On June 15, 2021, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its 2020 Elder Fraud Report. According to the report, IC3 received a total of 791,790 complaints in 2020, with reported losses exceeding $4.1 billion. About 28% of the total fraud losses were sustained by victims over the age…
Even if you spot the scam and don’t fall for it, being on the receiving end of a scam attempt can be infuriating. It can make you mad enough to want revenge against the scammer. That is usually a very bad idea. There are people, though, who love to mess…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently seeking feedback on proposed regulations to prevent SIM swapping and port-out fraud. These scams allow criminals to take over a victim’s mobile phone number and even hijack their online identity. According to the FCC, SIM (subscriber identity module) swapping takes place when a…
Clearing old data and unused apps from your phone can not only help your device run faster, it can help you focus on what is really important and get rid of the apps that are, as a writer for Popular Mechanics said, “the software equivalent of the jeans I refuse…
One thing that seems to be uniting Republicans and Democrats is their concern for the effects of social media on children. Both Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH) have compared big tech services to big tobacco. “Instagram is that first childhood cigarette meant to get teens hooked…
Today, people are carrying less cash than ever before. So what can you do when you want to split the cost of dinner, pay back the $50 you borrowed from a friend or make good on the $20 bet you lost to your brother-in-law? That’s where peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services…
Smile, you’re on facial recognition camera! A number of retail businesses are now using facial recognition technology, and others are considering it. In July 2021, digital rights non-profit Fight for the Future launched an initiative to document which retailers are using facial recognition, and which have committed to not employ…
As more of us are heading out on trips after extended stay-cations due to the pandemic, we need to remember how to keep our personal information private. The scammers are heading out, too, but they are not on vacation. They are working at getting your money and personal information. Before…
Does keeping yourself safe online seem like an overwhelming task? It seems that there are so many things you have to remember and do. But what if you could master cybersecurity in simple steps? In this episode we will share some tiny changes you can make to greatly increase your…
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones and computers. It includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else in order to harass or embarrass them. The results of cyberbullying can be tragic, as some victims are so distressed that…
You know the routine: you set up a new account and you are asked for a password. The password you choose must be suitably complex or you can let the site choose a password for you, full of numbers and special characters and impossible to remember. What if you were…
Can keeping your mobile device safe from hackers be as simple as turning it off then turning it back on? Well, not completely, but that is one of the things the National Security Agency (NSA) suggests to thwart the bad guys. “This is all about imposing cost on these malicious…
In an update to iOS 14, Apple now requires all apps to ask for explicit permission to track users across apps and websites. This means that instead of tracking only being disclosed in the terms of service that most users never read, there is now a message that appears (when…
The idea of removing all traces of yourself from the internet can be appealing, but how would you do it? Is it even possible? We will discuss the steps to erase or reduce your digital footprint, from minimizing your digital footprint to invoking the “nuclear option.” Expert: Bruce R. Mendelsohn…