u/Tim_Bracken

Most of you know about inbox-native ads. They look like an actual unread email. But this ad was different. It lacked the usual oversized logo on the far left, so it was even harder to spot as an ad (see screenshot).

Targeted directly at seniors ("discover new retirement benefits"), the entire row acts like a trap: even clicking the selection checkbox to delete the message opens a new browser tab. That new page displays a fake "suspicious activity detected" security warning featuring a Yahoo logo over a blurred background, designed to trick users into thinking they are still within the Yahoo environment (see screenshot).

This new page, which asks for personal credentials to "confirm identity," masquerades as "Helpdesk Apple_Support" with an Apple logo (see screenshot).

This is an insidious way to trick vulnerable people and it's disturbing that Yahoo allows this. There is also no way within Yahoo Mail to flag fraudulent ads like this.

If you have older family members using Yahoo Mail, please consider installing an ad blocker to block these native ad rows entirely.

I was stumped by this panhandler's sign the other day in Oakland, California. "Not Every Thing Helps." What does this mean?