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Post by Mini Mia on May 10, 2019 2:30:20 GMT -6
And here I've gotten yet another one. It's getting close to ten now.
These emails don't download onto my computer. My email provider's software catches them and quarantines them online. I get an email listing email titles it catches so that I can log in an release the legit emails accidentally caught up. When I open these emails, the images are blocked, so these spammers don't get alerted I've seen their message. Some messages are more vulgar than this one. They claim to have a side by side video of the porn I'm watching on one side, and me pleasuring myself on the other side. This one hints at it, but a few others give more detail. Them using this tactic with me just proves to me they don't have access to my computer. If they did, they'd know to use a different tactic. They've also never posted any password to prove they have access to my email account. And there's never been a copy of their emails in my 'sent' folders as proof they sent the email from my account. And, so far, they haven't locked up my computer either.
It still scares me though. Asshats.
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Post by Phalon on May 10, 2019 5:03:40 GMT -6
That's kind of creepy...actually, the whole MyLife thing is creepy.
It seems to be the season for scammers. My boss got an e-mail yesterday with yet another scam. "Yahoo" sent an e-mail stating there's an update and users must change their user names and passwords, and instructs the user that in order to do so to follow the link provided. She knew immediately it was a phishing scam....unfortunately, she knew because she fell for the exact same scam years ago.
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Post by stepper on May 12, 2019 14:41:47 GMT -6
I'm sorry you're exposed to this kind of nonsense. It's neither fun nor funny and the threat of having a keylogger in your system can make even normal communications uncomfortable. There are a couple things you can do though. For instance, let your system store your passwords for sites you log on to that require passwords. That way you won't type them because the system plugs them in for you - yes it's possible to retrieve hidden and encrypted passwords depending on your level of system access but someone with that much access would essentially own your system and they wouldn't be bothering you with threats. And, there are antivirus programs that block transmission of unauthorized communications - if you see your system transmitting while you're typing or at odd times then you know you need to dig deeper or have your system scanned professionally.
Besides which, you shouldn't have to put up with the vulgarity. Calling them "Asshats" is probably complimentary.
I found a friend listed on one of those sites where they give you otherwise public information but want you to pay for a deeper search. They had her married to a person she divorced years ago, they had her age off by 10 years, and a ton of misinformation. A few of the things listed were accurate in terms of listed relatives, but they also listed erroneous supposed family members which I'm guessing happened because of a name association. No one who matters to you is going to trust such sites.
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Post by stepper on May 12, 2019 14:46:02 GMT -6
That's always possible. Before seeing your comment I was thinking that perhaps they found you based on that web site you used to belong to where you wrote and posted things. It even had a picture if I remember correctly. I agree that it feels like a nuisance; I wonder if they use an automated data digger like Google or somehow use Google itself to do their digging for them? It's possible - Google has a ton of data available. Good for you! That's really what this is all about - it's a way for "them" who ever they are to get your money. Whether fixing bad data or removing your name - what they want is a) your money directly, and b) advertising money because they're getting so many hits. One thing to remember is - always follow the money. I don't believe anyone uses it in decision making since it's so unreliable, but I guess it's possible that someone might use the site as potentially pointing to things to look into - I guess it would depend on who was looking and why. LMAO!! I like it! It's a good way to keep someone from monkeying around with your system. Sadly, that's the point of targeting the elderly and young. The elderly grew up in a time where people could be more trusting and it's a trait many of them have retained; the younger generation is still learning to be distrusting or is too inexperienced to realize they're being had. It reminds me of you talking about the gas people coming to your home - they were slick but fortunately you still got the better of them. (And you were sufficiently experienced that you followed up and ensured nothing was going to happen. Many people wouldn't have done that.) What kind of people would do this? How can the drive for $$ so completely overwhelm our morals that we think this is okay? I just don't get it.
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Post by stepper on May 13, 2019 16:55:32 GMT -6
Yet another scam. I started getting text messages addressed to “Daniel” saying that they have recent job offers in my area and I should call them right away to check on what’s available. Except I’m not job hunting, I’m not Daniel, and have no idea how they got my number. (Maybe it was a random robo text to cell phones.) The text messages had an option to click End to terminate the texting which I did. The next day they sent an email to my cell phone, again insisting they had a job I wanted, and again I opted out. I hadn’t heard from them in about three weeks and thought they were done but today I got another job offer and this time to opt out they want a phone call confirming I want them to leave me alone. I looked up the phone number and there are numerous complaints. Two people said they opted out and were immediately swamped with text messages. One person said he went to bed and the next morning he had 866 texts from them; another person said he had so many he couldn’t keep up with deleting the texts because they were coming in faster than he could delete them. A few people tried call the number and said it becomes evident pretty quickly that it’s a robot answering the phone and it keeps asking for personal information. One person reported that very early in answering the number you get a quiet message that says “press1toendjoboffers” – it’s very quick and low in volume. He had to press 1 a couple times to get the system to acknowledge it, but he said it seems to have worked. For now. The general opinion is that someone has mined information from some web sites and is now fishing for more personal information. Yet another way to harass us!
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Post by Mini Mia on May 15, 2019 4:24:12 GMT -6
I have a Master password in Firefox, but not in the other browsers though.
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Post by Phalon on May 15, 2019 5:18:32 GMT -6
I will never understand the lack of morals it takes to make people do this kind of stuff!
That is one of the more bizarre ones I've heard! 866 texts?!!! What are they trying to do - give them all the information they want just to get them to leave you alone? Kind of like an interrogation in which a person is so worn out they'll say anything just to get it to stop...
...speaking of which, this is not a scam exactly, making more of a hacking situation; I don't know exactly what to call it, except it made me livid. A bit worried, but mostly livid. Being in IT, Stepper, you'll probably understand this way more than I do; I only know what I learned from some Angela Lansbury type sleuthing I did on the internet.
I came home from work one day a few weeks ago, and found a note on the table in BP's writing; at first I thought it was an outline for a fictional story of some sort because the events were sort of weird. But no, it actually happened and Hubs told her to write down everything that happened because he was going to school with her in the morning to get some answers.
She was taken out of class and interrogated behind closed doors by the school principal, the assistant principal, and two IT guys from the school district. Apparently, (and I write this with extreme sarcasm), she was masterminding a plot to take down all of Southwest Michigan's school computers. WTF!!??
I went to the Computer Guy neighbor who works for the school IT department to see what was going on; he was very vague, said he wasn't involved in the investigation (other than when BP's name came up, he expressed disbelief and basically said there's no way she's involved) but said we should definitely go talk to the principal. Apparently three Chromebooks (which is what the school uses) and a cell phone were being used to disrupt internet service to the school district, the county's district to the south of us, and Western University to the east. They traced it to BP's Chromebook, two to three others, and an Android phone. They took BP's Chromebook, asked to see her phone (she has an iPhone, not an Android), searched the Chromebook history, found a website that looked incriminating that had been accessed a week or so prior and that day, and proceeded to interrogate her and the other kids separately (the kids whose computers were involved didn't know other kids were going through the same thing). BP had no clue what they were talking about - she didn't even know what the words were they were using - DDOS is one I remember (I don't know what that means either) - and when she said she didn't know, the IT guys rolled their eyes at her, pretty much insisting it was not possible she didn't know what these things meant.
(Sleuthing the Internet that night, I found that school administrators are trained just like police officers on how to interrogate students, and that anything said by a student can be used against them in court; it's just like talking to a police officer.)
Called my boss that night, told her what was going on and that I'd be late the next day because I needed to go with Hubs and BP to meet with the administrators in the morning - a meeting in which we learned - because in the meeting it was repeated more than once - that this was a Federal felony!!!!
Rest of the story later...it's late, and I've got to get ready for work.
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Post by stepper on May 15, 2019 16:13:16 GMT -6
Get a lawyer now. They interrogated a child without benefit of parental guidance or representation? I don't care what they've told you even if they say they found the culprit and that person has confessed and BP has been cleared. Since they were so callused about her rights and probably seriously scared her, they have no defense that I'd be willing to accept. Have your lawyer start talking for you.
DDoS = Distributed Denial of Service. They are accusing her of attacking the school's computer network. Basically, they're claiming she's responsible for establishing a BOTNET - a robot network - botnet describes a massive deployment of malicious code onto numerous compromised systems that are all controlled by a hacker. A botnet is the culmination of a traditional DoS attack into a concept known as DDoS attack. It happens when a hacker deposits remote controlled agents (bots) onto numerous secondary victims and then uses the deployed bots as a single entity to attack a primary target. When they looked at her phone and browser history they were probably looking for an IRC (Internet Relay Chat), instant messaging, file transfer protocol (FTP) - something that functioned as an intermediary communications system.
