[the-facts-machine] Re: Komando: 7 things you should never do online

From: "Dr. Ronald E. Milliman" <rmilliman@xxxxxxx>
To: <the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2016 12:09:17 -0600

To support the message that Steve shared with us, I am going to admit to you
that, as careful as I am, I recently got caught up in a very clever scam
that initially took me for a very sizeable amount of money. Here is how it
went down.

I was seeking to purchase a Palstar Automatic Antenna tuner to use with my
ham equipment. You don't need to know anything about such devices to grasp
what I got caught up in. I answered a classified ad in one of our most
prominent amateur radio online websites, eHam, advertising a used, but in
like new condition, Palstar Automatic Antenna Tuner for a very attractive
price. I contacted the seller, Tony, by email to confirm that he still had
the tuner. Then, I sought to further check him out to verify that he was who
he said he was by searching for him online and in one of our other prominent
online resources that has a complete database of all hams around the globe.
The fellow checked out to be a very well-liked, 85 year old gentleman. So, I
agreed to purchase the tuner and proceeded to pay for it using PayPal. He
told me that as soon as the funds were received, he would ship the tuner. To
get to the bottom line, I never received the shipping tracking number. As
soon as I became suspicious, I immediately engaged in a much more in-depth
investigation which revealed a different phone number than the one provided
to me when I initially contacted the seller. So, I called the new phone
number I found only to discover that the real Tony had no idea what I was
talking about, and that he never owned such a tuner and never placed such an
ad in eHam. He told me that his ID had been stolen and the someone was using
his name and ham call in ads in several publications advertising all kinds
of expensive equipment and that he was receiving all kinds of complaints and
threats from people because of it. I immediately contacted eHam, PayPal and
my credit card company to inform them what happened. They were all aware of
the scam. My credit card company put the funds back into my account, subject
to it not being challenged by the merchant, PayPal. So far, the funds are
still in my credit card account, and it appears the PayPal isn't going to
challenge it, but they still have over a month longer to challenge it before
the funds stay in my account.

Could I have been more diligent? Yes, I should have invested more time in
checking the seller out. My initial investigation seemed sufficient, but
obviously it wasn't.

Will I ever purchase items using online sources again? Yes, I have purchased
many, many things in all price ranges online before, and this is the first
time I have encountered such a problem, but it has taught me that I need to
exhaust every possible source to verify the seller's identity and
authenticity before finalizing the purchase.

Ron

From: the-facts-machine-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:the-facts-machine-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steve
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2016 10:37 AM
To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [the-facts-machine] Komando: 7 things you should never do online

7 things you should never do online Kim Komando , Special for USA TODAY

We all have bad habits, like biting our nails or drinking straight from the
milk carton. While it's bad form, it won't steal your life savings. It won't
target your children.

As a digital expert, I cringe when people confess their hazardous activities
and unacceptable etiquette. It's time to quit the bad behavior.

Here are seven things you should never do online:

1. Be gullible to posts and videos

It doesn't take much effort to create a convincing hoax. With the right
phrasing and a dab of digital wizardry, you can convince millions of people
that Brad Pitt committed suicide, or drilling a hole in your iPhone 7 will
reveal a hidden headphone jack. (It won't by the way, but here's the video
that has over 15 million views and fooled some into destroying an iPhone.) A
recent hoax alleges that Facebook's privacy policy has changed and all your
pictures, posts, and messages will now become public. People are upset and
posting false status updates that they do not give Facebook permission to
share their
private content.

This particular post, like many others, cites a news source along with mumbo
jumbo legal statutes. True, it's hard to tell a hoax is a
hoax, but if you hear something shocking, run a quick internet search before
you believe it. You may save yourself a lot of embarrassment, and you'll
leave
the pranksters less reason to fool people.

2. Skip setting up 2FA

Don't let the fancy name 'two-factor authentication' throw you. It just
means that to login to your account, you need two ways to prove you are who
you say you are. It's like the bank or DMV asking for two forms of ID. Most
major services and companies, such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft
and Apple, offer two-factor authentication. It's essential to set up. This
way, no one can access your account if your password is compromised. Some
sites ask for your cell number, so they can text supplemental access codes
if a password reset is enacted.

You can also get alerts every time your account is accessed from an
unfamiliar browser or device. I have the steps necessary to set up 2FA on my
site.
It takes just a few minutes so do it now while you're thinking about it.
Click here to protect yourself from hackers, scammers and snoops.

3. Use the same password for multiple sites

There are better ways to create passwords so you don't forget them.
Passwords used to be so easy. Your pet bunny was named 'Pinky,' so that
became your password. Nowadays, passwords look more like JaYW1x%BuUnZ#. Even
if you could remember this gobbledygook, do you really want to dream up more
than one password that looks like this?

Security is vital these days, and complex passwords are the way to go. But
there is a simple way to remember good passwords that are also unique to
each site. Click here to learn why
"ilovefreshsashimitunawithalittlesoyandwasabi"
is a great password .

Trust me: Passwords are only annoying until someone commandeers your
account. Using the same password is a mistake you only have to make once.

4. Sync your social media accounts

It's difficult keeping up with all your social media accounts. Services
like Buffer, Hootsuite, and SproutSocial help you manage your social
presence across several platforms from one dashboard.

Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of scheduling the same message
across all their profiles. Remember, tweets and Facebook posts are very
different things, as are Instagram and Google+. Social media is an art. It's
a little more time-consuming to tailor your announcements to each type of
social media, but it's like the old carpenter's motto: measure twice, cut
once.

5. Share too much information about your kids

Sharing a few cute photos is fine, but posting too much private information
can be very dangerous. I even warn the parents in my family: Suppose your
8-year-old daughter is at soccer practice, and a stranger approaches and
says, "Hi, Susie. I work with your father John at the dentist's office. He
just had an accident in his blue 2014 Honda Accord and your Dad asked me to
drive you to him at St. Vincent's Hospital."

Today, it's easier than ever for predators to find your child's name, plus
your own professional and personal data. Aggressive predators might even
track down schedules for sporting events and after-school clubs. Don't give
them a chance to sound credible.

6. Use public Wi-Fi without giving it much thought

Most people feel very comfortable walking into a hip urban caf' and logging
onto the local WiFi. But is it really the local WiFi? Lots of people log on
to systems named "CoffeeShop" or "ILoveFood" and have no idea that these
belong to data-hungry hackers.

Hackers set up their own fake public Wi-Fi with a misleading name. Upon
logging in, the victim's keystrokes are recorded and stolen to obtain
personal
information. Hackers will also send malware disguised as updates to a
victim's computer. Once the malware is installed, the hackers gain full
control of the computer without the victim's knowledge.

In this video from Australia's ABC , cybersecurity consultant Kevin Mitnick
demonstrates how it's done. That's
why you want to use a virtual private network or VPN. A VPN service lets you
create an encrypted connection with one of its servers, and you use that
server to use the internet. The connection is encrypted through the server,
so the VPN can't see your traffic either. It's a bit more complicated, but
that's
the result.

You can learn more about VPNs and get links to free programs on my site.

7. Get into arguments on social media

We have all stumbled into a meme that makes us angry. Or someone sends us a
forwarded message that sounds totally misinformed. Or some troll posts a
series of vicious comments. My advice: Do not engage. There's nothing
tackier than a social media argument. Even well-intentioned comments can
sound snarky and mean-spirited. Friendships often fall apart after sparring
on Facebook or Twitter. If you need to sort out your differences, it's best
to do this in person or over the phone. Social media is a high wire act, and
most arguments end badly.

Bonus: Be an internet-trained MD

Medical diagnosis sites can be very handy for basic info, but for most
physicians, it is the bane of their existence. Patients storm into waiting
rooms, claiming to have Dengue fever and Zika virus. Hypochondria and the
internet are a very bad mix. Believe me; online medical advice isn't the
second opinion you're seeking.

References:
- [the-facts-machine] Komando: 7 things you should never do online
  - From: Steve

[the-facts-machine] Re: Komando: 7 things you should never do online

Other related posts: