Cyber Law

Cyberbullies Are Going Down!

2008-09-26T07:14:00.004-07:00

The internet can be ones best friend or worst enemy. It is a great tool in networking and conducting business. Plus, staying in touch with friends and loved ones across the country. Its much cheaper than making long distance calls and a lot quicker than the postal service. However, it has its downfalls as well. It can also be ones worst enemy, especially with teens and young people today. Their peers make slanderous websites, go to social sites such as MySpace and Facebook and demean each other.

If that is not enough, they use cell phones to make videos to upload on places like You Tube. Also, send horrible text messages and use camera phones to catch their targets in not so nice situations. There have been cases where kids have committed bullycide (suicide by bullying) over this sort of abuse. A recent case is the Megan Meier one in Missouri where a MySpace friend named "Josh" turned out to be a 48 year old housewife and Josh started bullying Megan on MySpace.

In California, there is a bill entitled Assembly Bill 86 introduced by Ted Lieu of Torrance. This passed through the Senate with a 21-11 vote and now goes back to the Assembly for consideration of Senate amendments. If this passes, it would become illegal for kids and teens to bully one another through electronics. Also, they could be expelled from school and face other dire consequences. If you ask me, I am wondering what took them so long?

Cyber bullying has been a serious problem in this nation and really throughout the globe for several years now. These social sites and other free web site hosting sites have been hot beds for attacks and slander against others. You Tube has been the place to upload videos of physical bullying occurring between others. Instant messenger has bullies sending their victims messages in real time. Lets not forget email where a lot of this also happens. Then we move on to other electronics such as cell phones, PDA's and other devices. It has occurred away from authority as situations like these can be very hard to prove. However, it can be done. It's a matter of education. Its time for parents, schools and communities to get involved and crack down on this. Bullying is out right peer abuse and these psychological scars follow a person well into adulthood. This is not uncommon in any abuse survivor whether it be peer, child, domestic, elder or sexual. Plus, bullying affects a whole community and not just one or two people.

I hope this passes into law and people begin to take it seriously. As one who helps those daily that are affected by this, I can tell you that this is not just kids stuff but outright abuse. Its time to get educated and see this for what it is: Abuse!

Privacy Series - The Right and the Expectation of Privacy on the Internet

2008-09-26T07:14:00.003-07:00

Do you have a right to online privacy? Do you actually have online privacy? Most people who use the Internet have no idea of how little privacy they actually have. The searches you perform are not private. These are saved by the major search engines. The sites you visit are not private. Your visits are recorded in the site's log files. The ad companies use cookies to track your interests by keeping records of your surfing habits. No privacy there. So do you actually have privacy on the Internet? If you are like most people, the statements I just made will scare you or make you angry.

What may not be completely obvious is that while you certainly have the right to privacy, this right is not as encompassing as you may have thought. Let me put it another way. You have the right to privacy...except when you sacrifice or forfeit that privacy by some action.

Let me illustrate this statement with some examples.

When you are driving on the public roads your privacy is curtailed by the greater needs of the public. You can be seen by anyone while you are in public and it is unreasonable to expect otherwise. Where this starts to become uncomfortable is when technology is used to make the apparent invasion of your privacy even more painful, such as when public cameras are used to keep track of individuals using profiling techniques to gain advanced knowledge of criminal acts. Have you read the book or seen the movie "The Minority Report?"

When you enter a business, your rights are secondary to the rights of the business owner. This is why they have a right to use security video to protect their interests. Only recently have states passed laws restricting the use of security cameras in sensitive locations such as public restrooms and dressing rooms. Note the use of that word again...public.

So here is a statement that may or may not be obvious but is true all the same. The Internet is a public place. It is true that the Internet is not owned by government entities but for all intents and purposes the websites, computers, network cabling, fiberoptic lines, wireless radio signals are all publicly accessible in the same manner as the local shopping mall or department store.

So now that we realize we don't have any expectation of privacy when we are in public either in the "real world" or on the Internet, what can we do to protect ourselves.

In general, you can protect yourself by taking the same steps you would in real life. Here are a few:

Don't go to seedy web sites. The same quality of individuals will be found in both places. They are predators and you...you decided to be their victim by going into their world. You don't go into dark allies in the middle of the night don't do it on the Internet.
Be protective of your personal information. Someone comes up to you on the street and says give me your name and address, do you do it? Don't do it on the Internet either. It's a matter of trust. Do not give your information to websites you don't trust.
Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. On the Internet this takes the form of phishing sites and emails that pretend to represent businesses you know and trust. Don't respond to emails asking for sensitive information. If you are unsure, do not click on links in the email, but rather go to the companies site and find a phone number. Call them yourself to make sure but DO NOT click on links in the email.

California is Cracking Down!

2008-09-26T07:14:00.002-07:00

As I am located in Los Angeles, I try and keep up with the ins and outs of the bullying and peer abuse problem in this state. Recently, a bill entitled AB86 introduced by Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance would finally crack down on the cyber bullying that so many of our young people face today. Finally, we are cracking down on this never ending and ever growing problem. California's Education Code already has something in the books about harassment at school. Taking this next step is the best news I have heard in weeks.

