scam

Four 'scam' stories June 2013 - January 2019

Facebook’s ‘Friendly Fraud’ — report reveals social media knowingly scammed children as Zuckerberg publishes WSJ column

9to5 Staff Jan 25 2019 - 12:47 am PT

Bad news and Facebook seem be in perfect harmony over the past months, and the latest report might shine the social media in its worst light yet. Information from RevealNews uncovers how Facebook privately used phrases such as “Friendly Fraud” in internal memos in reference to children spending money on games without their parents permission.

Perhaps more troubling is how the report alleges the company pushed developers into allowing games to entice children to spend money without parental guidance in an effort to “maximize revenue”.

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The ridiculously simple con that allowed a fraudster to take Apple for $309k

Ben Lovejoy Jul 29 2014 - 6:44 am PT

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You wouldn’t think it would be easy to use a debit card on a closed account to scam an Apple Store out of around $7200’s worth of kit, but that’s what a 24-year-old fraudster is alleged to have done not just once but a total of 42 times – netting a total haul worth $309,768.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the East Tampa resident Sharron Parrish used an absurdly simple method to persuade Apple Store staff to override payment terminals after his transactions were declined …
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How app store scammers can make $10,000 a day from a $10 game template

Ben Lovejoy Feb 20 2014 - 4:23 am PT

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Game Center WWDC 2013

TechCrunch has a fascinating insight into the world of App Store scammers, using the example of a game created from a $10 template that ended up making $10,000 a day.

The piece alleges that the developer of the paid version of Red Bouncing Balls Spikes used a network of around 20,000 fake Apple IDs to buy his own app in order to get it to the top of the charts, an up-front investment of $20k that would be repaid many times over …
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Didn’t get your order? UPS sorter charged with sneaking 60 iPhones/iPads out in his pants

Jordan Kahn Jun 5 2013 - 8:46 am PT

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Macbook-in-pants More than a few people in and around Springfield, Virginia have not been receiving their Apple orders over the last six months as wusa9 reports police have arrested a 31-year-old UPS sorter for stealing over 60 iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks:

Stephen A. Owens, a UPS sorter, was reportedly taking unopened Apple products, stuffing them into his pants or otherwise concealing them and then selling them at bargain prices, officials say.

“Thefts were reportedly taking place in batches since September 2012, and included such items as Macbooks, iPhones, iPods and iPads all being shipped directly from Apple to new customers. UPS became suspicious when customers started calling to inquire or complain that they had not received their products,” according to a news release from the Fairfax County Police Department.

Police say the 6-month investigation found the sorter was taking the Apple products directly from unopened packages at UPS and selling the devices at discounted prices online throughout D.C, Maryland and Northern Virginia.