Consumer Reports Provides Tips on How to Avoid Getting Burned By the Latest High-Tech Scams

Yonkers, NY – It’s easier than ever to get burned these days—in fact fraud and identity-theft complaints tracked by the Federal Trade Commission topped 1.2 million last year, up 19 percent from 2010 and a whopping 800 percent since 2000. And the fraud artists are using new channels and technology that didn’t exist 15 years ago including social media, pop-up ads on your computer, and text-message “smishing” scams.

According to Consumer Reports’ investigation, available on www.ConsumerReports.org on August 30th and in the October issue of Consumer Reports on newsstands September 4th, two other factors compound this problem. [Read more]

American Heart Association reports Computer software monitoring detects ICD malfunctions sooner

Dallas, TX – A software monitoring program that tracks implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) function could detect problems with the devices earlier than current monitoring processes, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

ICDs monitor heart rhythms and deliver electric shocks to restore normal rhythm when life-threatening, irregular heartbeats occur. But the surgically implanted devices can malfunction, particularly in the leads, or wires, that connect them to the heart, causing injury or death. Device manufacturers track repeated malfunctions and issue recalls if they’re widespread. However, often by the time of the recall, thousands of the devices have been implanted in patients worldwide. [Read more]