Just as the Trump administration is attempting to prevent nursing home residents or their families from ever being able to sue longterm care facilities for neglect or fraud, a federal audit claims that an alarming percentage of physical and sexual abuse cases at nursing homes may be going unreported to law enforcement. [More]
Crime & Fraud
Man Racked Up Thousands Of Dollars In Charges At Hotels Without Ever Checking In
By 8.28.17
Like Jimmy McGill lounging in a resort pool while charging drinks to another guest’s room, an apparent con artist in South Carolina recently told police he’s been freeloading his way around the luxury hotels of the Southeast, charging thousands of dollars in purchases to rooms where he was never the guest. [More]
How To Avoid Scams & Fake Charities In Aftermath Of Hurricane Harvey
By 8.28.17
With millions of people affected by the ravages of Hurricane Harvey, there will inevitably be a second flood hitting Texas in the weeks to come: Scammers and con artists looking to prey on people who have been displaced, whose homes need extensive repairs, and on the rest of us who want to help by donating to a cause that will help them. [More]
New York Times Removes Book From Bestseller List Amid Accusations It Gamed System
By 8.25.17
The New York Times bestseller list is, at this point, an institution. Reaching number one is a coveted spot that not only allows you to sell more copies of your book, but also lets you put “NYT Bestselling Author” in front of your name on your next one. The prerequisite for the list, is, of course, selling lots of copies of your book. So how did a book that barely exists and nobody ever heard of manage to become a bestseller? [More]
Here’s How One State Is Using Driver’s License Facial Recognition To Crack Down On Fraud
By 8.23.17
Fake IDs aren’t just a problem for people whose identities have been stolen and used to make a new driver’s license, but they can also lead to unlicensed drivers hitting the roads and potentially endangering others. Officials in New York say they’ve made a serious dent in these kinds of crimes with its driver’s license facial recognition technology. [More]
Justice Dept. Decides It No Longer Wants Info On 1.3 Million Visitors To Anti-Trump Site
By 8.23.17
The U.S. Department of Justice recently tried to compel a website hosting company to turn over all the information the company has on the approximately 1.3 million internet users who visited a site created to organize a protest during President Trump’s inauguration. Now the DOJ is rethinking that plan, withdrawing its demand for this mountain of data. [More]
Stealing Your Identity Can Be As Easy As Stealing Your Phone Number
By 8.22.17
You’re smart about online security, right? Sure! You use two-factor authentication on all your accounts, you don’t use dodgy WiFi, you make sure to put a passcode on your phone, and you keep it with you at all times, never out of your sight. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to protect you. Because it only takes one thing to hijack your whole digital life: Your ten-digit mobile number. [More]
More Than A Third Of Americans Have Been Unknowingly Enrolled In Auto-Pay Plans
By 8.22.17
If you’ve ever been surprised to find you’ve been automatically charged for a subscription or a service you don’t remember signing up for, you’re not alone: A new survey says that more than a third of Americans have been enrolled in autopay programs — for anything from a gym membership to a streaming service — without realizing it. [More]
IRS Warns Of Increase In W-2 Theft Scams
By 8.22.17
Tax time might still be months away, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be on the lookout for possible scams: The Internal Revenue Service and FBI are warning consumers and businesses about an email scam targeting employee W-2 forms after seeing a 150% increase in incidents last year. [More]
Ex-Lottery Worker Who Admitted To Rigging The System Now Facing 25 Years In Prison
By 8.22.17
Well, ping pong balls and rotating cages it ain’t: The former lottery security official convicted of trying to rig the system to pick winning numbers is now facing up to 25 years in prison for the scheme. [More]
Uber Driver Accused Of Locking Passenger In Car, Demanding Sex
By 8.21.17
A Chicago Uber driver has been charged with unlawful restraint after he was accused of locking a passenger in his car and demanding that she have sex with him. [More]
Watch Out For Great Deals From Brand-New Amazon Sellers
By 8.17.17 — Updated: 8.18.17
The most effective scams take advantage of our greed, so it’s always good to have a reminder that deals that seem too good to be true probably are. The problem is that even if you know that an amazing deal from a seller who just joined Amazon last week and has no feedback is a red flag, Amazon’s “buy” button doesn’t necessarily understand this. [More]
Hackers Briefly Take Control Of Some HBO Twitter Accounts
By 8.17.17
It’s been a rough few weeks for HBO: Not one, but two unreleased episodes of its hit show Game of Thrones have been leaked online ahead of schedule, and hackers are claiming to hold massive amounts of the company’s data for ransom. And on Wednesday night, a group of hackers temporarily took over various HBO Twitter accounts. [More]
FTC: Fake Discount Clubs Took $42M From People Who Never Signed Up
By 8.16.17
Discount clubs that give you savings on stuff you might want could be convenient, if you’re into that kind of thing. But not so much if you’ve never signed up for the service in the first place — and end up getting charged for it nonetheless. [More]
Couple Accused Of Trying To Use Lowe’s Website Glitch To Scam $258K Worth Of Stuff
By 8.16.17
We understand the desire to redecorate, but just because your budget is low doesn’t mean you should try stealing yourself a new patio set. A New Jersey husband-and-wife team is accused of exploiting a website glitch in an effort to scam $258,000 worth of merchandise from Lowe’s, including a gazebo and lawn mower. [More]
Subway Owner Says Police Ruined Her Business By Falsely Claiming Officer’s Drink Was Spiked With Meth
By 8.14.17
The owner of a Subway franchisee is accusing her local police department of destroying her business and reputation by knowingly making false accusations through the local news that an employee of the restaurant spiked and officer’s drink with methamphetamine. [More]
Uber Passenger Dies After Altercation With Driver
By 8.14.17
A Florida Uber passenger died after one of the ride-hailing company’s drivers allegedly punched him during a dispute. [More]
Walmart Claims ‘Back-To-School’ Sign On Gun Case Was A Prank
By 8.14.17
Walmart recently took a lot of heat on social media over a photo showing a back-to-school promotional sign over a gun display case. The retailer now says it has definitive proof that the sign was posted as a prank, but is not providing any additional details. [More]