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Post by Phalon on May 15, 2019 22:42:40 GMT -6
I was mad as hell at first, but after researching immediately after BP told us what happened, whether right or wrong, it is completely legal for school officials to question students without parental knowledge, or a parent present. Not only that, anything that is said is admissible in a court.
The first thing I said in meeting with the assistant principal (I would have rather spoken to the principal, but he was not available. I insisted the IT guys be there also; only one was at the school at the time), was that my daughter has both her parents' permission to refuse to talk with anyone unless we are present. He told me that wasn't going to stop them from trying if need be, and looking directly at BP, I reiterated that she is not to talk to anyone unless Hubs, I, or both are present (Hubs added us and a lawyer). That is completely legal also - a student has the right to refuse to talk unless their parents are present. The assistant principal then backed off a bit, because he cannot deny that right (and I didn't care if I sounded like a b!tch at that point).
I understand totally that if something goes wrong at school, no matter what it is, that students can, and should, be questioned....but not interrogated. The assistant principal insisted they were just trying to find out what happened, but in my opinion, you don't take a student into an closed office with four adult men, rattle off questions left and right, and when the student says she doesn't understand anything they are talking about, roll their eyes, and insist she has to know, and keep repeating the same questions over and over. That's trying to intimidate and is interrogation.
That sort of makes sense to me in regards to what they said was happening. How any of it pertains to BP makes zero sense, and is, in fact, ludicrous.
What they found in the history of her computer was that a website called "What's My IP Address" had been accessed. BP says she did not access the website, has no need to know her IP address, isn't quite sure what an IP address is or does, and Hubs and I believe her. That's it; nothing else was found. I don't know if anything else was found on the other computers involved. I'm not sure if the Android phone was found at all, and that, I think is the key (more on that later).
Apparently, once a computer's IP address is known, you can go to some other site, pay a fee, and they will disrupt the service that computer is on (I guess that's where the DDOS thing comes in?) Why would any student do this, I asked (let alone be stupid enough to do it at school)? The assistant principal replies, to get out of school early (BP has two classes at the high school; the rest were college classes at the community college and the college semester was over at the end of that week; there is no reason she would try to take down the school computers to get out of school early), to try to change grades (she has never had a grade below a B in her 12 years of school, has already been accepted and committed to a college, and can literally skip the rest of the school year and still graduate with honors; there is no reason for her to break into the computer system to try to change her grades), or as a prank, (totally out of character).
It was a very unsatisfactory meeting, in my opinion, with no actual answers given as to the hows or whys. I think the whole thing with calling in the students was just a fishing expedition, in which they were grasping. Nothing has been said to BP since, and we haven't heard from the school either.
I talked with Computer Guy neighbor a couple of days ago. He said he washed his hands of the whole thing the first day "the investigation" started. The two IT guys who questioned BP are new - they were hired two years ago; Computer Guy has worked for the school district for over 20 years. I got the idea when talking with him, that these new IT people are (were) all gung-ho, overzealous in their quest to get a confession (pin this on someone?). They now want to install a new high security system, which Computer Guy says is very expensive, and in his opinion, unnecessary.
Over and over, we were told in that meeting that Chromebooks cannot be hacked, cannot get viruses or malware, and BP was told in the "interrogation" that because of this, she had to have been on that website. During my sleuthing though, I found that while this is thought to be true, they can be remotely accessed, and in fact, most school districts have remote access set up for things like security, maintenance, and even so teachers can see what assignments their students are working on, and what they're looking at on the Internet. Cannot it be then, that someone can hack the system and remotely access the Chromebooks that way? And guess what? An Android phone (not an iPhone like BP has) can remotely access a Chromebook. Surely, the IT guys had to consider something like this was happening, rather than students doing it.
We were led to believe that the three or four Chromebooks involved took down our school district, another county's, as well as Western University. This wasn't true. Computer Guy said that all of Michigan recently contracted a company to provide networking and security to all of the state's public schools. This has been happening all over the state, not just in our district, in the other county, or at Western. Not only that, but the supposed service that is paid to take down the system that they mentioned in our meeting, only takes it down for an hour - they made it sound like it was a total takedown.
The neighbor doubts anything will come of this particular situation at the high-school; it is just too wide-spread in the state for it to have anything to do with the kids here - it's got something to do with the company that's providing the network and security it seems.
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Post by Mini Mia on May 16, 2019 1:33:41 GMT -6
Phalon: Good Grief. This is crazy. School will be out soon, so that's a relief. Seems like the new tech guys are just trying to puff themselves up and seem important.
Stepper: I get strange texts like that, but I delete them without opening them up and reading them. First, I hide them, so that new texts don't set off an alert, and I just delete them when I happen to notice them on my phone.
Edited to add: You only have the tech guy’s word that the linked page was on her computer before they got their hands on it. For all you know, they did the search after getting her computer. You could have a professional double check her computer to verify when that page was accessed.
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Post by Phalon on May 17, 2019 5:14:55 GMT -6
Could be something like that (a little Maytag Repairman syndrome perhaps also?), along with possibly they forgot they were dealing with kids, or don't know how to deal with them. Or maybe they just forgot that everyone doesn't know tech stuff like they do - BP, for example, told us that she told them at one point after repeated questioning that she was "not playing dumb, but I honestly don't understand anything you're saying", which is when they rolled their eyes, insisting that she should, like 'how could you not understand this stuff? It's just basic technology.'
I don't think they'd do anything that devious. That'd be like planting evidence.
It'd be interesting to learn what the parents of the other students think of the whole situation, but it was all so hush-hush, BP still doesn't know which kids' computers were involved.
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Scam Dam
May 17, 2019 14:07:34 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Mini Mia on May 17, 2019 14:07:34 GMT -6
Yeah. But there’s the possibility. My sister is always asking me where I come up with all my theories on things, and I tell her, “It’s the writer in me.” BOLL!
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Post by stepper on May 17, 2019 19:37:33 GMT -6
Good! First, you have every right to be upset. Had they bothered to do any investigative work before making the accusation (such as talking to her teachers) they mostly likely would have, and should have, used a different approach - like telling her they are investigating a computer problem and would she be willing to help?
Before talking about forensics, let me ask a question. I take it from your earlier comments that the IPad belongs to BP but the Chromebook is theirs - right?
Now. Saying Chromebooks "cannot" be hacked is too strong. Virus protection is pretty much baked into the Chrome OS from the ground up. And on top of that, nearly all viruses are designed to attack Windows PCs. Since the Chrome OS is not Windows, a Windows-based attack will not work against a Chromebook. (I suspect the IT kids are semi-skilled and are depending on the fact that it has never been successfully hacked in the field since Chromebooks first became available in 2010.) Nothing will protect you against going to a web site that has been hacked so that the web site itself records your confidential information, etc. And NEVER give personal information to a web site that a) you don't know or b) that doesn't use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
HTTPS is talking about secure transmission of your information. I'm not going to bore you the details, but briefly, it uses Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security (AKA SSL/TLS) and while it's not easy, yes it has been cracked. For someone who understands, TLS is too slow so it uses a hybrid encryption methodology including PKI. Don't worry - it's not like it's easy and it takes serious skills and compute power, but it's been done.
If the school IT guys are claiming they got more than BP's Chromebook IP address somewhere, it's possible she went to a site that was itself hacked and it captured some of her information. You can see it (the IP) yourself without benefit of a website. Go to the command line and type ipconfig. It'll show you what they're talking about.
Pay attention to your computer guy since he's much closer to the situation and can better advise you about what's really happening.
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Post by stepper on May 17, 2019 19:43:20 GMT -6
Yeah. But there’s the possibility. My sister is always asking me where I come up with all my theories on things, and I tell her, “It’s the writer in me.” BOLL!
You should tell her that it helps when mom visits you in your dreams because she has some good ideas too.
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Post by Mini Mia on May 17, 2019 22:41:16 GMT -6
I don't think I want to do that. She could have me locked up, and then the farm and Mom's place, and everything I own could be controlled by her.
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Post by Phalon on May 18, 2019 5:09:10 GMT -6
Stranger things have happened, that's for sure!
Nah. Your sister can't try to have you locked up for your Mom appearing in your dreams. Now, on the other hand, if you were to tell her, "While Mom and I were having dinner together the other night - she made fried chicken; it was the best ever - she came up with this great idea for a story...", she might just think there's reason to have you committed!
Sorta, kinda. The iPhone (not an iPad) is hers - they wanted to see what kind of phone she had because they were looking for an Android; they didn't search it, just wanted to see what she had. The Chromebook technically is hers also. When she started high school, you either had the option to use a school-owned Chromebook, rent one, or purchase one through the school; there were a number of restrictions on using it outside of school on the first two options, so we just purchased it outright so she could do homework at home without having to sign out a Chromebook, which there are a limited number. Although she owns it, because it was purchased through the school it has all the school security programs and Internet blocks on it (for example, in one of her college classes she couldn't pull up a website the class was using because it was blocked on her Chromebook).
What? I'm gonna borrow from BP here and say "I don't understand". So you shouldn't go to a website that doesn't use HTTPS? Or one that uses HTTPS instead? Blame it one it being morning, and I haven't had my fill of coffee yet, but the meaning of your phrasing there is escaping me. (not to mention how do you know if a website uses either?) The rest of what you said, I'm not even going to pretend I can learn!
BOLL! Like mother, like daughter. What the heck is a command line?
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Post by stepper on May 18, 2019 23:13:17 GMT -6
What? I'm gonna borrow from BP here and say "I don't understand". So you shouldn't go to a website that doesn't use HTTPS? Or one that uses HTTPS instead? Blame it one it being morning, and I haven't had my fill of coffee yet, but the meaning of your phrasing there is escaping me. (not to mention how do you know if a website uses either?) The rest of what you said, I'm not even going to pretend I can learn! … BOLL! Like mother, like daughter. What the heck is a command line? You know this - you just don't know that you know. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, it's the address of a World Wide Web page. You'd type a URL into a browser's address bar at the top of the page. For instance, you went to Red Lobster (or McDonalds or where ever) and when you looked at the receipt you see you have the opportunity to express your opinion about the service via an on-line survey. They tell you to type in part of the URL usually starting with "www." You type in what they say to put in the address line and you end up at the survey site. But, if you look at the address when it fills in, you'll see something like "https://www.redlobstersurvey.com/" - notice it starts with HTTPS? You'll see that when you sign on to your bank or credit union and many other places on the web. HTTP means HyperText Transfer Protocol. This is how messages are formatted and transmitted, and defines what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. HTTPS is HTTP Secure - it is (or adds) the use of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) as a sublayer under regular HTTP. HTTPS encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are returned by the Web server. When I tell my system to show me the most recent posts, it takes me to http://whooshorg .proboards .com/posts/recent - the lack of the letter s tells us the communications with this particular web site are not encrypted/secured. The web site is not using secure communication techniques because security isn't an issue. When you communicate with a financial institution you want your information protected so those sites are https meaning you can trust the communications to be protected from prying eyes. Got it? I'll get back to the command line later. Post edit: Joxcee, I forget the formatting command to tell the system to display the entire line here so it's not showing Phalon that it's h t t p : / / w h o o s h o r g . etc.
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Post by Phalon on May 19, 2019 8:04:43 GMT -6
Yes, some of it I knew, though I didn't know what the acronyms mean or even that they are acronyms (URL, HTTP, and HTTPS). I didn't know the deference between HTTP and HTTPS though. Thanks for the lesson!!
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Post by Phalon on Jun 12, 2019 5:08:57 GMT -6
Having coffee with Crazy Cheryl the other morning, she told me a story that reminded me of a scam that LX and the Boyfriend encountered when they were looking for apartments and rental houses. I don't think it'd affect anyone here, but it could be helpful information for family, friends, or co-workers looking to relocate.
The Kids had come across a listing for a rental house that looked promising - a cute, little two bedroom with a small yard at reasonable rent that included most utilities, had a washer and dryer, and best of all and the thing they were having the most problem finding at other places, was that small pets were allowed.
When they called the listing agent, he said he was out of town for the next two weeks, and could set up an appointment to show the house when he returned. In the meantime, the house was vacant, and they were welcome to walk around the property, and look through the windows. If they liked what they saw, to expedite things, they could start the application process on-line; the application fee was $100, which wasn't an out-of-line fee with other apartments they'd already contacted.
