Imagine you’re online, shopping for something you’ve been eyeing for weeks. You find what seems like a great deal, load up your cart, and head to checkout. But then, the unexpected happens—your card is declined. Annoying, right? Maybe you grab another card or try a different payment method. Here's the catch—that card declined message may be fake, part of a scam designed to … [Read more...] about How to Avoid the Card Declined Scam
Scams & Cons
24 Tips to Avoid the 12 Scams of Christmas
I love the holidays. They are truly my favorite time of the year. That’s why it pains me to say that not only is the holiday season a time for joy, generosity, and celebration—but it’s also a prime time for scammers to strike. To help you stay safe, here are what I call The 12 Scams of Christmas. Let’s unwrap these holiday hazards and learn how to avoid them.#1 Fake Charity … [Read more...] about 24 Tips to Avoid the 12 Scams of Christmas
Password security — to change, or not to change?
Until a few months ago, I was never very big on frequent password changes. I felt that if I protected my accounts with a strong password, I could basically set it and forget it. However, after talking to a security expert, I realized that password security best practices had changed. Gone were the good old days. Now, the list of companies affected by data breaches reads like a … [Read more...] about Password security — to change, or not to change?
Safeguard Your Home and Wallet from Repair Scams
We've done our share of home repair work, and while we've avoided home repair scams, we've learned some lessons along the way when things didn't go exactly as planned. The thing is, we had it easy. We had time and no shortage of contractors to choose from. And we still had things go wrong.Making sure the job gets done correctly and on budget becomes a whole different … [Read more...] about Safeguard Your Home and Wallet from Repair Scams
Don’t Get Fooled by (Fake) Political Emails Asking for Money
If your email inbox is anything like mine, it's probably filled with all sorts of messages—from promotions to newsletters and, unfortunately, a massive number of political emails asking for money. No matter what your politics might be, when you contribute, you want your donation to go to your candidate or cause, not to some scammer's bank account. So, with a national election … [Read more...] about Don’t Get Fooled by (Fake) Political Emails Asking for Money