Paypal scam

PayPal is good to protect you from fraud and provide safe online transactions, but even if you are a PayPal user, you are not completely safe from internet scams, you are rather a target for scams. You are a greate target because they know you have money and you are doing online transactions.

The scam works this way, they will front as Paypal and will send you an e-mail that tells you that Paypal have detected that there is an unauthorized used on your account. They will be using Paypal logo, graphics and fonts so it will really look good and sounds officiall, they would even include links that point to the official Paypal site.
 BUT BEWARE they will offer you something like activate a security to prevent the unauthorized use by click a button or a link and there where the trick is, the button or the link will point you to a FAKE Paypal website that will ask you to log in but instead they will just capture you Paypal user name and password so they can have access to it and use your money.

What to do if you receive this type of e-mail.
1. Ignore it or rather report it as a scam so other people may be alerted.

How to identify if it is a Paypal Scam?
1. The e-mail address is not officially from Paypal.
2. The greetings is using generic term like"Dear Paypal User", Paypal will usually greet you with the name you registered to them.
3. They are asking for private information.
4. There are links the points to a different site location and not to paypal.com
5. The links are not secured - http:// only and not the secure https://
6. It is asking you to verify your account by logging in or sending your password.

Help Me, Please Send Money Scam

On my previous post I have lay down some tips to prevent Facebook account from being stolen. Now I just want go share a real example of what happened to someone when his account was stolen. I will not mention names anymore to provide privacy.My only intent is to share some point so we may learn from their experience.  The first one noticed that there is something wrong was his daughter when she noticed that there is is a post her dad needs help. Basically the approach of the hacker is make it sound that the victim in trouble by posting something on their walls that would make their friends and relatives worry. Then he would send email and PM to those that would seems to concerned. He would try to ask help and make them transfer money electronically and the that where real trick comes in because the receiving end of the money was the hackers bank account (it was open somewhere in Nigeria or other country where US authorities has less power to investigate).

Here are the points we need know in case this happen to on of our friends:
1. Commonsense, as always. Sometime our emotion takes over whenever we hear bad news about our friends and love ones.
2. Confirm the situation personally don't just rely on the Facebook message, give him a call or call some that could personally confirm the situation. Confirm with the hospital by calling it directly in case the hacker would use health as the threat.
3. Never send money electronically, maybe send a check named and addressed to your friend.

Leave a comment and add more info, together we can warn our friends with regard to this scam.

Facebook Information Can Be Used by Hackers

Most of the time when ever I do phone transaction (banking and other such alike) the call agent would ask a question to verify my identity and the most common question I encountered are "What is your date of birth?" and "What is your mothers maiden name?". Did you know that is information could be easily access by a hacker thru you facebook account? Thus resulting for the hacker to trick any agent over the phone and can post as you. From there the hacker could stole you identy and make phone transactions in your name. The hacker would just check your facebook profile to see your date of birth and from there the hack could also do an investigation to find out who is your mother and try to check her profile too to find out her maiden name. Everything would be easy for him unless raise your security settings.

Here what you need to do.
1.On the upper rigth corner click "Accout" Tab and choose "Privacy Setting" from the drop down menu.
2.Click "Custom" then "Customize Settings".
3. On Family you may choose to be seen by "Friends Only" If you know all you friend and you trust all the friend that you would accept but if not just change it to "Custom" and set it to "Only Me". In this case there will be no direct information from facebook that will be available to the hacker to trace who is your mother.
4.Do the same for your date of birth, I bet you'll choose only me unless you want everybody to know your date of birth.

These are just specific examples but the general rule it keep your personal information private.