Many years ago, a very smart book editor I worked with (Jill Schwartzman at Dutton now) gently admonished me because I failed to include resources for consumers in my tirades about the mistreatment of consumers. So was born concepts like “Red Tape Tips” I’d include at the end of my [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Finally, crypto ATMs are getting a bit of the attention that they deserve. As host of AARP’s The Perfect Scam podcast, I talk to crime victims every week. A few years ago, a majority had their money stolen via bogus gift card transactions. Today, it feels like almost every person [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Animal shelters stuffed full of abandoned dogs. Musicians earning 0.005 cents per song. It might be easy to blame these things on cold-hearted pet owners or cheap music fans. That’s a distraction. Scratch just beneath the surface and you can clearly see there is a dangerous systemic problem plaguing both [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Who’s on the other end of the line when you get a scam phone call? Often, it’s a victim of human trafficking whose safety — and perhaps their life — depends on their ability to successfully steal your money. A recent UN report suggests there are hundreds of thousands of [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Amy Boyer, I sometimes say, was the first person murdered by the Internet. Twenty years ago this fall, she was gunned down in cold blood by stalker Liam Youens. He found Amy by hiring a data broker, and told everyone about that on his website. “It’s actually obscene what you [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
I’ve called Amy Boyer the first person killed by the Internet…with only a hint of a stretch in my assertion. She was stalked and murdered by someone who tracked her down using a data broker …in 1999. I told her story in a documentary podcast called “No Place to Hide” [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
What is the greater threat to your personal liberty — a government that is too large or a corporation that is too large? Yes, of course, the right answer is probably both, but Americans have a long-standing urge to blame government for all ills — for some reason, we’re quicker [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
“I believe that a good lawyer has to acknowledge what the law in the system can do, but also what the law in the system cannot do. And that is brought into relief by this case. The law is primarily reactive. It is often playing catchup, and in the case [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Organized digital criminals have found another vulnerable group to attack: artists. Using the confusion and buzz around crypto and NFTs, they are approaching artists with tempting partnership offers — we’ll make and sell NFTs of your work, and you’ll earn tidy commissions. But after months of promising messages, and alleged [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
It’s almost like they want you to be sick… I went for a relatively routine cardiovascular screening the other day, and I’ve never hated social media more. Before I even walked into the exam room, I was pounded by ads telling me the test I was taking wasn’t good enough [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
“Lost pet. Help find Fido!” I’m sure you’ve seen signs like that taped on telephone polls, plastered all over bulletin boards at coffee shops, maybe even popped into your mailbox. There’s just something about lost pet signs that always make my heart sink. I immediately picture a family, worried sick, [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
The AI Pope? The Pope for AI times, anyway. Just over a century ago, Pope Leo XIII stood for workers and humanity over the creeping inhumanity of the Industrial Revolution. It seems Leo the XIV is spoiling for the same kind of fight, and boy do we need that. It’s [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Reading about scams isn’t necessarily fun, and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you writing about them isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs. I’ve done a few pretty heavy stories lately, so I’m delighted to share something much lighter — dare I say, cathartic — with you this week. [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Jordan: Please, bro….It’s over. You win, bro. Dani: Okay. Goodbye. Jordan: I am KMS RN….which stands for, I’m killing myself right now….because of you. Dani: Good. Do that fast or I will make you do it. I swear to God. And that message … was the last one that he sent to [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
How relentless and cruel are online criminals? I recently heard a story about an elderly victim whose family took his phone and Internet access away so he could not longer talk to the criminals who were stealing his money. So they hired a taxi driver who traveled an hour to [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
I spent last week interviewing the parents of a teenager who committed suicide after a terrible encounter with sextortion. The entire episode began and ended in a single, horrible night on Instagram. I’ll tell their full story another day, but the interviews are haunting me. Can’t something be done? Companies [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
One of the worst parts of my job is hearing from people trying to help someone they know break free from an ongoing scam. They’ve tried everything to persuade these friends or family members to break off contact with online criminals — romance scammers, crypto scammers, timeshare scammers, it doesn’t [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
I have long said that poor customer service is a massive cybersecurity and financial vulnerability. I realize that line doesn’t always click with people right away, so I’m devoted to sharing examples with you (like this dramatic story). Hewlett-Packard just offered up a slam dunk. The company recently deployed a [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
You can invest in anything, so of course, you can invest in whisky. I was surprised to learn recently how “easy” that is, however. And, like all things that seem easy, there’s a catch. As with all non-traditional investments, there is little regulation. And when there’s little regulation, there are [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Imagine loading up your shopping cart on Thanksgiving week, strolling to the checkout counter with a buggy packed with stuffing, turkey, cranberry sauce, apple pies….only to be told by the store clerk that your card won’t work. Crying baby in one arm, smartphone in one hand, you are ushered to [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
“The cartel just very quickly, easily, and efficiently made an example of them by leaving their body parts in 48 bags outside of the city….They’re good at making high profile, gruesome examples of those who would defy them.” I’ve spent many years writing about Internet crime, so I don’t spook [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
Troy: They have a quota of a certain amount of money that they have to steal or obtain. And oftentimes those quotas are very, very high, like nearly impossible. And so they get either beaten, shocked with these uh electric shock sticks or cattle prods. If it’s really bad they [Keep reading]| bobsullivan.net
