Hoaxes, Scams, and Rumors in the News: February 9, 2013

Here is a roundup of today’s top stories involving hoaxes, rumors, and scams as they come across our desk here at Wafflesatnoon. This page will be updated throughout the day.

Updated Feb 9 2012, 9:55am PST

Fake Utility Workers Demanding Money
Ohio utility officials have issued a warning that fake utility workers have been calling residences demanding immediate payment. Several residents have fallen for the scam, in which they are told they must pay with a pre-paid debit card to avoid having their power shut off. The best way to avoid such scams is to hang up and call the utility service directly at their published phone number on your bill.

Fake Grandson Sentenced
A man who preyed on the elderly by calling them and claiming to be their grandson jailed in Canada has been sentenced to 45 months in prison. The man called his victims, claiming he had been arrested for drunk driving in Canada and needed money to pay legal expenses. He bilked 120 unsuspecting elderly victims out of over $600,000.

Bush Family Emails, Photos Hacked
The Secret Service is investigating an incident in which several members of the Bush family had AOL email accounts hacked, and information posted on The Smoking Gun website. Personal emails ranged in topic from Bill Clinton to the possible death of the elder Bush during a recent illness. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of how easy AOL accounts are to hack. One way hackers gain access to AOL accounts is by simply going through their flimsy password recovery process.

Fake Smartphone Apps Littering Online Store Apps
Major brands are crying foul as poorly-written, unauthorized apps bearing their name appear on Apple and Google app stores. Caribou Coffee and Regis Corp. are among the latest big brands seeking to remove unofficial apps appearing in their names.

Bollywood Celebrity Death Hoax
In a sign that death hoaxes aren’t reserved purely for Western starts, Indian actor Kader Khan became the latest celebrity online death hoax when a “RIP Kader Khan” Facebook page prompted condolences for the actor across several social media sites.  Balaji Motion Pictures CEO Tanuj Garg was prompted to speak out with a statement, “Kader Khan is fine. Why then are people bombarding my inbox with bad news?”