-
📅 1994 – The First Phishing Attack 🎣
Hackers target AOL users, pretending to be company employees to steal passwords.
This marks the beginning of phishing, which remains a major cyber threat today. -
📅 1999 – The Love Bug Virus (ILOVEYOU Worm) 💌
Victims receive an email titled “I LOVE YOU” with an attachment.
Opening it unleashes a virus that spreads to millions of computers worldwide, stealing passwords and causing billions in damages. -
📅 2001 – Fake PayPal & Banking Emails 🏦
Phishing emails disguised as bank alerts trick users into entering credentials on fake websites.
Stolen credentials allow hackers to steal money and commit identity theft. -
📅 2004 – Craigslist & eBay Scams Boom 🛒
Fraudsters list fake products or rent out non-existent apartments, taking payments and disappearing.
Fake check scams also increase, where victims ship items but never get paid. -
📅 2007 – IRS Tax Scams Begin 🏛️
Scammers impersonate the IRS, demanding “unpaid taxes” and threatening victims with arrest unless they pay via gift cards or wire transfers. -
📅 2013 – The Rise of Fake Tech Support Calls ☎️
Scammers pretend to be from Microsoft or Apple, claiming the victim’s PC is infected.
They gain remote access to install malware or demand money for fake fixes -
📅 2017 – Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scams Take Off 🏢
Hackers impersonate CEOs or company executives, emailing employees to wire large amounts of money.
Major corporations lose billions due to this sophisticated fraud. -
📅 2018 – Cryptocurrency Ponzi Schemes (OneCoin Fraud) 💰
Scammers promise guaranteed profits from cryptocurrency investments.
OneCoin, one of the biggest crypto scams ever, steals $4 billion from investors. -
📅 2020 – COVID-19 Relief Scams 🦠
Fake government aid programs trick people into giving away personal details.
Some scams claim to offer early access to vaccines for a fee. -
📅 2021 – The Elon Musk Bitcoin Giveaway Scam 🚀
Verified social media accounts are hacked and post fake crypto giveaways, stealing millions from victims. -
📅 2023 – AI & Deepfake Scams Surge 🎭
Scammers clone voices and create fake video calls to impersonate CEOs or family members.
This makes phishing even more convincing and dangerous. -
📅 2024 – The Rise of Fake Job Offers 💼
Scammers create fake LinkedIn profiles posing as recruiters, stealing job seekers' information or charging for “training fees.”