Did you know carjackers can break into your car from afar? Listen to this one-minute podcast for a cheap way to stop criminals in their tracks.
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Delete this secret ID hiding on your phone that gives away your personal details
From social media platforms to email providers, tons of places on the web want to scoop up your private data. Don’t forget about online stores and personal services, either. Your details are major commodities to most online businesses, and many have little regard for your privacy.
Advertisers and marketers don’t know who you are. But your behavior is tracked and assigned a unique Mobile Advertising ID (MAID) identifier. This tiny snippet of information contains where you live, what you shop for or what you recently searched online.
Until recently, there had been very little you could do to block your MAID in marketing campaigns. Apple somewhat stopped this by allowing iOS users to choose who can target them. But for criminals, if they can match the ID with a person, they stand to profit greatly.
How this MAID can sell you out
Typically, there would be no way for companies or advertising agencies to know who the MAID belongs to. It’s a collection of data sets, and there shouldn’t be any personally identifiable information (PII). But Vice’s Motherboard discovered that one company offers the linking of MAIDs to their respective PII.
Motherboard posed as a potential data client and was told by the company in question that they have “one of the largest repositories of current, fresh MAIDS<>PII in the USA.” The CEO of the company boasted that all their data sets connect.
This poses a considerable privacy risk for everyday mobile phone users. The information that the company can link to your MAID includes the following:
- Full name.
- Physical address.
- Phone number.
- Email address.
- IP address, if available.
“If shady data brokers are selling this information, it makes a mockery of advertisers’ claims that the truckloads of data about Americans they collect and sell is anonymous,” Senator Ron Wyden told Motherboard.
The revelation that data brokers can connect advertising IDs to mobile phone users should raise a red flag for everyone. This is particularly problematic for law enforcement, elected officials, military members, and other high-risk individuals.
Here’s a silver lining
If you use an iOS device, you can opt out of personalized advertising through Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT). The option allows you to stop apps from tracking your online behavior.
Are facial recognition cams like the ones in China coming to a store near you?
Get ready for an Orwellian shopping experience in New York City. Thanks to criminals claiming the five-finger discount, you’ll have to kiss your privacy goodbye. Chinese-made facial recognition cameras will scan your face to see if you’re a criminal.
The FBI just put out a warning - Do you play these games on your phone?
Unauthorized in-app purchases and shady games are always hazards to be wary of when exploring the App Store or Google Play Store. The FBI just released a warning to anybody trying play-to-earn games. The publishers may use nefarious tactics to steal tons of cash from you.
PSA: If you win 'free' electronics online, watch for this sign it's a scam
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is one of the most in-demand video game consoles, with stocks regularly selling out nationwide. Some have waited months to get their hands on one, while others are willing to spend large sums of money. Is there a fortune sitting in your garage? Tap or click here for tech worth big money.
Be careful downloading viral portrait apps
AI technology is all the rage. It’s so popular that Microsoft is incorporating ChatGPT into the latest Bing update. Tap or click here for details. Now, app developers are using AI to let you create beautiful art with just a few text-based suggestions. But there’s a big problem with some of these apps. They aren’t actually designed to create art. Instead, they infect your device with malware.
Signs your new boyfriend or girlfriend is not who they say they are
Scammers are waiting around every corner, and special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Black Friday are usually when they kick their activities into high gear. Unfortunately, this is the perfect time of year for romance scams.
How to upgrade to a video doorbell without wiring it
Video doorbells are one of the best investments you can make for home security. It’s been shown they can deter up to 43% of criminals from actually causing problems. Tap or click for seven clever new uses for your smart doorbell camera.
Online banking checkup: 3 must-do steps to protect your login
Criminals are around every corner online, trying to steal your credentials and rip you off. From phishing emails to spoofed websites to malicious apps, there is much to worry about.
If someone gets their hands on enough of your personal information, they can steal your identity and ruin your credit. Tap or click here for signs that someone has opened a bank account in your name.
This dangerous, password-stealing malware spreads through bad apps
You must always be vigilant against online threats. For all the good that a connected society has brought to the world, there will always be criminals that ruin it for everyone.
And often, the criminals don’t stop developing their tricks or scams. So if one method is successful, you can be sure that it will get a few tweaks to make it even more dangerous. For example, the ERMAC banking Trojan targeted 378 applications a year ago.
Avoid this clever scam tactic being used on Facebook Marketplace
Whenever you deal with strangers online, you must be vigilant for scammers. While social media platforms are popular hunting grounds, criminals have equal success with online classified websites.
Every month there seems to be a new Facebook Marketplace trick or eBay scam looking to steal your money or personal information. Some are easy to spot, but criminals often change tactics to disguise their motives.
If you see these 4 words on Facebook Messenger, don't click
Meta’s Facebook is undoubtedly the largest social media platform globally, and its Messenger is used by more than 900 million people a month. That is an awful lot of messages, but unfortunately, not all of them are friendly conversations. Tap or click here to use Messenger without a Facebook account.
5 new eBay scams every buyer and seller needs to know about
There are plenty of places where scammers search for new victims. While phishing remains an effective attack method, online e-commerce websites like eBay are lucrative hunting grounds. Facebook’s Marketplace is also regularly used, so it’s essential to know the tricks used by criminals.
Security alert: 9 apps caught stealing personal data
Smartphones are so intertwined into our daily lives that if you misplace yours or it gets stolen, it will be more than just an inconvenience. Tap or click here to find your phone when it’s lost (even if the battery is dead).
Free check to see if your router has been hacked by criminals
The internet is a crazy place. Not only do marketers and advertisers follow your every move, but there are also hackers and scammers lurking in the dark corners, ready to pounce on your personal information.
At least marketers and advertisers want to make money off of you. The hackers and scammers we’re talking about want to flat-out steal your money by hijacking your personal information.
Windows alert: Hackers are using a 9-year-old flaw to break into PCs
Criminals and hackers will always exploit vulnerabilities, but software companies try to stay ahead of them. Tap or click here to see how malware can expose your browser passwords.
A big problem is that malware is constantly being adapted to circumvent any security efforts. Companies like Microsoft and Google can only patch what they know about, and sometimes hackers circle around to exploit old vulnerabilities.
Your new holiday gifts attract thieves - 3 tips to protect your stuff
The joys of Christmas morning, when you finally get to tear the wrapping paper from packages waiting under the tree. Now that Christmas 2021 is officially in the books, you might have spent the last few days setting up your new tech … without putting much thought into what to do with its packaging.
Criminals are using AirTags to steal cars - These are the most targeted ones in the US
Who enjoys losing their stuff? Nobody. Retracing your steps doesn’t always work and can lead to even more frustration. Fortunately, tech has come a long way to help us solve our simplest problems.
If you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac, you can imagine the pain of misplacing them. Apple knows this and released a Notify When Left Behind feature to help find lost devices. A recent update added the functionality to AirPods Pro, which is more likely to get misplaced due to its size. Tap or click here to check out how it works.
The pros and cons of Bluetooth trackers like Apple AirTags
How can Apple AirTags put you in danger? Listen now to find out how criminals use Bluetooth trackers.
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A warning to Costco customers - Card skimmers spotted stealing card info
Shopping online comes with hidden dangers, and many are still uneasy about the process. Those people usually prefer to go into a physical store, as they deem it somewhat safer. But that isn’t always the case.
Card payment facilities are incredibly vulnerable to attack from hackers or criminals, as they have had years to refine their techniques. Recently card skimmers have been running rampant around the country.