Social media services like Facebook and Twitter have taken a lot of heat in recent years over many of the hateful things their users share with the rest of the world. Some have accused these companies of not doing enough to prevent this sort of behavior in the first place, but Facebook says there is really not much else it can do right now. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Facebook: There Is No “Wonder Machine” To Automatically Detect Hate Speech, Abuse
By 2.6.17 — Updated: 4.5.17
‘Handy’ Cleaning App Linked To More Than 50 Thefts In NYC
By 2.6.17
It might be convenient to summon a cleaning service with the tap of your smartphone, but police in New York City are warning that convenience could lead to theft after dozens of customers using the house-cleaning app Handy reported being burgled. [More]
Trump Order Targeting Dodd-Frank Reforms Is Largely Symbolic, Still Cause For Concern
By 2.3.17
This morning, President Trump began to fulfill his campaign promise to “get rid of Dodd-Frank,” putting his name to an executive order that directs federal regulators to revise the rules established by the 2010 financial reforms. While this latest directive from the Oval Office is largely symbolic and does little to change existing regulations, consumer advocates say there are still reasons to be concerned. [More]
Stratford Career College Settles Charges It Deceived Students Over Diploma Program
By 2.3.17
Obtaining a high school diploma can be a gateway for a consumers’ future, whether it be moving on to a college or university or scoring a job. But, as thousand of students of Stratford Career Institute found, a diploma is only good if it’s recognized. To that end, the correspondence school has agreed to a suspended $6.5 million settlement resolving federal regulator’s allegations that it misled students about its high school diploma course. [More]
Friendly Reminder: The FBI Will Never Show Up Unannounced And Demand Money
By 2.3.17
If someone comes knocking on your door, claiming to be an FBI agent and demanding money, call the actual police — because you’re being conned by someone impersonating a federal agent. Just ask the operators of a money wiring service in Seattle, who were robbed of $130,000. [More]
Court To Review Target’s $10M Customer Data Breach Settlement
By 2.3.17
Nearly two years after Target agreed to set up a $10 million fund to reimburse customers affected by its massive 2013 holiday season data breach, a federal appeals court has ordered the judge in this lawsuit to review the settlement. [More]
Counterfeit Sports Gear Is Harder To Stop When Fans Order Directly From China
By 2.2.17
When you’re in the market for a jersey or hat to represent your favorite team, you know that the gear being hawked out on the sidewalk near the stadium is probably not legitimate. Online, things get fuzzier, and sellers of counterfeit merchandise pop back up faster than law enforcement, trademark holders, and even the marketplace sites can knock them down. [More]
How To Avoid Losing Money To The “Utility Company” Scam
By 2.2.17
When the weather outside is frightful, losing your heat or electricity is the last thing you want to have happened. But don’t let your fear of such an event push you into falling for a common scam perpetrated by fraudsters trying to pass themselves off as utility company employees on the phone. [More]
Bank Employee Stole $1.25M From Bank… Very, Very Slowly
By 2.1.17
When you think of a bank robbery, you probably imagine some heavily armed crew trying to run off with as much money as possible in a very short window of time. But one Texas bank employee almost managed to get away with stealing more than $1 million, by chiseling away at her employer over the course of a decade. [More]
Man Claims Grindr Refused To Delete Multiple Fake Profiles Set Up With His Info
By 2.1.17
When you’re looking for romance online, you’re right to be cautious about fake accounts using someone else’s photos and information. But what happens when you’re the one whose image and info is repeatedly being misappropriated by an ex, resulting in scores of amorous suitors showing up on your doorstep? [More]
Why Is Credit-Card Fraud Still Rising In The New Chip Era?
By 2.1.17
For years, American consumers have waited for safer credit cards with embedded chips that make them more difficult to clone, and which can require a unique PIN or a signature to use. Now that these cards are finally in widespread use, and retailers are begrudgingly shifting over to new card-readers, why is identity fraud still on the rise? [More]
Looking For “Facebook Customer Service” Online? Don’t Call This Scammy Number
By 2.1.17
When it comes to customer service, Facebook is notoriously difficult deal with, which is why people go searching on Google and elsewhere for any sort of reliable contact information for the site. But beware: There’s a scammy phone number lurking on the internet, passing itself off as “Facebook customer service.” [More]
VW To Pay $1.25B To Buy Back, Fix Cars With Emissions-Cheating ‘Defeat Devices’
By 2.1.17
And just like that, Volkswagen’s years-long “Dieselgate” scandal is nearing a conclusion as the carmaker has finally reached an agreement with federal regulators to fix and compensate owners of 78,000 3-liter diesel engine vehicles equipped with so-called defeat devices. [More]
Company Demands Thousands Of Dollars Over Negative Yelp Reviews, Despite Federal Law
By 2.1.17
In December, after an inexplicably long trip through the legislative process, President Obama signed the Consumer Review Fairness Act, making it illegal for companies to demand that consumers sign away their right to speak honestly. However, not everyone seems to have gotten this message. [More]
Alleged Sellers Of Magic Disease-Curing Laser Arrested, Indicted For Fraud
By 1.31.17
There are medical conditions that can be treated with lasers. Laser eye surgery is safe and commonplace, for example. Skin disorders and arthritis pain can be treated with lasers, too. However, what you can’t do is cure every disease known to medicine by paying thousands of dollars for a handheld laser from some dude in South Dakota. [More]
Hormel Investigating Supplier Accused Of Abusing Animals
By 1.31.17
Hormel Foods has suspended buying from one of its largest suppliers and opened an investigation into its practices after an animal rights group secretly taped workers at the plant allegedly mistreating and abusing pigs. [More]
Lenders, Real Estate Brokers To Pay More Than $5M For Alleged Kickback Scheme
By 1.31.17
The home buying process is complicated and expensive enough without mortgage servicers and real estate brokers tacking on illegal and costly fees. To that end, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Prospect Mortgage and three other companies to pay more than $5 million to settle allegations they participated in an illegal kickback scheme. [More]
Drug Dealer Hiking The Price Of Pot? Don’t Call The Police
By 1.31.17
“Is your drug dealer ripping you off?” That’s a question police in Australia jokingly posed this week, after a woman called authorities to complain about a recent “outrageous” price hike on marijuana in her neighborhood. [More]
