Scam watch: Password hacking, used cars, MPG device
Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for.
Popular passwords – It’s a good idea to be careful when selecting a password for online financial accounts. If criminals crack your password, it won’t be too hard for them to steal your money. Yet many people choose passwords that will be easy for them to remember, placing a higher priority on convenience than security. Problem is, the passwords also will be easy for hackers to crack. The FBI and National White Collar Crime Center just released a list of common passwords that have been stolen by hackers. Here’s the top 10: password, 123456, 12345678, qwerty, abc123, monkey, 1234567, letmein, trustno1 and dragon. Come on, folks. How about a little creativity? Online security experts recommend choosing passwords that include capital and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.
MPG boost – A company that sold a device it said could boost gas mileage by at least 50% and “turn any vehicle into a hybrid” has agreed to stop making the phony claims, the Federal Trade Commission said in a news release. Without acknowledging wrongdoing, the marketers of the Hydro-Assist Fuel Cell have agreed to stop selling any fuel economy products. The FTC had filed a complaint against several involved companies, including Dutchman Enterprises, in 2009. The marketing firm had contended that the device turned water into “water gas,” with five times the potential energy of gasoline. Under the settlement, the defendants will pay a judgment of $230,000, the FTC said.
Internet car sales – A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted six foreign nationals on charges that they defrauded U.S. consumers who attempted to buy automobiles online. The 24-count indictment accused the defendants of stealing millions of dollars from consumers who responded to ads listing cars for sale on legitimate websites such as eBay Motors, Auto Trader, Yahoo Auto, Edmunds.com and Craigslist. Not one vehicle was delivered to the hundreds of victims who paid a total of more than $4 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Victims were told the money would be held in escrow but were tricked into depositing it into accounts that the suspects could access, prosecutors said. Three of the suspects are jailed in the United States; three others are at large.
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