Tausi Insider

Photo : Rawpixel.com ( Shutterstock ) Whether it’s investing in the newest cryptocurrency, or eyeing some type of “ make money while doing nothing! ” scheme, it can be hard to resist all the shiny “new” finance trends that constantly pop up. Often, though, these trends aren’t actually all that new—and even if they are, it’s important to look for signs that they’re doomed to fail. Any income or investment opportunity that seems too good to be true is, most likely, just that. And scam or not, chasing these trends is usually a mistake. Sure, you know not to fall for a phishing scam; e.g., you wouldn’t give your PayPal information to a text from an unknown number. Here are other types of finance trends that you’d be better off ignoring. Avoid “get rich quick” investment opportunities It’s important be wary of finance trends that aren’t an outright scam, but are a mighty big risk if you don’t know what you’re doing. Take gaming apps, for instance. If you’re going to put large sums of ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. "There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government." These words of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin have, unfortunately, proven timeless. People have been defrauding the government for centuries, but last month, the US hit an estimated $45 billion in COVID-19-related unemployment fraud. Now the government starts the long, costly and inefficient process of recouping the money, conducting investigations and punishing those responsible. This process is often called the "pay and chase" model. With all that fraud, it can be challenging for government agencies and private companies to separate the wheat from the chaff (or, in this case, the fraud from the noise). For example, is a person calling your call center with a device you haven't seen before actually an existing customer with a new phone or s...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Statistics on the number of scam websites that litter the internet are disturbing. During 2020, Google registered more than 2 million phishing websites alone. That means more than 5,000 new phishing sites popped up every day — not to mention the ones that avoided Google's detection. In 2021, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported nearly $7 billion in losses from cybercrime that is perpetrated through these sites. What exactly are scam websites? Scam websites refer to any illegitimate website that is used to deceive users into fraud or malicious attacks. Many scammers operate these fake websites and will download viruses onto your computer or steal passwords or other personal information. Reporting these sites as they are encountered is an important part of fighting back. In other words, if you see something, say something. Keeping quiet, even if you avoid falling prey, allows t...

Photo : r.classen ( Shutterstock ) As unlikely as it is to happen, every parent can imagine the horror and helplessness they would feel if they discovered their child had been kidnapped. The rush of emotions you’d experience—especially if you received a call from your child begging you for help—might overwhelm you, leading you to act rashly and do whatever it took to get them back. And that’s just what the engineers of a new “virtual kidnapping” scam are counting on. Here’s what you need to know about “virtual kidnapping” schemes, including how to spot one before you become a victim. How does the“virtual kidnapping” ransom scam work? According to the Los Angeles Times , the perpetrators of these schemes will call parents and attempt to get them to believe their child has been abducted, and demand an immediate ransom payment. All the while, the child is still safe at school or with the babysitter—but the scammers are hoping you don’t find that out until after you’ve paid up. As FB...

Photo : Nitiphonphat ( Shutterstock ) These days, I get so many spam calls I hardly pick up the phone anymore. However, if I see a call from someone I kno w, whether they’re a friend or family member, I, of course, answer them (usually) . Unlike a random number, I know the person on the other end of the line, because I have their contact in my phone, right? Unfortunately, that’s not 100% true, and scammers are using that to their advantage. Take this TikTok from creator Citylivingsoutherngirl , for example. In the video, the creator describes getting a phone call from her mom. The call came through as any other call would: Her mom’s contact popped right up, nothing nefarious or suspect about it. She answered the call, only to hear what sounded like her mother’s voice far away from the phone, and sobbing. A man’s voice then answered, and demanded money from the girl or else he’d kill her mother. Of course, the creator was terrified, and eventually agreed to the demands. She talked...

A Florida pastor and his son are accused of doing some very unholy things. Earlier this morning, Pastor Evan Edwards and his son Josh, 30, were arrested for bilking taxpayers of $8 million in a COVID-19 relief scam. Police made the arrest at the Edwards's home in New Smyrna Beach. The elder Evans was seen being pushed in a wheelchair. A Florida pastor and his son have been arrested on charges of fraudulently obtaining more than $8 million in federal Covid relief funds and attempting to use some of the money to buy a luxury home near Disney World. https://t.co/fwvoPoz7XX — NBC News (@NBCNews) December 14, 2022 The Edwards are Christian missionaries from Canada who moved to Florida in 2019. They ran an organization called ASLAN International Ministry. According to an indictment unsealed today , Josh Edwards "submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application" on behalf of ASLAN International Ministry for $6 million, claiming their ministry had "average monthly ...