In a previous post I discussed virtual currency, which is used to purchase virtual goods within a variety of online communities, including social networking websites, virtual worlds, and online gaming sites. These virtual dollars and virtual goods have real value. Virtual currency includes the points customers receive from retailers, merchants, airlines, hotels, and credit card companies…
“The serial killer who dumped his victim’s bodies in the thick brush along several miles of New York’s breathtaking beachfront may have dismembered several of them, law enforcement authorities have told ABC News.” The chance of you ever coming face to face with a serial killer is extremely slim, unless of course you are a…
Most of us have become accustomed to giving out the last four digits of our Social Security numbers. But this customary request is becoming increasingly problematic, and two Rhode Island lawmakers are responding by pushing legislation to stop businesses from asking for the last four digits of customers’ Social Security numbers. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon…
Mobile banking, m-banking, or SMS banking refers to online banking that occurs via mobile phone or PDA rather than a PC. The earliest mobile banking services were offered over SMS, but with the introduction of smartphones and Apple iOS, mobile banking is being offered primarily through applications as opposed to text messages or a mobile…
How low can you go? In Virginia, a man has been accused of identity theft, forgery, and obtaining money by false pretenses. The 25-year-old accused claims, “I know I’m not guilty of any of theses charges…The day that it aired people were calling me and texting me and asking me what have I done and…
Mobile payments generally involve three participants: the mobile device, the merchant, and a financial service provider or trusted third party. That trusted third party, or TTP, is an established, reputable fiduciary entity accepted by all parties to an agreement, deal, or transaction. A TTP authenticates and authorizes users in order to secure a payment transaction,…
There are a number of mobile operating systems, but five major players have floated to the top, dominating a major chunk of the market. It used to be that people chose their phone only by their carrier and what brands they offered. Today many choose their phone based on the manufacturer and its operating systems…
NECN reports “a husband and wife from North Carolina are in court in Massachusetts charged with scamming their way into homes. Police say the couple stole from a house by posing as electrical inspectors. The 75-year-old homeowner says he and his wife were distracted by a woman while man ransacked their home. It turned out…
Unfortunately the media is reporting lots and lots of scams directed towards the elder population. We’ve discussed these scams at length in these posts, and we are going to again today. As long as there are victims, we need to be reminded of how to protect those who need protecting. Real time – real life…
This is just the greatest story about social media used for doing good EVER. A University of Georgia student was in bed when masked men invaded his home and tied up his 17-year-old sister and his grandmother. The student wakes up and probably heard yelling and realized what was happening; apparently he didn’t have his…
