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11/26/2012
With many shoppers switching to online shopping for holiday gifts, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is offering 10 tips for safe shopping on Cyber Monday and throughout the season.
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11/02/2012
Looking forward to the holidays? So are the scammers. As many begin to make their holiday gift list and charity donations, unscrupulous scammers are gearing up.
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07/03/2012
Hundreds of thousands of Internet uses may lose online access on July 9, 2012, and Better Business Bureau urges consumers and businesses to run a diagnostic test to see if computers are infected.
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02/13/2012
Market Research released a report last month stating that dating services are a $2.1 billion industry, with online dating representing 53 percent of the market. With an estimated 1,500 online dating sites, according to Market Research, Better Business Bureau advises those consumers looking for love to be cautious and thoroughly research sites before committing their heart and money.
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12/13/2011
With the promise of high-end items at a 95 percent reduction in price, many consumers have been lured to penny auction sites and ended up losing hundreds of dollars, Better Business Bureau reports. BBB has received more than 500 complaints about penny auctions this year.
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11/28/2011
The Monday after Thanksgiving, dubbed Cyber Monday, is growing in popularity as a day to shop online. According to the National Retail Federation, seven in 10 online retailers expect their sales to grow at least 15 percent this holiday season. The NRF's holiday survey also found that the average person plans to do 36 percent of his or her holiday shopping online – up from 33 percent last year.
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07/20/2011
Within seconds of searching the Internet, potential home renters can find all the information they need about a possible new home, such as pictures, prices and virtual tours. However, such tools give scammers the perfect opportunity to take advantage of consumers. Better Business Bureau warns renters to be on the lookout for phony ads on Craigslist and other Internet services aimed at stealing money.
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02/18/2010
BlueHippo – it was a catchy name and a great logo. You might have been okay buying their coffee mug or even the boxer shorts they peddled on their website. But the company’s primary business was selling computers and other electronic equipment over the Internet to people with low incomes and impaired credit. If you were one of those customers, you’re probably still regretting it.
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05/01/2007
Whether you’re shopping for appliances or automobiles, groceries or gadgets, travel services or tax preparers, the Internet has changed the way most people gather information about products and services.
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08/01/2006
Voice over Internet Protocol — VoIP — is one way people are making and receiving telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection rather than a regular phone line. VoIP converts your phone call — actually, the voice signal from your phone — into a digital signal that travels through the Internet to the person you are calling. If you are calling a plain old telephone number, the signal is converted back at the other end. If you’re comfortable with new technology, you may want to learn more about VoIP. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, suggests that it’s smart to do some research on this technology before signing up for it.
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03/01/2006
Internet auction sites give buyers a “virtual” flea market with new and used merchandise from around the world; they give sellers a global storefront from which to market their goods. But the online auction business can be risky business. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to help buyers and sellers stay safe on Internet auction websites. Among the thousands of consumer fraud complaints the FTC receives every year, those dealing with online auction fraud consistently rank near the top of the list. The complaints generally deal with late shipments, no shipments, or shipments of products that aren’t the same quality as advertised; bogus online payment or escrow services; and fraudulent dealers who lure bidders from legitimate auction sites with seemingly better deals. Most complaints involve sellers, but in some cases, the buyers are the subject.
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09/01/2005
Protect your personal information. It's valuable.
Know who you're dealing with. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly. Be sure to set up your operating system and Web browser software properly, and update them regularly.
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01/01/2004
Your organization probably handles lots of Internet traffic every day — both to and from your clients and customers. The settings of your network servers may open your system to misuse.
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03/01/2003
The Internet has taken its place beside the telephone and television as an important part of people’s lives. Consumers use the Internet to shop, bank and invest online. Most consumers use credit or debit cards to pay for online purchases, but other payment methods, like “e-wallets,” are becoming more common.
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12/01/2002
Whether playing, shopping, studying or just surfing, today's kids are taking advantage of all that the web has to offer. But when it comes to their personal information, who's in charge? The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires commercial website operators to get parental consent before collecting any personal information from kids under 13. COPPA allows teachers to act on behalf of a parent during school activities online, but does not require them to do so. That is, the law does not require teachers to make decisions about the collection of their students' personal information. Check to see whether your school district has a policy about disclosing student information.
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