DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'Recovery Services' Phone Scam Seeks Potentially Scary Informationhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/23/recovery-services-phone-scam-seeks-potentially-scary-informati/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/23/recovery-services-phone-scam-seeks-potentially-scary-informati/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/23/recovery-services-phone-scam-seeks-potentially-scary-informati/#commentsFiled under: ,

recovery services phone scamA recent scam caller claiming a company called "Recovery Services" has an unclaimed Christmas package it wants to deliver demonstrates how creative scammers can get when trying to con you out of important personal information -- a home address, in this case.

The caller, speaking from an I.D.-masked number, starts with the pitch about a missing package. But if there's any hesitation, the pitch changes quickly into a variation on the classic lottery scam, with the same caller now claiming he has an envelope with $275,000 or $277,000 awaiting the lucky recipient, winner of his company's sweepstakes this month.

All you have to do to claim your lost Christmas package, lottery windfall or both is verify your correct name and mailing address, of course.

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]]>address verification scamsbusiness+recovery+services+scambusinessrecoveryservicesscamdebt+collectorsdebtcollectorsdo not call registryinformation+on+scamsinformationonscamslottery scamsphone+scamphone+scams+from+las+vegasphonescamphonescamsfromlasvegasrecovery servicesscam+recoveryscamrecoverytelephone scamsups+lottery+phone+callupslotteryphonecallBeau BrendlerWed, 23 Mar 2011 17:00:00 ESTWhy You Should Be Cheering for Verizon to Win This Internet Lawsuithttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/17/are-you-safe-on-the-internet-no-but-the-battle-rages-on/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/17/are-you-safe-on-the-internet-no-but-the-battle-rages-on/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/17/are-you-safe-on-the-internet-no-but-the-battle-rages-on/#commentsFiled under: , ,

cybersquatting verizonsucks.com should be protectedSAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 17 -- People should be able to use the Internet without fear of harm. Simple enough, right? No less an Internet luminary than Vint Cerf, often referred to as one of the fathers of the Internet, said so this week at the 40th meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the non-profit industry group that administers domain names -- .com, .org, .xxx.

Vint's statement has picked up some resonance in the hallways here. That's not surprising since, depending on whose statistics you believe, about 30% of the general public doesn't want to use the Internet out of fear: Some criminal could use it to hijack their passwords, steal their retirement, expose their children to pornography and violence.

At a more basic level, many people are confused by the images, emails and websites that pass by them, and can easily be lured into thinking they are engaged in, say, online banking, when in fact they are surrendering their most valuable personal data to a criminal syndicate.

Continue reading Why You Should Be Cheering for Verizon to Win This Internet Lawsuit


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]]>Above.combuying+a+domain+from+above.combuyingadomainfromabove.comcyper-squattershuman+rights+and+the+internethumanrightsandtheinternetICANNinternet+human+rightinternet+privacyinternet+statisticsinternethumanrightinternetprivacyinternetstatisticssafe+internet+usesafeinternetusescammerstechnologytrelliantypo-squattingverizon+california+inc.+v.+above.comverizoncaliforniainc.v.above.comBeau BrendlerThu, 17 Mar 2011 18:10:00 ESTRecord-setting Settlement Says AstraZeneca Lied About Seroquel Effectshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/astrazeneca-paying-big-over-seroquel-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/astrazeneca-paying-big-over-seroquel-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/astrazeneca-paying-big-over-seroquel-marketing/#commentsFiled under: ,

astrazeneca settlementAstraZeneca agreed to pay $3.1 million to settle a New York State Attorney General's lawsuit saying the British pharmaceutical company improperly promoted and marketed the schizophrenia drug Seroquel, concealing dangerous side effects such as diabetes from health care providers and the public.

New York's agreement is part of the largest consumer-protection settlement in history with a pharmaceutical company, including 37 states for a total of $68.5 million, state officials said. AstraZeneca marketed Seroquel's use "off-label," which means outside government-approved guidelines for what the drug is intended to treat. Introduced in the 1990s, Seroquel was thought then to produce fewer harmful side effects than existing drugs for treating schizophrenia in the long-term.

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]]>AstraZenecaastrazeneca+seroquelastrazeneca+settlement+seroquelastrazenecaseroquelastrazenecasettlementseroquelastrazeneco+seroquelastrazenecoseroqueldiabetes riskoff-label drug useschizophreniaseraquoelSeroquelseroquel+settlementsseroquel+side+effectsseroquelsettlementsseroquelsideeffectsBeau BrendlerFri, 11 Mar 2011 11:52:00 ESTWho's Your Stalker? Facebook Scam Makes a New Appearancehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/10/whos-your-stalker-facebook-scam-makes-a-new-appearance/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/10/whos-your-stalker-facebook-scam-makes-a-new-appearance/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/10/whos-your-stalker-facebook-scam-makes-a-new-appearance/#commentsFiled under: , ,

stalker facebook scamFacebook has quickly become scam central, and with as many as 600 million users it's easy to understand why criminals are attacking The Social Network in earnest. Scams come and go with the headlines, but lately to resurface is the Stalker app, which tries to tempt a click with a variation on an invitation to "See Who Your Stalkers Are!"

Great bait. As far as the deadly sins go, there's an appeal to lust (porneia in Greek), if you're single and using The Social Network to hook up. There's an appeal to vanity (vana gloria in Latin, which sounds better), as there is on other networking sites such as LinkedIn, where access to who is looking you up is sold at a premium. Maybe some recruiter is running you through a keyword check, after all. There's an appeal to wrath, since you may actually have a troublesome ex or a current in porneia's grip who really is stalking you, a common enough occurrence apparently that Virgin Mobile invokes it to sell cell service.

Continue reading Who's Your Stalker? Facebook Scam Makes a New Appearance


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]]>charlie sheen scamdomain name system abusedomain-registrationfacebookfacebook scamsfacebook stalkerfacebook+email+scamfacebook+fadfacebook+scamfacebook+stalkersfacebookemailscamfacebookfadfacebookscamfacebookstalkersfast fluxhow+to+advertise+your+facebook+fan+pagehowtoadvertiseyourfacebookfanpageICANNscopes+charlie+sheen+scamscopescharliesheenscamserene branson videostalkerStalkerAppstalkersBeau BrendlerThu, 10 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTiTunes Users Hit With Another Wave of Fraudhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/04/itunes-users-hit-with-another-fraud-wave/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/04/itunes-users-hit-with-another-fraud-wave/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/04/itunes-users-hit-with-another-fraud-wave/#commentsFiled under: , ,

itunes scams fraudHas your credit card company denied your iTunes charge lately or called you on the phone after you tried to make a purchase? That's probably because another wave of fraud complaints has hit users of Apple's popular online store, similar to the one in July last year, says a report in Kaspersky's threatpost security blog.

The latest wave affected iTunes users in the U.S., U.K. and other countries, with visitors to the Apple Support forums reporting fraudulent purchases of poker chips for a Texas Hold 'em application authored by "Hongbin Sho," and bogus application purchases by a developer using the Name "Lakoo," the Massachusetts-based security company said.

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]]>Applecredit+card+fraud+itunescreditcardfrauditunesfraudITunesitunes+credit+card+frauditunes+frauditunes+fraudulent+purchasesitunes+report+fraudulent+purchaseitunescreditcardfrauditunesfrauditunesfraudulentpurchasesitunesreportfraudulentpurchaseKasperskymoblie phonetexas hold emBeau BrendlerFri, 04 Mar 2011 14:15:00 ESTCounterfeit Sports Shirts, Jerseys Becoming a Bigger Problemhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/counterfeit-sports-shirts-jerseys-becoming-a-bigger-problem/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/counterfeit-sports-shirts-jerseys-becoming-a-bigger-problem/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/counterfeit-sports-shirts-jerseys-becoming-a-bigger-problem/#commentsFiled under: , ,

counterfeit sports gear sold onlineWearing a team jersey may be a great way to show your loyalty, but counterfeiters are luring stadiumfuls of sports fans into buying fakes, says a report by security firm MarkMonitor.

In fact, chances are good your favorite team is actually competing with fraudsters to steer you to the real thing. MarkMonitor says that over the course of a year of tracking, it found 1,300 web sites selling more than 1.2 million team jerseys or shirts online, generating almost $25 million in revenue and attracting 56 million annual visits. The "vast majority" of sites were linked to a Chinese registrant or registrar.

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]]>consumer allycopyright violationscounterfeit goodscounterfeit+jerseyscounterfeit+sports+jerseyscounterfeitjerseyscounterfeitsportsjerseysfake sports jerseysfake+arsenal+jerseyfake+jerseysfakearsenaljerseyfakejerseysMarkMonitorsports+jerseyssportsjerseysweb scamswebwatcherBeau BrendlerThu, 24 Feb 2011 11:00:00 ESTNorton's 'Cybercrime Index' Shows Daily ID Theft, Fraud Riskshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/21/nortons-cybercrime-index-shows-daily-id-theft-fraud-risks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/21/nortons-cybercrime-index-shows-daily-id-theft-fraud-risks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/21/nortons-cybercrime-index-shows-daily-id-theft-fraud-risks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

norton cybercime indexMissing the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded warnings lately? Probably not. But computer security company Norton, part of industry giant Symantec, has created a new "Cybercrime Index" you can browse for free to take a daily measure of what online nasties might attack you today or steal your personal data tomorrow. And it's got plenty of colors and charts -- at the time this was written, threats overall were down 4%, and sported a green downward arrow.

The index tells you about recent trends in online attacks in a more up-to-date way than waiting for other security companies' quarterly reports. At the moment, according to the index, the big risk is ID theft scams, with new cons targeting online payment accounts and online gaming accounts.

Continue reading Norton's 'Cybercrime Index' Shows Daily ID Theft, Fraud Risks


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]]>Computer Securityconsumer newscybercrimeData BreachesfraudIdentity TheftnortonscamsBeau BrendlerMon, 21 Feb 2011 08:00:00 ESTFacebook Scam: Don't Click on Fake Serene Branson 'Stroke' Videohttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/15/facebook-scam-dont-click-on-fake-serene-branson-stroke-video/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/15/facebook-scam-dont-click-on-fake-serene-branson-stroke-video/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/15/facebook-scam-dont-click-on-fake-serene-branson-stroke-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,

facebook homepage - serene branson strokeScammers on Facebook rapidly capitalized on a video supposedly showing a CBS Los Angeles TV reporter having an on-air stroke after the Grammy Awards telecast, using readers' curiosity to push out a piece of badware.

Serene Branson created a flurry of web activity on Monday when, during a post-awards report, she had a problem forming words and appeared to be suffering from a seizure or stroke. Since then, she is reportedly resting in good condition after being checked by paramedics and told her bosses the on-air incident had nothing to do with medical problems.

After the footage went viral, scammers have capitalized on continued interest in the video, posting on social networking site Facebook messages with the heading "Reporter Had a Stroke on Live TV" that contain some variation of the words: "Omg this reporter had a stroke on live tv check it out [LINK]."

Continue reading Facebook Scam: Don't Click on Fake Serene Branson 'Stroke' Video


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]]>facebookfacebook scamgrammy+reporter+strokegrammyreporterstrokereporter+strokereporterstrokescamserene branson grammysserene branson strokeserene branson videoserene+bransonserenebransonBeau BrendlerTue, 15 Feb 2011 16:15:00 ESTFor-Profit College Front Group Sues Governmenthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/07/for-profit-college-front-group-sues-government/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/07/for-profit-college-front-group-sues-government/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/07/for-profit-college-front-group-sues-government/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Judge's gavel - for profit collegeA front group representing for-profit colleges owned by Education Management Corp. and others has sued the federal government for "negligence and malpractice" following the release of a highly critical report by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

The Coalition for Educational Success says the GAO's report, released in August 2010 and then revised in November, is error-ridden, biased and was conducted by inexperienced investigators, among other criticisms. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Feb. 2, is the second against the government by for-profit education industry lobbyists in a month.

The Association of Private Sector Colleges, which claims more than 1,500 member institutions, filed a lawsuit in late January against the U.S. Department of Education protesting new federal regulations that would diminish for-profit schools' access to federal grants. Those regulations also include a number of consumer protections, including increased authority for the Education Department to act against unscrupulous behavior.

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]]>argosy+universityargosyuniversitycapellacapella+universitycapellauniversitydepartment of educationdevrydiploma millsfinancial aidfor profit collegesfront groupsKaplan Universitymedvance+institutemedvanceinstitutenasdaq:edmcstudent debtuniversity of phoenixBeau BrendlerMon, 07 Feb 2011 16:00:00 ESTSeven 'Weaknesses' Criminals Use Online to Exploit Youhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/04/seven-weaknesses-criminals-use-online-to-exploit-you/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/04/seven-weaknesses-criminals-use-online-to-exploit-you/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/04/seven-weaknesses-criminals-use-online-to-exploit-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

online weaknessesA good con is like a magic trick. Those best thought out (think of The Spanish Prisoner) stand the test of time, and can be recycled generation after generation.

Con tricks abundant onlineWhat makes a con work? Human nature. By applying psychology, criminals achieve predictable results most of the time. High-tech giant Cisco's recently released annual security report contains a breakdown of "seven deadly weaknesses" that make us particularly susceptible to criminal persuasions (the Dilbert brigade at your office, when they give you the "employee risk management" speech, probably will refer to this give-and-take between con and mark as "social engineering"). Sadly, many impulses the bad guys play on are good ones -- and so, perhaps it's best to keep in mind that on the Internet, the virtuous are targets for victimhood.

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]]>419Scamcharity scamcheapestpennyauctions.com+scamcheapestpennyauctions.comscamcooling offexploitfraudhaiti+internet+scamshaitiinternetscamshard-sellphishingphishing scamsseven+weaknesses+criminals+use+online+to+exploit+yousevenweaknessescriminalsuseonlinetoexploityouspamwalletpop+2011+seven+weaknesses+criminals+use+online+exploit+youwalletpop2011sevenweaknessescriminalsuseonlineexploityouBeau BrendlerFri, 04 Feb 2011 14:00:00 ESTSyndicate Accused in Phony 'Free' Grants Scam Has Assets Frozenhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/31/syndicate-accused-in-phony-free-grants-scam-has-assets-frozen/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/31/syndicate-accused-in-phony-free-grants-scam-has-assets-frozen/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/31/syndicate-accused-in-phony-free-grants-scam-has-assets-frozen/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

government grant scamA federal court has frozen the bank accounts of Jeremy Johnson and his associates, along with 61 phony companies the Federal Trade Commission says bilked people out of more than $275 million with promises of phony "free" grants from the government.

The FTC says Johnson and his "I Works" collective touted free trial memberships via websites that promised riches or claimed grants could be obtained from the government to help pay personal expenses. Once hooked, I Works or one of its affiliates would load up consumers' credit-card accounts with charges for monthly fees and unwanted memberships.

Continue reading Syndicate Accused in Phony 'Free' Grants Scam Has Assets Frozen


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]]>Free Government Grant ScamFreeGovernmentGrantScamftcFTC regulationsFtcComplaintFtcRegulationsjeremy johnsonJeremyJohnsonBeau BrendlerMon, 31 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST'Scareware' Ring That Unleashed Fake Antivirus Tools to Pay Uphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/28/scareware-ring-that-unleashed-fake-antivirus-tools-to-pay-up/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/28/scareware-ring-that-unleashed-fake-antivirus-tools-to-pay-up/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/28/scareware-ring-that-unleashed-fake-antivirus-tools-to-pay-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

consumer ally scareware antivirusTwo people involved with an international cybercrime operation that raked in millions with 'scareware' -- computer programs that pop up with fake warnings of badware infection, then bully users into paying for a bogus fix -- settled with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for $8 million, the agency said today.

The FTC put Marc D'Souza and his father, Maurice, on the hook for repaying some of the money the scam operation took in, though the father was not involved directly, and neither admit to guilt under the settlement's terms. Both were residents of Toronto or nearby as of 2008.

Continue reading 'Scareware' Ring That Unleashed Fake Antivirus Tools to Pay Up


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]]>anti+virusantivirusantivirus.netcybercrimecybercriminalsfake+antivirusfakeantivirusfbiftcmalwaremalwarebytesshaileshkumar+p.+jainshaileshkumarp.jainstopbadwareBeau BrendlerFri, 28 Jan 2011 12:30:00 ESTConsumer Ally Alert: Internet Security Risks for 2011http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/consumer-ally-alert-internet-security-risks-for-2011/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/consumer-ally-alert-internet-security-risks-for-2011/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/consumer-ally-alert-internet-security-risks-for-2011/#commentsFiled under: , ,

internet securityWhat kinds of new Internet security problems face us in the coming year? Kroll, the New York-based international security and risk consultants, came up with an interesting list that I've adapted a bit based on my own opinions [Between the brackets is me talking], as well as translating business lingo. I also cut a couple from Kroll's list that were more for companies than consumers.

You can read Kroll's fraud blog here for additional security tips, targeted more for business types but still with some application for home computer users.

More small scale breaches will make headlines. Healthcare organizations are now required to report breaches affecting 500 or more individuals, expect to see an increase in the number of smaller scale breaches reported. (An enormously valuable resource on data breaches is this chronology from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. You'll want a cup of soothing tea.)

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]]>compuer securityidentity theftIdentityFraudpersonal securityScamsscams and fraudsBeau BrendlerWed, 26 Jan 2011 11:00:00 ESTWhat to Do If a Debt Collector Calls Looking for Family or Friendshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/16/what-to-do-if-a-debt-collector-calls-looking-for-family/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/16/what-to-do-if-a-debt-collector-calls-looking-for-family/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/16/what-to-do-if-a-debt-collector-calls-looking-for-family/#commentsFiled under: , ,

debtGetting a call from a debt collector can be unsettling in any circumstance. But what if the collector is chasing one of your relatives or a friend? Or what if they are trying to collect the debt from you, or have mistaken you for the person who owes? Is the phone call legal?

Yes, debt collectors can pursue third parties for information, according to government and privacy sources. But there are limitations, and if the debt collector doesn't stick to the law, you can, in many circumstances, sue them.

Let's take a hypothetical situation step-by-step. You get a call from a debt collector who claims you owe a debt you've never heard of. What should you do?

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]]>+what+to+do+if+a+debt+collector+calls+whattodoifadebtcollectorcallscredit card debtcredit card debt settlementcredit card debt solutionscreditorsdebt collectiondebt collection agencywhat+is+insurance+fraudwhat+to+do+if+a+debt+collector+callswhat+to+do+when+a+debt+collector+callswhat+to+do+when+debt+collectors+callwhatisinsurancefraudwhattodoifadebtcollectorcallswhattodowhenadebtcollectorcallswhattodowhendebtcollectorscallBeau BrendlerSun, 16 Jan 2011 08:00:00 ESTCybersquatters, JFK Airport Info and Other Phonieshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/cybersquatters-jfk-airport-info-and-other-phonies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/cybersquatters-jfk-airport-info-and-other-phonies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/cybersquatters-jfk-airport-info-and-other-phonies/#commentsFiled under:

cybersquatter webwatcherNo doubt the Internet has broken down international borders, but would you trust someone living 5,000 miles away in another continent for the latest information about your local airport?

Search for "JFK information" or similar terms on Google and this site comes up first. It's actually somewhat convincing. The URL is "JFK-Airport.net," which sounds fairly official, and there's an up-to-the-minute message board with apparently real questions from people who need information. There's not a lot else, though -- generic facts easy to glean from anywhere, and scads of ads. The site ranks a heady second to the Port Authority of New York's official JFK Airport site using other word-search combinations. Trouble is, JFK-Airport.net is registered with fake WHOIS data to a Srdjan Stevovic in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, more famous for cevapcici than cutting-edge flight tracking.

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]]>Cybersquattingdomain namesdomain-registrationDomainSquattinggoogle+typosquattinggoogletyposquattingjfk airportjfk+airport+email+addressjfkairportemailaddressjohn F. Kennedy Airport websitepage+someone+jfk+airportpagesomeonejfkairportwalletpopBeau BrendlerTue, 04 Jan 2011 12:00:00 ESTDon't Reply to Weird Spam: They Want Your Email Addresshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/30/dont-reply-to-weird-spam-they-want-your-email-address/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/30/dont-reply-to-weird-spam-they-want-your-email-address/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/30/dont-reply-to-weird-spam-they-want-your-email-address/#commentsFiled under: ,

spamIn a previous column we talked about annoying spam ads for graphics and photo services coming from China. Since then, our experiment to try to get a response from the sender came to nothing. However, we did hear from some of you who received similar strange messages.

