Watch out for these tax scams! Plus, Meta and Google lose in court – hear how Tribela handles social media differently.

In this episode of Tech It Out, host Mark Saltzman tackles a range of pressing tech issues, starting with a deep dive into the growing threat of tax-related scams during tax season. He emphasizes the importance of vigilance against phishing attempts, especially those impersonating the IRS, and highlights that the IRS only communicates via physical mail. The episode then shifts to cybersecurity, discussing a major data breach at digital security firm Aura, which was caused by a targeted voice phishing attack on an employee. Ian Bednewitz of LifeLock explains how even basic personal information like names and email addresses can be weaponized through social engineering and AI to create highly personalized scams. He urges listeners to adopt strong security hygiene, including multi-factor authentication, credit freezes, and avoiding suspicious links. The final segment introduces Tribella, a new social media platform designed as a safer, non-addictive alternative to mainstream networks. Founder Natalie Bull shares how Tribella removes addictive features like infinite scroll, public likes, and performance metrics, while implementing AI moderation and privacy protections—especially for users under 16. The platform operates on a subscription model to avoid ad-driven engagement. The episode concludes with sponsor highlights from Norton, Visa, and SanDisk, reinforcing the theme of digital protection and data backup.