The Internet - A Dangerous Place?
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The Internet or World Wide Web, as it is also known, has revolutionized the way we
communicate, the way we find services, the way we pay our bills, the way we shop, the way
we learn, the way we bank, and many other aspects of everyday life. It has also
revolutionized the way predators prey upon the masses.
First we will talk about the Internet and our children. Children should never be allowed to
use the Internet unsupervised. Even with parental controls and software designed to
restrict their access to adult websites and other unhealthy content they are still vulnerable
to instant message services, Spam e-mails, and other shortcomings of the parental
controls and protective software. With all that being said many children will intentionally
attempt to bypass many controls that you have installed on your home computer. Many
children are quite successful at disabling these safe-guards. I suggest strict supervision of
children's activities while they are on the computer. You can also not allow the children to
have their own log on to the family computer. When the children need to use the computer
use a user-name and password separate from your own to log them onto the computer. Be
careful they will try to figure out the password!
Second let's talk about phishing and spoofing. Phishing is the attempt to learn personal
information. The personal information is then used to perpetrate numerous identity theft
schemes. These crimes can be costly to an individual. Sometimes it may take years to
straighten out your credit history. While you are straightening out your credit history you may
not be able to receive credit for those necessary large purchases. Your ability to buy a
home may also be affected. The only defense against fishing is to be weary of any
communication you receive by e-mail. Many phishing schemes involve phony notifications
from banks, online brokerage firms, and online payment merchants. These e-mails will
ask you to clink on a link that will take you to a site that looks exactly or very similar to the
site you may use. This is a spoof site. This site will ask you to log in using your user-name
and password. Then it may ask you to verify your social security number, date of birth,
mother's maiden name, and other personal information. It is important to note most
legitimate financial companies will never send you an e-mail where you will have to click on
a link. Most of these companies only send informational e-mails. Just because a link says
something does not mean that the link will take you to that website. Never disclose your
personal information online.
Now let's talk about schemes, con-artist, and greed. Many Internet users receive e-mails
with subjects about business opportunities, inheritances, and work from home
opportunities. These unsolicited e-mails usually prey upon the recipient's greed and
naivety. Usually these e-mails report that they are bank officers from an African or other
country outside of the United States and they need a next of kin to complete an inheritance
transaction. They may also say they are a lawyer. This is a scam! Just delete e-mails that
are unsolicited. Some scams involve adds that you may have legitimately placed. Many
roommate services fall prey to con-artists. If you place an add for a roommate and a
responder says, they will send you a larger than required money order or check to reserve
the room you have for rent due to another arrangement falling through, this is a scam. They
send you a forged money order and ask you to send them the difference. Your bank
immediately credits your account. The teller does not usually spot the forgery. Then you
send them a personal check. Your check clears before your bank notifies you that the
money order is a forgery. You are out for the amount of the check. The bank does not take
responsibility for the legitimate check you wrote and reverses the credit for the forged
money order. Buying a pet online? Beware. Many of these adds are set up by con-artist.
They offer a really low price and say they will internationally ship the pet to you. They will
even ship it COD. They will send you an empty box. Once you have the check to the delivery
person there is no way to stop the con-artist from getting his money.
The above scams are just a very minute sample of the numerous scams being perpetrated
every day. The Internet can be a dangerous place, especially for the novice user. Type
"Internet scam" in your favorite search engine and educate yourself.
By:
John Leonard
Investigator
Versatek, LLC
www.versateksecurity.com
September 30, 2007
communicate, the way we find services, the way we pay our bills, the way we shop, the way
we learn, the way we bank, and many other aspects of everyday life. It has also
revolutionized the way predators prey upon the masses.
First we will talk about the Internet and our children. Children should never be allowed to
use the Internet unsupervised. Even with parental controls and software designed to
restrict their access to adult websites and other unhealthy content they are still vulnerable
to instant message services, Spam e-mails, and other shortcomings of the parental
controls and protective software. With all that being said many children will intentionally
attempt to bypass many controls that you have installed on your home computer. Many
children are quite successful at disabling these safe-guards. I suggest strict supervision of
children's activities while they are on the computer. You can also not allow the children to
have their own log on to the family computer. When the children need to use the computer
use a user-name and password separate from your own to log them onto the computer. Be
careful they will try to figure out the password!
Second let's talk about phishing and spoofing. Phishing is the attempt to learn personal
information. The personal information is then used to perpetrate numerous identity theft
schemes. These crimes can be costly to an individual. Sometimes it may take years to
straighten out your credit history. While you are straightening out your credit history you may
not be able to receive credit for those necessary large purchases. Your ability to buy a
home may also be affected. The only defense against fishing is to be weary of any
communication you receive by e-mail. Many phishing schemes involve phony notifications
from banks, online brokerage firms, and online payment merchants. These e-mails will
ask you to clink on a link that will take you to a site that looks exactly or very similar to the
site you may use. This is a spoof site. This site will ask you to log in using your user-name
and password. Then it may ask you to verify your social security number, date of birth,
mother's maiden name, and other personal information. It is important to note most
legitimate financial companies will never send you an e-mail where you will have to click on
a link. Most of these companies only send informational e-mails. Just because a link says
something does not mean that the link will take you to that website. Never disclose your
personal information online.
Now let's talk about schemes, con-artist, and greed. Many Internet users receive e-mails
with subjects about business opportunities, inheritances, and work from home
opportunities. These unsolicited e-mails usually prey upon the recipient's greed and
naivety. Usually these e-mails report that they are bank officers from an African or other
country outside of the United States and they need a next of kin to complete an inheritance
transaction. They may also say they are a lawyer. This is a scam! Just delete e-mails that
are unsolicited. Some scams involve adds that you may have legitimately placed. Many
roommate services fall prey to con-artists. If you place an add for a roommate and a
responder says, they will send you a larger than required money order or check to reserve
the room you have for rent due to another arrangement falling through, this is a scam. They
send you a forged money order and ask you to send them the difference. Your bank
immediately credits your account. The teller does not usually spot the forgery. Then you
send them a personal check. Your check clears before your bank notifies you that the
money order is a forgery. You are out for the amount of the check. The bank does not take
responsibility for the legitimate check you wrote and reverses the credit for the forged
money order. Buying a pet online? Beware. Many of these adds are set up by con-artist.
They offer a really low price and say they will internationally ship the pet to you. They will
even ship it COD. They will send you an empty box. Once you have the check to the delivery
person there is no way to stop the con-artist from getting his money.
The above scams are just a very minute sample of the numerous scams being perpetrated
every day. The Internet can be a dangerous place, especially for the novice user. Type
"Internet scam" in your favorite search engine and educate yourself.
By:
John Leonard
Investigator
Versatek, LLC
www.versateksecurity.com
September 30, 2007
Examples of Scam e-mails Click Here