Cybersecurity experts reported a 400% increase in reported online scams in 2020 over the figures for 2019. Most of these are old scams, but more people are falling for them than ever before. Here are three types of online scams that are seeing a resurgence and how you can protect yourself from them. The SIM Card Swap The “SIM card swap” scam is a common scam where scammers use personal information to convince your cell phone carrier that they […]
Avoid These Common Phishing Lures Like The Plague |
Phishing continues to be a serious problem in 2019. But it’s no longer just a problem for those who aren’t tech savvy. There is an alarmingly high number of these scams, and an increasingly diverse set of victims. It seems that people of all ages, backgrounds and tech experience have now encountered phishing lures. However, most people aren’t as good at detecting these scams as they think they are. A credible 2015 study found that 97% of all consumers are […]
How to Protect Yourself from Phishing, Vishing & Everything in Between |
What Happens When the Same Old Scam Meets New Technology? Con artistry is nothing new. Even the Garden of Eden featured one of the world’s first successful con artists. But throughout history, they’ve taken on many different forms. Today’s con artist looks less like the serpent and more like your next door neighbor. So what is any human to do? For years, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” was a good enough mantra to keep […]
Sextortion Ransomware – A New Tactic in Fake Tech Support Scams? |
Have you ever received a random phone call from a person with a foreign accent who claims there is something wrong with your computer and then offers to diagnose or fix it? If so, the odds are you were experiencing an epidemic now known as the “fake tech support” scam. The scam’s ultimate goal is to get the victim to purchase an expensive but completely useless technical support plan to fix phony issues. Though this scam has been around for […]
Keeping Your Private Nude Photos Private |
It’s a subject most people don’t discuss openly, but taking nude photos or selfies is an extremely common practice today – especially among millennials. In a 2014 online survey of young women by Cosmopolitan.com, around 90% of those surveyed said they took nude photos of themselves at one time or another. But are they taking steps to secure these highly sensitive photos and ensure they don’t get into the wrong hands? Unfortunately, the answer seems to be no. There are […]
What The Internet Privacy Repeal Means for You |
In the last several weeks, the US House of Representatives voted to roll back new FCC regulations designed to safeguard consumer privacy online. The regulations were due to take effect by the end of this year, and would have required Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to get their customers’ consent before sharing or selling any “sensitive” personal information. So what does this mean for most Internet users? Perhaps not as much as you might think. Popular internet websites like Google and […]