Don’t fall for the Elon Musk energy-saving device scam

Elon Musk, known for starring companies similar Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and X.AI and buying and rebranding Twitter arsenic X, often finds his sanction linked to innovation and futuristic ideas. But his estimation besides makes him a premier people for scammers.

In the past, fraudsters person utilized Musk’s sanction successful cryptocurrency schemes. Now, a caller scam is making the rounds. This time, scammers are promoting bogus "energy-saving" devices, falsely associating Musk with these products to summation credibility. These devices, which don’t enactment arsenic advertised, are being marketed arsenic revolutionary solutions, duping radical into spending wealth connected what is fundamentally a scam.

We received this email from Rick successful Wilkesboro, North Carolina:

"I’ve been receiving emails offering an energy-saving device developed by Elon Musk. It claims the instrumentality tin trim vigor bills by 50%. I ne'er attempted to interaction anyone associated with Elon Musk, nor person I done immoderate net searches for specified a device. Are these emails legit oregon different effort by scammers hoping I click connected their links?"

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Rick, it sounds similar those emails are apt scams. There person been galore reports of scammers utilizing Elon Musk's sanction to beforehand fake energy-saving devices. These scams often assertion that the instrumentality tin drastically trim vigor bills, but determination is nary grounds that Elon Musk oregon immoderate of his companies are progressive successful specified products.

Let's dive into however this scam works and stock immoderate ways you tin enactment safe.

Illustration of a scammer astatine work  (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

How does Elon Musk's energy-saving scam work?

The Elon Musk energy-saving scam works by utilizing flashy online ads, unsolicited emails and different deceptive tactics to lure victims. Scammers beforehand alleged "revolutionary" devices done societal media, pop-ups, emails and adjacent hunt motor ads, claiming the products are backed by Musk.

These ads often see fake lawsuit reviews, exaggerated claims of slashing energy bills by 50% oregon much and time-limited discounts to make urgency. Names of devices advertised successful these scams see the Power Pro Save, Heunwa Power Save, Stop Watt, Miracle Watt, True Watt, Real Watt, Watt Rescue, Esaver Watt, Pro Power Save, Voltmod and more. 

Clicking connected these ads leads you to income websites designed to look legitimate. They diagnostic fake logos, doctored before-and-after photos and bogus personage endorsements to physique trust. The sites propulsion astir pseudo-scientific jargon similar "stabilizing electrical currents" oregon "rebalancing loads" to dependable convincing. They besides usage tactics similar showing inflated "regular" prices crossed retired to marque the existent connection look similar a immense bargain.

If you look closely, though, the reddish flags are clear. These sites deficiency basal details similar a institution address, interaction fig oregon concern registration information. Instead, they propulsion you to spot an bid done an online form, demanding afloat outgo upfront via recognition paper oregon PayPal.

After paying, customers mightiness person a cheap, non-functional integrative device, oregon sometimes thing astatine all. These devices don’t trim energy usage. They mightiness adjacent discarded much power. But by the clip you recognize it, the scammers person already pocketed your money.

Elon Musk scam email ads  (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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The information astir energy-saving devices

Over the years, plentifulness of power-saving scams person promised to chopped down oregon adjacent destruct your energy measure by simply plugging successful their devices. The world is that there’s nary instrumentality you tin plug successful that volition really trim your energy usage oregon little your household bill.

These products often assertion to "stabilize voltage" oregon "reduce powerfulness waste." While voltage stabilization tin beryllium utile successful concern settings, it doesn’t marque overmuch quality for emblematic location appliances. Most household appliances are already designed to tally efficiently without the issues these devices assertion to fix.

If you’re superior astir redeeming connected electricity, absorption on practical solutions similar upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, utilizing astute location devices oregon adjusting your vigor usage schedule.

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A idiosyncratic checking email connected a phone  (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)

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Red flags to ticker retired for

Too bully to beryllium true: Claims of reducing vigor bills by 50% oregon much are often exaggerated and unrealistic.

Unsolicited emails: Receiving emails retired of the blue, particularly erstwhile you haven't shown involvement successful specified products, is simply a communal maneuver utilized by scammers.

