacBook or MacBook Pro, and apparently more than all but two other laptops since it started running this test in 2014. And of those two laptops, one relied on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip, a larger 84Wh battery, and a mere 60Hz screen — while the other had two batteries for a total of 149Wh and a 60Hz screen as well.

I should caution you that we typically see much less battery life in an actual workday than we do in fixed battery life tests. But compared to other laptops, this Dell + Intel + LG Display combo seems like the new battery life champ. Note that Dell also sells it with a higher-res tandem OLED screen, though. To get the best battery life, you’ll need to settle for 1920 x 1200, no OLED, and no touchscreen.

While Dell may deserve a lot of credit as the system integrator, this tech may not be exclusive to Dell for long. LG Display announced that it’s become the first in the world to mass-produce a 1–120Hz laptop LCD panel (which it’s branding as Oxide 1Hz), and plans to mass-produce an OLED version in 2027. Intel, too, isn’t just working with one display vendor: last October, it announced it was working with Chinese panel maker BOE on 1Hz refresh rate computers too.

Technology

Spring clean your digital footprint: Why retirees are scam targets

Published

11 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Spring clean your digital footprint: Why retirees are scam targets

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Every spring, many of us follow the same routine. We replace the batteries in our smoke detectors, clean out the garage and organize paperwork while reviewing finances. These habits exist for a reason. Regular maintenance helps prevent small risks from turning into bigger problems.

However, there is one area most people rarely check: their digital exposure. Just like a home, your online presence collects clutter over time. If you do not clean it up regularly, it becomes much easier for strangers to find and use your personal information.

DO YOU KNOW THE TRUE COST OF IDENTITY THEFT?

Your personal information can quietly spread across dozens of people-search and data broker websites without you realizing it. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Where your personal information appears online

Think about how many places your personal information exists today:

Public property records
Utility and service databases
Marketing lists
People-search websites
Data broker profiles.

Each time you move, sign up for a service or update a subscription, that information may get copied and resold across multiple databases.

Over time, dozens, sometimes hundreds, of websites may end up listing details such as:

Your home address
Phone numbers
Past addresses
Names of relatives
Property ownership records.

For retirees and homeowners, these details can make you particularly visible online. And unfortunately, scammers know exactly where to look.

Why does tax season increase personal data exposure

Spring is a major data collection season. During tax season, financial institutions, service providers and government agencies process enormous amounts of information.

That includes:

Address confirmations
Income reporting
Property and mortgage updates
Retirement account activity.

Much of this data eventually becomes part of public records or commercial databases. Data brokers actively monitor these updates. When new information appears, they refresh and rebuild personal profiles. That means your digital footprint can quietly grow — even if you haven’t shared anything new online.

How data brokers update your personal profile

The first quarter of the year is one of the busiest periods for data brokers. Why? Because many major databases update around the same time:

Property records are updated after year-end filings
Utility and service provider records refresh
Marketing databases ingest new consumer lists
Public records from courts and local governments get indexed
Data brokers purchase or scrape this information and add it to existing profiles. In other words, your profile isn’t static. It’s constantly evolving.

THE EMAIL TRICK THAT REVEALS YOUR HIDDEN ONLINE ACCOUNTS

Each move, subscription or public record update can add new details to your growing digital footprint. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why data broker opt-outs often don’t last

Many people start the year with good intentions. They search their name online, find a few people-search websites and submit opt-out requests. That is a great first step. However, many people later discover a frustrating reality. Manual opt-outs often do not last.

There are three main reasons.

Data brokers continuously collect new records: Even if a broker removes your information today, new public records may appear next month when their system refreshes, and your profile can be rebuilt automatically.

Multiple brokers share and resell data: If one company deletes your listing, another broker may still have it—and may resell it back into the ecosystem. Your information spreads like copies of a document.

Some opt-outs expire: Certain websites only remove data temporarily. Months later, listings quietly reappear. Unless you check regularly, you may never notice.

Why retirees are especially visible online

Retirees often have several characteristics that make their information easier to locate:

Long address histories
Property ownership records
Public professional biographies
Retirement community listings
Estate and probate filings.

None of this is inherently unsafe. But when it’s aggregated across dozens of data broker platforms, it becomes a detailed personal profile.

Scammers use these profiles to identify potential targets for:

Investment scams
Fake government calls
Medicare or benefits fraud
Home repair schemes
Identity theft attempts.

The more complete the profile, the easier it is to craft a convincing story.

Why protecting your online privacy requires ongoing cleanup

Just like home safety, privacy protection works best as an ongoing habit.

Think of it this way: You wouldn’t replace smoke detector batteries once and assume they’ll work forever. The same logic applies to your online data.

Information gets copied, refreshed, and redistributed constantly. That means protecting your digital footprint requires regular monitoring and cleanup.

How to reduce your online exposure

A few simple habits can help reduce your risk:

Periodically search for your name online
Limit sharing of personal details on social media
Be cautious with unsolicited calls or investment offers
Remove your information from people-search sites when possible.

Regularly cleaning up exposed data helps reduce the personal information scammers can use against you. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How data removal services help clean up your online data

The challenge is that there are hundreds of data brokers, and each has its own removal process. Doing it manually can take hours, and the process often has to be repeated. That is why many people turn to automated data removal services.

These services help by submitting opt-out and deletion requests to hundreds of data brokers and people-search websites on your behalf. Instead of contacting each company individually, the service handles the process and continues monitoring databases for new listings that may appear over time.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Spring-cleaning usually focuses on physical spaces. We organize garages, review paperwork and replace smoke detector batteries. But your digital footprint deserves the same attention. Personal information spreads quietly across public records, marketing databases and data broker websites. Over time, these pieces of information can form detailed profiles that strangers can easily find online. For retirees and homeowners, those records often go back decades. Property filings, address histories and public records can make it easier for scammers to identify potential targets. The good news is that protecting your digital footprint does not require advanced technical skills. Simple habits like checking what appears about you online, limiting what you share publicly and regularly removing your information from data broker sites can significantly reduce your exposure. Just like maintaining your home, digital privacy works best as an ongoing habit. A little attention today can prevent much bigger problems tomorrow.

Have you ever searched your name online and been surprised by how much personal information appeared? What steps have you taken to protect your digital footprint? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Technology

Woot is offering over 20 percent off Switch 2 controllers and games today

Published

23 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Woot is offering over 20 percent off Switch 2 controllers and games today

Woot is running a day-long sale coinciding with the start of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Many products across multiple tech categories are discounted, including dozens of video games and accessories. What’s more, you can get an extra 20 percent off through 12:59AM ET on March 26th when you use code SAVETWENTY. Also, if you’re a Prime member who links their Amazon account, you’ll get free shipping.

Of the grab bag of products, the Nintendo Switch 2-related discounts stood out the most. For instance, you can get the physical version of Mario Kart World at Woot for $52 ($28 off). If your Switch 2 didn’t already include a digital copy of the exclusive, World is a must-have racing title that’s fun to play alone or with others (my colleague Andrew Webster called it “the perfect launch game” in his review). It includes an open world chock-full of challenges — a series first — or you can race through different course-filled cups, just like in the old days.

Additionally, 8BitDo’s fantastic Ultimate 2 and Pro 3 controllers — both compatible with the Switch 2 and other platforms — currently cost $36 and $37.60, respectively. Considering that both gamepads typically cost over $50 each, the savings are steep enough to consider getting more than one gamepad. The Ultimate 2 and Pro 3 have a similar set of features — rumble, motion controls, TMR joysticks, customizable back paddles, an extra shoulder button, and adjustable triggers — but their button and stick layouts cater to different gamers.

While the Ultimate 2 is arranged like a Switch 2 Pro (which itself is an Xbox-style layout), the Pro 3 is more akin to a PlayStation controller, with sticks close together in the middle. One neat feature of the Pro 3 not found in the Ultimate 2 is the ability to pull off its magnetic buttons and swap their positions, which is handy if you’re switching platforms. Both models also feature a 90-day Woot warranty. Read our Pro 3 review.

If you already own Mario Kart World — or don’t own a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 — there are also plenty of other great deals to choose from, including titles for both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S.

Here’s a smattering of favorites: