Another day, another scam caller. Would you fall for this fraud? 🔊 💾 Download this audio file. You'd probably realise that this was a (crap) text-to-voice system and that the tax authorities are more likely to send a letter than a phone call. But not everyone is so switched-on. If you've not had many dealings with HMRC, would you know how they contact people? If you're on a noisy train and all you hear is "final warning.... legal action..." You can learn how to stay safe onlin…
Continue reading →
Gmail is usually pretty good at stopping spam from reaching my inbox. When it slips up, it reminds me of just how terrifying the modern internet is. Early one morning, I received this email from someone I know (details redacted by me). It came from his email, it has his signature at the bottom. This doesn't look like someone hijacking his email so far. I don't put much stock by "Protected by Antivirus" claims - because they provide no proof that scanning has taken place. I know you…
Continue reading →
Last week I was contacted by the BBC's consumer affairs programme "You And Yours" for my expert opinion on a new type of mobile phone scam. Terence Eden is on Mastodon@edentWarning! I'll be on @BBCRadio4's You And Yours shortly.Please tune your wirelesses accordingly. pic.x.com/6f3zsiwuin❤️ 4💬 1🔁 011:18 - Mon 11 April 2016 Several people had contacted the show to say that they had missed calls from the number "08454290015" or "08439800142" - despite not answering the call, nor dialling it them…
Continue reading →
There is a new API in town! HTML5 will (soon) let you make the user's device vibrate. What fun! Obviously, it's useful for triggering alerts, improved immersivness during gameplay, and all sorts of other fun things like sending Morse Code messages via vibration. At the moment, Chrome (and other Android browsers) ask for permission before accessing features such as geo-location, camera, address book etc. This is a security measure to prevent your private information leaving your hands…
Continue reading →
Just the look of those permissions is enough to break me out in a cold sweat! According to Lookout - the leading security solution for Android - it's a payware scam. No doubt ready to send a barrage of Premium SMS to drain my phone's credit. It's quite upsetting that a company like Yahoo would allow adverts like this on its networks. I understand that they have to look at millions of adverts - and some advertisers will change their sites after the advertising campaign goes live - but there …
Continue reading →
Ah! Valkee! For the last few years I've been blogging about this "miracle cure" for depression - in 2011 I called Valkee a technology scam and last year Valkee's website was found to be misleading the public. They claim that by sticking a light in your ear, you can cure both depression and cancer. These are dangerous quacks who need to be stopped. Earlier this year, the Finnish TV show "MOT" did a rather detailed exposé of Valkee: Valkee won the "Hoax Prize" from the Finnish Sceptics' …
Continue reading →
I recently read about an innovative telephone call scam. A scammer rings the mark and asks for her credit card details. If the mark refuses, the scammer tells her to hang up the phone, then dial 999 and ask for "Sergeant Scammer of the Fraud Squad". The mark does so, and is connected to what they assume is the emergency services. However, because the scammer hasn't hung up at their end, the call is still active. So the mark isn't speaking to 999, but to the scammer. Pretty devious. …
Continue reading →
Regular readers may know that I'm not a big fan of Valkee - the magic light you shine in your ears to improve your mood. Back in September, I complained to the ASA about the Valkee website. I felt that it was making unfounded claims, was confusing testimonial with science, and was generally misleading. In December, the ASA referred it to their counterparts in Finland for investigation. Today, I received this back from them. As you know, we previously referred your complaint about Valkee…
Continue reading →
Why do some people in the technology community seem so susceptible to snake oil? I suspect it's because of two things. We trust our friends' judgement. We are experts in our fields and, therefore, trust our own judgement in matters we don't fully understand. Compare and contrast the following two statements. On the announcement of the original iPod, one influential pundit declared... "No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame." Source: Slashdot.org's original iPod discussion On …
Continue reading →
Ever seen one of these scratch cards? They often seem to fall out of magazines or inserted into junk mail. A scratchcard I usually just throw them straight into the recycling bin. But, like the fool I am, I thought "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". I could win some serious cash here... Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! If you can't read the small print, it says... Calls cost £1.50/min from a BT landline & will last no longer than 6 mins. Not having a land-line, I went for the mobile op…
Continue reading →
