The Compass Blog | Digital Identity and People Search | Spokeo The official Spokeo blog covers topics such as digital identity, consumer protection and privacy, how to avoid scams and catfishing, and more. 2022-11-07T22:54:07Z https://www.spokeo.com/compass/feed/atom/ WordPress https://i0.wp.com/www.spokeo.com/compass/image/2017/08/Compass-Favicon.png?fit=16%2C16&ssl=1 Tomer Almog <![CDATA[Spokeo’s Vision for a Performance Audit Tool Becomes Reality]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25902 2022-11-07T22:54:07Z 2022-11-07T22:48:54Z Web application performance is critical for success these days. There are numerous performance measurements that affect a customer’s experience, but one thing is for sure: slow response times can cause customers to leave your site. Understanding the importance of this, the engineers at Spokeo decided to dig deeper after a few of their site’s search engine optimization (SEO) pages experienced elevated response times. A performance profiling effort revealed a few underlying issues that needed to be addressed.

Looking at the bigger picture, however, the engineering team and software developers realized better visibility was needed over the entire site’s performance, including the ability to monitor trends over time. There was a lot to track with 30 environments, thousands of page categories, and billions of potential URL permutations to monitor. Using the Spokeo tech initiative process, the engineers brought forward a proposal to build a Performance Audit tool. (Read our Tech Blog about how Spokeo’s innovative tech initiative process resulted in other engineer-led improvements.)

The team presented the idea to the broader group of tech leads and the chief technology officer (CTO). The project was approved, and the team built the initial version with a focus on auditing SEO pages. The effort provided monitoring capabilities and insight into the performance, SEO, and accessibility scores of monitored pages. As a result, the team improved SEO scores to values over 90 across numerous categories.

Early Success Brings Scaling and Maintenance Challenges

Spokeo’s Performance Audit quickly became a valuable in-house monitoring tool. Performance metrics were stored and analyzed before and after each application release, enabling the team to ensure a responsive user experience for their customers. There was performance data going back to 2019 stored in AWS (Amazon) Redshift with the ability to visually report on it using Tableau. 

The implementation used Lighthouse, an open-source browser-based tool in Chrome that runs a series of performance and quality tests against a page and generates a report with the findings. Unfortunately, support for this software in Lambda was dropped. The performance auditing tool needed to be refactored. 

Additionally, the tool experienced reliability issues, and a few sprints were dedicated to refactoring, but debugging problems and resolving issues was a painful process. Maintaining the tool was challenging due to its steep learning curve. The team wanted a cloud-based solution that would scale to meet their needs and remove the need for desktop software.

The experience with the initial solution during the last few years clarified the use cases, presenting the engineers with a clear vision of what was needed. It was time for Performance Audit 2.0.

Iterating the Design of Performance Audit 2.0

The team needed a reliable, efficient performance auditing solution that could run on the cloud and provide the required reporting capabilities. The first iteration of the new design was based on running Lighthouse workers on Lambda, a serverless compute environment on AWS. 

Although a lift-and-shift approach seemed simple on the surface, the detailed design became overly complex. AWS Simple Queue Service (SQS) messages would be used to trigger Lambda executions. However, SQS was not part of the current operational footprint and would add to the DevOps burden.

The initial Lighthouse implementation did not translate well to the serverless paradigm as it was a browser-based application in part. Additionally, the Lighthouse binaries could no longer be fully upgraded on AWS Lambda. Thus, the team modified the design by moving the Lighthouse component to run on AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS). This change gave the engineers more control over the runtime environment so the dependencies could be upgraded.

The original implementation used a custom locking implementation to prevent two parallel runs from occurring at the same time. The redesign included a move from SQS to a Redis-based queue solution called Bull. The move improved the maintainability as it used existing solutions to solve the distributed locking problem. Tests were initiated upon reading messages from a queue, which are either scheduled or initiated by a user. The Lighthouse ECS worker cluster scales based on the backlog of queue messages.

The final architecture is shown in the diagram below. A web-based user interface is hosted on EC2 and an RDS database is used to store application data. AWS Redshift continues to be used as the data warehouse and Tableau for reporting against that data.

graphic-spokeo-performance-audit-tool-architecture

Spokeo: A home for Creative, Passionate Software Developers

Spokeo is a forward-thinking company that values software engineers and the creativity they bring to the table. The evolution of the Performance Audit tool was driven by the engineering team and software developers. The design evolved over time to best leverage existing components on the cloud. It also improved maintainability by providing an ecosystem for developers to extend and improve the system.

Spokeo is a mid-size company that supports an engineering team of about 60 developers, giving them the security and benefits of a larger company with the feel and energy of a startup. Developers have the opportunity to work on the most important projects and priorities within the company. Engineers also receive guidance on their career paths with access to projects that can lead to skill growth in their areas of interest.

Each software developer at Spokeo has the opportunity to make a huge impact while working on exciting new projects and technologies. If you want to jumpstart your career, check out Spokeo’s software developer jobs now.

]]> Fred Decker <![CDATA[Tracking Location on Social Media: How To Update Your Settings for Extra Security]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25891 2022-10-04T22:33:21Z 2022-10-04T22:30:33Z When you go out somewhere, who do you tell: your partner, maybe?  Your roommate?  Your kids, or your parents?  Your cat?  If you’re active on social media, the candid answer is that you’re quite possibly telling everybody among your friends and followers. 

Tracking location is something your phone does all the time, and your social media apps harvest that information for a number of reasons.  Some of them are benign and can be useful or downright comforting.  Some are less so and can pose a threat to your privacy or even your physical safety.  Here’s what you’ll need to know about it. 

The Ins and Outs of Location Tracking on Social Media

Your mobile device’s hardware and its operating system work together to monitor your location.  The primary location tool is your GPS chipset, of course.  If you can see the sky from where you are, your phone can determine your location to within a yard or two. 

That only works when you’re outdoors and aboveground, so your devices have other tricks they can use for location-finding.  One is by monitoring which cellular towers your phone “pings” as you go about your business.  Another checks the Wi-Fi networks your phone finds along the way: those locations (IP addresses) can be looked up and used to define your location in something pretty close to real-time. 

Your device (and your social media app) can even use subtler cues, like your phone’s accelerometer (to tell when you’re in motion) and altimeter (to monitor how far up you’ve gone) to place you accurately on a specific floor of a given building.  When you have all of those things enabled, your devices can potentially pinpoint you within a given room. 

Why Use Location Tracking on Social Media?

Let’s be clear that social-media location tracking isn’t necessarily something that’s being done to you.  The whole point of social media is to provide ways to engage with your friends and family, and the community at large, and your location plays a part in that.  There will be many times you’ll deliberately choose to put your location on the record, and your location data is often used in ways that explicitly benefit you. 

A few of these beneficial uses of your location include: 

  • Organizing get-togethers with your friends and family, on either a planned or improvised basis.  If you make your location available to the other participants, they can come and find you pretty easily as long as they’re on the same social media platform. 
  • Supporting businesses and causes in your community.  When you “check in” from their location, you’re giving that business (or attraction, or charity) your endorsement.  It’s some of the best advertising an entrepreneur can hope for.
  • Keeping yourself safe.  Sharing your location is a way to make sure someone has your back when out in public, or meeting up with online acquaintances for the first time in real life. 
  • Finding businesses and services that are in your vicinity, when you’re away from home. 
  • Giving the social media platform a tool to help identify you.  If someone creates a lookalike account and claims to be you (admittedly, something you probably aren’t thinking about), having access to your location data gives the platform a quick way to check which of you is the legitimate account.  
  • If your social media platforms are part of your “personal brand,” then checking in frequently as you go about your daily life can also be part of your growth strategy. 
  • Seeing ads that are actually personalized, and about things you’re interested in.  Most people would rather not see ads at all, but if you’re going to get them they might as well be pertinent to you. 

Obviously, not all of these apply to everyone, and some are fairly niche.  Overall, though, there are lots of perfectly good reasons to use location tracking. 

The Downside of Social Media Location Tracking

That being said, there are also a number of compelling reasons why tracking location is bad for you as a user of a given social media platform.  There are so many that no list could possibly be comprehensive, but a few of the most obvious include:

  • The possibility of stalking and harassment.  This is the flip side of protecting yourself through location tracking: it allows stalkers, vindictive exes and pretty much anyone else to find you as well if you share your location.  It’s especially concerning for those in abusive or controlling relationships. 
  • It gives scammers a lot of additional leverage.  Phone scammers often “spoof” caller ID to show a number that’s local to you, or even your own number, which you’re more likely to answer.  It also gives them the info they need for plausible stories to con you with (“My kids go to Acme Elementary as well …”).  Aside from that, keeping location services turned on lets them match up your name to your address (anyone can do that) to target you personally, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all scam. 
  • When you check in from a popular vacation spot, you’re telling any burglars in your area that your home is empty, and ready to be looted.  That doesn’t make for a happy homecoming. 

How To Turn Off Location Tracking

Keeping location services on, or turning them off, comes down to deciding whether the benefits outweigh your potential exposure to harm.  If you decide you’d rather opt out, you’ll need to change those settings.  For your convenience, here’s a quick guide to doing that. 

Android 9 and Previous Versions

On a phone running any version of Android up to and including Android 9, tap the Settings icon, then Connections, and finally Location to turn location services on and off (there may be some slight differences between different phones and versions of Android).  This turns off location services for all apps, so you’ll need to turn it back on again to use GPS navigation or other location-centric apps. 

Android 10 and Newer Versions

Newer versions of Android let you control permissions on an app-by-app basis, which is much more practical.  Tap Settings, then Apps & Notifications and See All Apps.  Scroll down the list and tap each of your social media apps, then find and turn off location services for each of them.  Alternatively, you can set it to ask every time before using location services or to only allow it while the app is active, but those options aren’t helpful if you always have the app open. 

iOS and iPadOS

On an Apple device, tap Settings, then Privacy, then Location Services.  You can turn off Location Services entirely using the toggle at the top of your screen, or leave them on for the phone as a whole but turn them off for specific apps.  Scroll down to your social media apps, tap them one after the other and choose whether or when each app can use location services. 

On a given social media platform, you may need to tweak other settings as well to maximize your privacy.  A few examples include: 

Facebook

Facebook has already dropped several location-driven services from its platform, including Nearby Friends, Background Location and Location History.  Location History will be viewable until August 2022, but if you want to delete it now you can find it in your Profile Settings. You may also want to turn off the “Background Location” setting (Android app only), which lets Facebook track your location even when you aren’t using the app.  Bear in mind that even with Location Services turned off, Facebook will still use tools like your IP address or Wi-Fi connection to guess your location. 

Instagram

Unlike Facebook, Instagram’s default is to not use location settings.  Turning them off on your phone is all you need to do, but you can manually add a location (if you want to) when uploading a photo. 

Twitter

Twitter makes little use of your location, but there is one setting you might want to look at.  Tap Settings, then Privacy and Safety, and then Location Information.  You’ll see an option labeled “Add location information to your Tweets.”  If that’s turned on, you can turn it off for more privacy.  You also have the option of removing all location information attached to your tweets, if that setting has been turned on until now. 

It’s Entirely Your Decision

There’s no right or wrong answer here.  There are good reasons to allow location sharing and good reasons to block it.  Ultimately it’s a very personal choice, like deciding whether to make your account public or private. 

On the whole, though, your best bet may be to turn off location services for your social media on at least a trial basis and see what you think.  If it turns out that a feature you really like doesn’t work properly with the location turned off, you can simply turn it back on again.  Or you may find that two or three apps work perfectly well without location, and only one actually needs it.  You won’t know until you try. 

Sources:

]]> Spokeo <![CDATA[Spokeo Announces 2022 Scholarship Winner]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25848 2022-10-04T15:39:08Z 2022-09-16T21:35:11Z

We are thrilled to announce that Dominic Boever has won the Digital Identity Scholarship! Dominic’s essay on “Dignity and Identity: Assessing the Reality of Life in the Digital Age” won among a competitive group of thought-provoking essays from the best and brightest minds in higher education. Dominic is a junior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who plans to use the $5,000 scholarship funds to further his education by attending optician school after graduating. He plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the family optician business after he has completed his studies.

Spokeo CEO, Harrison Tang, talks to 2022 Scholarship winner, Dominic Boever

Dignity and Identity: Assessing the Reality of Life in the Digital Age 

My name is Dominic Boever and I am a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This essay seeks to provide insight into the reality of digital identity, answering the questions: What does digital identity mean to you? How do you see the future of digital identity? What benefits and risks might we face, as society and individuals, as digital identity evolves in the years ahead? 

In my mind, there is an inseparable relationship between a person’s identity and their human dignity. This foundational reality must be at the forefront of our minds when we address issues of identity. Without dignity, all respect and love for one another is either a mere facade, at best, or utterly forgotten and discarded at worst. A basic agreement about the reality of human dignity is the premise that a thriving society is based on. When this ideal is given pride of place in our law and culture, people are allowed to flourish, to develop their potential, and to embrace their identities. And so, any authentic conception of identity must indeed recognize the essential importance of maintaining a healthy understanding of our dignity. 

Now, we find ourselves living in a truly digital age. Whether it’s the smartphone in your pocket, your flat-screen TV, or your laptop, we all partake in this virtual society in some form or another. I do not believe that I am exaggerating when I say that this newfound technology has truly revolutionized the way that we experience life, both as an individual and as a society. People of all ages, races, economic classes, and countries are able to interact with one another in this digital sphere, fostering what I believe to be a greater unity among the peoples of this Earth.

Undoubtedly, this is a positive element of the digital age, where our common understanding of human dignity is soaring to heights that were previously thought unattainable. No longer are superficial boundaries able to keep individuals/groups isolated from one another, for over 80% of the world’s population owns a smartphone. We are all able to witness the achievements of others, to communicate with them on social media, to share our own stories with them, and to collaborate to bring about change for the better. With such powers of self-expression, we are able to cultivate our identities and grow stronger in them by connecting virtually with others who share our identities. 

Identity has to do with the beliefs, traits, and experiences of an individual or group. To a large extent, it is shaped by one’s unique walk of life, the people encountered along the way, the places one has lived and visited, and all of the ways in which the external world has affected us. On account of this, there are countless identities due to the nature of the human experience, seeing as how each person perceives the world differently and forms a particular conception of reality. Due to the subjective nature of our perceptions, it can be hard to fully understand the struggles, joys, and feelings of another person, especially if they hail from a background largely different from your own. 

However, the advent of the Internet heralded a new age in which people were able to share their identity online, especially on social media, allowing for unexpected friendships to be kindled. I have made friends from countries all across the globe, from Gambia and Nigeria, to Ireland and Portugal. Apps like Facebook and Twitter made these relationships possible, giving me a window into what these people’s lives are like. Social media can also help keep friends and family connected when they live miles apart, informing them of major life events. Finally, the digital age allows for like-minded people to connect over the Internet to feel a sense of community that they might not find in their immediate area. These are all undoubtedly great fruits of the digital age. 

The fusion of our personal identity with modern technology has led to what we can call a digital identity. Your digital identity is a special way of manifesting your true, innate identity for the whole world to see via the Internet. I have already outlined the positive aspects of having such an identity, as well as why I believe it is vital for us to recognize the relationship between identity and dignity. 

As we continue to blaze trails and pioneer new technologies, we often find ourselves faced with various ethical dilemmas. It would be irresponsible to immerse ourselves more into digital media without accounting for the possible ways in which it could harm us. Furthermore, disputes over privacy and the misuse of personal information continue to arise. And so, it is important for us to assess both the positive and negative aspects of having a digital identity, especially in light of future advancements in technology. 

In my opinion, one of the most glaring problems with having a digital identity in today’s world is the often radical disconnect between the version of you that is seen by the online community versus the real-life version of you that is known only to your closest friends, family, and your own internal perception of yourself. Our digital identities, like the soft sands of the sea, are easily malleable, capable of being shaped and formed to create a certain desired public image. The instinct to do this appeals to a very natural and deep-seated human need to feel loved and respected by others, to have them affirm our identity and thus recognize our dignity. 

Much to the disappointment of many people, however, digital devices fall short when it comes to fulfilling this need in a satisfactory way. Humans are physical, finite, and personal beings and in contrast, the Internet can sometimes seem to be cold, impersonal, and fleeting. The faint flicker of a screen is truly no match for the warm hug of a loved one. Furthermore, it is my own experience and those of my friends who have larger social media platforms that the nature of communication in the digital age, especially with social media, pressures us to appear and act a certain way, or to continue to post content that will keep others entertained. This is a real burden that many people feel and sometimes it can feel akin to the weight of the world bearing down on the shoulders of Hercules. In addition to the reality of cyberbullying, the increasing toxicity of social media, the multiplying number of echo chambers, and the frenzy of online polemics, I believe that the personal burden of social media can be a great struggle for those who wish to remain firm in their identities and human dignity. Concluding this essay, I have given a cursory look at the reality of today’s digital age, touching on how our understanding of dignity and identity play into life in a world filled with all manner of technology. I hope that I have painted a fair and thought-provoking assessment of what I believe are the pros and cons of having a digital identity in the year 2022 and in the years to come. This matters to the whole world, to both living and future generations, because we are truly all in this together. I want to thank those at Spokeo for taking the time to read my essay and also for considering me for this scholarship.

]]> Nick Marshall <![CDATA[How to Steer Clear of Concert Ticket Scammers]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25716 2022-08-12T00:04:57Z 2022-08-12T00:04:56Z However excited you might be about the festival season or the chance to catch your favorite bands on tour again, it’s scammers who are really celebrating.  Many buyers get so caught up in the thrill of purchasing a ticket that they fail to recognize the signs of being scammed.  By some estimates, as many as 12% of concert ticket buyers end up getting ripped off. Bottom line: Don’t book anything until you’ve learned about these common summer concert ticket scams. 

How Ticket Scams Work

Given that today’s box office is typically online, there’s a layer of anonymity that scammers can hide behind.  That leaves them free to unleash the following scams.

Overcharging

Surprisingly ticket “scalping” isn’t illegal, but there’s a big difference between legitimate brokers who charge a fair mark-up and scammers who massively inflate the price of tickets that could be bought at face value elsewhere.

Fake tickets  

Criminals (especially professional gangs) can easily forge the barcode, QR code and even holograms on tickets.  You won’t know you’ve been scammed until the ticket is scanned at the venue. 

Multiple resales

Opportunistic fraudsters might purchase genuine tickets and show them on social media, usually with the barcodes or serial numbers blurred.  First, however, they duplicate the ticket so that they can sell it to as many buyers as possible on various channels before it disappears. 

Non-existent tickets  

This scam takes a little more technical and design skill, but it involves cloning the ticket information from legitimate brokers and setting up a bogus booking portal.  Customers purchase their tickets in good faith and everything looks correct — from the booking confirmation to the payment receipt — but no ticket will ever arrive.  Worse still, valuable credit or debit card information and personal details are stolen. 

Phony categories  

Occasionally, events will offer complimentary tickets to sponsors or corporate partners that are not intended for resale (often they are marked as such).  These might be for a VIP area or offer fast-track entry.  If scammers can get their hands on them, they can sell them privately, putting the buyer in an embarrassing situation when they reach the venue. 

How to Buy Tickets Safely and Smartly

No concert is too big or high-profile to rise above the scammers, and the infamous Fyre Festival was by no means the low point of systematic ticket fraud.  If you want to make sure that you’re crowd surfing in the mosh pit rather than thumbing a ride home from the parking lot, make sure you follow these simple rules. 

Buy directly from the venue

Skip the promoter and go straight to the source by buying your tickets directly from the venue’s online box office.  They will list upcoming concerts weeks or months in advance, and as long as you see the padlock symbol in the URL bar, your purchase is secure and the seller is legitimate.  The tickets should be cheaper too. 

Use a trusted ticket broker

If the venue has sold out of its allocation of tickets, you’ll have to pay a little extra from a broker.  Sometimes, the entire ticket stock will be handed to a reputable agent such as StubHub or Ticketmaster.  Ensure that any reseller you buy from is registered with the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB).

Do a website background check

If you’re buying from a broker that you’re not familiar with, check that the website features:

  • Contact address and phone number
  • Business and NATB registration details
  • HTTPS security
  • Trust tokens to show that payments are secure
  • Verified reviews or testimonials
  • Refund and cancellation policy

Use Spokeo to check the authenticity of any credentials you see.  An address search, for example, will give you a verified physical location that you can confirm on Google Street View, while a phone number search could reveal if the number has been reported for any fraudulent or criminal activity. 

Pay the right way

Take advantage of fraud protection by using a credit card to pay.  If you don’t receive your tickets, you can make a chargeback to get your money refunded.  Whatever you do, never send money to someone claiming to have tickets by untraceable routes such as gift cards, Venmo or money order. 

I was just scammed…Now what?

Once you’re certain that the tickets you booked either don’t exist or won’t arrive, you should protect your other accounts from possible identity theft by filing a report with both local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  You can then put a credit freeze on your credit report to stop anyone from opening credit lines in your name.  To get your money back, try contacting the venue directly and request a chargeback from your bank.  If you can limit the damage to a missed concert, at least you’ve claimed a small victory against the scammers. 

There will be other chances to catch your favorite band, but you can make sure that scammers never get a second chance with Spokeo.  Search the public records linked to any phone number, email, name or address, and follow the digital footprints that unwitting scammers often leave behind. 

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]]> Nick Marshall <![CDATA[Travel Plans Ahead? Don’t Fall Victim to These 5 Vacation Rental Scams]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25712 2022-08-12T00:05:56Z 2022-08-12T00:00:30Z You’ve waited all year for your vacation with your family. However, when you arrive at your lakeside cabin or beachfront apartment, you’re in for a shock.  Either another family is already enjoying “your” property, or there’s no villa, condo, lodge or house there at all.  This is the vacation rental scam, and it’s the second most common scam reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  Instead of cutting your losses and waiting until next summer vacation comes around, here’s how to avoid falling victim to vacation rental scams in the first place. 

What Are the Most Popular Vacation Rental Platforms?

Although there’s no guarantee that you’re safe if you’re using one of the established rental platforms, you’re more likely to fall victim if you’re browsing the classifieds, Craigslist or social media for a great deal.  These have no safeguards in place and offer no consumer protection if you’re scammed. 

That’s why you should book through registered boutique agencies with a brick and mortar presence, or use one of these popular vacation rental sites:

  • VRBO: rent cottages, cabins and houses across the United States. 
  • Vacasa: use the app to book vacations in North and Central America.
  • Airbnb: the world’s most popular short- and long-term rental service, but be careful to avoid these six common scams.

Use one of the above and your payment and personal details are secure, your booking consumer protected and a process in place for requesting a refund if the worst happens. 

5 Vacation Rental Scams to Watch Out For

Fraudsters are after your money and your personal information, and they know that you’re focused on having a good time with the family.  That allows them to distract and entrap you with the following:

  1. Ad Hijacking 

This occurs when legitimate properties from sites you should trust are cloned onto platforms you shouldn’t.  For example, a scammer screenshots a listing from Airbnb and advertises it on Craigslist, linking to their personal email address. 

  1. Fake Listings

The scammer uses images of any property, obtained from real estate websites or social media, and builds out fake reviews and location information. 

  1. Cloned Websites

This scam takes a little more skill, so it’s usually the hallmark of professional gangs.  They publish a fake version of an authentic site that looks identical except for a hard-to-spot variation in the URL. 

  1. Plumbing Scams

Fraudsters will contact the renter at short notice before the rental begins claiming that an emergency (e.g., water leak) forces them to cancel the booking.  They will either offer them an alternative (and lower quality) location or ask for extra fees.  One Alabama renter was asked to pay $14,000 to cover the cost of cleaning up a vacation rental. 

  1. Phishing Attacks

Hackers can hijack the email addresses of legitimate property owners and just wait for the bookings to hit their inbox, at which point they can get their hands on personal information and bank details. 

Vacation Rental Scam Red Flags

In most cases, you’re going to be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from your vacation rental property when you book, so a little online sleuthing will be required with Spokeo should you encounter these tricks:

  • Low cost:  We mean ridiculously cheap compared to other options in the area.  If it seems like a “steal,” you’re probably right, although you’re the victim.  
  • Address is not provided:  Legitimate platforms like Airbnb won’t share the exact address until the host accepts a reservation, but if a site is demanding payment without giving you an address that you can run through a Spokeo address search, it could be because the property listing is cloned. 
  • No reviews:  If the property listing or the owner has no reviews or ratings, it’s a sign that the ad is only intended to be online for long enough to catch a victim. 
  • Suspicious payments:  The beauty of genuine platforms is that they collect and process the payments securely without you having to leave the site.  At no point should anyone ask you to switch to another platform for payment.  That allows scammers to collect untraceable and non-refundable transfers. 
  • Up-front payment:  Some agents will request a credit card deposit to hold a booking, but only scammers will ask for complete payment up front, often with high-pressure tactics. 
  • Images that don’t fit:  The listing says “charming cottage” but the images show a Manhattan loft.  That’s just one of the cues to run a reverse photo search on Spokeo to establish if the photos have been copied from another site or photo library. 

Don’t Fall Victim to Vacation Rental Scams

Other than conducting your customary due diligence of any online transaction or personal introduction using Spokeo, you can protect yourself by communicating and paying through the official platform only, and using a credit card for your booking.  This gives you an additional layer of consumer protection, since the booking technically belongs to your credit card company initially.  You should report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement and the FTC, and your own background report on Spokeo to confirm that you haven’t fallen victim to identity theft.

Sources

]]> Ashley Viloria <![CDATA[Spokeo CEO Harrison Tang Selected As W3C CCG Co-Chair]]> https://www.spokeo.com/compass/?p=25657 2022-07-16T06:42:12Z 2022-07-16T06:40:59Z We’re proud to announce that our CEO, Harrison Tang, has been selected as a co-chair of the W3C CCG, or the World Wide Web Consortium’s Credentials Community Group. He will be chairing the group with Mike Prorock and Kimberly Wilson Linson.

Harrison succeeds Heather Vescent who has made numerous contributions to the W3G CCG since 2020, including defining the community strategy with a focus on diversity & inclusion, making the CCG work item process more accessible to non-technologists to increase participation, and recruiting and training co-leadership to ensure a seamless transition.

Led by Web inventor and director Tim Berners-Lee and CEO Jeffrey Jaffe, the W3C, or the World Wide Web Consortium, is an international organization of like-minded individuals who are passionate about leading the web to its fullest potential. The group consists of Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public, and they collectively work together to establish Web standards.

The goal of the Credentials Community Group, or CCG, within the W3C, is to explore the creation, storage, presentation, verification, and user control of credentials – or a set of claims made about someone or a person record – and seek answers that welcome and contain approaches like self-sovereign identity; presentation of proofs by the bearer; data minimization; and centralized, federated, and decentralized registry and identity systems. 
The CCG also helps nurture and give rise to open standards and ideas like Verifiable Credentials, Decentralized Identifiers, secure data storage, identity wallet protocols, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about the W3C CCG, or would like to join, more information is available here.

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