They don't seem like the run-of-the-mill spam: They're not selling anything, they don't prompt you to click on some piece of malware or a fake web site that steals your personal information. And they're not asking anyone to transfer large sums of money to a U.S. bank on behalf of some prince in Togo.

Continue reading Don't Reply to Weird Spam: They Want Your Email Address


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]]>bubble wrapjohn paradisspamBeau BrendlerThu, 30 Dec 2010 10:00:00 ESTFTC Sues Over 'Free' Government Grant Scamshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/23/ftc-sues-over-free-government-grant-scams/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/23/ftc-sues-over-free-government-grant-scams/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/23/ftc-sues-over-free-government-grant-scams/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

government grant scam ftc buildingEver been bilked by one of those Web sites offering to help you find 'free' government grants? The FTC said today it sued a "massive Internet enterprise" that raked in millions of dollars by using 51 phony companies to charge consumers as much as $60 a month plus a $130-a-year annual fee to track down those grants, which don't actually exist.

The operation called itself I Works, and used web sites that claimed free money was available from the government in the form of Small Business Administration loans to help pay personal bills, or sold other types of money-making schemes, using the words "risk-free" and "free."

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]]>far east venturesFree Government Grant Scamfree government grantsftcscamBeau BrendlerThu, 23 Dec 2010 11:00:00 ESTSearches for Health Information Diluted by Junkhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/30/searches-for-health-information-diluted-by-junk/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/30/searches-for-health-information-diluted-by-junk/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/30/searches-for-health-information-diluted-by-junk/#commentsFiled under: , ,

health searchAfter more than a decade you'd think the quality of health information on the Web would be getting better, but it's still abysmal. Or perhaps more accurately, quality content is becoming harder to find as search engines swell up with optimized sites -- the natural evolution of "link farms" -- that regurgitate generic information festooned with a spray of advertising links.

At best, you wind up wasting time on a crummy site like this one, registered with fake WHOIS information and littered with ads for indigestion treatments. Then there is this site, the top result in a Google search on the words "kidney stones symptoms," that's got all the value of most parked pages, existing merely to harvest PPC revenue.

Continue reading Searches for Health Information Diluted by Junk


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]]>illegal pharmacylink farmoxycodoneparked pageppcsearch engine optimizationSEOVicodinBeau BrendlerTue, 30 Nov 2010 10:30:00 ESTGetting a Lot of Photo Editing Spam? You're Not Alonehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/23/getting-a-lot-of-photo-editing-spam-youre-not-alone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/23/getting-a-lot-of-photo-editing-spam-youre-not-alone/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/23/getting-a-lot-of-photo-editing-spam-youre-not-alone/#commentsFiled under:

photo editing spam

Waves of odd but crafty spam e-mails have been working their way into inboxes lately offering "Photo Editing Services & Photo Cutout Services," usually claiming to be from a "Rick" or "Jeff."

They're odd, because unlike traditional spam, it's difficult to figure out what these spams are about. And crafty, because the spams have actually been around more than a year, seem capable of penetrating spam filters, and are persistent, showing up two or three times a day.

Continue reading Getting a Lot of Photo Editing Spam? You're Not Alone


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]]>Photo cutout servicesPhoto editing servicesscamspamwebwatcherBeau BrendlerTue, 23 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTHow environmental propaganda is easily hidden on the webhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/18/propaganda-easily-hidden-on-the-web-in-plastic-bags/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/18/propaganda-easily-hidden-on-the-web-in-plastic-bags/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/18/propaganda-easily-hidden-on-the-web-in-plastic-bags/#commentsFiled under: ,

Beau Brendler WebWatcher.Let's say you love going to the beach, but it's been galling you lately to see those unsightly plastic shopping bags blowing around in the wind. A scuba diver friend tells you they get twined around coral reefs and eaten by endangered sea turtles mistaking them for jellyfish. Would it help if you asked for paper, not plastic, the next time you buy groceries? Who would you ask for advice?

a) The people who make plastic bags for a living
b) The people who get paid millions of dollars to lobby for plastic bag makers
c) The chairman of your annual local beach clean-up party
d) A marine biologist

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]]>american chemistry councilbisphenol ABPDow ChemicalexxonMonsantoplastic bag alternativeplastic bag banplastic bagsBeau BrendlerMon, 18 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST