Security News
The US Federal Trade Commission said Americans reported losing $148 million to gift card scams during the first nine months of 2021, following a significant increase compared to last year. Almost 40,000 consumers reported falling victim to scams where gift cards were the chosen form of payment throughout the year.
The US Federal Trade Commission has shared guidance for small businesses on how to secure their networks from ransomware attacks by blocking threat actors' attempts to exploit vulnerabilities using social engineering or exploits targeting technology.The first step businesses are advised to take to fend off such attacks is to ensure their tech teams follow the best practices outlined by CISA in this Ransomware Guide and the Fact Sheet on Rising Ransomware Threat to Operational Technology Assets.
The Federal Trade Commission found that the six largest internet service providers in the U.S. collect and share customers' personal data without providing them with info on how it's used or meaningful ways to control this process. "Many internet service providers collect and share far more data about their customers than many consumers may expect-including access to all of their Internet traffic and real-time location data-while failing to offer consumers meaningful choices about how this data can be used," the FTC said.
The Federal Trade Commission says it will fine companies for using fake online reviews or other deceptive endorsements to deceive their customers. The US government agency announced this on Wednesday after it sent letters warning over 700 leading companies not to use such unlawful practices in their online marketing and advertising campaigns, given that they could trigger steep penalties.
The US Federal Trade Commission warns of extortion scammers targeting the LGBTQ+ community via online dating apps such as Grindr and Feeld. As the FTC revealed, the fraudsters would pose as potential romantic partners on LGBTQ+ dating apps, sending explicit photos and asking their targets to reciprocate.
America's trade watchdog today banned stalkerware developer SpyFone and its CEO from the surveillance industry, effectively putting an end to its business. In effect, the FTC said, Support King LLC, which traded as SpyFone.com, and its CEO Scott Zuckerman, "Secretly harvested and shared data on people's physical movements, phone use, and online activities" and allowed "Stalkers and domestic abusers to stealthily track the potential targets of their violence."
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday banned a stalkerware app company called SpyFone from the surveillance business over concerns that it stealthily harvested and shared data on people's physical movements, phone use, and online activities that were then used by stalkers and domestic abusers to monitor potential targets. Calling out the app developers for its lack of basic security practices, the agency has also ordered SpyFone to delete the illegally harvested information and notify device owners that the app had been secretly installed on their phones.
FTC has banned stalkerware maker Spyfone and CEO Scott Zuckerman from the surveillance business after failing to protect customers' devices from hackers and sharing info on their location and activity. "Today, the Federal Trade Commission banned SpyFone and its CEO Scott Zuckerman from the surveillance business over allegations that the stalkerware app company secretly harvested and shared data on people's physical movements, phone use, and online activities through a hidden device hack," the FTC said today.
Scammers are now targeting people who have filed for unemployment insurance through a phishing campaign designed to capture sensitive information. In a warning posted on Wednesday, the FTC warned of a new series of deceptive text messages and emails that lead you to websites spoofing your state's workforce agency.
The US Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of 48 state attorneys general on Wednesday filed a pair of sweeping antitrust suits against Facebook, alleging that the company abused its power in the marketplace to neutralize competitors through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp and depriving users of better privacy-friendly alternatives. Specifically, the lawsuits seek to rescind the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, spinning off both platforms into independent companies, prohibit Facebook from imposing anti-competitive conditions on software developers, and require the company to seek prior notice and approval for future mergers and acquisitions.