Are you being forced into paying more for student textbooks?: Internet Scambusters #873 As students are returning to college, some of them could end up paying more than necessary because of a deal between publishers and colleges. Is it a scam or just a shrewd, though dubious, business practice? In this week’s issue, we’ll tell […]

7 things you can do to defeat the cell phone fraudsters: Internet Scambusters #872 Cell phone fraud is rising fast, but some service providers aren’t well enough prepared to stop it from costing their customers a fortune. However, a few careful steps now could help stop you from falling into the scammers’ clutches. In this […]

7 actions you can take to avoid the new election scammers: Internet Scambusters #871 There’s still a year to go, but the Presidential race has already started — and so have the election scammers. They’re using fake news to fool voters and fake websites to steal money. In this week’s issue, we’ll flag up the […]

How to limit ID theft risks and more for kids online: Internet Scambusters #870 Today’s parents are the first generation that has to worry about protecting their kids online. But there are plenty of laws, regulations, and guidelines to help you safeguard them, as we explain in this week’s issue. Plus, we also have a […]

How to avoid a VPN scam and find a safe-to-use product: Internet Scambusters #869 Worries about the security of our mobile devices could inadvertently lure us into a VPN scam. VPNs — virtual private networks — are an effective way of protecting devices from hackers and hiding our online activities but only if you use […]

How crooks use remote deposit to pay-in dud checks: Internet Scambusters #868 Using your cell phone to scan and bank checks — remote deposit capture, as it’s called — may be a great consumer convenience, but it’s also a weapon used by scammers. They use the tactic to deposit dud checks into victims’ banks and […]

Mousetrapping: The art of capturing and keeping you on a web page: Internet Scambusters #867 Mousetrapping is the term for a rogue Internet programming tactic that stops you from leaving a web page or even from shutting down your browser. It feels like there’s no escape, but there is, as we explain in this week’s […]

Will fingerprints and other biometrics replace passwords?: Internet Scambusters #866 Is security that’s based on your fingerprint or your facial features safer than using a password? Yes and no, say the experts. They likely won’t make it tougher to steal your sign-on and other personal data, but it’ll be harder for crooks to use what […]

Social Security scams have become an epidemic, government says: Internet Scambusters #865 Pretending to be from the IRS is getting tougher for scammers — so they’ve switched their attention to Social Security. In fact, Social Security impersonations have moved into the top slots among impostor scams. We’ll explain what the crooks are up to in […]

Federal agencies issue warnings to firms claiming they can cure Alzheimer’s: Internet Scambusters #864 When someone suffers from an incurable illness like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, it’s understandable that sufferers and their families may clutch at straws to find an effective treatment. But so-called alternative treatments are not only ineffective or, at least, unproven, they can […]