Virtual private networks are back in the spotlight. In March, Congress voted to repeal rules that would have required internet service providers to get customer permission to sell their web-browsing data. ISPs are now free to market valuable customer information, triggering concern among privacy advocates. Detailed behavior profiles created by ISPs could be particularly handy tools for marketers targeting those most vulnerable to predatory sales campaigns, including the poor and tech neophytes. “Further overreaching by […]
First Amendment concerns and consumer privacy law has people talking about a case recently settled in Massachusetts. It revolved around the practice of serving advertisements with geo-fencing technology. At issue: was it legal for anti-abortion groups to use this new marketing technique to directly communicate with young women on their way to get abortions? According to the settlement in Massachusetts, the answer, at least for the time being, is no. The ads in question used […]
We live in an age of hackers. They are employed by our government and deployed by foreign powers. They are freelancers with goals ranging from netting big consulting fees in exchange for the discovery of potentially damaging vulnerabilities before they make the evening news, to sending a message, to righting a perceived wrong, to outright criminal activity. While the various hacker camps are different, they present the same conundrum to all of us: Is anything […]
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are looking for love more and more online. Unfortunately, hackers and scammers are waiting to prey on online daters, hoping to steal their heart, along with their cash. Think Before You Click That Link! The e-card may seem romantic, but it could mask something more dangerous, like malware or viruses that can do more than just spam your computer with ads, but could remotely take over your […]
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are looking for love more and more online. Unfortunately, hackers and scammers are waiting to prey on online daters, hoping to steal their heart, along with their cash. Money Can’t Buy You Love. Never Give or Wire Money to Someone You Met Online. Given that the whole point for catfishers is to get money out of people, alarm bells should start going off the moment any potential […]
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are looking for love more and more online. Unfortunately, hackers and scammers are waiting to prey on online daters, hoping to steal their heart, along with their cash. Never Turn Over Personal Information or Pictures You Wouldn’t Want Broadcast for the World to See. It’s not love if they ask for your credit card number or for you to buy a plane ticket, or request your Social […]
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are looking for love more and more online. Unfortunately, hackers and scammers are waiting to prey on online daters, hoping to steal their heart, along with their cash. Drama Kings and Queens. Be Suspicious of Someone Who Is Always in a Perpetual State of Emergency. Once a catfisher thinks she or he has a live one on the line, they’ll test their mark to see how far […]
Tax Season is fraud season. It’s prime time for fraudsters and scammers looking to steal your personal and financial data. This scam is directed at tax preparers. The tax professional receives what looks like a real solicitation from a potential client stating they need help with a tax issue. If the tax professional responds to the email, the scammer follows up with a second email. That email typically has either an embedded web address or […]
Tax Season is fraud season. It’s prime time for fraudsters and scammers looking to steal your personal and financial data. Scammers are using confusion about Obamacare to rob people of their hard earned cash. The scam involves sending a false CP2000 or deficiency notice to unsuspecting marks and demanding payment for unpaid taxes. People only receive CP2000 notices from the IRS when they fail to report any income, payments or credits or if they overstate […]
Tax Season is fraud season. It’s prime time for fraudsters and scammers looking to steal your personal and financial data. Like the IRS Imposter scam, fraudsters are targeting students pretending to be from the IRS and demanding that they pay a “federal student tax”. The scammers threaten students with jail time, if they don’t wire money using a pre-paid card or even an iTunes card. They may also require them to provide personal information over […]
