scam

Doctors 'used fake fingers' to clock in for colleagues at ER

I feel sure this story might be an inspiration to some, especially those who enjoy showing solidarity for their fellow worker.

For it seems that several doctors in Sao Paulo, Brazil, decided there was a way to fool the biometric scanners on which they clocked in with their fingers.

They allegedly created more fingers. Fake ones, out of silicone.

As AFP reports, an investigation by Globo television showed a doctor using the fake fingers to fool the machines.

The machines dutifully printed out a paper record of a doctor's attendance, when he or she wasn't actually there.… Read more

FTC charges 29 in crackdown on spam text message scams

The Federal Trade Commission said today it has filed complaints against 29 people accused of sending more than 180 million spam text messages falsely promising free gift cards.

The FTC alleged in eight separate complaints that the accused tricked consumers into divulging sensitive personal information by promising free gifts or prizes, including $1,000 gift cards at major retailers. Consumers who clicked on the links were taken through a maze of Web sites that required victims to sign up for subscription services or credit cards before they could receive the "free" gifts.

Consumers were sometimes required to sign … Read more

49-ers fans buy Super Bowl tickets on Craigslist, get 'Go Ravens' note instead

Here is today's Super Bowl prediction: Craigslist is not StubHub.

Whenever there is a big game, nefarious beings will creep around the Web trying to find the passionate and the gullible, from whose emotions they can steal a little money.

Some people's desperation to secure tickets will exceed their ability to turn on their skepticism controls.

The Osgood family, from Hayward, Calif., were so keen to fly to New Orleans for Sunday's Super Bowl that they found an ad on Craigslist that offered tickets.

Cheap, they were not. But the four tickets were advertised at $5,900, … Read more

Apple updates App Store screenshot rules to shutter scam

Apple announced a new App Store policy for developers today that effectively puts an end to a common bait-and-switch scam.

In a note on its Developer Portal, Apple said screenshots submitted by developers to accompany app descriptions in its App Store will be locked in place when the app wins approval.

Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.

Before the new policy went into place, app developers would often … Read more

Did someone try to make a quick buck on ICOA this morning?

The phony press release sent out this morning on PRWeb detailing Google's acquisition of Wi-Fi provider ICOA for $400 million may have been an attempt to move the company's penny stock.

The company's stock started trading this morning at $0.0001 and steadily climbed throughout the morning to $0.0005, where it peaked around 11:30 a.m. ET. Once news trickled out that the press release was a hoax, the company's stock price sharply dropped to $0.0001 again. And it has bounced between that price and $0.0002 since then.

The fake press release … Read more

E-mailed malware disguised as group coupon offers on the rise

Be sure to double check that Groupon you received in your e-mail -- spammers are using the popularity of e-mailed advertisements for group discount deals to send more malware.

The rise of malware through fake e-mail advertisements and notifications are on the rise, according to a study released today by security firm Kaspersky Lab.

"They are primarily doing so by sending out malicious e-mails designed to look like official notifications. Kaspersky Lab is seeing more and more malicious spam designed to look like coupon service notifications," the report said.

The firm said it also noted these coupon spam … Read more

Beware: Fake airline Instagram accounts promise free flights

Fake Instagram accounts for American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and JetBlue have been set up with the promise of free flights.

The accounts, @americanairlines_giveaways, @united_giveaways, @jetbluegiveaways, and @delta_giveaways, all work very similarly. They promise a free airline ticket or round-trip ticket to the first several thousand followers, which vary depending on the account.

The accounts have been pretty effective at garnering followers. Delta's fake account already has 21,000 followers after it promised a free trip for the first 20,000 people who followed and shared the account. Likewise, the JetBlue account has 20,000 followers. The American Airlines profile … Read more

Woman buys iPad at Wal-Mart, gets box of notepads instead

We try never to state the obvious here, because, well, if something's obvious then it surely needs no words.

However, before this weekend begins and you begin to think about the holiday season, it's worth just mentioning one perhaps obvious thing.

When you buy a gadget, it's best to open the box at the store, just to check the gadget is actually in there.

I only mention this because of an ill-starred tale that come from the Lone Star State.

As Houston's KHOU tells it, Bobbi Linden went to Wal-Mart in Sealy, Texas, and bought her daughter an iPad for her 15th birthday.

Or at least she thought she did.… Read more

Regulators shut down global PC 'tech support' scam

Regulators from five countries joined together in an operation to crack down on a series of companies they say orchestrated one of the most widespread Internet scams of the decade.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other international regulatory authorities today said they shut down a global criminal network that allegedly bilked tens of thousands of consumers by pretending to be tech support providers.

FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, speaking during a press conference with a Microsoft executive and regulators from Australia and Canada, said 14 companies and 17 individuals were targeted in the investigation. In the course of … Read more