These are my views and my collections of links for illegal or unethical
practices that are mostly web propagated, but I've included some others
of interest to me. So this is not claimed to be the last word on any
of these topics...
If you are new to the web [a "newbie"] then some of this can be
important information for you. If you are an old hand, there may
still be something of interest for you.
I've been dealing with the web since its invention. Some things that
are so NOW were not so at the beginning. The early users were more
computer related freaks and fiends... like me. Later, people who don't
know a computer from a doormat became experts at emailing friends and
relatives and surfing the web. One advantage of experience: it teaches
us to be suspicious of what we see on the web or in the email that
we receive. Let Caveat Emptor guide you always...
Newbies or people who spend less time on the Web/Internet tend to be
more naive. Not a criticism, folks, just a fact. No offense intended
to anyone. Just remember that THE WEB is a wonderful electronic "WALL"
where ANYONE may read, write, or draw pictures. Only about 10-50% is
anywhere near the truth.
So, don't take ANYTHING from the WEB as true, or legitimate, or proper,
INCLUDING THIS PAGE! It is suggested you print this out and read it.
SPAM: Excessive or voluminous Unsolicited Commercial Email or UCE...
to ME, more than ONE uninvited solicitation from the same individual
or source may be called SPAM. Historically, it was an avalanche of un-
wanted email from the same source.
FRAUD: Something presented to you to convince you that something else
is true when, in fact, it is NOT. To trick, deceive, swindle, cheat,
or convince against fact, truth, or the law... for you to give up
something valuable. Said also of the one who commits any of these...
HOAX: A story, picture, movie, whatever, that is claimed or asserted
to be true and it simply IS NOT! It may sound plausible or factual and
may have parts that are true, but over all, it is a big LIE! A trick
or fraud, sometimes intended as a "practical joke"... From an old
dictionary as a noun: "something done for deception or mockery;
especially some thing meant as a practical joke." and as a verb: "to
deceive with a hoax."
JUNK EMAIL: Unsolicited Commercial email "UCE" ...mostly
annoying...you can easily get email that has been passed along,
FORWARDED by dozens of ignorant people who innocently passed it along,
either as a joke, a game, or because of some overt or implied threat
in the text of the letter.
IDENTITY THEFT: Someone obtains (steals or "finds") and uses your
personal information to secure credit cards, and/or to buy stuff, and
have it charged to you. WILL be life-altering, since it is difficult
to reverse...
Here's some suggestions and URLS that may help you avoid annoying your
friends with DUMB EMAIL FORWARDS, whining CHAIN LETTERS, tear-jerking
stories, and may help you NOT panic when they do it to you. When they
do, PLEASE refer them to this source, and THANKS!
DON'T give out your email address if you can help it. If a web page
requires your email address and does NOT display a Privacy Policy
statement, strongly consider ***NOT*** giving them your address.
DON'T link your email address on your web page. Use spaces in your
email address so a robot can't read it, but a human can. One tactic
is to use your correct address, but as
BEWARE of email that greets you as if you are an old friend, or
implies the email is in response to an earlier correspondence and
you know darned well it ain't so!
If anything about an attachment appears suspicious, even if it's sent
by someone you know and trust. Take a few minutes to phone or email
them and check up on it. OR, send it through your antivirus software.
If you receive email from a "listserv", don't just open it...
Warnings should pop into your head if you see that your full name,
which no one but your mother and a math teacher has ever called
you, is in the greeting. Example "Hi, Felix Mendelssohn Jones! or
it asks you to "enjoy" the embedded links or it says "Hi again!".
If it's a Word or Excel document (.DOC or .XLS files) and when opening
it asks you to enable macros, do **NOT** enable macros.
DON'T fill out forms just to get free stuff, especially "free email"
accounts (they use or sell your address). READ their email address
security policies and if they have none, don't give them your address.
Use one email account for friends ONLY. Another for the rest of the world.
Be sure they ARE your friends and KNOW how to send email so they don't
publish your address to the world...
Use a FAKE email address or anonymizing service if you know how.
DON'T bother to even LOOK at a piece of email with an unfamiliar
NEVER reply to junk email, not even if they have a valid address
[rare], and offer you the moon, several stars, unlimited wealth, etc,
etc (re: they use, abuse, or sell your address.)
NEVER never click on a link to a program if you have no idea what it
does. Such programs have names that end with .EXE, .COM, .SCR, .BAT,
.VBS. and many others...
NEVER click on a link if you received it, unsolicited, unless it's
from someone you trust completely.
AND:
* There is no kidney theft ring in New Orleans. No one is waking up in
a bathtub full of ice missing a kidney...even if a friend of a friend
swears it happened to their cousin. If you are HELL-bent on believing
the kidney-theft ring hoax stories please visit:
Quoting: "The National Kidney Foundation has repeatedly issued requests
for actual victims of organ thieves to come forward and tell, their stories.
None have." That's "NONE" as in "ZERO". Not even your friend's cousin.
There is no "million dollar" or "secret" cookie recipe and Neiman
Marcus doesn't have it. If they do, then we all have it. And even if
you don't you can get a copy at:
Real baked cookies
Then, if you make the recipe and decide the cookies are that awesome,
feel free to pass the recipe on.
* We ALL know all 500 ways to drive our roommates crazy, irritate
coworkers, gross out bathroom stall neighbors, and creep out people
on an elevator. We also know exactly how many engineers, college
students, Usenet posters, and people from each and every world
ethnic variation it takes to change a lightbulb.
* Even if the latest NASA rocket disaster(s) DID contain plutonium
that became radioactive particles spread over the eastern seaboard,
do you REALLY think this information would reach the public via an
AOL chain-letter? IT JUST DID NOT HAPPEN.
* There is no "Good Times" virus. In fact you should NEVER EVER forward
any email containing any virus or hoax warning unless you FIRST CONFIRM
IT at an actual site of an actual company that actually deals with viruses.
For example, try http://www.norton.com
... And even then don't forward it. Who listens to YOU?!
* If your CC: list is regularly longer than the actual content of your
message you're probably going to Hell, or worse. Turn them into BCC:
(blind copies)
* If you're using M$ Outlook Express or Netscape to write email:
PLEASE TURN OFF the "HTML encoding." Those of us on Unix shells or
more simple emailers can't read it and don't care enough to save the
attachment and then view it with a web browser, since you're probably
forwarding us a copy of the Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe anyway. ;-)
* Craig Shergold in England is NOT dying of cancer or anything else at
this time (2001) and would like everyone to stop sending him their business
cards and "get well" cards. Also, he is no longer a "little boy".
* Phone scams and hoaxes come around on a regular basis. Just make it
a policy NOT to call numbers where you don't KNOW HOW MUCH will
be charged! Example: don't use any 809 or 900 numbers and ONLY
call reputable (?) companies...
* Once every blue moon you will get a legitimate warning about some
kind of scam, con, or whatever. DON'T dismiss ALL warnings without
checking them out or asking your Guru. Just don't be Chicken Little
and scare the crap out of the rest of us! Check it out first.
* If you still absolutely MUST forward that 10th-generation message
from a friend at least have the common decency to trim the eight miles
of headers showing everyone else who received it over the last 6
months. It sure wouldn't hurt to get rid of all the ">" that begin
each line. Besides if it has gone around that many times - we've most
likely already seen it anyway...
An Assortment of Unclassified/Unassimilated links:
DEFINITIONS, none of them official:
SCAM: A series of events someone exposes you to, to try to convince
you to buy, espouse, or believe, something that is essentially a LIE,
thus, to cheat or swindle... From the same dictionary as above: "same
as 'con game' or confidence game and as a verb: to cheat or swindle,
as in a confidence game. Also, from the same source, CONFIDENCE GAME -
"a swindling operation in which the swindlers first gain the
confidence of the victim." Keep that word SWINDLE in mind...
How do they get your email address?
Some things you can use to TRY to PREVENT some of the problems:
"From:" (re: curiosity killed the cat)
* Big companies do NOT do business via chain letter. Bill Gates is
not giving you
$1000 and Disney is not giving you a free vacation.
Microsoft does not send you mail with attachments There is no baby food
company issuing class-action checks. You can relax; there is no need to
pass it on "just in case it's true." Furthermore, just because someone
said in the message four generations back that "we checked it out and
it's legit" does not make it true. 99.999% of the time ... IT ISN'T!
Two old rules apply: You can't get something for nothing and if it
sounds too good to be true, then it isn't!
http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa062997.htm
http://urbanlegends.tqn.com/
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm
IDENTITY THEFT
Slightly EDITED From Albany (Or) Democrat Herald, Corvallis,
(Or) Gazette-Times, Mid-Valley Sunday, April 23, 2000
WHAT TO DO:
Steps to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
Pay attention to your billing cycles: Follow up with a call to your
creditors if bills don't arrive on time.
If cancelled checks don't show up with your bank statement within a
reasonable period, check the person or agency to whom the check was
written. Consider cancelling it, but only with the knowledge that it
could cost you to do that. Check with your bank to see how much it
will cost YOU to stop payment on a check.
Guard your mail from theft:
Deposit outgoing mail in LOCKED post office collection boxes or at the
post office. Remove mail from mailboxes promptly after it arrives. For
your inbound residential mail, use either a mail slot delivery system
or a LOCKED mail box. If you cannot use the latter, consider securing
a post office box.
NEVER write the actual password ON a credit, bank, or phone card.
When placing [usage] passwords [PIN] on your credit cards, bank, and
phone accounts: Avoid using easily available information such as your
mother's maiden name, your birthdate, the last four digits of your
social security number, or your phone number, or a series of
consecutive numbers [or letters.]
Minimize the identification information and number of credit cards
you carry to what you'll actually need.
Do NOT give out personal information on the phone, through the mail,
or over the internet, unless you have initiated the contact AND know
who you are dealing with. ALWAYS get the full names or employee
number of telephone operators. If they will NOT provide either,
ask for their supervisor. If the supervisor will not provide such
information consider alternatives...do business elsewhere.
Keep items with personal information in a safe place: shred or tear up
your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms,
and other [personally identifying] printed or written information.
Be cautious about WHERE you leave your personal information in your
home, especially if you: have roommates; employ outside help; or ever
have service work done in your home. [If a stranger wants to enter
your home, even if YOU initiated the visit, ask for identification.]
Find out WHO has access to your personal information at work and
verify that the records are kept in a secure place [and manner].
Give your Social Security number ONLY when absolutely necessary; ask
to use other types of identifiers when possible. [No one can LEGALLY
demand to see or be provided with your SSN, except agencies of the
Federal Government, medical services, banks, and prospective employers.]
Don't carry your Social Security card with you. Keep it in a safe
place. [Memorize the number and leave the card at home.]
EVERY YEAR, order a copy of your credit report from each of the three
major credit reporting agencies. Make sure it is accurate, up to date,
and includes only those activities you've authorized.
Equifax
1-800-525-6285
PO Box 740241
Atlanta GA
30374-0241
http://www.equifax.com
Experian
1-888-397-3742
PO Box 949
Allen TX
75013-0949
http://www.experian.com
Trans-Union
1-800-680-7289
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
PO Box 6790
Fullerton CA
92634
http://www.transunion.com
Keep a complete list of all your financial accounts in a safe place
that you can access easily in case any of them are stolen [or
misused or erroneously reported]. These include credit card account
numbers with expiration dates, contact addresses and phone numbers,
bank information with bank names, account numbers and contact
information.
Order social security earnings and benefit statements once a year, so
that you can check to make sure the earnings are correctly recorded.
MEMORIZE all passwords and PIN (Personal Identification Numbers). Keep
them private.
When ordering new checks, pick them up at the bank instead of having
them delivered to your home.
WHERE TO LEARN MORE:
CardGuard A site devoted to the issues of Identity Theft.
Using any internet search engine, look for "identity theft"
Look into:
Protect your identity.
Book written by identity theft survivor, Brad Henson.
Ask for a copy of "ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name"
or file an ID Theft complaint by writing to:
The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Response Center,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.,
Washington DC, 20580;
calling 1-877-438-4338 or on the web at:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
IF YOU ARE A VICTIM:
(1) Contact the three credit reporting bureaus [information above].
(2) Contact the creditors for any accounts that may have been tampered
with or opened fraudulently.
(3) File a report with your local police AND the police in the
community where the theft took place [the same report, using any
forms the agencies may supply
- make sure ALL jurisdictions have
the same information.]
HOW THEY DO IT:
"Dumpster Diving" - Potential thieves look in disposal containers for
credit card copies or other personal data.
Theft of wallets or purses
Mail theft - direct, and by filling in change of address forms
Thieves posing as landlords, employers or someone with a legitimate
need for or legal right to personal information or identification
Burglars
Subversion of regular employees of businesses holding personal
information to either get the information or allow the thief to get it
The URLs:
National Fraud Information Center
Scambusters
Urban Legends Archive
Urban Legends Reference Pages
The Mining Co. - Urban Legends and Folklore
Internet Fraud
Federal Trade Commission
Hoaxes and Urban Legends (Delphi)
April Fools on the Net
EFF Hoaxes Archive
Netsquirrel Combatkit
Utility Consumers Action Network (UCAN)
CIAC Internet Chain Letters
Chain Letters
DEALING WITH TELEMARKETING
FCC - unsolicited telemarketing
Direct Marketing Association - Getting on the NO CALLS list
To confirm the truth of a virus alert, check out one or more of these sites:
CIAC Internet Hoaxes
Computer Virus Myths Home Page
Symantec Antivirus Research Center
Symantec Virus Hoaxes
Virus Hoax Center
NEW:
AVP Virus Encyclopedia
Steve Gibson's OptOut site (Ad software)
The local Wal*Mart handed out (1999) these "notes for children":
My Six Rules for Online Safety
The brochure includes the note:
For further information on child safety, please call the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST
Hoaxbusters - A public service of the CIAC team and the Department of Energy
Hoaxbusters - Internet Hoax and Chain Letter pages
Hoaxbusters - Information about hoaxes
Urban legends
Hoaxes - McAfee
Hoaxes - Stiller
Virus Scares - Sophos
Virus Myths
SOME PLACES TO CHECK ON CHARITIES AND DONATION SEEKERS:
The Better Business Bureau - Oregon and Western Washington
National BBB
Philanthropic Advisory Service
OR: call the local or national office of the charity
Pagetender
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