...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.
WebWatch Produces Consumer Education Video: Gone Phishing Consumer Reports WebWatch proudly presents an animated video, "Gone Phishing," featuring an original song written and performed by singer/songwriter Dean Friedman along with animation by Powerhouse Animation. Download the lyrics here. The video is part of WebWatch’s "Look Before You Click" campaign.
WebWatch Report Examines Photos on the Web The billions of photographs and videos now available on the Web are increasingly difficult to interpret. Were the subjects staged? Was the image manipulated? Was the subject’s privacy respected? WebWatch commissioned a report by NYU professor Fred Ritchin to explore these issues and provide consumers with a useful guide to Web imagery. Download a PDF of the report and read our accompanying blog post.
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