A friend called me in a panic because she had lost her wallet, which contained her driver’s license, credit cards, debit card, store cards, and her Social Security card. (You should never carry your Social Security card or Social Security number in your purse or wallet.) Anyway, she was freaked out and wanted to know what…
You may be one of the millions and millions who own and love your iPhone. What I love about mine is the ability to work from anywhere and I can also view my home security cameras through an iPhone application. ADT Pulse provides customers with anywhere, anytime access to their home via smart phones or…
Identity Thieves and Cybercriminals Take Advantage of the Holiday Season, Aiming to Steal Consumers’ Money, Identities and Financial Information. As cybercriminals begin to take advantage of the holiday season, be cautious. Scam I: Charity Phishing Scams Hackers take advantage of citizens’ generosity by sending e-mails that appear to be from legitimate charitable organizations. Scam II: Fake…
Typosquatting, or URL hijacking, is a form of cybersquatting that targets Internet users who accidentally type a website address into their web browser incorrectly. When users make a typographical error while entering the website address, they may be led to an alternative website owned by a cybersquatter or criminal hacker. In a new twist, some typosquatters…
The FBI reports a burglary occurs in the United States every 15.4 seconds. That’s almost 4 property crimes a minute. Wow! A burglary can be in a home, park, car, parking lot, gym or place of work. They state: Most burglaries occur during the day when everyone’s at work or school. Unlocked, unoccupied homes that…
A “fly by night” business is one that quickly appears and disappears, without concern for the quality of their product or service, or for legal regulations. These untrustworthy businesses often operate fraudulently. On the Internet, a fly by night business is called a “phantom website.” Phantom websites exist to collect personal and credit card information.…
Shopping online is unquestionably more convenient and efficient than traditional commerce. But is it safer? We face risk everywhere we go. We risk car accidents on the way to the mall. Muggers and thieves present a risk. Heck, you risk catching a cold from a sniffling salesclerk! Similarly, shopping online creates another set of pitfalls,…
A close friend called to tell me a man knocked on her door to sell her on repaving her driveway. In the process, he requested she invite him in to discuss it further and go over different options. The man was persistent and if my friend was anyone else, he may have gotten in. However,…
In Greek mythology, Zeus is the father of all gods and men. Today in the tech world, Zeus is the father of all computer viruses. The Zeus Trojan virus, which has been around since 2007, has been described as one of the most powerful, sophisticated, and evasive viruses ever. Many antivirus programs have had difficulty…
Here are 11 tips to have a safe online shopping experience during the holiday season: Avoid spoofed websites. Common sense says any time you receive an offer via an e-mail automatically be suspicious. The same goes with offers via tweets and messages received in any social media site. Don’t click the links in e-mails. Especially…
