Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers about scams related to the passing of former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. Many of the scams claim that consumers are eligible to receive free Apple products.

Within hours of Jobs’ death, scammers began announcing that companies were giving away free Apple products ‘in memory of Steve Jobs’, and it’s just the beginning, warns BBB.

In a recent Facebook scam, the announcement read: “In memory of Steve, our company is giving away 50 iPads. R.I.P. Steve Jobs”. The ad instructed people to click on a link to get a free iPad. After clicking on the link, users were asked to complete an online survey that required personal information, an action that often leads to identity theft.

Scammers use fake product offers to get you to click on the links they contain for several purposes:

1. To infect your computer with malware in order to obtain your personal information to steal your identity.
2. To drive traffic to certain websites that pay the scammer a commission for every survey completed, every product purchased, and/or every account compromised.

“Past experience tells us that con artists will invent more Steve Jobs offers, including fraudulent (more…)

Online ads, often designed to look like news reports, are cropping up on popular websites claiming that you can get great deals on iPads and other electronics with online penny auctions. The discounts offered on penny auction sites are tempting, but the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns bargain hunters that they should stop and do their research before making their first bid.

“BBB has received hundreds of complaints from consumers about penny auctions so far this year and we’re encouraging online bargain hunters to do their research,” says Kim States, BBB President. “Unlike typical auctions, unsuccessfully bidding on an item through a penny auction will still cost you. BBB has heard from people who have lost hundreds of dollars bidding on items yet have nothing to show for it.”

Most commonly with a penny auction, users must set up an account and purchase bids with a credit or debit card; each individual bid may cost less than a dollar and are often sold in bundles of 100 or more. Every item has a countdown clock and as people bid, the cost of the item goes up incrementally and more time is added to the clock. Even if you don’t win the item, you still have to pay for the bids you placed which can add up over time.

Complaints filed against penny auction websites claim that some sites use phony bidders and “bots” to drive up the prices on items. Customer support is also a major concern as many complainants explain (more…)

As students across the state are on their way back to school, many of them will carry cell phones, iPads, iPods, laptops and other electronic devices everywhere from the classroom to the car. Better Business Bureau reminds students and their parents to talk about ways to keep electronics and personal information out of the wrong hands.

College campuses, cafeterias, local hang outs and even classrooms can be an easy target for those looking to “score” expensive electronic devices. Not only can thieves steal your personal property, they could gain access to sensitive information such as emails, text messages, calendars, bank account information, Social Security Numbers photos, and even social media network logins.

“These electronics- and especially the information stored on them- should be treated like a pile of cash,” said Kim States, BBB President. “It’s a significant financial investment that should be protected at all times.”

BBB offers the following advice to students and parents on how to keep personal property and sensitive information safe at school:

• Use password protections. Even if a thief steals your electronic device, having password protections could limit their access to your personal information. Avoid sharing passwords with friends or carrying them around on paper.
• Avoid entering sensitive information into your device on unencrypted public wireless networks. Even novice hackers can download simple programs that allow them to track your movements online when you’re using unprotected wireless networks. If you can avoid it, wait until you can use an encrypted connection to type passwords and other sensitive information into your web browser.
• Use bells and whistles. Depending on your security needs, an alarm can be a useful tool. Some laptop alarms sound when there’s unexpected motion, or when the computer moves outside a specified range around you. Or consider a kind of “lo-jack” for your laptop: a program that reports the location of your stolen laptop once it’s connected to the Internet.

For more consumer tips and news you can trust, visit BBB’s news center at www.tucson.bbb.org.