Cell phone theft alert, password security tip, and scams that capitalize on high gas prices: Internet ScamBusters #179
Today we have three more interesting Snippets for you:
- Cell phone theft alert
- Password security tip
- Scams that capitalize on high gas prices
Let's get started...
Cell phone theft alert
You may not realize that if your cell phone is stolen, you are responsible for paying for all the calls that are made until you report the cell phone theft.
We recently read about one woman who was on vacation when her cell phone was stolen. The thief made over $26,000 worth of calls (mostly international) during that week before she reported the theft!
How to protect yourself: Although it is a bit of an inconvenience, we recommend using the password security option that most (if not all) cell phones have. Check your owner's manual if you need to figure out how to program a password into your phone.
You can also put a hold on your account if you cannot find your phone. If you simply misplaced it, you can then just remove the hold. Otherwise, you report the phone as stolen.
Password security tip
Speaking of passwords...
When you create a new password, you are often asked for a password hint. Don't make your password the password hint!
This may be obvious, but we hear about people doing this all the time.
Also, if your password is your cat's name and birth date (which is not a good password, btw), don't make your password hint: Cat name and date. 😉
For more on passwords, see tip #10 on this page of email tips.
Scams that capitalize on high gas prices
Whenever a disaster strikes, we are always disheartened to see the number of charity relief and other scams, as well as how quickly scammers begin to scam their victims.
Unfortunately, the same thing is often true with non-disaster situations.
Not surprisingly, now that gas prices are at the forefront of consumer concerns, we're seeing a lot of scammers come out of the woodwork to capitalize on high gas prices. So, we want to alert you so you can protect yourself.
Most of these scams involve products that claim to eliminate your gas woes.
The promoters of these products would have you believe that you can drastically and cost-effectively cut down your gas consumption by using their special gas-saving products.
But are these products legitimate, or are they simply scams?
Unfortunately, according to the experts, the majority of these gas-saving products are either useless or they can even damage your car.
The experts agree that the majority of these products either don't work at all, or the ones that actually do cut down your gas consumption will likely cost you more in damages to your car's engine than the money they are supposed to save you!
We are certainly not claiming that every gas-saving product is a scam. But we do recommend that you be VERY skeptical about these products and the claims that are made.
For 16 tips that actually will save money on gas prices, click here.
Time to wrap up for today -- have a great week!