Cyber bullying is bullying that occurs on the internet, cell phones and anything used electronically. Kids will go to social sites like My Space and Facebook to set up these pages against their classmates and send bulletins and other messages slandering their good name. Or, they may go to these websites that offer free hosting and make horrible pages about each other. If the internet is not enough, they use the cell phone to take pictures or make videos and put them up on You Tube which is a free site to post videos. Also, the use of text messaging is used and it goes on and on.

Its time that we crack down on our kids and teach them the seriousness of this problem. We can put laws on the books all we want but it is about education and enforcement. Are the schools taking this seriously? What about the parents and others in the community? Peer Abuse is not just a school and workplace problem but a community one as well. Bullying affects everyone in the community; not just the bully, bullied and bystander. If bullying in person is not enough, now we go to the internet.

How Computers Are Used For Forensics

2008-09-26T07:14:00.001-07:00

Decades ago, proving the guilt or innocence of someone who had been charged with a crime had to be accomplished without reviewing computer files. Today, forensic scientists regularly collect and review files hidden on computers. The data they find can be invaluable. For example, it can prove that a defendant was knowledgeable about criminal details and communicated them to another party. Or, such files can help prove that a victim was present at a certain location on a certain date. The science and discipline of computer forensics have been used to secure convictions in thousands of criminal cases. In this article, we'll explain the types of data that forensic scientists collect from computers and potential legal applications of computer forensics.

Types Of Data Collected

The easiest files to collect are those which are still saved on a hard drive. Forensic investigators are trained to look for these files in obscure locations or in directories with counterintuitive names.

Forensic experts also look for deleted files. Once a file has been created and saved on a hard drive, disposing of it can be problematic. If a file is deleted, it can usually be recovered. Contrary to what many believe, deleted files remain on a computer's hard drive; they're simply ignored. When needed, they can be collected easily.

There are other types of files that computer forensic personnel look for. For example, some files are saved in a temporary status. Computers often save them in addition to the original.

A file's metadata can also prove valuable to an investigation. The metadata contains information regarding usage of a file. It will include the date and time a file was updated along with its creation date and a time stamp of when the file was last opened. This metadata can be helpful for showing relevant knowledge or intent and can be presented as evidence.

Potential Legal Applications

There are a number of ways to employ computer forensics to collect valuable information for use during an investigation or civil and criminal court cases. For example, if someone is missing, a recent airline ticket purchase on that person's computer can lead authorities to the person. Or, emails and other incriminating documents that are found on a defendant's computer can be submitted as evidence that leads to a conviction. As another example, a spouse's documentation of hidden assets and bank accounts can be used during divorce proceedings. In each case, computer forensic investigators can collect and review files for possible submission as evidence in court.

Computer forensic detail is used in areas that expand beyond the courtroom. For example, employers monitor their employees' use of computers, possible collecting information before terminating a worker. Criminal investigators often use computers to search for clues on unsolved crimes. A person who dies may have seemingly done so without a will, though the will may actually exist on his computer's hard drive. Computer forensics will continue to yield valuable insight for use in court, in the workplace and for countless other applications.

CAN-SPAM - How to Comply With Anti-Spam Rules For Mass Email

2008-09-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

If you send emails to or from the United States, then you may need to comply with the anti-spam requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act). This article contains the basics of what a small business owner or internet marketer needs to know to get started with their email compliance.

If you are sending "commercial" email to more than one person at a time, you must comply with these rules. What does "commercial" email mean? Short answer -- if you are a business, group, association, or anyone who has the potential to make money off of this email (even indirectly like via referrals or advertising), then it's commercial. If you are in business, just assume you meet this requirement.

If you are sending a one-to-one email to a client or customer about your transaction with them, you only need to make sure you are sending an email with accurate information, such as using the real "from" address. The more specific rules apply when you send emails to multiple people and/or not involving a transaction:

You must not be deceptive in the header (return email address, domain name, IP address) or the subject line.
You must give a method for the recipient of the email to opt-out of being on your list or from receiving any future emails from you. You must process their opt-out within 10 business days. You must maintain this opt-out list.
You must include your physical mailing address in your emails.
The email must be identified as an advertisement. You don't have to put it in the subject, but you must contain the name of the business and/or other identifying information showing that the email is commercial in nature.
You cannot harvest email addresses from web sites, directories, membership databases, or any other service/website that prohibit taking of email addresses. You may not guess at email address (for example, send to every info@domain.com email) to send mass emails.

Ironically, the spammers who really are the problem do not comply with any of these rules and are probably not going to get caught, typically because they hide behind shells or are outside of the United States. It's all of us small business owners who are at risk of non-compliance.

The easiest way to comply with these rules is to go with a major commercial mass email service provider. I use aweber.com and 1shoppingcart.com to send out emails -- both maintain and administer my opt-in/opt-out lists for me. And, since they don't allow spammers to use their service (or contaminate their servers), my emails get through to my list.

Best practice -- only send emails to people who specifically tell you (or sign up) for your eZine (not just hand you their business card). Better yet -- have them double-opt-in (sign up and then confirm their signup by clicking on a link in an email).