Use of personage names: Scammers often usage well-known names similar Elon Musk to lend credibility to their schemes.

Suspicious links: Be cautious of clicking connected links successful unsolicited emails. They tin pb to phishing sites designed to bargain your idiosyncratic information. Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

10 ways to enactment harmless from specified scams

1. Verify the email: Phishing emails are a communal instrumentality scammers usage to instrumentality radical into buying fake products oregon giving distant idiosyncratic information. These emails often look similar they’re from morganatic sources, but they incorporate links that pb to fraudulent websites oregon punctual you to download malicious attachments. Always cheque the sender's email code and look for signs of a fake message, similar mediocre grammar oregon urgent calls to action. 

2. Verify claims: If you're funny astir a product, bash immoderate probe from reputable sources earlier taking immoderate action.

3. Do not click links: Avoid clicking connected immoderate links oregon downloading attachments from these emails. Instead, hover implicit the nexus to spot its existent destination. This tin assistance you place if it leads to a morganatic tract oregon a malicious one.

4. Have beardown antivirus bundle actively moving connected your devices: Ensure you person reliable antivirus bundle installed connected your devices. Antivirus bundle helps support your devices from malware, viruses and different information threats. Regularly update the bundle to guarantee it tin observe and region the latest threats. Get my picks for the champion 2025 antivirus extortion winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

5. Examine the website carefully: Scammers often make websites that look professional, but they’re casual to spot with a fewer elemental checks. Look for missing oregon suspicious information, similar the lack of a concern address, telephone fig oregon concern registration details. If determination are fake testimonials oregon personage endorsements, that’s a reddish flag.

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6. Don’t autumn for "too bully to beryllium true" deals: Scammers trust connected offering deals that look excessively bully to walk up, similar monolithic discounts oregon a "limited clip offer." If an advertisement claims you tin prevention 50% oregon much connected a product, beryllium skeptical. Real, prime products usually don’t travel with specified utmost savings, and high-tech devices similar those promoted by scammers seldom unrecorded up to the hype. If it feels similar excessively bully a deal, it astir apt is.

7. Watch retired for antithetic outgo methods: One of the easiest ways to spot a scam is by however the scammers inquire you to pay. If a website asks for outgo upfront via recognition paper oregon PayPal with nary enactment to verify oregon vessel the merchandise first, it's a large reddish flag. Scammers instrumentality your wealth upfront and person nary volition of sending you thing of value. Stick to reputable outgo methods that connection purchaser protection, and debar sites that inquire for outgo without due verification.

8. Mark spam email arsenic junk oregon spam: Most email providers person a feature that allows you to emblem spam emails and determination them to a abstracted folder. This tin assistance you filter retired spam emails from your inbox and besides amended the spam detection of your email provider.

9. Do not stock your email code publically oregon with chartless sources: This tin trim the chances of your email code being collected by spammers. You tin besides usage a disposable email or email alias for signing up for online services that you bash not spot oregon need.

10. Use a idiosyncratic information removal service: Scammers tin get your accusation from assorted online sources, including information brokers, radical hunt sites and nationalist records. Using a information removal work tin assistance trim your integer footprint, making it harder for scammers to entree your idiosyncratic information. This proactive measurement tin beryllium important successful preventing individuality theft and minimizing the chances of falling unfortunate to scams.

While nary work promises to region each your information from the internet, having a removal work is large if you privation to perpetually show and automate the process of removing your accusation from hundreds of sites continuously implicit a longer play of time. Check retired my apical picks for information removal services here. 

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Kurt’s cardinal takeaway

Impersonation scams are a communal mode scammers bargain your money. They often usage well-known names similar Elon Musk oregon large companies similar Microsoft and Walmart to marque you spot them, past instrumentality you into giving distant your fiscal details. To enactment safe, debar unsolicited emails oregon texts that beforehand products oregon offers. If you request to bargain something, instrumentality to trusted sellers similar Amazon, Best Buy oregon different reputable platforms. Always double-check the legitimacy of immoderate connection earlier making a purchase, particularly if it comes from an unfamiliar source.

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