Every year, people report fraud, identity theft, and bad business practices to the FTC and its law enforcement partners. In 2021, 5.7 million people filed reports and described losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud — a $2.4 billion jump in losses in one year. You can learn about the types of fraud, identity theft,Continue reading “The Top Frauds of 2021”
Tag Archives: Fraud
Can Multiple Email Addresses Protect You From Cyber Thieves?
For security and privacy online, do you really need more than one email account? Some experts say having more than one can better safeguard your personal and financial information from sticky-fingered cybercriminals. You might have separate accounts for financial matters, family and friends, online shopping, newsletter subscriptions, and so on. (Read More)
5 Common Gift Card Scams and How to Spot Them
It’s that time of the year again, when we’re all online looking for presents to give and receive. Gift cards are an increasingly popular choice, which means you might well be buying or receiving them during the festive period. In fact, they’ve become a huge global market projected to grow at a rapid clip overContinue reading “5 Common Gift Card Scams and How to Spot Them”
Make your donation count by avoiding end-of-year charity scams
The season of giving is here. If you celebrate Christmas, you might be about to fill some stockings. But, for many, holiday giving includes supporting charitable causes. Charities in need of support will be making year-end appeals by phone, mail, email, and social media. Scammers know that, too, and every year try to trick peopleContinue reading “Make your donation count by avoiding end-of-year charity scams”
10 Telltale Signs of a Romance Scam
When it comes to romance scams, Patrick Wyman, a 13-year veteran of the FBI, has seen it all. He’s investigated, helped on or supervised about 300 romance fraud cases. Wyman, a supervisory special agent in the Washington Field Office, says two things are critical to preventing a smooth-talking criminal from breaking your heart and emptyingContinue reading “10 Telltale Signs of a Romance Scam”
How to tell if your password has been stolen in a security breach
Following the revelation that a list containing millions of stolen usernames and passwords had appeared online, we tell you a few different ways to find out if your credentials were stolen in that—or any other—security breach. In mid-January, researcher Troy Hunt revealed that a list was floating around in the storage space of the MEGAContinue reading “How to tell if your password has been stolen in a security breach”
10 Worst Things to Carry in Your Wallet
In an episode of “Seinfeld,” Jerry’s neurotic friend George Costanza has so much stuff jam-packed into his wallet that it’s ridiculed as a “filing cabinet.” The wallet bulges with everything from Irish currency to a coupon redeemable at Orlando, Florida-area Exxons to filched packets of Sweet’N Low. Walking down the street, Costanza the pack ratContinue reading “10 Worst Things to Carry in Your Wallet”
Scammers Are Tricking More People Into Buying Gift Cards
According to the newest Data Spotlight, 40,000 people reported losing a whopping $148 million in gift cards to scammers during the first nine months of 2021. Those are staggering numbers which have increased each year for the past several years. Since 2018, gift cards have been the most frequently reported payment method for fraud. ButContinue reading “Scammers Are Tricking More People Into Buying Gift Cards”
Welcome to Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022
Today we’re kicking off Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022. Identity thieves have been busier than ever during the pandemic, with scammers and identity thieves after people’s information to apply for credit, unemployment benefits, file taxes, buy things, or get medical services. But there are some things you can do to protect yourself, and this week,Continue reading “Welcome to Identity Theft Awareness Week 2022”
The Virginia SMP 