Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page By Michelle Singletary Washington Post March 03, 2018 WASHINGTON — In today’s world, we all have to play defense when it comes to our financial data.We all need long computer passwords, antivirus software, and passcodes for our phones — and we could really use an identity-theft prevention class.You also have to get used to watching your online accounts. I have so many automatic alerts beeping on my phone all day that it’s maddening. But it’s also necessary. Advertisement So, in my constant quest to be cautious, I recently added another item to my watch list: setting up an IRS online account. It’s one way to keep an eye out for suspicious activity with your federal tax return. Get Talking Points in your inbox: An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays. Thank you for signing … [Read more...] about Setting up an IRS online account is well worth your while
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How parents can talk to their kids about using technology safely
When Alice visited my child development class at UC San Diego a few years ago, she demonstrated her ability to take selfies using her mom’s phone. At the time it was one of her favorite things to do, and she was good at it. She had just celebrated her first birthday. When I talk to people about Alice, their responses are all over the place. Some tell me they’re excited that children are getting an opportunity to master technology in an intuitive way, as if they’re learning a first language. Others say it’s extremely harmful for kids to spend time staring at screens instead of engaging with the real world. Because the costs and benefits of technological advances tend to be tightly intertwined, what are parents to do? Related: Why kids’ digital media overuse cause for concern One approach is to keep children’s screen time to a bare minimum or eliminate it completely. This can work for some families with young children, but it gets much harder as … [Read more...] about How parents can talk to their kids about using technology safely
No valentines here: Fake online dating profiles used to scam suitors out of cash
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Romance scam victims in the United States and Canada have reported losing nearly $1 billion over the last three years, according to the Better Business Bureau. A new study by the BBB said scammers often take several months to gain their victim’s trust and will then ask for money. Around 500,000 of the 3.5 million profiles scanned every month by one dating company are frauds, according to the BBB. The FBI’s Internet Fraud Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission estimate that 32,279 people were victims of online romance scams last year, losing more than $350 million. Victims rarely speak out because they are humiliated and embarrassed they fell for the scam, the BBB said. There is no typical victim of romance fraud, the study shows. The common denominator is that the victims are seeking a loving relationship and they believe they have found it. Much of the fraud comes from Nigerian romance scams, according to the BBB. The scammers often portray themselves as U.S. … [Read more...] about No valentines here: Fake online dating profiles used to scam suitors out of cash
Beware, online daters: Looking for love, you could end scammed instead
Looking for love online can leave you with a depleted bank account as well as a broken heart . An estimated 82,000 U.S. consumers who’ve used dating sites in the past three years have been scammed by individuals who shower them with compliments, romantic text messages and promised dates, only to bilk them for money, the Better Business Bureau said Tuesday. The schemes can take months to play out as the scammer gains the victim’s trust, eventually asking for small amounts of money. Scammers have bilked victims of nearly $1 billion since 2015, according to the group’s study. The bureau undertook the study when it noticed an increase in complaints about online dating scams, said Steve Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. Bernas estimated the bureau hears about only 10 percent of the online dating scam cases. “Most consumers don’t come forward to complain because they are embarrassed or devastated,” … [Read more...] about Beware, online daters: Looking for love, you could end scammed instead
Man Jailed For Launching DDOS Attacks Against Pokemon Go, Skype, Google
A 21-year-old British man has been sentenced to two years in jail after admitting to being responsible for a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that attempted to knock a number of services including Pokémon Go, Skype and Google offline. Alex Bessell of Liverpool pleaded guilty to a number of computer-related criminal offenses, the majority of which stemmed from his more than 100 attempts to attack popular online services and games. According to British law enforcement, Bessell operated primarily out of his home in Toxteth, Liverpool, where he commanded a virtual army of more than 9,000 computers and internet-connected devices that allowed him to carry out denial of service attacks. In a denial of service attack like those launched by Bessell, an attacker attempts to overwhelm the systems of its victim by directing a massive amount of traffic at their servers. The attacks are typically carried out by bots or by compromised machines that are infected by malware that gives … [Read more...] about Man Jailed For Launching DDOS Attacks Against Pokemon Go, Skype, Google