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…)

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.

If having the latest cell phone, laptop or tablet computer is your goal, you may have listened with interest to some stores’ advertised promises to buy back your gadget so you can upgrade quickly.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises consumers to investigate the offers carefully before signing up or paying a fee. The plans are basically a form of insurance that allows you to trade in a gadget in good condition toward another product. However, the value may be less than you expected or it may be hard to qualify for the buyback if you don’t follow specific directions as required in the plan.

“Consumers who have to have the most sophisticated gadgets as part of their job or their lifestyle may find value in these offers,” said Kim States, BBB President. “But you have to balance the cost of the plans against what you may actually get back if your item isn’t in tip-top condition when you trade it in.”

The New York Times recently reported that many of these plans come with high price tags, and their value drops sharply if you don’t trade in the old item within a short period of time – often less than a year. It could take longer than that for the new version to arrive on store shelves.

BBB offers the following tips for consumers who may be considering a buyback plan:

• Consider the buyback plan as a form of insurance. The plans basically guarantee a resale value, but that value can drop off sharply over time. The true value may be nominal and may be hard to define, so make sure you read the fine print.
• The plans have the retailer’s interest at heart. When you bring back your item, you usually will be issued a gift card good only at that retailer, essentially locking you in to that store for the next technology purchase. In some states, consumers also have found that they have to pay sales tax as many as three times – for the original purchase, when they return the item and again when they use the gift card.
• Buyback plans don’t work if you’re forgetful or disorganized. Many plans require you to return the original purchase receipt, power cords and manuals. If you don’t have them, you may not be able to get as much trade-in value for your gadget.
• Mobile phone contracts are excluded. You may be able to upgrade your cell phone with a buyback program, but you will still have a contract with the cell phone service provider who may bill you for the life of the contract. Find out whether the service contract can be transferred to a new phone.
• Erase any personal data before returning your gadget. To avoid identity theft, make sure that the memory of the gadget is wiped clean before you turn it in. Otherwise, computers and even cell phones can contain sensitive information that could be used to commit identity theft.
• Consider reselling gadgets elsewhere. Some consumers have found that they can get more out of their gadgets by reselling them than by trading them in. Online auction or classified ad sites may be a better way to get some value out of your gadgets.

For more consumer tips or to check a company’s BBB Business Review, go to www.tucson.bbb.org or call (520)888-5353.