Self Defense and Security Blog

In part 1 yesterday, we discussed the importance of monitoring your child while on the internet. Today, we’ll get into it a little deeper…….

When You Least Expect it …Protect Yourself
The jilted ex-boyfriend had a plan. Using personal information from his ex-girlfriend, he sent a message over the Internet that lured men to her door who thought they were going to fulfill a rape fantasy. The information included her name, address, telephone number, physical description and detailed instructions on how to circumvent her security system. The woman was not harmed, but half a dozen men tried to visit her. Fortunately, the jilted ex-boyfriend was charged under California’s cyber-stalking law.
The Internet is supposed to be the information super highway, not an instrument used for violence. Unfortunately, some individuals choose to turn the Internet into their personal playground of destructive messages, threats and illicit pornography. And you’re probably thinking, where are the laws prohibiting threats and pornography? Defining Internet crime is a unique challenge; therefore, lawmakers are continually updating and introducing new laws relating to Internet safety. Because the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, there is little, at this point, that law enforcement can control on the Internet. The cyber-stalking law does not inhibit free speech, it prohibits computer-based harassment. The issue for law enforcement now becomes one of jurisdiction. Where did the crime occur? This is the first question that law enforcement asks a victim. Did the crime occur in your home because that is where the computer is located? Or, did the crime occur where the message originated from, which could be in another state or country? This is a law enforcement dilemma. ISP often cooperate with law enforcement, but it isn’t always easy to find the suspect. In fact, a hacker can compromise your Internet account and send harassing messages under your name and profile – and get away with it. The best and easiest way to prevent personal information from getting into the wrong hands is to be very selective in the information that you divulge. Use the following commonsense tips when using the Internet:
1. Do not give out your name, address, telephone or credit card numbers or other personal information, such as your
social security number, unless you are dealing with a reputable company and you have initiated the contact.
2. Think twice before submitting your personal information profile through your ISP.
3. If you decide to meet someone from online, use common sense. Meet in a busy, public place and consider taking a friend with you to the meeting.

PROTECTION AGAINST INTERNET SCAMS
The Internet has also become a vehicle for criminals to use to perpetuate tried and true scams. If it sounds too good to be true … it probably is! Have you heard this before?
Believe it! Being on the information super highway does not legitimize a get-rich opportunity. Simply type “get rich quick” in a search engine, and you are on your way to new-found wealth or a scam. Many old confidence schemes, such as pyramid schemes, have resurfaced on the Internet. The scams are the same. People are contacted via e-mail or notice a Web page touting a sweet deal. They are encouraged to invest some money, and if they can convince others to do the same, they are promised a huge return. The first few people make money, but two or three levels down, the pyramid crashes because the initiators are the ones receiving profits. Pyramid schemes focus on recruiting new members, not on selling products. In 1999, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a sweep of the World Wide Web to locate sites that host illegal multilevel marketing scams. These sites are under ongoing investigation. Additionally, the FTC offers the following tips to consumers to guard against illegal pyramid schemes:
1. Avoid any plan that offers commissions for recruiting additional distributors.
2. Beware of plans that ask new distributors to spend money on excessive amounts of high-priced inventory. These plans can collapse quickly and also may be
illegal pyramid schemes in disguise.
3. Be cautious of plans that claim you’ll make money through continued growth of your “downline” (the commissions on sales made by the new distributors you recruit) instead of through sales you make yourself.
4. Beware of “shills” – decoy references or endorsements that the promoters pay other people to describe fictional successes in earning money through the plan.
5. Do your homework. Check with your local Better Business Bureau about any plan you’re considering, especially if the claims about your potential earnings or the product sound too good to be true. Pyramid schemes aren’t the only scams to be wary of on the Internet. There are many and they tend to recycle periodically. Beware of “free gift offers” for completing a simple survey or because you won a prize in a drawing – especially if you did not enter. These typically ask you for your name and credit card number to cover the nominal cost of shipping. Their real purpose is to commit credit card fraud.

Other tips to keep you safe online include:
1. Never send money to an unsolicited e-mail or a posting you spotted on the Web.
2.Watch out for the buzzwords: downline, matrix, network, recruitment and cell. These words and their synonyms are often used to dress-up classic pyramid schemes.
3. Never agree to a meeting with someone who has posted a fabulous offer. In-person meetings give the con artist a chance to turn on high-pressure sales tactics or even rob you.
4. If you are setting up an online identity for e-mail, be very vague. Do not give out personal information in a profile.
5.Contact your ISP or local law enforcement if you receive suspicious or threatening e-mail.
6. Be alert for any responses to e-mail that you don’t believe you have sent.
7. Be alert to e-mail bearing a return address you recognize, but with content that does not match the personality of the sender.
8. Look carefully at message headers for discrepancies between sender and provider.
9. Acquire and use encryption software if you send e-mail containing confidential or sensitive information.
10.Web sites whose purposes are to commit fraud appear and disappear quickly, making it difficult for them to be tracked. If you find a suspicious Web site, print the screen and any correspondence. Present this information when filing a complaint with your ISP or law enforcement.

Finally, use the Internet to find information regarding online safety. Your ISP may also provide useful prevention tips and most encourage you to report suspicious online activities.

If you are a victim of online crime, contact your local law enforcement agency. Do not purge any information from your computer – law enforcement needs this documentation to assist in their investigation.

BEWARE OF CELLULAR PHONE CLONING
The cellular telephone bill arrived and the amount due exceeded $500! Many of the numbers called were in foreign countries. When the cellular telephone carrier was contacted about the bill, the truth came out. The cellular telephone had been cloned.

Cloning cellular telephones is relatively easy, and as a consumer, you won’t know your cellular telephone was cloned until you get your monthly statement. Cloning is the act of making one cellular telephone “act” the same as another. This is accomplished by copying the identity and phone number of one phone and inserting it into another. The phones do not have to be the same model or even the same brand. The cloned phone is now the same as the first – it will ring when the original phone rings and any
charges incurred will be billed on the original phone’s monthly billing statement. If you own an analog cellular telephone, or if your digital phone can also revert to analog, then there is a chance that your phone can be cloned. The best way to prevent your analog cellular telephone from being cloned is to keep the power off when it is not in use. When your cellular telephone is on, it sends out an electronic serial number (ESN), and there is technology available that will capture this signal. Once the ESN is captured, it is then used in the cloning process. If your cellular telephone is off, the ESN is not transmitted. As technology advances, cloning is likely to become obsolete. The digital cellular telephones are somewhat secure from cloning. However, with any cellular telephone, remember that your actual conversation is not private. The cellular
telephone is a transmitter, and your conversation is out on the airwaves and vulnerable to interception by radio scanners. Finally, never give out any personal or financial information over cellular telephones. If you notice unusual and excessive charges on your monthly billing statement, contact your cellular service carrier’s fraud division.

In the next installment, we’ll be discussing Identity Theft. Don’t be a victim…Be Prepared.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 13th, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.