Scams are an ever-present part of life but sometimes it’s worth calling out some of the new ones to remember vigilance and some basic safety tips.
No, Warren Buffett Isn’t Sharing Stock Tips With You
This first scam is pernicious because it’s a crude example of what will be coming, only more convincing. I don’t remember where on social media I saw this but there is a video clip of famous investor Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. You hear what sounds to be his voice claiming that you can be updated on what he’s investing in and then get access to a communications channel to learn even more, with his “assistant” available to ask questions.
This is playing on several things. One is the idea of following the trades of people who are presumably successful with their investments. Autopilot is an app that, as Nicolas Straut on Forbes Investor Hub explained, allows users to follow the portfolios of investment managers like Buffett or famous politicians like Nancy Pelosi.
You could also invest in a share of Berkshire Hathaway B (BRK-B), the less expensive version of the company’s stock, running about $523 at the time of writing. (Berkshire Hathaway A costs almost $784,600 per share.) That’s where Buffett spends his major investing time. There’s a reason the shares are so expensive.
But getting tips through his supposed assistant? Buffett is worth an estimated $163.4 billion as of March 21, 2025. Does he really need to be in a video to convince investors to follow him for whatever remuneration he might get. The person running this might just have downloaded a copy of Autopilot and passes the results along as the inside tips.
Berkshire Hathaway’s site has an explicit warning about “fraudulent claims regarding Mr. Buffett’s Endorsements of investment products and political candidates.”
Plus, Buffett’s mouth movements don’t match the words. This is a cruder example of how artificial intelligence is being used to create deep fakes. The people doing the faking don’t need technical skills. Unfortunately, the sophistication of the software will only increase, making it harder to tell whether or not the video is genuine. That’s why applying some common sense to what you’re hearing will only become more important.
And, No, Social Security Didn’t Send That Email
This is a screenshot of part of an email I received.
It’s a clear scam once you take a look at what is being presented to you. Anytime you get an email purporting to be official or real and there are highlighted links embedded, maneuver the cursor over the link and let it over there. The link name will appear on your screen. If it doesn’t match the website of the supposed sender, don’t left-click the link and follow it. Just delete the message. If it claims to be a government, corporate, or bank website, then go to the site of the organization in question, log in, and see what, if any, message awaits you.
The highlighted links in this case are shortened or compressed versions, which the government wouldn’t use. If the link is shortened and you can’t tell where your browser would actually go, right-click the link and choose Copy Hyperlink or the equivalent. Then go to a free link expansion service like https://checkshorturl.com. Follow the directions to paste in the link and submit it.
You’ll see an expanded version. If it doesn’t seem related to the organization’s name, delete the email.
Taking extra steps to avoid scams that aim to transfer money from your account to theirs may be a pain, but it’s necessary.
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