LX didn't say if The Boyfriend was looking for directions, checking how far of a drive it'd be to and from their workplaces, or if he was suspicious, but he googled the house's address....it came up in a real estate listing showing all the same interior and exterior photos with a different company as for sale, not for rent. They called the real estate agency to inquire, and the agent said, "Oh, no! Not again!"
Apparently, it's a very common scam nationwide. The scammer pulls photos from actual real estate listings, then lists the property on a different site, and when people call to ask about it, the scammer is always out of town, or unavailable to show the apartment or house for a week or so, but the would-be renters are welcome to check out the property out on their own in the meantime. As in the Kid's case, they're asked to pay the application fee, or in other cases, a security deposit to start the ball rolling. The scammer makes off with the money, leaving the renters with lighter bank accounts, and no place to live.
I, personally, wouldn't sign a lease or pay fees without being able to thoroughly check out the place I'm going to live, but the targets are mostly out-of-towners relocating for work purposes and who are looking to find living accommodations quickly.
Who has the kind of mind that thinks up this kind of stuff?
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Post by Mini Mia on Jun 12, 2019 5:14:51 GMT -6
The sad thing is, all the energy and creativity these people put into being thieves, could be used to make legit money. It's probably harder to cheat people out of their money than to actually put in the work needed for an honest wage. But then, I've never scammed people, so maybe I'm wrong. At least you don't have to keep an eye on your backside.
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Post by stepper on Jun 13, 2019 18:49:55 GMT -6
I wanted to be sure to reply to this one Phalon. I saw reports on the news some time ago - it's been a year at least - where they were talking about very similar scams. The news focused not on rentals, but homes for sale. The scammers would get pictures from real homes that were for sale (mostly - but not always) from different companies and post them as if they were the ones actually doing the sales. One lady took it to new extremes - she was putting up for sale signs and posting properties as if they were hers to sell, she'd even meet people and show properties, then she got upfront money for title searches, to reserve the property as sold, or whatever excuse worked. She got away with it for years without actually selling anything but she scammed people for thousands of dollars. She got enough money it was her full time occupation - and that's how they caught her. A reporter set up a purchase knowing it was completely bogus and they got her taking money on camera. They gave the video to the police and then aired the piece as a warning for people to be careful who you're talking to. One of the big scams down here is roof repairs - especially when there has been a hail storm. All the stations do stories about how to ensure you are dealing with reputable people as opposed to getting ripped of with deals that are too good to be true. Getting a normal single story home done is something like $6,000 and up and the scammers just can't resist the temptation. Either they want half of the money up front and never show up again, or they do a poor job that you can't get them to fix (like putting up flashing incorrectly).
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Post by stepper on Jul 26, 2019 16:06:00 GMT -6
A warning we got at work: As many of you are social media users, I wanted to send out some information regarding the newest trend, FaceAPP. FaceApp is a new app that hit the market in the last few days and has become extremely popular. You can alter your looks, clothing, and even make yourself older & younger. It has been confirmed that this is Russian owned. There are several Privacy and Terms of Use concerns. You can find the apps website and see the full terms and privacy information for yourself, but below are some of the concerns, directly from the Apps term page: Website: faceapp.com/Terms: faceapp.com/termsPrivacy: faceapp.com/privacy You grant FaceApp a perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, fully-paid, transferable sub-licensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display your User Content and any name, username or likeness provided in connection with your User Content in all media formats and channels now known or later developed, without compensation to you. When you post or otherwise share User Content on or through our Services, you understand that your User Content and any associated information (such as your [username], location or profile photo) will be visible to the public.
You grant FaceApp consent to use the User Content, regardless of whether it includes an individual’s name, likeness, voice or persona, sufficient to indicate the individual’s identity. By using the Services, you agree that the User Content may be used for commercial purposes. You further acknowledge that FaceApp’s use of the User Content for commercial purposes will not result in any injury to you or to any person you authorized to act on its behalf. You acknowledge that some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions, and you hereby agree that FaceApp may place such advertising and promotions on the Services or on, about, or in conjunction with your User Content. The manner, mode and extent of such advertising and promotions are subject to change without specific notice to you. You acknowledge that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such.
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Post by Phalon on Jul 30, 2019 4:56:53 GMT -6
Yeah, I saw a few articles mentioning that in the news in the last few weeks, though I didn't read any of them. At first, it was in the celebrity news - it seemed to be all the rage, with stuff like this is what so-and-so would look like at 80 years old, using FaceApp. Then it was the warnings.
