The Year's Most Outrageous Tax Cheats
From a restauranteur who hid cash receipts in octopus boxes to a self-proclaimed governor who buried his gold, here are some of the oddest tax frauds the IRS caught last year.
identity theft
Why Your Facebook Account Is More Secure Than Your Bank Account
Facebook and Google use an extra line of defense to keep intruders out of your account. Why don't banks do the same?
What Hacked LivingSocial Users Actually Need to Worry About
Living Social just suffered a data breach, but smart users don't have much to fear. Here's what the thieves can do with the data they got, and how you can protect yourself.
Why Your Bank Thinks Someone Stole Your Credit Card
Banks issue fraud alerts and freeze accounts if they think a credit card has been stolen -- which can be annoying when they're wrong. But what sets off their warning bells?
5 Practical Money Tips for New Grads
Beyond the usual platitudes and cliches, commencement speakers should consider giving their audiences of eager graduates these five crucial pieces of advice.
Is That Charity Street Canvasser Legit?
Most people wouldn't give their wallet to a stranger, but many people give charity street canvassers their personal and financial information. And that's not always wise.
The Top 10 Consumer Complaints of 2012
An online database compiled more than 2 million consumer complaints in 2012: identity theft, debt collection, tax fraud and more. Here are the top 10 biggest offenders.
Looking for Your Tax Refund? So Are Scammers
Tax refund fraud has skyrocketed in recent years. Don't let scammers get their hands on your refund check. Here's how to protect yourself.
Parents, Beware: Identity Thieves Are After Your Children
Parents, beware: Your offspring are in the crosshairs of financial scammers. According to AllClear ID, an identity-theft protection company, children are 35 times more likely than adults to be identity theft victims.
9 Ways to Teach Teenagers About Money
While some school systems have added financial literacy to their curricula, many have not, and in the end, responsibility for ensuring your offspring are ready for adult financial life is on your shoulders. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can add to your teens' practical knowledge.
4 Things Identity Thieves Don't Want You To Know
More than 11.6 million people in the U.S. reported having their identity stolen in 2011, 13 percent more than in 2010, and those numbers are likely to rise further. But you can avoid being a victim: Here are four things identity thieves don't want you to know.
When You've Passed On, Who Inherits Your Credit Card Debt?
When we die, we leave all kinds of things behind, including our debts. And it's not always clear what exactly happens to those obligations. Consider your credit card debt, for example.
Scammers Hacking Computers by Calling Victims on the Phone
It's the latest scam: A con artist calls your phone posing as a tech from a big computer company, and claims to have detected a virus on your computer. He (or she!) then asks for access to it in order to "help" you. Agree, and your troubles are just beginning.
Family Fraud: When Mom Steals Your Identity
Identity theft is bad enough when it's a stranger committing the crime. But it gets even more complicated when the perpetrator is a relative. And that scenario is far more common than you might guess.
Identity Theft's Taxing New Trend: Scammers Are After Your Refund
Beware the hottest trend in identity theft: tax identity theft. This year, the IRS expects upwards of 1 million fraudulent tax returns will be filed by scammers stealing refunds. And while the IRS can't protect you, you can protect yourself.