Fair Use - When You Should Attribute Your Sources and When You Should Seek Copyright Protection

2008-09-20T05:01:00.004-07:00

There is some confusion with regard to plagiarism and what constitutes fair use online. Some people are so afraid to violate copyright laws, or have their rights to their own intellectual property violated, that they miss great opportunities to see their work expanded.

The blogosphere has its own rules but those rules don't discount traditional law. Stealing is still stealing, even on the Internet. But allow me to dispel some copyright infringement myths:

* It isn't stealing if you attribute the source
* Copyright infringement does not entail using another person work if you add content of your own that creates new value
* Fair use entails adding enough content of your own to sufficiently prevent your content from consisting primarily or only of another individual's content

If these guidelines seem a big vague, it's because they are. When it comes to fair use and copyright infringement, there are a lot of gray areas. However, there is still enough black and white to draw some lines in the sand.

Christopher Alan Jennings of the American Law Division wrote a report for Congress titled "Fair Use on the Internet" and he said that courts weigh four factors with regard to fair use, whether online or off line:

1. Purpose and character of work in question
2. Nature of copyrighted work
3. "Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole"
4. Effect of use of the work "upon the potential market"

In the blogosphere, it is considered acceptable to trackback to another individual's blog or borrow from their blog and add comments of your own. If you engage in this practice, and you should, then do the right thing and link back to your sources. This is the online equivalent of citing references in your print or off line material. Your link back to the original source constitutes proper attribution. Of course, you could go a step further and identify your source by name, but it isn't necessary.

An example of proper attribution would be the above link to the "Fair Use on the Internet" report. By linking back to the original source, you give your readers a chance to check your facts to see if you got them correct but also to see if you are interpreting them correctly. You let the readers be the judge. This will go a long ways with your credibility.

Before you use material from another website or blog, ask yourself these questions:

* Does this material add value or provide new understanding to my readers?
* Would my own comments regarding this topic benefit without this material?
* Am I willing to link back to this source?

This is not elementary and there is more to each of these questions than simply answering them without contemplation.

If the material you want to copy and paste adds new understanding to your topic and provides value for your readership then go ahead and use it, but be sure to give attribution to your source.

If your own comments will stand alone without the material you want to borrow, ask yourself if it is really necessary to borrow. If not, then leave it alone. If there is no way your own material can stand alone without borrowing someone else's material then maybe you should reconsider your own knowledge of the topic. You want your own material to be able to stand on it's own. Consider the other person's work much like graphics on a web page: It is there to enhance, not be the primary focus.

Thirdly, if you are not willing to link back to your source then don't bother using the material. Linking back is essential as an act of attribution and if you are not willing to do this then leave it alone.

So what should you do if you believe your copyrighted material has been stolen? First, right a letter to the webmaster or ezine publisher asking them to remove your material or attribute you as the source. Ask for a link back to your website. If they are not willing to provide that link then ask them to remove your material.

If you can't get the result you want by doing this, go to Alexa or WhoIs and find out who the ISP is. Both websites provide that information and you can contact the ISP to report a violation of law. The ISP will investigate and if they agree with you then they can, and many will, shut the website down. If you go this route, provide the ISP with this information:

* Your name and contact information
* The website or blog where your material was originally published
* The exact wording of the copyrighted material that was stolen
* A copy of your correspondence with the publisher that you are accusing of fair use infringement

Privacy Series - The Right and the Expectation of Privacy on the Internet

2008-09-20T05:01:00.003-07:00

Let me illustrate this statement with some examples.

So now that we realize we don't have any expectation of privacy when we are in public either in the "real world" or on the Internet, what can we do to protect ourselves.

In general, you can protect yourself by taking the same steps you would in real life. Here are a few:

Don't go to seedy web sites. The same quality of individuals will be found in both places. They are predators and you...you decided to be their victim by going into their world. You don't go into dark allies in the middle of the night don't do it on the Internet.
Be protective of your personal information. Someone comes up to you on the street and says give me your name and address, do you do it? Don't do it on the Internet either. It's a matter of trust. Do not give your information to websites you don't trust.
Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. On the Internet this takes the form of phishing sites and emails that pretend to represent businesses you know and trust. Don't respond to emails asking for sensitive information. If you are unsure, do not click on links in the email, but rather go to the companies site and find a phone number. Call them yourself to make sure but DO NOT click on links in the email.

Cyberbullies Are Going Down!

2008-09-20T05:01:00.002-07:00

California is Cracking Down!

2008-09-20T05:01:00.001-07:00

How Computers Are Used For Forensics

2008-09-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

Types Of Data Collected

There are other types of files that computer forensic personnel look for. For example, some files are saved in a temporary status. Computers often save them in addition to the original.

Potential Legal Applications

Public Records Pro Review - How to Search Public Records on the Internet?

2008-09-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Do you want to learn how you can search for public records on the internet? Public records about a person can include their birth and death certs, marital records, driving, criminal, real estate, immigration records and many others.

1. What Is Public Records Pro?

These legal documents are created when important events occur during the person's life, and they can be accessed via online public records search sites. A website like Public Records Pro allows anyone to be able to find these records on any person they want.

