Simple rules that will help you spot a Census scam: Internet Scambusters #886 Scammers have a new and perfect opportunity to knock at your door or phone you to ask for confidential information. They pretend to be Census data collectors — and since 2020 is a census year, expect them to be out in force. […]

False emergency alerts can make people vacate homes or ignore genuine alarms: Internet Scambusters #885 Emergency alerts by phone or text are supposed to warn us of impending troubles or even disasters. But it’s easy to fake these alerts to make people behave in a particular way, like vacating their homes or running from wherever […]

How the celebrity name game fools victims into buying products and giving away money: Internet Scambusters #884 Most people are fascinated by celebrities. They seem to live a life many of us would envy. But the reality is that the celebrity names that spark our curiosity are also potentially a scam trap. Even the stars […]

How to spot a business website design scam: Internet Scambusters #883 Business websites are an important way of promoting a venture and selling products, especially for small and newly founded businesses. Scammers know this and pose as website designers to steal their cash. Or they target the designers themselves with fake orders and advance fee […]

Snippets issue exposes continuing chat room scams: Internet Scambusters #882 Although online chat rooms are not as popular as they used to be, they’re still a big hit with scammers. And in other new tricks, they’re hiding behind top online trading names like Amazon and American Airlines to trick victims into giving their sign-on details. […]

Red flags that say your dentist may be ripping you off: Internet Scambusters #881 A visit to the dentist is never fun, but it could be worse. How do you know if you or your insurance company are overpaying for dental procedures or, indeed, whether the work is necessary at all? We’ll give you some […]

5 actions to check if your canned tuna really is “dolphin safe” : Internet Scambusters #880 Nearly every can of tuna you can buy in the US contains a label saying that it’s dolphin safe. In other words, fishing techniques used are not harmful to our favorite sea mammal. But some producers may be hiding […]

Why defeating and removing scammers is an ongoing problem for Google Maps: Internet Scambusters #879 Google Maps (and other mapping software) have changed our lives for the better and made shopping easier and, often, cheaper. But not always. The Internet search giant recently confirmed that it has removed 11 million fake listings from its mapping […]

Cryptocurrency scams now cost $1 billion a year: Internet Scambusters #878 Cryptocurrency — virtual cash you can use but never see — is increasingly common both as a payment method and investment vehicle. But it’s also fraught with a growing number of scam risks costing more than a billion dollars a year, as we report […]

Simple phishing trick could help crooks crack two-factor authentication: Internet Scambusters #877 Two-factor authentication — the technique of requiring a second security check on your password — may no longer be enough to protect you. A simple phishing trick may be all it takes to con you into giving away this precious sign-on information, as […]