Blessing loom program is an illegal pyramid scheme: Internet Scambusters #928 A “Blessing Loom” may sound like a highly beneficial program or even a sacred object. But it’s nothing of the sort. It’s a pyramid scheme and a scam that could draw you into an illegal involvement, which could, in turn, land you in jail. […]

How to recognize a scam phone call and what to do next: Internet Scambusters #927 Millions of scam phone calls are made every day — enough to ensure that every so often they hit home and find a victim. But it needn’t be that way — if you can recognize a potential scam call and […]

Key actions to spot and avoid a fake watch scam: Internet Scambusters #926 Crooked watchmakers, who are so good at what they do, are making it tougher than ever to spot a fake watch. At least that’s what’s happening at the luxury end of the timepiece market, but imposters are also faking Apple watches and […]

Don’t get lost in the predatory lending money maze: Internet Scambusters #925 Predatory lending is a wicked way of exploiting peoples’ financial difficulties. And they come from all manner of sources, taking on different guises according to the opportunities that scammers spot. In this week’s issue, we’ll outline the different types of lending scams and […]

How to safeguard your privacy during online telehealth doctor visits: Internet Scambusters #924 Telehealth — online medical consultations — have become a vital element of health care and treatment during the COVID pandemic. But they’re not the same as face to face consultations, and now questions are being raised about security and confidentiality. Using a […]

Snippets issue reports on pandemic coin shortage, Roku activation, solar and roofing scams: Internet Scambusters #923 A coin shortage driven by changed shopping habits and a slowdown at the US Mint is being used by some stores as an excuse to shortchange customers. We’ll explain how and why, and what you can do about it, […]

How charity scams, old and new, rake in millions: Internet Scambusters #922 Charity scammers have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars over the years — and they’re still doing it. In this week’s issue, we reveal the big-time alleged scammers of the past and the latest attempts to cash in on current topical situations. […]

Here’s why unordered Chinese seeds may show up in your mailbox: Internet Scambusters #921 Everybody’s talking about those mystery packages of Chinese seeds that many people have been receiving, unsolicited, in their mail deliveries. Most security and consumer experts think they’re probably part of a “brushing” scam. If so, we’ll tell you how it works […]

Why you can’t trust social media account verification: Internet Scambusters #920 Did we ever think that the account verification process launched by Twitter and Facebook would help us confirm the identity of political candidates and senior media figures? If so, we were wrong, as we report in this week’s issue. Not only that. In the […]

Follow our instructions for setting a new router password: Internet Scambusters #919 You may practice password safety by using different ones for different sites and by updating them regularly. But that’s not enough. The key to safety on your home network is to make it as inaccessible as possible by setting a new password on […]