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Month: July 2018

Cybercrime / Privacy

Election hackers at it again, Facebook says; don’t help by falling into the ‘troll trap’

July 31, 2018 Bob Sullivan 0

“Hey – Let’s you and him fight!” is a game with two losers and one winner — the instigator who sits back and watches the other two fools fight. That’s what state-sponsored trolls are doing to America right now. Don’t fall for it. The latest example comes today from Facebook, [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

The newest, most devastating cyber-weapon: ‘patriotic trolls’ (You might be one)

July 30, 2018 Bob Sullivan 4

Governments around the world are waging war on a new battleground: Social Media.  Their fighting force is an army of trolls. And if you are reading this story, you’ve probably been drafted. Troll armies have helped overthrow governments and control populations. The playbook has been repeated in places like Turkey, [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Road Trip 2018: When I learned telling people you’re a journalist can be risky

July 26, 2018 Bob Sullivan 9

“What kind of journalist are you?  Do you write the truth? Or are you one of those fake journalists?” Because if you’re an honest journalist, that’s ok. But…” Moments earlier, I’d been having a lovely bar conversation with this man about beer at a brew pub while he pet Rusty.  [Keep reading]

Cognitive bias

Nerd Nuggets: What is the IKEA Effect?

July 23, 2018 Bob Sullivan 0

When you put your own blood, sweat, and tears into something, you value it more.  You probably know that, but you probably don’t know this tendency has a name — the IKEA Effect — and it has many applications in the workplace and on America’s store shelves. I’ve mentioned this [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

VIDEO: Apple pulls conspiracy theory app from iTunes; you should delete conspiracies, too

July 20, 2018 Bob Sullivan 0

Not long ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop on Connecticut Avenue in Washington D.C. when I saw an alarming number of police and secret service cars zip by, lights blazing.  It didn’t take long before we heard what was happening;  a few blocks away, a crazy man was [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

‘I know your password…and much more’ sextortion scam spreads quickly

July 19, 2018 Bob Sullivan 2

It was an email from a stranger that David Cotie couldn’t just ignore: “I’m going to cut to the chase. I’m aware (XXXX) is your password. Most importantly, I am aware about your secret and I’ve proof of it.” The password (which I’ve seen, but omitted here) was accurate. Whoever [Keep reading]

Cybercrime / Privacy

Survey: Apartment scams rampant, with 5 million victims; some lose more than $2,000

July 19, 2018 Bob Sullivan 1

Any time a market becomes hyper-competitive, scammers gain a huge advantage.  When items are scarce, buyers feel pressure to make quick decisions and jump through whatever hoops sellers set. Scammers know this — think concert tickets — and jump into the chaos. All this makes apartment hunters an easy mark. [Keep reading]

Dog tales: Lucky and Rusty

Stop talking about it: Go on that road trip. Here’s pics from mine

July 16, 2018 Bob Sullivan 1

Summer is passing fast, and the time for long days grows shorter. America is a truly beautiful place, even from its highways. I just got back from an epic trip — NY-Seattle-Dallas-Washington. My usual trip with Rusty.  I’ll have much more to say about it in the coming days and [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

VIDEO: In a divided America, will moving trucks unite us?

July 12, 2018 Bob Sullivan 2

It’s hard to argue there are deep divisions between Red and Blue states in America, but one thing seems to be bringing the country together: sky-high real estate prices. Americans are fleeing expensive coastal cities, which tend to vote for Democrats, and migrating to cheaper, smaller places in the middle [Keep reading]

Gotchas / Consumer

VIDEO: Why high housing costs could unify America

July 9, 2018 Bob Sullivan 1

I appeared on CBS network this weekend — from Oklahoma City, a place that’s often mentioned in the list of cool, new cities — to talk about how internal migration might change America’s political map.  Here’s an excerpt of the story referenced in the piece.  Or, just watch the video. [Keep reading]

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About me

BOB SULLIVAN is a veteran journalist and the author of four books, including the 2008 New York Times Best-Seller, Gotcha Capitalism, and the 2010 New York Times Best Seller, Stop Getting Ripped Off! His latest, The Plateau Effect, was published in 2013, and as a paperback, called Getting Unstuck in 2014. He has won the Society of Professional Journalists prestigious Public Service award, a Peabody award, and The Consumer Federation of America Betty Furness award, and been given Consumer Action’s Consumer Excellence Award.

Bob Sullivan