Too Good to Be True: Scammers Prey on Unsuspecting Craigslisters

Guest Article

Imposter. Swindler. Cheat. Trickster. Call him what you will, you’re not being paranoid. He is out to get you or anyone who is naive enough to fall prey to his scams. Thieves are crawling the Internet and creating ways to get your money without giving you a product. Or, worse yet, they are finding ways to trick you to give them your identity…putting you into a world of hurt. These people are acting illegally and committing fraud. However, online deception gets more prevalent as people fall for the deceit.

It’s important to be aware of scams and recognize them. For example, on Craigslist’s actual site, you can find that information. Most scams involve: a response from someone out of the country or going out of the country; a “guarantee” involving Western Union or other money transfer sites; the mention of sending money orders and using escrow services; and the inability for the transaction to take place in person. Be cautious, aware and get some personal Lifelock.com identity protection to ease your mind and avoid a thief stealing from you. Here are some first-hand accounts of Craigslist Scams.

Renting a Home

Deanna and RJ were looking for a home to rent online and thought Craigslist to be a great option. They found a great deal for a 3-bedroom house in Scottsdale, Ariz. for a monthly rent of $1000. The photos showed a remodeled interior and a very nice one, at that. Who couldn’t pass up new paint, tile, wood flooring, upgraded appliance and new blinds for that price in that area? RJ contacted the ad and in response received an email saying the house was available and the owner would be happy to rent it to them; however, the owner was out of the country for business so they’d need to send a security deposit to get the key, along with other fake and fraudulent requests.

Avoid this person…he/she is what you call a con-artist and if you think about it, the requests are quite ridiculous. But still, somehow, people are way too trusting and gullible.

Applying for a Job

Amanda moved to Tallahassee, Fla. this summer thinking she would find a job once she was settled into her apartment. With quite a bit of experience in business administration, she decided to apply to full-time and part-time Office Manager, Receptionist and Front Desk Coordinator positions. One of the ads she replied to had this description: “Pleasant, friendly, motivated Receptionist needed for medical billing, appointment scheduling and problem solving.” Some red flags for scams are no business name, no business email address and the compensation will be higher than most jobs in the field. Not many companies pays $16/hour or $55K for an entry-level position like this without a few interviews.

After applying to quite a few of these ads, Amanda received emails for the next three months asking her to send details about herself and to visit suspicious websites claiming they are a job board and asking her grant a background check and to give personal and financial information before she could get to the listing she was interested in. Amanda had heard about the scams and didn’t fall for them. Upon returning to the site to report the experience, she noticed the listings would no longer link to the ad but a page that read, “This posting has been flagged for removal.”

Thanks to Craigslist and the reports of fraudulent behavior, nobody else would have to suffer this scam.

Take Advice From Craig Himself

The same thing applies to concert tickets, airline tickets, car deals and any large-ticket item that might have the seller referring you to an escrow company. While Craigslist is an excellent and unique way to advertise in a communal way, be smart when it comes to Internet purchases. Some advice on Craigslist’s common-sense rules page:

• Meet people in person and deal locally.
• Never wire money.
• Watch out for fake money orders and cashier checks (banks will actually cash them then hold you responsible when they do not go through).
• If they mention Craigslist being involved, walk away.
• Don’t give out personal financial information.
• Only scammers “guarantee” transactions when dealing with shipping and escrow companies.
• Don’t rent housing that you have not see in person. The same goes for large-ticket items.
• Don’t approve a background or credit check for a job our housing until you’ve met in person.

About Guest Author: Samantha Vick Samantha maintains over 50 Twitter and Facebook accounts daily. She loves her job and loves helping companies to maximize their business through tech trends and cloud computing solutions.

Tips for Teens about Social Network Safety

More than 70 percent of American teens use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

Do you know if your teen is safe on these sites?

Social networking allows teens to share personal information like never before. To protect your teen from identity theft, cyberbullying and online predators, follow the tips below.

• Have Them Check Their Privacy Settings – Make sure your teen’s privacy settings are configured so only their friends can see the information that they share.

• Don’t Let Your Teen Share Passwords with Others – It’s vital to teach your teen the importance of passwords. Advise them not to share their social network passwords with friends.

• Talk with Them about What’s Appropriate – It’s important to teach your teen how to properly act online. Explain to them how provocative posts could hurt their reputation and how it can affect them at school and work.

• Have the Stranger Danger Conversation – You probably had the “stranger danger” conversation with your teen when they were younger. Thanks to social media, you’re going to need to have it with them again. Your teens should never accept friend requests or messages from strangers.

• Show Them Reporting Features – If your teen is being the victim of cyberbullying, show them how to block the user. If the bullying continues, report the user.

• Teach Them What to Share – Explain to your teen that sharing too much personal information could lead to identity theft and other problems. Watch what your teen shares on their profile.

• Don’t Let Them Post Their Location – Some of the social media sites allow you to post real-time location information. Tell them to avoid using this feature. It could open them up to all sorts of problems including online predators.

It’s important to have serious conversations with your teen about social networking. Talk with them about what they can and cannot share on social networks.

For even more tips, read other postings on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog

How to Tell if Your Identity Has Been Stolen

There are approximately 15 million cases of identity theft in the United States every year. According to IdentityTheft.info, annual financial losses total north of $50 billion.

In many cases, the victims don’t know their identity as been stolen until it’s too late. Don’t let this be you.

The Federal Trade Commission website has some great resources that show signs of identity theft. Here are a few of the most important warning signs.

1. Discovering bank and credit card accounts that you did not open.
2. Unusual information on your credit reports such as strange addresses and employment information.
3. Getting credit cards that you did not sign up for.
4. Unexpectedly denied after signing up for a credit card or being offered high interest rates for no apparent reason.
5. Being contacted by debt collectors or businesses about items that you didn’t purchase.
6. Failing to get important bills in the mail. Bills never arrive on time.
7. You can’t find your credit card.
8. Your bank account suddenly has no money in it.
9. You receive strange bills in the mail.

Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. That’s why it’s very important to carefully check your bills each month. Also be sure to shred any documents that contain sensitive information. A home security system can protect this information from burglaries.

If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, place a fraud alert on your credit reports.

For more important security tips, read other postings on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog.

Things You Shouldn’t Post on Facebook

Facebook is a great way to stay connected with family and friends.

However, what you post on Facebook could open you up to the risk of identity theft, burglary and other serious crimes.

To better protect yourself, here are a few things that you shouldn’t post on Facebook.

• Birthday and Place of Birth – Avoid sharing your complete birthday and place of birth on Facebook. It can make it a lot easier for identity thieves to figure out your Social Security number. 

• Travel Plans – Don’t advertise your upcoming vacation to Hawaii on Facebook. It’s like posting a sign in your front yard that says, “I’m out of town … Please steal from me.” Wait until you get back from the vacation to share the news.

• Complaining – It’s not a good idea to complain about your job or your neighbor on Facebook. You never know who is going to see it. There have been numerous instances where people have lost their jobs because of Facebook posts.

• Address – Do you really want to leave your home address up there for everyone to see? You’re at greater risk for burglaries and identity theft if you list your home address.

• Phone Number – Keep your phone number off of Facebook. You never know who may end up with it.

• Password Information – Avoid sharing information such as your dog’s name, your mom’s maiden name, etc. These are often associated with bank passwords. You don’t want to give anyone clues. 

Always be sure to check your Privacy Settings on Facebook. The Facebook Help Center has some great information on Privacy Settings.

How to Protect Your Family from Mobile Cyberstalkers

Cyberstalking is a 21^st century threat to families across the country.  Because of smartphones, cyberstalking is becoming a very serious issue.

If you’re unfamiliar with cyberstalking, the U.S. Department of Justice defines it as repeated harassing and threatening behavior using internet, email and other electronic communications devices.

While cyberstalking has been around for more than a decade, this threat has grown because of the rapid adoption of social networking and smartphone devices.

According to the Home Security Blog, cyberstalkers are now using smartphones and social media information to stalk and harass people with a new degree of sophistication.  Cyberstalkers can now use your phone’s GPS location information that you share online.

If you want to protect your family and friends from mobile cyberstalking, we recommend these tips.

1. Never Provide Address – Whether it’s for your social media profile, your phone or email, never publically broadcast your home address.  The less information people know about you, the better off you’ll be.
2. Never Share Passwords – Never give out your password to anyone.  It’s a good idea to use a password with a variation of letters, numbers and characters.  Also, password protect access to your cell phone or smartphone.
3. Turn Off Location Sharing Features – It’s a good idea to turn off location sharing features on social networks and smartphone apps.  It’s risky to publically share your exact location at a given time.
4. Never “Friend” or Communicate with a Stranger – Only become friends with people you actually know on social networks.  Also respond to suspicious emails with caution.
5. Do a Google Search – Type your name in Google to see what types of information appears online.  Try to remove any information that a stalker could easily use to find out your home location.

Following these tips will help to keep you safe from cyberstalkers.  To learn more how to protect yourself, read:

• Daily Tip: How to turn off Locations Services for iPhone, iPad

• Turn Off Location Services On Android Phones

• Turn off location aiding for BlackBerry Phones

For more great personal safety tips, be sure to read other post on the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog and follow us on Facebook.

