
It's
a safe bet lots of people are writing about the tricks and traps to
look out for in your email this December. After all, you're
shopping online for Christmas presents, you're traffic is way up,
you recognize logos, you expect deliveries, and time is running
out. You're ripe for the picking.
Yes,
email can be a risky place but you've heard for years what to look
out for. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. You are not
going to be the victim of email fraud.
Email
scams are so lame. Ooh I have an undelivered package from the
USPS! Let me just click this link and give them my credit
card.
Not
you. You hover over the links and see where they're sending you. No
big deal.
But
while you're watching email the bad guys are flanking you. They
know you're busy with the additional Christmas traffic, they know
you're busy defending against email attack, they may even attack
you through email as a diversion.
Let's
take a look at Facebook. Clearly it's bad practice to post selfies
from the Cubs game when you've called in sick. But what about the
things Facebook offers you? They have to be safe, ti's Facebook.
No.
Everything
on the right side is bait. At the very least it will entice you
with something and lead you to something else, loaded with other
something else's. My two favorites.
1)
Who's Looking at Your Profile?
Really?
Please. All your going to get is a virus, which is probably why you
left that person you are now hoping is looking for you.
2)
Outrageous! Whatever politician you hate has a child that does or
gets whatever pisses you off.
You
got a virus from that one person you liked who you hope is looking
at your profile, and now you want a virus from that one politician
you hate? Don't do it.
If
you forget about the sex hookup ads. It's basically a bulletin
board. People want to sell, or buy, stuff. Consider these two.
1)
Someone advertises an object you want, you agree to go, you never
come home.
2)
Someone wants an object you advertised, they agree to come, and
never go home.
It's
Christmas, you're feeling good about yourself and yet a little
guilty about all that you have. Then, a miracle, it's a pop-up to
save ferrel Bahama Pot Cake puppies. Yes! Here's $5,000, send me 5.
Last
year I followed a link, a Canada Goose Explorer coat, just like
Snoopy Dog Dog wears, for only $200 dollars. I googled the Canada
Goose website, they were $1,299, what a bargain. They had my size
and I ordered. It came and I love it.
I
wasn't trusting, and you shouldn't be either. If it sounds too
good.to be true, it probably is.
You
knew they're after you, but now they know you know it, have a Merry
Christmas, or not, and that's Cocktail Talk.
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