If you have a Pay Pal account and it seems like most of us do, and even if you don't you will receive some of the most realistic looking emails telling you that you account has been closed or about to be closed or for security reasons you must "sign in" and take care of the proplem.



HOW CAN I TELL IF IT IS FRAUD??

The following is from Pay Pal's website and this the best way to tell..

Look for a PayPal Greeting: PayPal will never send an email with the greeting "Dear PayPal User" or "Dear PayPal Member." Real PayPal emails will address you by your first and last name or the business name associated with your PayPal account. If you believe you have received a fraudulent email, please forward the entire email—including the header information—to spoof@paypal.com. We investigate every spoof reported. Please note that the automatic response you get from us may not address you by name.

The following are a couple of the screens you may see. Note how professional they look. Pay Pal NEVERaskes for info like this. So don't fall for it....EVER..

My own rule, if security information is an issue, is to NEVER click on to a link from an E mail. I only use links from my bookmarks or just enter the URL manually.

Just a couple of days ago, we received one of these requests, asking us to update our information by clicking on a site. Fortunately, we didn't update anything. We sent an email to Pay Pal, attaching the suspicious email, and they said it was an absolute fraud. I'm beginning to wonder just how wonderful the internet really is. Wish there was some other way to have such a nice group as Barthmobile.

My wife, Tere, contacted Pay Pal by phone and they said any emails requesting you to click on something or requesting personal information, to forward the email to spoof@paypal.com and they will inform you if it is a fraudulent request or not.

I decided to post this when I received both of those emails shown above this morning.

I don't know how to say this and not sound un PC. I am a committed Christian and try to live my live that way but I am not a "thumper" if you know what I mean.

But in the Bible there is much talk about the pitfalls of having too much "knowledge of the world". I think that the internet along with all that it provides us, illuminates so many areas of life that should stay in the closet. It raises to daily consciousness stuff that one would only think about periodically or in a moment of weakness. I think in years past most of the time you only had to worry about fraud if you were living in the shadows. Now it is something we have to filter out of everyday life.

Maybe I lived a sheltered life but other than in National Geographic I was not exposed to a woman's anatomy till I was like 12 when a friend had a Playboy magazine. And then, it was only above the navel that we were exposed too.

Now by the time a kid is 9 he (or she) has probably seen videos of every sex act imaginable. I want to see some psychological test on how many 19 year olds are jaded and just sick of sex all together rather than being excited about the mystery of it all.

Well there's my soapbox for the day..

Sorry for rambling..

I forward those things to

www.spoof@paypal.com

or

www.spoof@ebay.com

in the hopes that it helps them track down and shut down the phishers.

It amazes me how realistic these emails are. I almost clicked on one earlier this week. I believe that we have received three such "Notices" this week. I too send them to spoof. Isn't ironic that so many internet companies have somebody named "Spoof" working there?

The General Rule is quite simple: NEVER open suspicious email, and NEVER click on a link.

Better yet, get a reliable email screener such as Mailwasher

Must be different types of shadows.....i like the shadows i live in.

Rusty - I was going to download your "Mailwasher", but it's hard to do without clicking on a link, which I never do.

Smart position. However, for any hyperlinks, you can put your cursor over it and right-click, then "properties" to determine the URL. This also applies to email, if there's a suspicious link.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
NEVER open suspicious email, and NEVER click on a link.

quote:

Originally posted by Philipp2:
I was going to download your "Mailwasher", but it's hard to do without clicking on a link, which I never do.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Smart position.

ROTFLMAO: Now that's funny

Bill N.Y.

quote:

ROTFLMAO: Now that's funny

"Rotten Florida Mayonaise"
"Do you do Pillates?" "No I ROTFLMAO"
"Italian/Chinese Dictator"
"New Mayor of Newburgh, NY Giancanni Rotflmao"

TISFS

My good friend Rusty turned me onto that saying. I understand that it stands for "Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A$$ Off".



Seeing that he turned me onto the word and I was kidding with him I thought it appropriate to use it here.

I have used it on several occasions (like when you said you would get to the bottom of the P30 v. P32 debate) and it seems to be understood by most on the net. At the time he used it on me I hadn't a clue what it stood for either.

So, what's a TISFS Dave?

Bill N.Y.

TISFS

"That is some funny S**t