I’ve been thinking a lot about distraction lately. We are all living lives of grand distractions these days, with one eye over our shoulder keeping track of Covid and its consequences. The constant drumbeat of cases and science and conspiracy and bickering never ends. If you are lucky enough that [Keep reading]
Day after day, week after week, month after month, the strangers came knocking and asked one question: Where’s my puppy? Rochelle Dallons couldn’t help them. She had recently purchased her dream home, in charming Leesburg, Virginia, outside Washington D.C. But criminals took a liking to her home address — the [Keep reading]
When we talk about Facebook’s bad behavior, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details. Don’t. We should focus more on the outright fraud enabled by its platforms. There’s been near constant talk about Facebook’s misbehavior lately, reaching a new crescendo after whistleblower Frances Haugen told Congress the firm [Keep reading]
Hearing about an old flame can be…a strange feeling. Maybe it’s charming – you learn that the first girl you ever kissed on the lips, 20 years ago or so, just gave birth to twins – or maybe it makes you a little mad – “They started dating ONE WEEK [Keep reading]
A new rash of Zelle hacks has left consumers with empty banks accounts and little hope for refunds — but there is hope that federal regulators might finally impose fair rules to protect victims. Anyone who’s lost money through Zelle, or who is currently fighting their financial institution over lost [Keep reading]
Kay Bransford’s elderly mom had a generous but lonely heart — her husband had passed away recently – so she began donating to charities that sent her solicitations by mail. Pretty soon, that led to an avalanche of junk mail. At its worst, Bransford spent her visits with mom scrambling [Keep reading]
Americans are mad. They feel like they’re getting ripped off all the time — I’ve made a career chronicling this — but I don’t think they are quite sure who to be mad at. There’s a long list of culprits, but here’s one that’s often overlooked. Even people with good [Keep reading]
A California woman who thought she was helping an old friend pay for a kidney transplant has been caught up in an Instagram hacking scheme with a nightmarish twist — criminals drained her bank account via Zelle and then forced her to make a hostage-style video endorsing a get-rich-quick scheme in [Keep reading]
Consumers are reporting a recent rise in Instagram account hack attempts, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC). Victims find they are locked out of their accounts, and criminals are using these stolen Instas to set other digital traps. A hijacked account can be used to message followers and [Keep reading]
It’s been a busy week in Facebook-must-answer-to-someone land. I really do feel like the conversation has been elevated by whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony before the Senate on Tuesday. I feel strongly that Facebook should be forced to offer an algorithm-free version of its product, as I argued earlier this week. [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan