How much does eDiets cost monthly?

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October 29th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  How much does eDiets cost monthly?

A: I love easy questions!  eDiets, and it's sister programs Glycemic Impact Diet and Living with Diabetes Plan are offering an exclusive discount to NextAdvisor.com readers.  You get 25% off with coupon code SAVE25, bringing the cost to only $13.47 per month.  Just follow the eDiets link from our site, and once you sign up you'll have access to all the great tools, recipes and guidance we mention in our review.

I just want to check my credit score once in a while. I don't want to pay the money each month.

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October 28th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Why is it that if a person goes to a free credit score site, they want your credit card number and say they will charge $14.95 per month to monitor the credit score? I just want to check my credit score once in a while. I don't want to pay the money each month.

A: Good question.  I think you need to distinguish offers that provide a free trial (where you can get your credit reports and scores for free) from offers that require you to pay up front.  NextAdvisor.com features several free trials of credit monitoring services that provide your credit scores and reports.  These free trials do require you to provide your credit card information.  However, if you cancel during the trial period you won't be billed at all (so it's free) and your credit reports and scores are yours to keep.  We really like Identity Guard and Trusted ID, two top-rated services that offer a free trial and provide 3-bureau credit reports and scores along with a bunch of other goodies.

Although I can certainly understand your wish to check your credit scores occasionally, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that your credit reports can change at any time.   We advise subscribing to a credit report monitoring service so that you are aware and informed of any changes to your reports.  The worst type of change would be identity theft, and if you only check your credit information a couple of times a year you may not be aware if someone steals your identity.

Updated: Yahoo! Messenger IQ test hack

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October 28th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

I was doing some work today, when a friend I haven't heard from in five years sent me a message over Yahoo! Messenger. It went something like this:

Her: heyy
Me: hey there
Her: i just took an IQ test here.. pretty cool
Me: ?
Her: got a 113 lol… I thought I was smarter than that
Me: where are you taking IQ tests?
Her: you should see if you can do better than me:… http://whatsmyiqscoring.com/?invitecode=cdosbz1348 [Editor's note: Don't open that url] if you can ill give you twenty dollars lol

It was unusual for her to contact me out of the blue. It was unusual for her to use "lol" liberally throughout the exchange as the conversation went on. I didn't click on the link she sent (and I don't recommend that you do either), but I did do a Google search on the url. I found a blog post from someone who experienced something similar. So I started to interrogate my "friend." The more I told her I didn't believe her, the more she said she was going to go take a shower. I don't remember her being so obsessively clean. After a while she stopped responding to me.

Someone got a hold of my friend's account. I sent her a message via another avenue to letter her know that her account was compromised. There are some important lessons here:

1. When signing up for an Internet service, don't settle for a good password. Choose an amazing password.
2. Close accounts of services you no longer use.
3. Be aware of the messages you receive. If something looks fishy (or "phishy") don't give out any personal information, and don't click on any links.

Check out our Internet security software section for more information on how to keep your PC (and your identity) safe.

UPDATE: A lot of people have asked what to do if someone they know has had their account compromised. Here's what we suggest:

1) Let the account holder know via another route of communication such as Facebook, or an alternate email address. Direct them to this page on Yahoo! where they can reclaim their account. If that's not possible, you can try reporting it as spam here.

2) Ignore the user and remove them from your IM list. They won't be sending you any worthwhile messages until they get their account sorted.

Which diet plans have weight loss medicine in their foods?

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October 27th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Which diet plans have weight loss medicine in their foods? Such as those that curb the appetite, help with metabolism and control your desire for sweets?

A: Not to be glib, but hopefully there aren't any meal delivery plans out there with medicine in them.  This is because if you're going to be taking weight loss medicine, you should be under the supervision of a medical professional.  And it's not for those aiming to lose 5-10 pounds.  The Mayo Clinic agrees: weight loss medication is for people with serious weight issues.

It generally recommended that people lose weight using both diet and exercise.  Medication may be an element, but it's really something you'd need to discuss with a qualified professional.  The meal delivery plans we've reviewed provide healthy, safe ways to lose weight.  Some of them include exercise and support components, and some of them don't.  If you need to lose a large amount of weight, and are working with medical supervision, you may want to check out Medifast.  If taste is important to you, take a look at our diet taste test results.

New Facebook virus affects PCs and Macs: trojan.osx.boonana.a

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October 27th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

There's a new virus on the 'net, and it's spreading to Macs and PCs via social networking sites and emails. Its name is trojan.osx.boonana.a, and it's a big package of malware designed to steal your data. It's being reported that a Java applet is initiated when users click a link that says, "Is this you in this video?" Often this link is found in a Facebook feed. After the applet downloads users are prompted for their passwords. Once that happens, the trojan begins its installations.

Want to avoid it?

1. Don't click on links you're not sure about.
2. Don't enter your password unless you're really, really sure you asked for something to be installed
3. Get and install Internet security software, and make sure you're paying the yearly subscription fee so you get the latest virus definitions.

New iPhone hack gets around pesky passwords

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October 26th, 2010 - Posted by Kent

Time and again we've recommended putting password protection on your iPhone. Well, a newly discovered hack makes that password a little less useful than it used to be (though it doesn't change our recommendation). This accidentally discovered hack can give anyone with physical access to your phone the ability to peruse your contacts, call log, voice mail, and photos. They can also make calls and even send an email from your phone (by sharing the contact), though there doesn't seem to be a way to access emails you received.

To do this:

1. Slide the unlock 'switch'
2. Press "Emergency Call"
3. On the keypad, dial a non-number such as #######
4. As it's dialing, quickly hit the unlock switch.

You may have to try this a few times. It took us a while to get the hang of it. Note that it locks your phone "on" and it will not auto-lock. To undo this, hold the lock button to get to "power off" mode. Then cancel the power off. You will then be able to lock your phone again.

Do we still recommend using a password? Absolutely. While we hope Apple comes up with a fix for this, it's fairly minimal access. After all, your apps, such as web browser, email client, and notes are untouched by this bug.

Check out the video. It's in portugese, but everything you need to know is in the visuals:

Bug no iOS 4.1 from Salomão Filho on Vimeo.

Check out our tips on how to recover from a lost or stolen iPhone.

Seven ways to combat scareware

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October 25th, 2010 - Posted by Robert Siciliano

Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger

You may have seen this before, it goes like this: a pop-up pops and it looks like a window on your PC. Next thing a scan begins. It often grabs a screenshot of your “My Computer” window mimicking your PCs characteristics then tricking you into clicking on links. The scan tells you that a virus has infected your PC. And for $49.95 you can download software that magically appears just in time to save the day.

From that point on if you don’t download and install the software, your computer goes kooky and pop-ups will invade you like bedbugs in New York City.

Web pages may be infected or built to distribute scareware. The goal is to trick you into clicking on links and download their crappy software.

Information Week reports those behind a new fake antivirus software have added a new social engineering element — live support agents who will try to convince potential victims that their PCs are infected and that payment is the cure.

The rogue software comes equipped with a customer support link leading to a live session with the bad guy. Real scammers on the other end of chat have the ability to offer live remote access support instructed by support to click a link initiating remote access to their PC.  Once connected remotely, the scammer can potentially retrieve documents to steal your identity.

Another new twist on the scam involves a popup in the form of a browser with a warning that looks like what your browser may present to you when you visit a page that might have an expired security certificate, malware warning or be a potential phishing site. The page is usually red with a warning: “Visiting This Site May Harm Your Computer” then it provides you with a link, button or pop-up that gives you the option of downloading security software or to update your browsers security.

The software is sometimes known as “AntiVirus2010” “WinFixer,” “WinAntivirus,” “DriveCleaner,” “WinAntispyware,” “AntivirusXP” and “XP Antivirus 2010” or something like “Security Toolkit”. These are actually viruses or spyware that infect your PC, or just junk software that does nothing of value.

What makes the scam so believable is there is actual follow through of the purchasing of software that is supposed to protect you. There is a shopping cart, an order form, credit card processing and a download, just like any online software purchase.

Protect yourself:

1. Use the most updated browser. Whether Internet Explorer 8, Chrome or Firefox, download the latest and greatest. At least download whatever security updates there are for your existing browser.
2. Usually by default, a pop-up blocker is turned on in new browsers. Keep it on. No pop-ups, no scareware.
3. If you are using another browser and a pop-up does pop up, shut down your browser. If the pop-up won’t let you shut it down, do a Ctrl-Alt-Delete and shut down the browser that way.
4. Never click links in pop-ups.  If the pop-ups are out of your control, do a hard shutdown before you start clicking links.
5. Persistence counts. Shutting off this pop-up is often difficult and any buttons you press within this pop-up could mean downloading the exact virus they warned you of.
6. Employ the most recent versions of anti-virus and keep it set to automatically update your virus definitions.
7. Never click on links in the body of a “WARNING” webpage that is suggesting to download updates for your browser or suggesting to download security software . Just hit the little red X in the upper right corner. [Editor's note: Firefox and Adobe Flash Player may both show update notifications in the browser window; if you have any doubts if the notification is genuine, you can always visit the respective update pages for Firefox and Adobe Flash Player]

Robert Siciliano is CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, an identity theft expert, professional speaker, security analyst, published author and television news correspondent. Siciliano works with Fortune 1000 companies and startups as an advisor on product launches, branding, messaging, representation, SEO and media. Siciliano's thoughts and advice on all these matters appear often in both the televised and print news media including CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, Forbes and USA Today. He has 25 years of security training as a member of the American Society of Industrial Security. He is the author of two books, including The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert; How to take control of your personal security and prevent fraud. He's also partnered with McAfee to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and to provide tips on how you can protect yourself.

Robert Siciliano is a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert. See him discuss identity theft victims on The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet.(Disclosures)

Someone is having their bill collectors call our phone. How do we get them to stop? Will this affect our credit scores or anything else?

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October 25th, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Someone is having their bill collectors call our phone.  How do we get them to stop?  Will this affect our credit scores or anything else?  We live in a small town and we do have Lifelock.

A: There are 2 possibilities here.  The first is that someone has stolen your identity and used it to take out loans.  Then when they didn't repay the loans, the bill collectors started calling you to collect the (fraudulently taken) money.  I'm hoping that you have investigated that possibility, and thoroughly checked all of your credit reports for fraud.  I understand that you're a member of LifeLock, but if the identity theft occurred prior to your membership start date there is the possibly you aren't aware of it.  If this is the case, take a look at our blog on what to do if you're a victim of identity theft.  If the identity theft occurred during your membership (which is highly unlikely), you should contact LifeLock directly for guidance on next steps.

The second possibility is that the bill collectors are pursuing someone else's debt, and are calling your phone number erroneously.  Getting them to stop may be hard, because they can be persistent.  You can always pick up the phone and let them know you're not the correct person.   While you're doing that, I would ask to speak to their supervisor and verify who they are actually trying to contact.  If they are calling for you, this is more likely a case of identity theft.

A quick solution to avoiding erroneous bill collection calls is to use caller ID to identify the callers.  That way you can determine who is calling prior to picking up the phone.  It works great when I want to avoid specific calls!

Regarding your credit scores, they will most likely be negatively affected if your identity was stolen.  If the bill collectors are just tracking down someone else's debt and happen to have your phone number by mistake, your credit scores won't be harmed.

Can I download "Worth Dying For" audiobook for free?

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October 22nd, 2010 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: Can I download "Worth Dying For" audiobook for free?

A: Lee Child's  best-selling installment in his Jack Reacher thriller saga has been a hit in all forms. It's no surprise that people want to listen to it. While you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, we think it's probably a great listen while you drive. We would think that a book titled "Worth Dying For" is worth paying for, we thought we'd give this question a try.

There are some illegal ways to do download it for free, but unless you want to open yourself up to viruses in the dodgy world of illicit digital downloads, you best go with a trusted provider of audiobooks. Here are some options to get "Worth Dying For" if not exactly free, pretty close to it:

The Free:

eMusic: If you've never signed up with eMusic's audiobook subscription service, you can get the abridged (6 hour) version of "Worth Dying For" as part of your free trial. If you want the unabridged version (13 hours) you'll have to pay extra.

The Cheap:

Audible: You can get the unabridged version for only $7.49, when you sign up for a subscription plan. You can cancel at any time, or keep going with that introductory price for another 2 months before it shifts to a still-reasonable $14.99 per month.

The Rest:

iTunes: $26.95 for the full version, and $17.95 for the abridged.

The Rental:

Can you wait for it to ship to you? Try these options:

Simply Audiobooks: Simply Audiobooks has "Worth Dying For" available for rent, and a 15-day free trial means that it's technically possible to rent this title for free in abridged or unabridged format. Caveat: It's gotta be in stock, and you'll have to be a fast listener to get it back before your trial period ends. But we think you'll find it's a pretty good service, and it's only $15.00 per month if you stay on.

Booksfree: Booksfree has it for rent. $22.49 is the cost per month. The promocode FMX7 gives you 10% off.

I tried to access Identity Guard from your site, and during the enrollment process my identity couldn't be verified. I'm 18 and have never had credit or taken out a mortgage. However, they indicated that I did. What can I do if this info is incorrect?

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October 22nd, 2010 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  I tried to access Identity Guard from your site, and during the enrollment process my identity couldn't be verified.  I'm 18 and have never had credit or taken out a mortgage.  However, they indicated that I did.   What can I do if this info is incorrect?

A: It sounds like one of three possible things happened to you:

1.  During the sign up process for identity theft protection and credit reporting monitoring services, you will often be asked questions that help verify your identity. These questions are frequently a bit tricky (which is good, because they help protect you).   For example, they might display a number of addresses and ask you to pick the one you live at now.  Another common question is to ask what bank you have your mortgage with.  If you don't have a mortgage, there is an option to  indicate "none of the above" or something similar.  If this is what happened to you, don't worry.  Just chose the option that indicates you don't have a mortgage with any of those banks and proceed with the sign up.  It doesn't mean that there is incorrect information on you out there, it's just part of the screening process to ensure that you are who you say you are.  If you'd like to enroll with Identity Guard, just go back through the sign up process and answer all the questions.

2.  However, if you successfully completed the sign up process, and noticed the issue on one of your three credit reports, you need to contact the specific credit bureau that has the mistake.  Luckily, this process is mostly automated and you can do it online.

3.  The third option is that you may have been a victim of identity theft.  If this is the case, you should take immediate steps.  For more information, read our previous blog entry on what to do if someone has stolen your identity.