by Scott Muniz | Jun 10, 2021 | Security
This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.
Were you an Amazon Flex driver from late 2016 to August 2019?
If so, you may be able to get the tips you earned that Amazon previously withheld. Several months ago, we told you the FTC filed a case against Amazon for keeping $61.7 million in tips drivers made while delivering for the Amazon Flex program.
Today, the FTC announced a final settlement order in which Amazon will pay the full amount – $61.7 million – back to drivers. In addition, Amazon agreed to change its business practices and will be fined up to $43,792 per incident if it violates the order in the future.
So, if you were a Flex driver, how can you get your money? Well, you don’t have to do anything. The FTC’s Office of Claims and Refunds will distribute the money based on information in Amazon’s records. The FTC expects to send payments to affected drivers within six months of getting both the funds and the data from Amazon. If you were an Amazon Flex driver, you can sign up to get email updates about the status of the refund process in the case.
If you’re considering becoming a gig worker, here are some things to consider.
- Do your research. Search for information about the company online, like how it pays its workers and any other conditions of the job.
- Compare earnings. Will you be paid hourly? By gig? Will you get every dollar a customer tips you? And will the company reduce your pay based on the tips you receive? Once you’re on the job, ask the company for a breakdown of your earnings so you can be sure you’re getting what they promised.
- Report your concerns. If a company doesn’t deliver on its promises, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Scott Muniz | Jun 10, 2021 | Security, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
Google has released Chrome version 91.0.4472.101 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This version addresses vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to take control of an affected system. One of these vulnerabilities—CVE-2021-30551—has been detected in exploits in the wild.
CISA encourages users and administrators to review the Chrome Release Note and apply the necessary updates.
by Scott Muniz | Jun 9, 2021 | Security
This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.
Every day, the FTC is working to protect people from fraud. Today, the FTC announced that it returned $30 million in one of these cases.
The FTC reached a settlement with Career Education Corp. (CEC) over how the company promoted its schools. According to the FTC, CEC bought sales leads from companies that used deceptive websites to collect people’s contact information. The websites seemed to offer help finding jobs, enlisting in the military, and getting government benefits. Instead, the FTC says CEC used the information collected by these websites to make high-pressure sales calls to market its schools.
The FTC is mailing 8,050 checks averaging more than $3,700 each to people who paid thousands of dollars to CEC after engaging with one of these websites. The checks will expire 90 days after mailing, on September 9, 2021. If you have questions about these refunds, call 1-833-916-3603.
The FTC’s interactive map shows how much money and how many checks the FTC mailed to each state in this case, as well as in other recent FTC cases. There are also details about the FTC’s refund process and a list of recent cases that resulted in refunds at ftc.gov/refunds.
If you want to report a fraud, scam, or bad business practice to the FTC, visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Scott Muniz | Jun 9, 2021 | Security
This article was originally posted by the FTC. See the original article here.
Scammers often disguise themselves as people working for the government and might pretend to offer help. But, really, they’re after your money or personal information.
Government imposters may call to “verify your Social Security number,” or say your Social Security number or Medicare benefits have been “suspended” due to a mix-up. Scammers may say your tax returns must be done differently because of a name change — and they need your Social Security number to fix it. But wait right there. Scammers are just phishing for personal information they can use to steal your identity or take your money.
So how do you spot it and stop it? Here’s what to know:
- Scammers call, email, or text you for money or information. But the government won’t. Anyone who calls, emails, or texts, asking for money or personal information and claims to be from the government is a scammer. Hang up and don’t respond to messages.
- Scammers tell you how to pay — usually by wiring money, cryptocurrency, or gift card. Nobody legit will ever tell you to pay in any of those ways. If they call, hang up the phone. If they email, text, or message you, don’t click on any links. It’s a scam.
- Even if your caller ID says it’s from the government, it could be a scam. Caller ID can be faked. Even if it shows the government agency’s real phone number, or even if it says something like “Social Security Administration,” it could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world. Don’t trust it.
If you spot a government imposter, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Brought to you by Dr. Ware, Microsoft Office 365 Silver Partner, Charleston SC.
by Scott Muniz | Jun 9, 2021 | Security, Technology
This article is contributed. See the original author and article here.
CISA has published the Rising Ransomware Threat to OT Assets fact sheet in response to the recent increase in ransomware attacks targeting operational technology (OT) assets and control systems. The guidance:
- provides steps to prepare for, mitigate against, and respond to attacks;
- details how the dependencies between an entity’s IT and OT systems can provide a path for attackers; and
- explains how to reduce the risk of severe business degradation if affected by ransomware.
CISA encourages critical infrastructure (CI) owners and operators to review the Rising Ransomware Threat to OT Assets fact sheet as well as CISA’s Ransomware webpage to help them in reducing their CI entity’s vulnerability to ransomware.
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