2. What Is The Difference Between Using Public Records Pro and Government Records Archives?

The main difference is the added convenience that the online search site provides. By simply entering the information of the person that you want to search for, you can quickly find the records of the person you are looking for without having to search through millions of entries in government archives. It also helps to save a lot of time.

Search methods can also vary from state to state and across counties. People who choose not to use the internet to conduct their searches would need to find out how to access information at the county or state that they wish to find the info. They may also need to visit the location physically to find what they want.

3. What Are The Likely Reasons for People to Use Public Records Pro?

There can be 3 main reasons for people to do so. They may be doing it for personal reasons (looking for their family tree), for legal reasons (information needed for court cases), or for professional reasons (background checking and screening of new employees).

Internet Safety - 'Cyber-Bullying' it Can Be 'Beaten'

2008-09-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Introduction

It is not my intention to preach to the converted, or suggest tips to experts in the computer field, rather brass tack information that is easily applied by most people. The bulk of the suggestions here do not need any programming skills at all, just a bit of common sense.

Everyday a constant battle waging against such people, everyday perpetrators are caught, everyday new methods to avoid detection are created, and everyday methods to avoid detection are destroyed, blocked from ever being used again by them.

This Battle goes on behind the scenes; the perpetrators do not carry a sign saying, "Hey, I'm an Internet Bully". Likewise, those hunting them do not carry a sign saying, "I hunt Internet Criminals". No, it is a cloak and dagger business. As an ordinary user of the Internet, you play a key role in this daily battle. Simply by applying some of the advice given below to your web activity will help to make the Internet safer and harder for the 'Cyber-Bullies' to achieve their goals, easier for the Internet crime fighters to catch the offenders.

One of the biggest sources of information to the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal' is your 'Hard drive' yes, the one you got rid of when you trashed your old computer. The one you threw in the rubbish when you upgraded to a bigger one. The one you sold so that you could afford the brand new super-duper better computer that could do everything but make a cup-of-tea. Okay you wiped it / formatted it / clever you! Rather a case of 'Stupid you' every hard drive contains a range of personal information on it, from the cat's birthday to Aunt Edna's home address, from your email address book to your personal Bank details, all very useful information to the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal'. All recoverable by software you can only dream about, guess who has it? That is right you guessed correctly. Passing on your old hard drive also allows the illegal copying of legal 'Operating Systems'. As each illegal copy comes to the attention of Microsoft', they are locked + the original copy as well from any further updates. This is not a 'make money' move it is a 'make safer' the Internet move, all pirate software has flaws that allow bugs, viruses etc onto the offending computer far easier than a 'legal' up to date secure 'Operating System' does.

Do not sell on your computer with the hard drive in it.
Do not trash your old computer + hard drive at the local dump.
Do not leave it out + hard drive for the bin men.
Do not pass it on + hard drive as a present to someone else.
Do not sell add on hard drives or give away etc for the same reasons.
Do remove your hard drive and store in a safe place.
Do destroy your hard drive if no longer needed by you.

How to destroy the old hard drive: With a hammer, embed it in concrete, or lose it in the Sea. Nothing else will destroy the drive or any of the contents on it.

Every hard drive removed by the rightful owner is one less the 'Cyber-Criminal' can buy in bulk; literally, container loads of old computers are regularly purchased to further their activities. The hard drive you got rid of last week could be ripping of umpteen friends and Aunt Edna in a day or so from now. The method to do so was on 'Your old hard drive!'

Your recorded CDs etc with data, personal details on etc, should be shredded or at the very least scratched heavily to destroy the readability of the CD for exactly the same reasons.

Email Precautions

You have not won anything: One of the Cyber-Criminals favourite bullying tactics is the 'Lottery' prize awards. 'Microsoft' do not run lotteries at all, National Lotteries of various countries etc rarely if ever run such events to online persons, the chance of winning is way below 'Zero'. All emails are designed to fool you, 'Bogus' Telephone numbers routed to another country, Plausible false names, along with extremely bad English are all methods used to fool the 'fools' amongst us.

Junk mail: Do not open it 'ever' check it has not been 'spammed' by mistake from a genuine sender by reading the header only. In the event that this is not the case then delete straight away, (More reasons for this are further on in this article).

Do not use your name as an email address: Unless you absolutely have to, never use your real name in an email address, no ordinary email user needs to do this. By using your 'Real Name', you supply all sorts of traceable help to 'Cyber-Bullies'. Failing to use your real name on the web was frowned upon a while back, now it is becoming a necessary step to protect ones self from Identity theft, the higher your web profile the more chance of being a victim of the 'Cyber-Nastiness' on the Internet.

You email address is yours: Email allows you to send mail to everyone at the click of the mouse; the click sends everyone the entire list of recipients as well. Meaning that everyone gets to know 'so-and-so's' email address, that they did not know before or your best friend did not want known in the first place, silly you! Next time you send a blanket email, use the BCC facility, then your friends, associates or family will not get everyone's address just yours and their own. You do not share your home phone number or home address with everyone you do not know. So why do you believe you have the right to share everyone's email address without the owner's permission?

Never open unknown received mail: Just because an email has not gone into the 'Spam' file does not mean it is safe, if in doubt do not open it, instead instantly delete it. In the seconds it takes to open it, a 'Trojan', 'Virus' or 'Key logger' can become active, trawling your address book and hard drive passing itself on invisibly to other people you know or do not know. Doing the same to their computer as the 'Bug' is doing to your computer now. The latter will sit there on your hard drive recording and sending information to an unknown to you at all computers somewhere else in 'Cyber-World.'

Never open unknown received attachments: The reason above also applies. In the second it takes to open it, a 'Trojan' or 'Virus' can be active, trawling your address book and hard drive passing itself on invisibly to other people you know. Some viruses sit for months like time bombs before becoming active, making them hard to locate or trace back to source.

Always use reputable valid and up to date 'Anti-Virus' and 'Spyware' programs and also 'Legal' computer 'Operating Systems' and 'Software' programs - the crucial bits missing from pirate software, make it much easier for others to get into your computer from the other side of the world (or even next door!).

Chat Precautions

Log all chats: Each 'Chat' program has the facility to record onto the hard drive every typed word and most pictures (or references) and emoticons used by both parties. Please activate it and keep a copy of every chat (Parents, activate it and store everyone's chats in your own partition, for everyone's peace of mind. Trusting your siblings is one thing, making sure they are safe is another). Would you let them have a total stranger in your home? This is what you are doing now. The chat record could be very useful if a loved one ever goes missing for no apparent reason, it may help find them faster and in a healthy condition again.

Be aware of meeting others: The stranger you are going to meet, you know the one you let into your home and life everyday, sometimes several times a day, the one who has not shared a true photograph of themselves. Told you little about them apart from what you wanted to know, possibly later than direct a response to your questions. Please take these wise steps before going to meet them for the first few times.

Arrange a public place to meet, never meet in a secluded place or building.
Take a friend with you, or arrange to meet them later at said place.
Ring a friend regularly to let them know you are all right (this can be coded if you wish) never txt anyone as there is no proof it is 'You' sending the txt on the mobile.
If you do not take a friend with you, arrange a time to meet and place before leaving home and do not leave this spot no matter how much your 'New friend' wants you to.
Any suspicions you may have make your excuses and leave fast.
Your teenage friend could so easily be someone much older.
If everything is okay, great, have a good time but remember to follow the safety rules above.

Habits of chatter: We all have a limited command of our own language and each language has a limited number of ways to use a particular phrase. By reading a chat message, it is possible to see something that you do not know or understand, just as if you are listening to someone speaking. Just as you would ask 'what do you mean' verbally, you can do the same in a chat message as well. In the event that you do not understand the response, or it seems to indicate an 'exciting' do this answer, be careful it may not be someone in your own age group or someone who can be trusted. Parents, if your sibling starts talking in words above their own natural ability to date, or showing an interest in something far too old for them, listen and take note, flying off the handle too quickly could easily push this issue away and become a secret to be kept from you. A sudden change in vocabulary may be a sign of an interaction outside siblings known friend and adult associations. It is much better to observe, listen, and discuss than to 'shut the stable door' after the horse has bolted.

Watch for grooming: All the clues to this are visible in changes in a persons behaviour, be they young or old, taking on 'new' words wanting to do 'this' or 'that'. Dress code may change as well, when you hear words like - 'so-and-so' does this... 'Does that' or 'I want...? Etc' the selling pitch is like an advert to millions on TV, except here it is aimed at a perceptively naïve youngster. The fact they are starting to trust and believe an 'Invisible' electronic friend more than someone in the 'Real' world is another subject, nevertheless just as big a problem.

Infatuation: Very similar in many ways to the above paragraph and very closely associated to 'normal' everyday life. Changes in behaviour may slip in and free usage of names etc easily linked to friends, films or TV and 'natural' growing up, quite possibly the same as known 'for real' go un-noticed as similes' with net activity and 'real' friends are not usually noticed in many cases. Some habit changes may go un-noticed at first, accepted as just a part of growing-up.

Secrecy: We all like to have and keep secrets from others, with the intention of dishing out a surprise 'gift' or 'treat' at the appropriate time. The secrets I refer to are neither of these, rather the secrets laid in by 'devious' manipulation of a youngsters mind. These secrets may become evident due to a 'slip-of-the-tongue', do not press for an answer, instead wait patiently and introduce it another way. A one parent firing squad is 'out' bring the matter up gently as if a 'secret of yours as a teenager' for example may be a way to dig it out, if you know your sibling well, this will not pose a problem. However, in the event that you are too busy with your own life... No matter how little you know your child, you will be aware of habits, care or not will have noticed changes taking place.

Changes of habit: See grooming and infatuation as well. Habit changes are noticeable in many ways, but not as easy if the youngster is a loner or has only a few friends. Eating habits could be a clue here, suddenly loving peas or carrots for example, or, not eating fruit, maybe wanting a curry every day. Over many centuries, foodstuffs have been a weapon used against others in many ways; this is simply a variation on a theme, wishing to cook or lay the table could be links, or are they? 'One Swallow does not make a summer.'

Groomer likes / dislikes; this is where you can learn to use your memory, linking the above four entries together, may provide many clues to who your siblings' 'Mystery person' is. Habits, clothing, and food are some, along with films, music, or TV Heroes. The liking of black things is a phase most youngsters go through, this may not be a help. However it is a clue, just as for example 'Strawberries' are suddenly a favourite dish whereas they did not like them till recently, could be the clue needed to enable the authorities to catch an offender and return a loved one back to the family fold safe and sound.

Photographs: Posted photographs and shared photographs may not be the person or persons in them at all. In several cases where a youngster has gone to meet the 'new friend' for the first time, the 'new friend' has turned out to be a lot older than photographs posted on chat etc, sometimes the excuse given is that 'so-and-so' is doing... 'So I have come to meet you in their place and will take you to meet them 'X' asked me to apologise for not being here.' (Or words similar to this example)

Lack of photographs: Why? Maybe they are new to 'chat'. In the event a picture never appears after talking them through the methods or you have doubts, end the 'electronic' relationship, it is better to be safe than sorry at the end of the day.

Webcams: Does the other person on chat have a software problem? Is the chat set up correctly, is a webcam actually attached, settings may show one is present but actually is not. Which ever applies it does not matter who it is at the other end, never put on a 'floor show' for the other person. Especially if you never see them at all on their webcam, or accept invitations to do so by unknown parties, you never know who could be watching. Many children are tempted this way by 'groomers'. Near enough, every webcam has a USB, remove, and lock it away when not needed or record its activity in your partition most can be. This is another variation on the 'safe than sorry' rule.

Any noted suspicions are worth noting down, any clues are worth remembering, and be it an observation of yours, a friend, or even a sibling. In the event of something going horribly wrong, then a clue like so-and-so likes / dislikes 'tomato's' could be the very clue needed to apprehend and get a loved one returned safely home. Literally any suspicions should be reported to the correct authorities, let them decide it is their job not yours.

Fraud Email

No one is exempt: Everyone gets junk and scam emails, be it Mr 'Microsoft' Bill Gates, your favourite film star or singer, even me, efforts are made to curb this daily threat but without employing many of the suggestions in this article, it is a hard battle to win. Now my own spam emails received is low at around five or six items a week. If your IP address gets hi-jacked, you can send spam unknowingly. A few months ago whilst on holiday I found that despite not being on the Internet during the 5 days away that 1000+ spam emails had been sent using my IP address. The matter was resolved 6 weeks later and the offender caught, literally, no one is exempt from the 'Cyber-Bully' or Internet nastiness out there today.

Bank emails: There are always plausible reasons given to get you to respond to them, many are from banks that you do not have an account with at all. Never open or respond to them at all, if it is from your bank, go to the nearest branch and sort it out there, not over the Internet or phone, many bogus emails use false logos, and ghost embedded addresses to fool the recipients into responding. In the time it takes to re-read this paragraph, a computer operator elsewhere in another part of the world could electronically rob your bank account!

EBay emails: Have you brought anything in the last few days? Has anyone brought anything from you? Apart from the odd promotional email from 'EBay' or maybe a follow up question from a buyer or seller - You know who they are; there is no need for 'EBay' to contact you at all. Any such emails can be deleted without a second thought. The contents look good and the links work to bogus sites - not 'EBay' - they usually contain 'bugs' of various descriptions, all designed to get into your computer and feed back any useful information found on it. Want to see EBay's latest offers, go to the EBay website much safer than opening the 'offer you can not refuse' email.

PayPal emails: The scenario is very similar to 'EBay', again they look good and just like all scam emails they contain false links, sometimes phone numbers, impressive reproduced layout and a lot of 'English' spelling mistakes. (A fact many non-native 'English' speakers miss completely when responding to 'scam' emails.) Along with other poorly educated people, they happily answer all questions asked and lose thousands every day to these 'Cyber-Bullies'. The same rule for PayPal special offers applies as well.

Phone numbers are not: It is possible to buy phone numbers for other countries and many do this for genuine legally accepted reasons. Just because it is a 'UK', 'USA' etc number to ring, does not mean your call (along with the bogus contact name) is going to that country. Invariably the call never does, answered in a completely different country to the one dialled on your phone. In the event that you find such a number in an email, there is a very high chance that is an attempt to reassure that the email is genuine.

Lottery winner: Bin them! Do not waste a second opening them, each one is aimed at making you a lot poorer and the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal' a lot richer. You have not won anything at all. Your lottery winnings are false, every lottery has a ticket with 'Your' chosen numbers on it that will be in your possession, not faceless individual, - Foreign lotteries; do not normally sell outside their own national borders. Again badly written 'English' gets thousands of greedy individuals to empty their bank accounts chasing the mythical money they have not won, not only not won - The winnings never exist at all! - If the email were on paper, the paper would be worth more than the contents written on it.

Inheritance emails: Again bin them without opening them, the wording in the mailbox as to 'From' and 'Header' contents usually give them away first, if any is present in the header that is. As with any unknown names if in doubt - 'Delete' without opening. The header usually wants you to contact someone; this someone has a false name and phone number and is only intent on passing you along a chain of fraudsters getting you to part with as much money as possible on the way. Later after a few months respite they get in touch with you again and go through the whole rip-off process again. Think about this: 'Why they do not know your name if you are actually inheriting such a large sum of money?'

