Are Senior Citizens Becoming the Drug of Choice for Mexican Cartels?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Microsoft Image Creator

In the past few years, I've written a number of posts about scams used to dupe the public out of their hard-earned money.  Some of the cons were simplicity itself, while others were quite sophisticated. While some of these swindles had been perpetrated by individuals, others employed a tag team approach. However, when an organization with thousands of criminal members takes over vast call centers to bilk senior citizens out of hundreds of millions of dollars per year, this takes the con to a whole new level.  In order to level the playing field, I'm going to describe one of the world's most sophisticated con jobs ever perpetrated on the American public by a Mexican cartel more usually associated with the production and distribution of illicit drugs.  

Can Cyber Criminals Break the Bank?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Microsoft Image Creator

If you're a Rat Pack fan like I am, you'll never forget the 1960 caper flick Oceans 11, where Frank, Dean, Sammie, Peter & Joey take down five Las Vegas casinos on New Year's Eve.  While a work of fiction, it proved to be more a case of life imitating art when several hacking collectives pooled their resources to take down a pair of Vegas casinos last year.  While the hack didn't break the bank at either the MGM or Caesars, it did cost the two companies more than $100 million collectively.  What's worse is that even though the FBI knows the groups responsible for the ransomware attacks, the odds are low that the feds will be able to prosecute many of those involved, since the perpetrators are scattered around the globe.  The repercussions of this brazen cyberattack and the lackluster law enforcement response has not only gotten many corporate CEO's to start quaking in their boots, it's also caused the insurance industry to take a long hard look at whether if can cover the bets of businesses who are likely to be targeted by hacking collectives that can operate with impunity.

Does Cruise Insurance Guarantee Smooth Sailing?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Microsoft Image Designer

While the cruise industry almost went down with the ship during the COVID pandemic, it has since rebounded big time. In fact, more than 35 million passengers are expected to sail this year, up 6% from last year.  The appeal of cruising is obvious.  Cruise ships not only offer travelers the opportunity to visit exciting destinations, they also provide everything from onboard entertainment to world-class dining and casino gaming.  Plus, you don't have to change hotels every time the ship stops at a port of call.  The only fly in the ointment is what can happen if something goes wrong during your cruise, or something untoward were to happen to you before you board the ship.  When you consider that you can expect to spend an average of $1,000-$6,000 for a cruise these days, many people looking to protect their investment consider acquiring cruise insurance.  If you're considering going on a cruise anytime in the near future, there are a few things you need to know.

Can High Tech Lay You Low?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Microsoft Image Creator

I've always said that technology is a two-edged sword.  In some ways it makes life a lot easier.  The problem is, that same technology can cause you a lot of trouble when it doesn't work, or when someone uses it to do things that aren't in your best interest.  To help you stay ahead of the high-tech curve, I've come up with a list of ten things you need to be aware of when it comes to technology.

10 Ways to Lower Your Cyber Insurance Cost

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pxhere

Computer hacking has gotten so costly to businesses that most insurers have not only been forced to raise their rates, but some, like Lloyd's of London, have added exclusions for state-sponsored hacks.  This has put small business owners in a situation where they're having trouble affording cyber insurance, even when they know there's a high probability that their business could be targeted.  If you're caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to defending your business from cybercrime, let me clue you into ten ways that you can improve your firm's cyber security while reducing your cyber insurance costs at the same time. 

How to Keep Facebook from Turning Into Facecrook

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy PxHere

Facebook is by far the world's most popular social network with more than 3 billion active users.  Unfortunately, it's also reportedly one of the most prolific hunting grounds for scammers, with more than 62% of users encountering fraudulent offers of one kind of another on a weekly basis.  If you want to network with your friends on Facebook without being ripped off, hacked, or having your heart broken, you need to be aware of the tactics used by con artists to get you to do things that will get you burned.  With that in mind, here are the top-10 scams currently being seen on Facebook.

It Came From Outer Space

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

While most insurance claims are run of the mill, some of them are over the top.  In fact, some insurance claims and policies are literally out of this world.  Before you start thinking that I've been watching too many reruns on the Syfy Channel, allow me to point out that there are many reasons why some people have chosen to be concerned with things that come from outer space.  There have also been quite a few news reports on folks who have had their property damaged by debris that originated in outer space.  To keep all my loyal readers in the loop, I decided to point out some of the incidents that have occurred, as well as some policies that have been offered to help those who are concerned with otherworldly visitors who may not have their best interest at heart.