Catastrophic weather or other major disasters can impose hardships on your family, pets and property. Hurricane Michael offers a valuable reminder to take a proactive approach and prepare ahead of time for the unexpected. BBB and Consumer Reports compiled a list of smart steps you may need to take to protect yourself in the event…
Most Dangerous Celebrities to Search Online Named for 2018
October recognizes the importance of cybersecurity with National Cyber Security Awareness Month (SCSAM). In short, cybersecurity is protecting your computer-based equipment and information from unintended or unauthorized access, change, theft or destruction. Cybercrime comes in many forms, such as online identity theft, financial fraud, hacking, email spoofing, information forgery and intellectual property crime. It can…
What’s the Risk of a Medical Data Breach?
Despite strict privacy laws, like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), intended to safeguard your personal medical information, medical identity theft is on the rise and that could be a prescription for financial disaster. A law passed in 2009 requires health care providers and other entities covered by HIPAA to inform the U.S….
Almost 50% of Cellphone Calls Will Be Scams by 2019
Advancements in technology have made it easy and inexpensive for scammers to hide their true identities. Unlawful robocalls and malicious caller ID spoofing have become a major concern for millions of Americans. These types of scam calls can result in financial losses, identity theft and serious consumer frustration. Around 60 percent of all complaints received…
How to Pay Someone You Don’t Know
According to the 2017 BBB Scam Tracker Annual Risk Report, online purchase scams are now the riskiest type of consumer fraud. These cons often involve purchases and sales on direct seller-to-buyer sites such as eBay, Craigslist and Facebook’s Marketplace. Most online purchase scams occur when a payment is made online in exchange for a good…
New Law Makes Credit Freezes and Thaws Easier – and Free
Every few months it seems we hear about another major hack of consumer information. In the wake of these massive data breaches like Equifax in 2017, which exposed the personal information of millions of Americans, a new federal law will soon allow you to get credit protection, without paying a fee. In May, Congress passed…
Donors Should Support Established Disaster Relief Organizations
With Hurricane Florence bearing down on the southeast coast of the United States, BBB Wise Giving Alliance and Better Business Bureau advise donors that experienced disaster relief organizations offer the best possibility of providing emergency help for victims after a natural disaster. NBC News reported last week that the Make It Right Foundation, a charity…
Google Cracking Down on Phony Tech Support Ads
As scammers continue to exploit technology to find new victims, many companies are left trying to stay ahead of the latest tricks of the trade. This includes Silicon Valley giants like Google, which recently announced it is cracking down on misleading tech support advertisements. This comes after a report by the Wall Street Journal found…
Newer Cars are Like Smartphones. Treat Your Stored Personal Information the Same Way.
When we get a new phone, we are often told to clear the data off our old devices before trading them in, but what about our cars? Whether you are selling your car or returning a rental, it’s important to keep in mind what information is left behind. If you don’t, the next person in…
Facebook Removed 5,000 Ad Categories that Excluded Users Based on Religion, Race
In an effort to make its advertising platform less discriminatory, Facebook announced last week it had removed thousands of ad-targeting categories that excluded based on ethnicity and religion. “We’re committed to protecting people from discriminatory advertising on our platforms. That’s why we’re removing over 5,000 targeting options to help prevent misuse,” the company wrote in…
