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Terry Ambrose

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Scams & Cons

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Avoiding scams in the age of Covid-19

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Rather than address a specific scam in this month’s tip, I wanted to step back and look at the bigger picture of online security during Covid-19. In my fiction writing, a confluence of events drives my stories, and this scam tip is no different. Two events happened this past week that caused me to think about how to maintain online security during the age of Covid-19.

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Three tips to shut down warranty scams

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“We’re calling about your warranty.” Those five words lead into a scam that can cost victims $2,000 or more. Is it any wonder robocalls, and that includes warranty scams, are among the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) top consumer complaints? A look at the scoop behind robocalls and warranty scams.

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Beware the temptation to skip the Covid-19 vaccine line

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There are only two ways to get a Covid-19 vaccine—wait your turn or skip the Covid-19 vaccine line. As if coronavirus wasn’t enough, scammers are taking advantage of the public’s vaccine anxiety. Here’s what you need to know to avoid becoming the victim of a scam that could cost you.

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Three coronavirus scams and how to beat them

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2020 was a crappy year for many people, but it’s turned into a great time to be a scammer. Why? All in all, there’s a tsunami of COVID-19 cases. There’s hope on the horizon in the form of vaccines. And many people are running scared. Indeed, it’s an excellent time to run any one of […]

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5 tips to avoid a package delivery scam

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For most of us, shopping online has become the way to go during the 2020 holiday season. In our house, we get packages by mail, UPS, FedEx, and Amazon delivery. We’ve also heard how the delivery services are all pushed to their limits. With all that in mind, I wanted to provide this post with 5 tips to avoid package delivery scams.

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The Vast Platinum Shopping Credit Card — scam or a good deal?

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Last week I received an email credit card offer for the Vast Platinum Shopping Credit Card. Not having seen a credit card offer in the mail in a long time, I was curious. With a little checking, it became obvious very quickly that the email was a scam using what is, at best, a dubious, […]

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6 tips for dealing with Amazon brushing scams

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A package from Amazon arrived about two weeks ago. My wife hadn’t ordered it. Nor had she paid for it. After a great deal of trouble, we finally found out how to get past the Amazon robots and get to a real person. We suspected this to be one of the Amazon brushing scams, and […]

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Social media shopping scams warning signs and tips

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 If you like shopping the sales you see on social media, think twice the next time you spot a great deal. On August 3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported a rise in social media shopping scams. Read on to see how scammers are using social media for shopping scams. Cookies, ads, and social media shopping […]

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Scam tip: free face masks—not really

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Free face masks? If your first reaction is, what do I have to do to get one? Think again. This is a scam in which a bad actor offers free face masks in exchange for your Medicare or Social Security number. Obviously, you know not to give out your Social Security number. Right? Please tell […]

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Scam Tip: COVID-19 Contact Tracing Scams

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It was only a matter of time before scammers realized yet another opportunity provided by COVID-19—contact tracing scams. I’m a strong believer in contact tracing as a way to help slow the spread of COVID-19, but I also know scammers will use any trick they can to steal your information. Here are a few tips […]

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