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  Guidelines Consumer Reports WebWatch proposes these five general guidelines for improving credibility on the Web...view


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News Across the Web
  The sneakiest new shopping scams: Easy ways to avoid the biggest rip-offs online and in stores

The Sneakiest New Shopping Scams (PDF)ShopSmart, November 2010

...With Internet fraud on the rise, it's getting tougher to outsmart the criminals.   Complaints to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a joint operation of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, jumped 22 percent last year. The complaints include plenty of run-of-the-mill scams, like sellers who steal credit-card numbers or take the money and run. But those are child's play compared with what else is brewing.

Think you're too savvy to get taken? OK, maybe you don't fall for those e-mails from Nigerian royalty asking you to wire money, but digital criminals are getting sneakier every year. One scam that can trip up even the most cautious consumers involves "skimmers" attached to ATMs. Those devices record account numbers and passwords so that thieves can clean out your bank account.

... You can outsmart even the craftiest swindlers if you know what's in their bag of nasty tricks. Here's a guide to the latest, sneakiest scams, and simple tips that can help you protect yourself.

Overview: The Sneakiest New Shopping Scams

'Smishing'

Teeny Tiny Charges

Skimmers

Membership Programs

Stripped Gift Cards

Counterfeit Electronics

3 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself

Hang on to Your Handbag

More from ShopSmart magazine



 
 
  Research Reports  
  HealthRatings.org Rates the Web's Most Popular Pharmacy Sites: Sites a Valuable Health Tool, But Shouldn't Be Sole Health Info Resource ...view

'Free' Credit Report Sites: Worth the Real Costs? Review of 24 Sites Shows Potential for Consumer Confusion, Unnecessary Services ...view
 
  Consumer Investigations  
  'Security Risk' Blocks U.S. Military Overseas from Free Credit Report Site: No Free Online Access for Millions of U.S. Citizens ...view
 
 


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