How to Play Safe at Myspace
Social networking and instant messaging are no longer just an activities that our kids do when they come home from school. Adult everywhere are joining in on this cyber movement.
When I talk of social networking sites, I'm not just meaning myspace. There are many sites out there that one can sign up for. I say myspace because that is the site I have chosen to use.
Speaking as someone from that 35-54 age group I can give a few reasons why this trend may be happening.
~More and more people are trying to do business online and from home. These social networking sites provide a platform to get your products and services in front of potential customers (if done the correct way).
~Networking itself is a new buzz word. People are trying to find business partners, affiliates and jv partners.
~For mom's like me, it is a way to stay connected with friends and keep some form of adult conversation - LOL (I don't get out much).
~People are busy - social networking provides a very convenient way to "stay in touch" much like e-mail use to do.
As adults and parents, we are working hard to keep our kids safe on these type of sites. But what about us?
Although adults are (or should) naturally going to use our heads when it comes to Internet safety. I think we do need to be reminded from time to time that an Internet predator will try to get information, or money from us as well.
There are so many "scams" out there. Some are really obvious and some are not so much. New forms of scams are being created all the time, these are some of the most common.
Phishing Scams - Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message,[1] although phone contact has been used as well[2 (taken from Wikipedia)
E-greeting Cards - You will receive a card and it could be from someone you know. However the person on the other end is again trying to get information such as your sin, or bank account information from you.
Overpayment Fraud - someone will make an overpayment to you for something they have purchased. Then they will ask you to wire them back the overpaid amount. The whole payment was fraudulent and you will be out the entire amount of money.
Russian & Nigerian dating scams - People will create fake profiles and try to lure you into conversations with them. They will spend weeks and months gaining your trust. They will say they want to be with you but they need you to send them money. Because you trust what they say you will send the money often on more than one occasion. But never had any intention of doing more than taking your money.
Fraudulent Money Orders - People will try to send you money orders or pay cheques saying that they can't cash them in the country they are in and then ask you to wire them back the money through western union. These are fraudulent.
Nigerian 419 Letters - Someone in a high ranking position is in trouble and needs to get their money out of the country. If you help them, they will pay you well for your troubles (not).
So how can we protect ourselves? Listen to the advice you're giving your kids.
~Don't give out personal information to someone you don't know.
~Only order online from sites that you trust.
~Keep your firewalls and virus software current and update it often.
~Don't download from sites you don't know or trust. It could have spyware.
~If you start to get involved with someone you don't know, don't keep it to yourself. Let a friend know what you are doing. They can talk some sense into you if needed.
~Use your head! If something doesn't look right, don't trust it AND if it looks to good to be true, IT IS.
I for one really enjoy these social networking sites. I'm meeting lots of great people both for business and just friends. I do think we need to protect ourselves as we do our children.
Related Tags: myspace, social networking, internet fraud, nigerian scams, internet victim
About the Author: Heather Masson is a successful Canadian Work at Home Mom. Her passion and expertise are in the areas of children, special needs, and animals. You can visit her website at http://homewithheather.com/internet-victim for more information.
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