How To Manage Your Teen’s Online Behavior

Nearly 90 percent of America’s teens go online.  That’s more than 20 million people ages 12 to 17, according to Pew Internet.

Like teens behind the wheel of a car, teens behind the keyboard pose some serious risks such as:

• Online Predators
• Cyberbullying
• Information/Identity Theft
• Teen Obesity

To help protect your teen from these risks, here is how you can manage your teen’s online behavior.

Limit Internet Activity 

According to one teen online use report, adolescents spend as much as 31 hours online in a given week.  That’s more than a day!

That’s time they can be spending doing homework, exercising or spending time with family and friends.  It’s no secret that teen obesity is on the rise.  Limiting internet use is one way to keep your teen healthy.

But before you ban internet in your household, consider different after-school activities to eat up that time they’re spending online.  Get your teen involved in:

• Sports
• Arts/Music
• After-School Clubs
• Volunteer Work

By taking this simple step, you’ll be amazed how much less time they spend on the internet.  You also won’t be yelling at your teen to get off the computer.

Keep Internet Use in Public Areas

If you want to better monitor your teen’s online behavior, consider limiting internet use to public areas.  Don’t allow them to have online access in bedrooms or other private areas.

Obviously, this could be difficult to do if you have iPads, smartphones and other mobile devices in your home.  If this is the case, consider building a trusting relationship before you give them an iPad or a smartphone.

Start out with a computer that is located in a public area.  If your teen shows responsibility, then consider getting them the smartphone or iPad.

Discuss Cyberbullying

More than anything else, your teen may become a victim of cyberbullying.  This is when a teen is threatened, harassed or humiliated by another teen on the internet.

These kinds of actions can cause your teen to seek revenge, avoid friends or even become a cyberbully.

The National Crime Prevention Council suggests building a trusting relationship with your teen so they will feel comfortable telling you about the cyberbullying problem.  Additionally, limiting your teen’s time online can help to solve this problem.

Changing Social Network Settings to Private Isn’t Enough

As parents, we hear the horror stories of online predators lurking on social networks and other online sites.

To protect your teens, they need to understand that changing their social network settings to private isn’t enough.  In most cases, you can still pull name, location and profile pictures from “private” social media networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

That means online predators are a Google search away from finding phone numbers and addresses.

To help you adjust your teen’s privacy settings for social networks, read these posts:

• 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know
• About Public and Protected Tweets
• Privacy Settings on MySpace: What You Need To Know

Like driving, you may also want to keep them off of social networks until they reach a particular age … maybe 16.

Talk with Your Teens

Most importantly, talk with your teens about online use.  When talking with your teen, consider these five important talking points from Common Sense Media:

• Never provide personal information to anyone online
• Don’t talk to people you don’t already know
• Nothing on the internet is “private”
• Don’t download things without parent’s permission
• Never share passwords

Obviously, this is easier said than done.  To help communicate with your teen, parenting experts say you should:

• Be patient
• Listen to your child
• Be honest
• Talk about it again and again

If you follow these tips, you should be on your way to building a trusting relationship with your teen.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we’re a family-operated businesses that provides home security systems to families in Northern California and Oregon.  For more great security tips, read the Hue & Cry Security Systems Blog.

Cyberstalking: What You Should Know

It’s a dangerous term you’ve probably heard on television or read on the Internet … cyberstalking.

However it’s probably something you don’t fully understand. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, cyberstalking is threatening behavior or unwanted advances that is directed at an individual using computers or online technology.

Here’s a frightening statistic, 25 percent of all stalking incidents involving college aged women involved cyberstalking.

As more and more people use social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, it is important for families to learn about the cyberstalking laws to protect themselves and their homes.

A home security system is a great first line of defense in protecting your home. Knowing the laws on cyberstalking is a great second line of defense.

Most cyberstalking laws are meant to protect individuals under the age of 18. You can find a complete list of cyberstalking law at Working to Halt Online Abuse.

If you or someone in your family should become a victim of cyberstalking, you should take the following steps as suggested by the National Center for Victims of Crime:

1. Send a message to the cyberstalker warning them to stop the harassment or you will contact the authorities.
2. Keep a log of all the threatening messages to keep records.
3. Report the threats to your Internet service provider.
4. Contact local authorities to see what actions can be taken against cyberstalker.
5. Change email addresses, Facebook profiles, etc.

Following these tips can help to protect against cyberstalking. If you have any children, be sure you closely monitor their Internet use to help prevent these types of incidents from occurring.

How To Protect From Kids Against Online Predators

It’s a scary statistic. The most common way sexual predators contact children is over the internet.

According to Enough Is Enough, an internet safety organization, 17 percent of teens considered meeting someone in person they met online. Eight percent have actually met someone in person they only knew online.

To help protect your children, it’s important to sit them down and talk about internet safety. Be sure to tell them:

• Do not talk to strangers online.
• Do not give your name, age, address or other personal information to anyone online.
• Do not send pictures to anyone online.
• Do not open emails or messages from unknown people.
• Do not agree to meet anyone in person that they know only online.

Additionally, it is important to create an environment where you can monitor your children’s internet use. Here are some tips you should follow:

Keep internet use in public areas: Do not allow your children to go online when you are not around. The best thing to do is to keep a computer in your living room or other group area. Do not allow kids to use the internet in the privacy of their bedrooms or when you’re not around.

Use internet blocking software: You can purchase software that will prevent your children from accessing adult materials. It will also allow you to keep tabs on what your kids are doing online.

Set time restrictions on internet use: Like everything else, set time restrictions on internet use. Many new computers have password features that limit internet use to certain times during the day.

Most importantly, take an active role in your child’s life. If you spend time talking with them about the importance of safety, they will come to understand why there are limitations on their internet use.

How To Spot Phony Online Offers

We’ve all seen those emails or pop-up advertisements on our computer that seem too good to be true.

You’ve probably seen offers such as:

• You’ve won an all expenses paid trip to Europe!
• Buy an iPad for $25!
• Make $12,000 a month from your home!

If you’re looking for some more phony online offers, here’s a list of some of the top internet scams from this past year.

No matter what the offer is, no one wants to be a victim of a phony online offer. Most of the time, the people behind these offers are trying to steal valuable personal information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers and even your identity.

To help protect your bank accounts and identity, here area some tips on how to spot phony online offers.

The Offer Seems Too Good To Be True

If the offer seems too good to be true, then it’s probably an online scam. Most organizations are not freely giving away all expenses paid trips and pricy electronics for nothing.

The Offer Comes From An Unknown Organization

If the offer comes from an organization you’ve never heard of, then it’s probably a scam. Be very careful, sometimes scammers will use names that sound very similar to reputable companies and organizations.

You Never Signed Up For Anything

So you’ve won an iPad, but you never entered any contests to begin with. If this is the case, it’s probably a scam. Delete the email or close the pop-up window.

There Are No Contest Details

If you’ve really won something, there will be details explaining the sweepstakes and its rules. Most phony online offers don’t have any details.

The Offer Is From Overseas

If the offer is from a foreign country it’s probably a scam. Many scammers work out of countries overseas because it is difficult for U.S. law enforcement agencies to arrest them.

Spotting these signs will help protect you against phony online offers. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.

Online Shopping Safety Tips For The Holidays

Cyber Monday will be here before you know it.

If you’re asking yourself: What’s Cyber Monday? It’s the busiest shopping day on the Internet. Cyber Monday is the first Monday following Thanksgiving. During last year’s Cyber Monday, consumers spent more than 800 million dollars on gifts online.

Buying gifts online is great. You avoid the traffic and the long lines at stores. However shopping online opens you up to security risks. There are people on the Internet, who are looking to steal credit card numbers and other personal information.

To keep you safe, we recommend read the following tips if you plan on shopping online this holiday season.

• Trust Known Online Sites: It’s better to buy a product from an online store that has a reliable reputation. Trust website that have actual brick and mortar stores as well as popular online stores like amazon.com. Avoid online stores without phone numbers and other contact information.

• Use Credit Cards, Not Debit Cards: If you purchase items online use a credit card. A debit card pulls money directly from you bank account. If you are the victim on online theft, it can take weeks to recover the money from your bank.

• Use Separate Passwords: When creating an online account at a store, don’t use the same password you use for your online bank account and your email. This could allow someone to break into your email or bank account and steal valuable information.

• Install Security Software On Your Computer: Security software can protect your computer against viruses and other bugs that can damage your computer. It also protects against people fishing for your personal information.

• Check The Website Address: Before buying anything, check the website address in the address bar on your Internet browser. When buying, be sure the address has “https://” or a padlock symbol in the address bar. Site missing this, may not be secure.

• Examine Their Return/Refund Policy: You want to buy from sites that have a legitimate refund and return policy. Avoid online stores that will not allow you to return purchases.

Following these tips will make your online shopping experience a lot better. As a rule of thumb if something doesn’t feel right, don’t buy it.