Scam alerts Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Scam alert: Beware the ‘You’ll get a second one free scam’

Posted on June 13, 2026

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I’m sure you’ve seen those commercials on TV where an overly excited (and extremely well paid) pitchman extols the virtues of a great new widget.

You know, the one that’s guaranteed to make your life better “or we’ll give you your money back!“?

Whether it’s the awesome “liquid rubber in a can”, the amazing “twist-o-matic kitchen utensil” or some other “this widget will so change your life” thingy, the pitches are usually pretty much the same: [Read more…]

Scam alert: Fake ‘Update Chrome’ notices are spreading malware

Posted on June 9, 2026

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The hackers and scammers of the world never seem to take a break. There’s a very dangerous Chrome Update related scam that’s making the rounds right now.

In a nutshell, the scam works by either spawning a pop-up on your PC or sending you an email saying you need to click a link in order to install an important security-related update on your Chrome browser.

If you click that link you’ll immediately be taken to a malicious web page that will download malware onto your computer.

This is an easy scam to avoid as long as you always remember to never attempt to update Chrome or any other browser via a third-party website. Always install any pending browser updates manually using the update tool that’s actually built into the browser. [Read more…]

An important warning for parents of small children

Posted on May 17, 2026

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As you surely already know, the Internet can be a very dangerous place – and social media has made it more dangerous still.

I have already written several posts warning parents about the dangers of posting photos of their small children online, and now the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has boosted the danger to an entirely new level. [Read more…]

Is this the most infuriating scam ever? It’s happening all over the country

Posted on May 11, 2026

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Do you have a home listed for sale or rent that’s currently vacant?

Or how about a home you inherited that’s setting empty while you try to decide what to do with it?

Or perhaps you have a parcel of undeveloped land that you purchased for an investment or that you inherited?

If so, there’s an insidious scam going around right now that could cost you thousands in cash, lost sales and property damage, or even the outright loss of your property.

[Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware the very dangerous ‘Cellular Carrier Loyalty Giveaway’ scam

Posted on May 8, 2026

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As you probably know by now, the scammers of the world are always coming up with new ways to separate innocent people from their hard-earned money.

Since the dawn of the World Wide Web, most phishing scams have been perpetrated via email, but that’s beginning to change.

While email is still the primary vehicle for delivering these types of scams, a relatively new generation of scams are now arriving in the form of SMS text messages.

[Read more…]