Privacy Blog

"Friends don’t let friends get spied on.' – Richard Stallman, President of the Free Software Foundation and longtime advocate of privacy in technology.

Scams

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Crooks Are Using Realistic-Looking Webpage Templates to Trick You Into Handing Over Personal Data

Cyber criminals are still attempting to exploit the coronavirus pandemic for their own gain and they’re being helped by website templates that allow them to mimic government agencies and companies. Researchers at cybersecurity company Proofpoint have identified over 300 phishing campaigns designed to steal personal information and bank details from victims – and many are using sites that are indistinguishable from the real thing, complete with authentic imagery and user […]

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BBB Issues Warning for Roku Users

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning people about a scam targeting Roku users. Complaints about CaliGeeks, Inc. have been filed in 25 states. Customers told BBB that CaliGeeks misled them into paying unnecessary fees to activate their Roku devices. Customers said they were charged an unnecessary activation fee ranging from $79.99 – $249.99 and were led to believe that this fee was required to enable their Roku device. You […]

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This Facebook Scam Might Cost You Thousands

Your Facebook friend asking for money might actually be a hacker, not a friend. This is an old scam that has been around for several years but a new variation of it is making the rounds on Facebook. In the previous versions, you might receive an email message from a friend or relative who claimed to be traveling overseas and had his or her wallet stolen, along with all his […]

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Avoid Ransomware by Moving to the Cloud

Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to computer systems today. If you are not familiar with the word “ransomware,” read the description on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ransomware. The Wikipedia article states, “Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid. Ransomware attacks are very common on Windows systems. Corporations, hospitals, governments, and individuals […]

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If Facebook Asks for Your Email Password, Don’t Do It! It is a Scam.

Facebook has been prompting some users registering for the first time to hand over the passwords to their email accounts. Nobody should ever ask for your email password. Let me repeat that: “Nobody should ever ask for your email password.” A Twitter account using the handle @originalesushi first posted an image of the screen several days ago, in which new users are told they can confirm their third-party email addresses […]

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It’s Time to Delete Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other Facebook Apps from Your Cell Phone

Aren’t you tired of reading about Facebook’s frequent scandals? Aren’t you dismayed by Facebook’s executives’ claims that they will do better in the future when you know that the only thing they will do better is to better hide what they and their software are really doing? Aren’t you sick and tired of companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica working together to change your voting instincts and therefore attempt to […]

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If Your Printer is Producing Spam Messages, Turn it Off

A new form of spam has appeared. Just what we need, right? More obnoxious intrusions into your personal privacy. A Twitter user hacked over 50,000 printers last week to send out unwanted and unsolicited advertising. The same hacker is advertising that he or she will continue to do this as a “service” for advertisers willing to pay for it. The messages take advantage of the “print over the Internet” functionality […]

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