Click this link for the article http://bit.ly/2g978x Our tech for discreet computer services has already repaired several infected computers, stemming from phishing attacks on individual accounts. If you don't already have a good virus software, there's a free version of AVG, or Avast to protect you. Also have Zone Alarm installed as a firewall. StopZilla has also been great for catching attempts to hijack user's home pages etc. (We receive no affiliate commissions for these, but we do use them ourselves) Always look up on top of your browser for the URL to make sure the site you're visiting is truly owned by a company, such as Ebay, PayPal, your bank etc. Phishing scams are clever and they dupe even smart people like yourself. You know how it is, you're in a hurry to get through emails and you click without paying much attention. Take your time and be very careful at what items you click.
While you can't stop hackers who get info straight from email providers, you can take measures yourself such as changing passwords often, setting your emails to receive text only (no images) or html that can have program running which will compromise your computer.
Programs can be hidden in pictures, and if you click on an image, you can unknowingly open your computer to a host of hackers, viruses etc. Again, if you have kids using computers, start teaching them about these things. If your teens are computer savvy, they may have a thing or two to teach you!
No email is ever totally secure, however there are smaller paid email services out there who are very difficult to hack, and mostly don't get hacked because the phishers don't want to work that hard. Look around for one main email to be used for important items. Don't use the same email account for everything. Use the freebie accounts such as Yahoo or AOL for your Twitter, Facebook or MySpace accounts. As for MySpace especially where you can be looked up by your email address, use a totally different email than you normally use for anything else. Don't allow MySpace to list you by your real name, age or location. It all depends how much privacy you want.
Case in point, there was a person threatening others on Craigslist. They were stupid enough to email threats from their email account. Investigator simply types in that email into MySpace and gets a full account of where the person lives, their family photos etc. Stupid is as stupid does. Yes using multiple emails is a pain, but there are several free programs out there now where you can check all of them at once. Small price to pay for maintaining your privacy. For now, consider changing your passwords. When you do, don't pick something predictable. Pick something abastract such as when you have to type in those Capcha phrases. Pick something odd that no one will guess. You can't be 100% safe online but you can be pro-active.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Reader Question - Onlne sites that share info w/collectors
Q: Which online sites are notorious for sharing my personal info with databases used for debt collection?
A: First of all - ALL of them can be used. The most evil and notorious?
Anything reunion oriented. Those feed directly to Intellius and U.S. Search etc. They feed to all attorney databases. Why they like those? Duh! Your name, age, where you went to school, who your friends are is all there, provided by you. What a better way to nab you than have you incriminate yourself and broadcast to the world who you are and where you are, where you work.
DO NOT sign up for those sites and if you did, then use a diversion tactic and slowly post false info that you've moved to another state, changed jobs...then delete your account and disappear.
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter - all places where you do not want to reveal name or location. Don't text from a phone app and show latitude longitude either. That's stupid. Be careful what you share on TwitPic or other sites. Host photos on your own privately registered site. Make a password protect for friends and name your photos a bunch of jumbled numbers and letters so Google Images doesn't show them to anyone who types in your name.
If you're concerned about privacy, then start creating false info about you on reunion type sites and eventually fade from the sites altogether.
Delete your MySpace. Don't put your age on MySpace, put 100 or something so you can't be tracked. Learn to use the "Hide" info codes. The new MySpace format allows for more private pages, but MySpace is the personals equivalent to Craigslist. It attracts a wide audience and is the first stop of any stalker trying to find you.
Use a different email address for all social neworking sites that is totally different than any emails you give your friends or anyone else. This way no one can type your email address into social sites and locate your page.
I'll write more tips on this later, but it answers a very important and intelligent question from our reader. This reader is "thinking"! Let's all be more like that, and think about how sites we think are safe, are making money selling our info to collectors, to stalkers and to spammers.
A: First of all - ALL of them can be used. The most evil and notorious?
- REUNION.COM
- CLASSMATES.COM
- Any reunion type sites! Stay away!
Anything reunion oriented. Those feed directly to Intellius and U.S. Search etc. They feed to all attorney databases. Why they like those? Duh! Your name, age, where you went to school, who your friends are is all there, provided by you. What a better way to nab you than have you incriminate yourself and broadcast to the world who you are and where you are, where you work.
