In Zelle hell: One tech pro lost $1,600 using Zelle. Eventually, Wells Fargo credited him for the fishy charge. He agrees with lawmakers who say Zelle and banks are quick to blame victims for using it “wrong.”
Tech trick: How to tell who's calling when you don't recognize the phone number
Ever received a text message from a number you don’t recognize? I get a lot of texts from numbers that I have no idea who that person is. Instead of replying with “Ahem, who dis?” there’s a hack you’re going to use time and time again.
If you get a text from an unknown number, mobile payment apps like Venmo, CashApp, Zelle or PayPal can help you put a name to that number.
Copy and paste the number into the app and the mystery sender’s name might just be unveiled.
I tested this on a phone number belonging to someone I knew had a Venmo account. Their name popped right up.
FYI, this hack only works if you have an account with one of those mobile payment apps. The sender also has to use their real name and number in the app. But hey, it’s better than shooting in the dark.
There’s the flip side: Be sure to disable your mobile payment app from sharing your name and phone number with other people. The steps vary per app. In Venmo, open Settings, Friends and Social and toggle off Phone contacts.
What about blocked numbers?
Dialing *67 conceals your number from someone you call. There are similar numbers you can dial to respond to mystery callers.
The first is *69, which traces the number of the last person who called you. It works even for anonymous or hidden calls, so you can get the phone number and exact time they called. Once you have that number, you can block it on your phone so they can’t call you anymore.
There are more codes and secrets you can use to hunt down who called. Tap or click here to check them out.
💀 My favorite way to answer spam calls? “Maricopa County morgue, you kill ’em, we chill ’em.” I’m terrible ….
New phishing scams targeting your bank account
Your personal information is precious to cybercriminals, but they also want to make some hard cash. When they are not selling malware or sensitive data on the Dark Web, many work on financial phishing scams.
While the tactics often vary, the end goal is to steal as much of your money as possible. And it’s not just one bank’s customers who are targeted. Over the last few months, many scams used fraudulent details for almost every bank in the U.S.
Avoid this clever scam tactic being used on Facebook Marketplace
Whenever you deal with strangers online, you must be vigilant for scammers. While social media platforms are popular hunting grounds, criminals have equal success with online classified websites.
Every month there seems to be a new Facebook Marketplace trick or eBay scam looking to steal your money or personal information. Some are easy to spot, but criminals often change tactics to disguise their motives.
Use a payment app? New scam stealing thousands from unsuspecting victims
There are plenty of dangers associated with online shopping. User-driven platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are hotspots for scammers trying to tell fake products or not shop the items.
If that isn’t enough to put you off from shopping online, several other scams can be more damaging to your wallet. Cybercriminals will often go out of their way to launch sophisticated phishing scams to make a quick buck.
Skip the credit card and pay online with one of these 5 safer options
You’ve probably heard by now that our supply chain is broken, causing shortages in tons of items that people need every day. That includes things you want to buy as gifts. So if you haven’t started your holiday shopping, there’s no more time to waste.
Bots are scamming people on Twitter for donations - Here's how to spot their tricks
Payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, Google Pay, Zelle and PayPal are great for paying for goods and services and sending money to friends. You can even use some of them to split a bill at a restaurant. They’re an easy alternative to credit cards that are becoming more widely accepted as time goes on.
Here's how much your credit card is now worth on the Dark Web - and the one account worth a lot more
Payment apps make it easy to pay back friends, settle up a restaurant bill or order something online. There’s also a sanitary advantage, as you don’t have to handle credit cards, payment machines or cash.
While convenient, payment apps do carry risks. There are right and wrong ways to use them safely. Tap or click here for our tips on locking down these apps.
Skip the card: How to pay with your phone or smartwatch
Credit cards have been around for nearly three-quarters of a century and have evolved to the point where you don’t even need to swipe your card or insert it into a chip reader. Using Radio-frequency identification (RFID) or Near-Field Communication (NFC), you need only hold your card close to the reader or tap it to complete a transaction.
Money scams are out of control: How to lock down your bank or payment app
Contactless payment has gained traction, thanks in part to social distancing. Rather than handle cash or even swipe a card, you need only hold your smartphone close to a payment terminal, scan a QR code or send money directly through a peer-to-peer (P2P) app.
Renting a new home or apartment? Top money-stealing scams and how to avoid them
You can’t turn a corner without running into a new scam or hustle nowadays. These scams touch nearly every aspect of life, including renting a home or apartment. In 2020 alone, more than 13,000 victims lost $213 million to rental scams, the FBI reports.
Fake customer support scam is wiping out bank accounts - don't fall for it!
We all make online or app-based transactions from time to time, but there’s a lot at risk when you share your personal or financial information with strangers. After all, tons of scams have been identified over the last few months, and people across the country continue to lose money by falling for them.
Tech how-to: Send money to friends and family using your phone
If you thought people weren’t using cash as often before the pandemic, imagine how little it’s being used now.
Long before the coronavirus spread, many of us had already made the switch from cash to card — and some people have taken it a step further and dropped cards altogether.
4 things you need to know about your stimulus check
The coronavirus pandemic has been a blight on the national economy. Not only are people suffering physically from the disease, but the number of jobs and livelihoods threatened by the virus have made the situation even more dire.
How-to: Set up mobile payments to avoid coronavirus
Just a few months back, it may have seemed obsessive-compulsive to wash your hands after every interaction. But with the specter of the coronavirus looming large, hygiene is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Frequently cleaning your hands and devices is one of the best ways you can protect yourself. If everyone takes action to reduce the spread of germs, it can slow the creep of infection. Tap or click to see the best disinfectants you can use for your gadgets.