I asked the kids if they used it; LX and the Boyfriend had not - they're old enough that that kind of social media stuff doesn't interest them much anymore. BP and her boyfriend though had tried it....probably without actually reading the terms of use.
<Sigh.>
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Post by stepper on Oct 20, 2019 15:25:28 GMT -6
Don't Pay For Free Credit ReportsThe Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to credit reporting companies. A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. Here are the details about your rights under the FCRA, which established the free annual credit report program. Q: How do I order my free report? The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. To order, visit www.annualcreditreport.com , call 1-877-322-8228. Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228 or mailing to Annual Credit Report Request Service. NOTE: Site does not provide FICO Score. You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months. Q: What information do I need to provide to get my free report? You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide credit reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources. Q: Why do I want a copy of my credit report? Your credit report has information that affects whether you can get a loan — and how much you will have to pay to borrow money. You want a copy of your credit report to: make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job. help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job. Q: How long does it take to get my report after I order it? If you request your report online at annualcreditreport.com, you should be able to access it immediately. If you order your report by calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, your report will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days. If you order your report by mail using the Annual Credit Report Request Form, your request will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days of receipt. Whether you order your report online, by phone, or by mail, it may take longer to receive your report if the nationwide credit reporting company needs more information to verify your identity. A Warning About “Imposter” Websites Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law — annualcreditreport.com. Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card. Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information. Annualcreditreport.com and the nationwide credit reporting companies will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam. Forward any such email to the FTC at spam@uce.gov. For More Information: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports?utm_source=takeaction Free Credit Reports Pamphlet: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0043-free-credit-reports.pdf
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Post by stepper on Dec 4, 2019 19:58:01 GMT -6
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Post by stepper on Dec 8, 2019 9:57:36 GMT -6
Got this email today...the original includes icons with Bank of America colors.
Where it says " ^^ bankofamerica ^^ " below - the "^^" is mine highlighting the spot I'm talking about. In the email this is a link that you are supposed to click on to respond. If you point your mouse at the link the system will show you what the link site really is and in this case, the actual site is: https://kuygb-alternate.app.link/
Gee. I wonder if this is for real? (snicker snicker) Banks and credit card companies will never ask for personal information like it says below.
Message To Update Your Bank Account
We're writing to let you know that our system detected a slight error in our regular verification process of Online Banking records to complete recent activity.
Our system requires account verification for more security and protection to your account. To see how to solve this situation, please click here to log on to ^^ bankofamerica ^^ and you will be directed to follow this process.
Thank you for being a valued Bank of America Online customer.
If you do not take these steps in order to protect you, your account will be permanently deactivated and you will be required to visit your local branch to verify your identity. —
If you didn't make this request, Your bank account will locked . We ask for your personal information in email messages. Please don't reply to this automatically generated service email. Privacy Notice Equal Housing Lender Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC © 2019 Bank of America Corporation
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Post by stepper on Dec 8, 2019 10:10:15 GMT -6
It must be target Stepper day -- that one was immediately followed by a fraud activity notice from "Chase" about a credit card. There's no text in this one, it links to a site that displays a message that only looks like text much the same as when we link to a picture to have it displayed in the body of a post so I can't show you the message, but the thing about verifying where the link points still matters. This time the link goes to: https://qaw55.app.link/
And just to say it, you should never click on one of these links.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 9, 2019 7:05:47 GMT -6
There are so many scams out there, it's hard to keep up. A lot of them are just regurgitating ones that have been around for awhile, sometimes with a new twist, but basically the same. Always good to have reminders though!
The first reminder on the link you posted from the Federal Trade Commission, is always one I pass on to customers at work when I run their credit cards. If I run a card that works as both a debit and credit card, the machine will prompt "Debit" or "Credit"; a lot of people will say it doesn't matter, it all comes out of the same account. When I had those bogus charges on my credit/debit card though, the woman at the bank told me that I was lucky I'd used it as a credit card instead of debit. Running it as a credit opposed to debit, gives you more protection, and enables you to get your money back a lot faster. A lot of people I tell this to though, are surprised there's a difference.
I get those credit card scam callers on both the home phone and my cell all the time, more recently than usual, I suppose because it's the holiday shopping season - it's pretty much the same as the e-mail you received, but is a recording.
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