Scams are nothing new, they have been around for thousands of years (earliest scam recorded was in 300 B. C – see Hegestratos). As with everything scams evolve and in our digital age scams evolve faster than most people can keep up with, and cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to trick users into handing over personal information. This means that keeping our wits about us is extremely important, but even then some of these scams are so sophisticated (especially with the rise of AI), making then harder to detect so keeping our devices protected has never been more important. So how can we be more vigilant, especially with all the emails and texts we receive every day, all the different platforms we use such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram and those QR codes we see in places such as carparks. Well, help is at hand with the Scam Detector from McAfee – yes, the anti-virus people.
We have all received scam emails and texts that try to get us to click on links to reveal personal information, banking details or even trying to get us to pay for something. And then there are the QR codes, which were once seen as just a harmless convenience, which have now become a prime target for scammers. Why? Well, hidden in the QR code are malicious links. These codes are have been found behind stickers placed on parking meters, menus, posters and even delivery packages. The simple act of scanning the QR code could have disastrous consequences so caution should be applied with using them.
With these threats now appearing in everyday places, our email and messages, having a tool that can instantly analyse and flag any potential danger is essential. And that’s where the McAfee Scam Detector, part of McAfee’s upgraded Scam Detector system, proves its worth.
The McAfee Scam Detector is an AI-powered tool that is part of their antivirus and protection suite of programs. With the McAfee products you get an antivirus, secure VPN, identity monitoring & alerts, web protection and the scam detector as basic (Essential package). If you go for the Advanced Individual or Advanced Family packages, they come with even more features, including social privacy manager, personal & online account removal, identify theft coverage, back and credit card transaction monitoring and more.
Overall, firstly I have to be completely honest – I have never been a big fan of McAfee antivirus, when I have used it in the past I just found it to be slow. But I was interested in trying the Scam Detector and gave it another go. I have been very impressed and it works fast. And the program as a whole, well it was much better and faster than I remember.
I installed the program on my tablet to begin with (I have since added it to my phone and laptop – the Essential plan is for 1 user and can be used on 5 devices, other plans have unlimited devices) and I love it – it is so quick and easy to use. After installation I set it up to monitor my email address for potential issues and will flag them if any come into my inbox.
As for checking for scams, if you get a message via text, social media or email you can copy and paste the message or add a screenshot of the message and the Scam Detector scans and checks within seconds and tells you whether it is safe or looks like a scam. If the message looks like a scam it advises you not to tap any links and to block the sender. If you do happen to click a link the other functions within the antivirus suite will kick in and block it.
The QR scanner I think is excellent. You do need a live internet / data connection to use it. Just tap the Scan a QR code option, position the QR within the frame on the screen and it checks out the link in real-time and tells you whether it is safe of not. This is excellent for when you are out and about, especially in public carparks where scammers will place their own QR code stickers over official ones.
McAfee’s Scam Detector and protection suite is a powerful tool that addresses one of today’s fastest‑growing digital threats. Its real-time AI scanning makes it an excellent choice for today’s digital world, whether it’s just checking your WhatsApp messages, emails and texts or scanning those QR codes for ease. It helps to remove the guesswork, which in turn reduces risk, giving users the confidence to navigate the digital world safely, although nothing is infallible so you do need to apply a bit of common sense as well.
I am enjoying using the Scam Detector and the McAfee protection suite. As well as checking for scams with ease it has also highlighted potential data breaches that could include my info such as email, address, date of birth etc. and suggests ways to address them (and shows compromised passwords so you can see if it is an old or new one and would need changing or not). It has also contacted 3 marketing sites that seem to have my email address and requested removal. And all of this was within a minute or so. So far I am very impressed and you don’t need any real technical knowledge to use it. Excellent and a great way to keep your personal data personal and secure and stop any potential scams.
I would happily recommend the McAfee Scam Detector and protection suites – it is so easy to use and works extremely fast. And it works just as well on my laptop, tablet and phone!
Rating: 5/5
RRP: Individual plans from £39.99 (first year, renews at £95.99 annually), Family plans from £59.99 (first year, renews at £129.99 annually)
For more information or to buy, visit www.mcafee.com