Meet Giant Company: Don’t take the bait

October 27, 2026

Celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and this year’s message is simple: Don’t make life easy for cybercriminals.

Throughout the month, we’ve shared stories from the National Cybersecurity Alliance about common cyber threats and the simple steps you can take to protect yourself. For our final installment, meet Giant Company, a massive scam operation that shows just how far cybercriminals will go to steal your money and personal information.

Based in Myanmar, Giant Company targeted everyday Americans through large-scale scams. A crackdown led to nearly 300 arrests and the disruption of nine scam centers.

While those efforts were significant, Giant Company represents just one part of a much larger problem.

Scammers regularly impersonate banks, employers, delivery companies, customer support representatives and even family members. They may send a text about a missed delivery, an email warning that your account has been compromised or a message that appears to come from someone you know.

Their goal is to get you to click a link, share personal information or send money before you have time to think.

Artificial intelligence can make these scams more convincing and easier to produce at scale. But scammers still rely on familiar tactics: creating fear, offering something tempting or making a situation seem urgent.

That pressure can lead people to act before checking whether a message is legitimate.

Don’t make life easy for Giant Company

A few simple habits can help you spot suspicious message before they cause harm:

Pause before responding. Take a few extra seconds to review unexpected messages, especially those that demand immediate action.
Watch for pressure tactics. Threats, unexpected prizes and urgent requests for payment are all reasons to be cautious.
Verify the sender. Contact the person or organization through a trusted phone number or website instead of using the contact information or links in a suspicious message.
Remember, you can ignore it. You don’t have to click, reply or answer an unexpected call or message. Taking time to verify is smart, not rude.

Five habits to Stay Safe Online

This month’s stories have highlighted an important point: You don’t need expensive tools or advanced technical knowledge to make your accounts harder to compromise. Start with these five steps:

Use strong, unique passwords. Aim for at least 16 characters and never reuse the same password across accounts.
Use a password manager. It can generate and securely store strong passwords so you don’t have to remember them all.
Enable multifactor authentication (MFA). Add another layer of protection to your accounts wherever it’s available.
Keep software updated. Install updates for your computer, phone, apps and other connected devices to help address security vulnerabilities.
Think before you click. Treat unexpected messages with caution, especially those that create urgency or request money or sensitive information.

Make life harder for cybercriminals

Cybersecurity Awareness Month may be ending, but protecting yourself online is a year-round effort. Strong passwords, MFA, software updates and a healthy dose of skepticism can go a long way toward keeping your information safe.

Cybercriminals count on people acting quickly without checking the facts. Slow down, verify unexpected requests and make them work harder for their next opportunity.

For additional tips and resources to help you stay safe online, visit: