7 key steps to beat the free trial tricksters: Internet Scambusters #843 There’s nothing better than getting something for nothing, which is why many of us find free trials of products or services so attractive. But behind some of these deals are expensive subscriptions that many consumers don’t realize they’re signing up for. In this […]

Snippets issue highlights fake recall notices, bogus conference invitations and digital wallet thefts: Internet Scambusters #842 Ever had a car recall notice and, if so, did you just take your vehicle in to be checked without giving it a second thought? Maybe it was all entirely legit, but if the dealer then tried to talk […]

How beauty pageants lure entrants into spending thousands of dollars: Internet Scambusters #841 What’s the difference between a beauty pageant and a scam? Sometimes, it’s a few thousand dollars — the amount young Americans or their parents pay in hopes of achieving modeling stardom. In this week’s issue, we explain how the scams work and […]

Transcript trick heads up latest deluge of tax scams: Internet Scambusters #840 Tax scams have become a year-round affair, increasing in intensity as we near the first deadline for filing in 2019. As well as looking out for the usual crop of scams — which the IRS calls the “Dirty Dozen” — taxpayers should also […]

Experts question value of IV drip lounges: Internet Scambusters #839 Bodily infusions of vitamins and enhanced water via IV drips have become something of a craze, driven by celebrity users. While some of these “treatments” may perform no better than a glass of water and a vitamin pill, others — or at least the claims […]

FTC alleges firms promote military careers when they’re really selling college places: Internet Scambusters #838 Whether you’re just starting to look for a military career or you’re reaching the end of one, you could end up being misled and out of pocket. Marketing firms are being criticized for using questionable tactics to harvest and sell […]

Most security software can’t detect fileless malware attacks, so what can you do?: Internet Scambusters #837 Fileless malware is one of the biggest challenges facing security software vendors — because they can’t detect it. Right now, it’s a growing threat to businesses but consumers could be next in the scammers’ sights. So, what is fileless […]

Imposters led our top scams list for 2018 but what’s ahead for 2019?: Internet Scambusters #836 Scam artists spend much of their evil lives pretending to be someone they’re not, so it’s no surprise that imposter fraud heads up our annual review of top scams for 2018. But will it be the same in 2019? […]

How your fax machine can be a gateway to your network for cyber crooks: Internet Scambusters #835 Fax machines may seem like old-fashioned technology but there are still 17 million of them in use in the United States today. And every one of them potentially has a security weakness that could allow hackers into your […]

Snippets issue highlights new gift card, paycheck diversion, Uber and grants scams: Internet Scambusters #834 We have sneaky tricks galore, including a nasty gift card scam for new employees, in this week’s Snippets Issue. Plus, we’ll tell you about a tactic Uber ride-sharing drivers allegedly use to trick passengers into canceling their booking but paying […]