DO NOT sign up for those sites and if you did, then use a diversion tactic and slowly post false info that you've moved to another state, changed jobs...then delete your account and disappear.
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter - all places where you do not want to reveal name or location. Don't text from a phone app and show latitude longitude either. That's stupid. Be careful what you share on TwitPic or other sites. Host photos on your own privately registered site. Make a password protect for friends and name your photos a bunch of jumbled numbers and letters so Google Images doesn't show them to anyone who types in your name.
If you're concerned about privacy, then start creating false info about you on reunion type sites and eventually fade from the sites altogether.
Delete your MySpace. Don't put your age on MySpace, put 100 or something so you can't be tracked. Learn to use the "Hide" info codes. The new MySpace format allows for more private pages, but MySpace is the personals equivalent to Craigslist. It attracts a wide audience and is the first stop of any stalker trying to find you.
Use a different email address for all social neworking sites that is totally different than any emails you give your friends or anyone else. This way no one can type your email address into social sites and locate your page.
I'll write more tips on this later, but it answers a very important and intelligent question from our reader. This reader is "thinking"! Let's all be more like that, and think about how sites we think are safe, are making money selling our info to collectors, to stalkers and to spammers.
Test us. Email your privacy questions.
Click HERE to email The Privacy Club your questions. We'll answer them here for all our readers (never sharing your name of course). You will not be placed on any email list, nor will we ever sell your info or spam you.
Ask questions on internet privacy, surfing, email, email tracking, hacking, cleaning computer spyware, wipe your hard drive, surf anonymously.
Life questions, such as how to, shall we say, "avoid" child support collection while you're out of work or broke, how to set up your own private corporation that collectors can't find in a database, protect your assets from liens, protect wages from garnishment. Evading the unlawful debt collectors harassing you and your family. Becoming invisible.
We're compiling a series of booklets on each subject which we are striving to make affordable to all. The economy is tight, collectors are breaking laws, and committing blatant fraud. Privacy is becoming a lost right here in our own country.
Our stance isn't from any conspiracy theory or paranoia, it's from watching our clients suffer and wait until things are out of control. They are realizing now, that it isn't so crazy to be pro-active. A little bit of healthy paranoia may often save you thousands of dollars. We don't condone breaking major laws, or evading taxes etc. in fact you can have a fully legal and law abiding LLC or Corporation right here in the states and still be private. You can start your own 401K, write off your medical costs, and write off things legally that you never thought about. Imagine getting money back from the IRS? Imagine even if you didn't get money back, that you didn't owe anything? Think tax breaks are just for the big guys? Nope. The IRS and our government wants businesses to succeed now more than ever! More on that in other posts.
So ask your questions and we'll post answers here. We can email back to you personally as well. Thanks for all the really kind emails we've received on our site! Books and e-books are in the works.
Ask questions on internet privacy, surfing, email, email tracking, hacking, cleaning computer spyware, wipe your hard drive, surf anonymously.
Life questions, such as how to, shall we say, "avoid" child support collection while you're out of work or broke, how to set up your own private corporation that collectors can't find in a database, protect your assets from liens, protect wages from garnishment. Evading the unlawful debt collectors harassing you and your family. Becoming invisible.
We're compiling a series of booklets on each subject which we are striving to make affordable to all. The economy is tight, collectors are breaking laws, and committing blatant fraud. Privacy is becoming a lost right here in our own country.
Our stance isn't from any conspiracy theory or paranoia, it's from watching our clients suffer and wait until things are out of control. They are realizing now, that it isn't so crazy to be pro-active. A little bit of healthy paranoia may often save you thousands of dollars. We don't condone breaking major laws, or evading taxes etc. in fact you can have a fully legal and law abiding LLC or Corporation right here in the states and still be private. You can start your own 401K, write off your medical costs, and write off things legally that you never thought about. Imagine getting money back from the IRS? Imagine even if you didn't get money back, that you didn't owe anything? Think tax breaks are just for the big guys? Nope. The IRS and our government wants businesses to succeed now more than ever! More on that in other posts.
So ask your questions and we'll post answers here. We can email back to you personally as well. Thanks for all the really kind emails we've received on our site! Books and e-books are in the works.
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