Microsoft Junk emails: Microsoft do not, repeat do not send junk emails, nowadays nearly all Microsoft emails are by subscription only, only sent by request. You can happily delete any you have not asked them to send, as they are unlikely to be from Microsoft at all.

Password request emails: If your mate across the street, a stranger in the bar where you have a beer, or a bus passenger asked for your password, bank details etc, would you give them to them. No! So why do people happily do so to an unknown plausible electronic inquiry? These details are yours and yours alone not for Jo/ Joe Public - Keep them safe!

Passwords

Never write them down; Use a clue to remind you, never write the password down just write the clue down. Anyone can find it in your absence or even in front of you without you knowing.

Use different on each website: Try to group your site passwords so that in the event that you have many of them if a password is found, the password will not give access to all of the websites that you use, just a few. If there are several passwords on one site make sure that every password is different, adding a figure at the end of the main password is not a good idea.

Change each month: Regularly change your passwords; it is in your own interest to do so and prior to this if you suspect someone else may know a password. A second option exists; if you do not use particular websites regularly, use the sites password reminder service, yes it takes a few minutes of your time but is well worth the effort involved.

Never share them: All the items in this section apply to this portion of advice.

Never email them: Not even to yourself (many do this) as there are no sure ways of keeping the contents safe from prying electronic eyes if a key-logger gets into your computer. (More on this subject later)

Ignore requests to others: The passwords that you use to access 'Chat', 'Windows', your various accounts etc are yours and 'Unique' to you! No one else needs or needs to know them, not even the company website that you use, only their computers do. In every case, individuals are 'locked out' from this information and no one has any right to ask you for it. Electronic reminders are just that, no human is involved in the reminder at all. Many systems do not send it; they send a temporary replacement instead, so that you can re-access your account. (A step that stops interception of the email whilst in transit to you)

Naughty Websites:

All are lockable: Every 'web site' is lockable from your browser, just as every unwanted 'email' or 'chat individual' may be locked on the relevant provider. All responsible parents on every computer in the home should take these actions, before any problems start in the future.

Sell your web address: That token fee of 1 Euro / $1 / £1 etc is more than just a means of verifying the users age, in many cases it is a 'Yippee' another sucker has given us permission to go on a spending spree at their expense. Result; loads of extra expenses many will go un-noticed by you as the Credit Card is usually paid by Direct Debit, with no questions asked by the Card owner at all.

Tracker cookies implanted: Cookies are useful aids that enable regularly visited websites to open faster. Unfortunately, there are also 'malicious' cookies; these tend to turn up in emails and some downloaded programs as well. Employing the email precautions above will help reduce them, as will regular virus and spyware scans and updates of said programs. Another precaution you can take is to 'Save' rather than 'Run' a new program that you download, this will enable you virus and spyware programs to scan and remove any problems before they get the chance to 'hide in your computers registry. Many new 'Bugs' self-duplicate, meaning you will get it back within seconds of removal as its clone left behind elsewhere in the registry reproduces itself.

Key-loggers implanted; Key-loggers sit there on your hard drive recording every keystroke and mouse click that you make. Then your computer sends this information to another (Unknown to you at all) computer in 'Cyber-World'.

Conclusion:

At the time of writing, There are sadly still several thousand missing children in the world related to 'chat' and other instant message issues. There were a little over 4,100 recognised frauds in progress and a list of 419 recognised Internet Fraudsters at large, with 420,000 frauds deleted from the Internet. A large number of hi-jacked IP addresses by unknown parties. With your help in adopting as many of the above advice items, larger numbers of Internet crimes will be solved and the perpetrators caught and punished. Even better still thousands of children will be re-united unharmed with their families and the 'groomers' will not be able to lead many more astray in the future.

Another point not yet clarified as 'a fact' is 'chat' systems being used as an extension to street and playground bullying, to incite violence or crime on the victim against other victims, keeping the 'actual' aggressor/ perpetrator safe and sound.

Fair Use - When You Should Attribute Your Sources and When You Should Seek Copyright Protection

2008-09-05T08:50:00.002-07:00

Privacy Series - The Right and the Expectation of Privacy on the Internet

2008-09-05T08:50:00.001-07:00

Let me illustrate this statement with some examples.

So now that we realize we don't have any expectation of privacy when we are in public either in the "real world" or on the Internet, what can we do to protect ourselves.

In general, you can protect yourself by taking the same steps you would in real life. Here are a few:

Don't go to seedy web sites. The same quality of individuals will be found in both places. They are predators and you...you decided to be their victim by going into their world. You don't go into dark allies in the middle of the night don't do it on the Internet.
Be protective of your personal information. Someone comes up to you on the street and says give me your name and address, do you do it? Don't do it on the Internet either. It's a matter of trust. Do not give your information to websites you don't trust.
Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. On the Internet this takes the form of phishing sites and emails that pretend to represent businesses you know and trust. Don't respond to emails asking for sensitive information. If you are unsure, do not click on links in the email, but rather go to the companies site and find a phone number. Call them yourself to make sure but DO NOT click on links in the email.

