Scam alerts Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Scam alert: Be wary of disaster relief donation scams

Posted on August 14, 2026

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Horrible events like hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and raging wildfires tend to bring out the very best in humanity.

Millions of generous individuals and companies typically donate billions of dollars in relief funds for the victims of these disasters.

What’s more, armies of volunteers travel to the affected areas, with more waiting to go in just as soon as they receive approval from officials.

But unfortunately, scams are everywhere and large-scale natural disasters tend to bring plenty of scammers of out of the woodwork.

[Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware fake update notices for the Chrome browser

Posted on July 7, 2026

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If you’ve been using the Internet for any length of time you probably know how important it is to keep your web browser(s) updated with the latest security updates.

Security holes that can allow hackers and scammers to cause all kinds of grief for innocent users are “patched” via security updates on a regular basis, so we’re all used to installing those updates as they are released.

Unfortunately, hackers are once again taking advantage of our familiarity with security updates to trick us into downloading dangerous malware onto our systems.

[Read more…]

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…]