Public Wi-Fi networks are increasingly targeted by scams
Scammers often pretend to be representatives of government agencies or well-known companies in order to trick victims into giving them personal and financial information.
Staying safe on public Wi-Fi involves being aware of potential dangers, using secure connections, and protecting your devices.
In recent years, scams involving public Wi-Fi networks have become increasingly common. These scams often involve fraudsters pretending to be representatives of government agencies or well-known companies such as Amazon in order to trick victims into giving them personal and financial information. In this article, we will explore the dangers of using public Wi-Fi networks and provide tips for staying safe while connected.
The article is about a $50,000 scam that Charlotte Cowles from New York magazine fell victim to. The scammers pretended to be from Amazon and government agencies.
Cowles described the crooks as impersonating Amazon first, then passing her on to someone who claimed to be an FTC investigator and finally a supposed CIA lead investigator.
Amazon has no direct line to the Federal Trade Commission. Cowles' story begins with a call from Amazon that was supposedly about fraudulent purchases and identity theft.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that they were scammed out of $50,000 by crooks pretending to be from Amazon and government agencies. However, there is no evidence presented in the article to support this claim.
The writer describes a fantastical tale about being conned out of $50,000 but provides no direct quotations or evidence to support their story.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the author's personal experience and emotions. The author uses language that dehumanizes scammers as 'crooks', which may be seen as extreme or unreasonable by some readers.
> My own financial planner had gone to jail years ago, which I chronicled in a few columns.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Ron Lieber has a financial tie to Amazon as he is an author for the company's book imprint. He also has a personal relationship with Charlotte Cowles who was featured in the article.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Ron Lieber has conflicts of interest on the topics of Amazon and F.T.C.
The article is about a personal experience of the author falling for an Amazon scam call and handing over $50,000.
Three minutes later, a white Mercedes SUV pulled up and the man on the phone told her that her home was being watched, laptop had been hacked, and they were in imminent danger. He also knew personal information about their family members.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims to have fallen for a scam when they did not actually fall for it. They admit that they knew it was a scam after the fact and that their actions were painfully obvious in retrospect. Secondly, the author does not provide any evidence or details about how they fell for this supposed scam, making it difficult to believe them. Thirdly, the article is written from a first-person perspective which can be seen as biased.
The author claims to have fallen for a scam when they did not actually fall for it.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author falls for an appeal to authority when they trust the caller's claim that their home is being watched and their laptop has been hacked without any evidence or verification. This is a form of inflammatory rhetoric as it creates fear in the reader, which can be used to manipulate them into taking action. The author also falls for an informal fallacy when they assume that because the caller knew personal information about them and their family members, they must have done some sort of research or investigation on them. This is a form of false cause as there are many ways someone could obtain this information without it being related to the scam call. The author also falls for an informal fallacy when they assume that because the caller knew about their savings account and its contents, they must have done some sort of research or investigation on them. This is a form of false cause as there are many ways someone could obtain this information without it being related to the scam call.
The author trusts the caller's claim that their home is being watched and their laptop has been hacked without any evidence or verification.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is Charlotte Cowles and she has a history of writing for The Cut. In this article, Ms. Cowles describes how she fell victim to an Amazon scam call where she handed over $50,000 in cash without any hesitation or questioning the caller's motives. She also mentions that the caller had access to her personal information such as her home address and Social Security number which is a clear violation of privacy. The author does not provide any evidence to support their claim that this was an Amazon scam call, but rather relies on their own experience and assumptions about the nature of the call.
The man on the phone knew my home address, my Social Security number, the names of my family members,
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Amazon as they are reporting on an Amazon scam call. The author is also affiliated with The Cut's financial-advice columnist Nicole Rifkin.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Amazon scams as they are reporting for The Cut's financial-advice columnist. They also have a personal relationship with Nicole Rifkin who is mentioned in the article.
Charlotte Cowles received a call from someone claiming to be from Amazon customer service and informed her of unusual activity on her account. She was asked if she had recently purchased $8,000 worth of Apple products which she did not have.
Krista claimed that two accounts were registered in Charlotte's name with a total balance of over $3 million overseas. The money was being laundered through these accounts and Krista provided Charlotte with an image of a woman’s ID found near the Mexico border in a car rented under her name.
Deception
(90%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims to be a financial advice columnist but falls for a scam that involves giving away large sums of money. This contradicts their claim of expertise and makes them appear foolish or gullible. Secondly, the author ignores red flags such as requests for personal information and payment through unconventional methods, which are common signs of a scam. Lastly, the article presents itself as an informative piece on how to avoid scams but ultimately falls victim to one themselves.
The author claims expertise in financial advice but falls for a scam that involves giving away large sums of money.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author's assertions are not supported by evidence and rely on the authority of a stranger who claims to be from Amazon and the FTC. Additionally, there is no mention of any actual fraudulent activity or evidence that supports these claims.
The article relies heavily on the authority of a stranger who claims to be from Amazon and the FTC without providing any evidence for their claim.
Bias
(85%)
The article is about a financial advice columnist who fell for a scam and gave away $50,000 in cash. The author of the article is Travis Schlepp. The site that published the article is ktla.com under the umbrella of New York Magazine's lifestyle and women's interest publication called The Cut.
The columnist ignored her better instincts fear and an authoritative voice motivating her to do something she swears she never would have done had she been thinking clearly.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Travis Schlepp has a financial stake in the topic of scams as he admits to falling for a $50,000 shoe box scam. He also has personal relationships with Calvin Mitchell and Michael Sarano who may have influenced his decision making.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Travis Schlepp has a conflict of interest on the topics of Amazon, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Scams and Money laundering as he is involved in a scam that involves these topics.
Charlotte Cowles is a financial columnist for New York Magazine
Cowles was scammed out of $50,000 by con artists pretending to be various government agencies and Amazon representatives
The scheme involved fake investigations into money laundering charges and the need to withdraw cash from her bank account
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author's assertion that she was under investigation for money laundering is not supported by any evidence and is likely a product of the scammer's manipulation. Additionally, the author's trust in the con operation comes from how many intimate details they knew about her life, which could be seen as an appeal to authority fallacy. The article also contains examples of dichotomous depictions when it describes Cowles as both a smart financial mind and easily deceived by scammers.
The author's assertion that she was under investigation for money laundering is not supported by any evidence
The author's trust in the con operation comes from how many intimate details they knew about her life, which could be seen as an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(85%)
The author of the article is Corbin Bolies and he has a history of writing articles that are biased towards certain political ideologies. In this particular article, there are several examples of bias found in the way the story is presented.
The title mentions 'scammed' which implies that Charlotte Cowles was wronged by someone who took advantage of her. This could be seen as a biased portrayal of events.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Corbin Bolies has a conflict of interest on the topics of Amazon and financial frauds as he is an owner in both companies.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Corbin Bolies has a conflict of interest on the topics of Amazon and financial frauds as he is an author for The Daily Beast which is owned by Comcast. He also has a personal relationship with Michael (CIA agent) who may have influenced his reporting.
Charlotte Cowles is the financial advice columnist for New York magazine's The Cut.
The scammers pretended to be from Amazon and government agencies.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states that the FTC's website claims that if someone says they are calling from the FTC and then demands money or personal information, it is a scam. The author also commits a hasty generalization fallacy by stating that using public Wi-Fi networks is outdated given modern encryption standards without providing any evidence to support this claim.
The article states that the FTC's website claims that if someone says they are calling from the FTC and then demands money or personal information, it is a scam. This statement commits an appeal to authority fallacy as there may be other sources of information on this topic.
The author also commits a hasty generalization fallacy by stating that using public Wi-Fi networks is outdated given modern encryption standards without providing any evidence to support this claim.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Scott Nover has a conflict of interest with Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as he is reporting on their involvement in identity theft scams. He also has a personal relationship with Charlotte Cowles who was involved in one such scam.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Scott Nover has a conflict of interest on the topics of Amazon and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as he is reporting on a scam that involved both companies. He also has a personal relationship with Charlotte Cowles who was involved in the scam.