Cyberbullies Are Going Down!

2008-09-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Public Records Pro Review - How to Search Public Records on the Internet?

2008-08-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

1. What Is Public Records Pro?

2. What Is The Difference Between Using Public Records Pro and Government Records Archives?

3. What Are The Likely Reasons for People to Use Public Records Pro?

Fair Use - When You Should Attribute Your Sources and When You Should Seek Copyright Protection

2008-08-29T10:50:00.002-07:00

Privacy Series - The Right and the Expectation of Privacy on the Internet

2008-08-29T10:50:00.001-07:00

Let me illustrate this statement with some examples.

So now that we realize we don't have any expectation of privacy when we are in public either in the "real world" or on the Internet, what can we do to protect ourselves.

In general, you can protect yourself by taking the same steps you would in real life. Here are a few:

Don't go to seedy web sites. The same quality of individuals will be found in both places. They are predators and you...you decided to be their victim by going into their world. You don't go into dark allies in the middle of the night don't do it on the Internet.
Be protective of your personal information. Someone comes up to you on the street and says give me your name and address, do you do it? Don't do it on the Internet either. It's a matter of trust. Do not give your information to websites you don't trust.
Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. On the Internet this takes the form of phishing sites and emails that pretend to represent businesses you know and trust. Don't respond to emails asking for sensitive information. If you are unsure, do not click on links in the email, but rather go to the companies site and find a phone number. Call them yourself to make sure but DO NOT click on links in the email.

Cyberbullies Are Going Down!

2008-08-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Internet Safety - 'Cyber-Bullying' it Can Be 'Beaten'

2008-08-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Public Records Pro Review - How to Search Public Records on the Internet?

2008-08-26T09:02:00.002-07:00

1. What Is Public Records Pro?

2. What Is The Difference Between Using Public Records Pro and Government Records Archives?

3. What Are The Likely Reasons for People to Use Public Records Pro?

Fair Use - When You Should Attribute Your Sources and When You Should Seek Copyright Protection

2008-08-26T09:02:00.001-07:00

Privacy Series - The Right and the Expectation of Privacy on the Internet

2008-08-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Let me illustrate this statement with some examples.

So now that we realize we don't have any expectation of privacy when we are in public either in the "real world" or on the Internet, what can we do to protect ourselves.

In general, you can protect yourself by taking the same steps you would in real life. Here are a few:

Don't go to seedy web sites. The same quality of individuals will be found in both places. They are predators and you...you decided to be their victim by going into their world. You don't go into dark allies in the middle of the night don't do it on the Internet.
Be protective of your personal information. Someone comes up to you on the street and says give me your name and address, do you do it? Don't do it on the Internet either. It's a matter of trust. Do not give your information to websites you don't trust.
Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing. On the Internet this takes the form of phishing sites and emails that pretend to represent businesses you know and trust. Don't respond to emails asking for sensitive information. If you are unsure, do not click on links in the email, but rather go to the companies site and find a phone number. Call them yourself to make sure but DO NOT click on links in the email.

Cyberbullies Are Going Down!

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Internet Safety - 'Cyber-Bullying' it Can Be 'Beaten'

2008-08-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

I shall be covering five topics in this article, all are interlinked, and all are forms of 'Cyber-Bullying'. Just because you do not see your aggressor, face-to-face does not diminish the impact they can have on a victim or victims as an 'Invisible' perpetrator. No one is exempt from the tactics used by the 'Cyber-Bullies', young or old, experienced or not in the ways of the Internet. Everyone is a target, only experience, shared and then applied information, observations passed to the correct authoritative parties and applied diligence by each of us that use the Internet, can finally slow, halt, stop and then begin to reverse this trend, that is seemingly out of control but this is not so.

It is not my intention to preach to the converted, or suggest tips to experts in the computer field, rather brass tack information that is easily applied by most people. The bulk of the suggestions here do not need any programming skills at all, just a bit of common sense.

Everyday a constant battle waging against such people, everyday perpetrators are caught, everyday new methods to avoid detection are created, and everyday methods to avoid detection are destroyed, blocked from ever being used again by them.

This Battle goes on behind the scenes; the perpetrators do not carry a sign saying, "Hey, I'm an Internet Bully". Likewise, those hunting them do not carry a sign saying, "I hunt Internet Criminals". No, it is a cloak and dagger business. As an ordinary user of the Internet, you play a key role in this daily battle. Simply by applying some of the advice given below to your web activity will help to make the Internet safer and harder for the 'Cyber-Bullies' to achieve their goals, easier for the Internet crime fighters to catch the offenders.

One of the biggest sources of information to the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal' is your 'Hard drive' yes, the one you got rid of when you trashed your old computer. The one you threw in the rubbish when you upgraded to a bigger one. The one you sold so that you could afford the brand new super-duper better computer that could do everything but make a cup-of-tea. Okay you wiped it / formatted it / clever you! Rather a case of 'Stupid you' every hard drive contains a range of personal information on it, from the cat's birthday to Aunt Edna's home address, from your email address book to your personal Bank details, all very useful information to the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal'. All recoverable by software you can only dream about, guess who has it? That is right you guessed correctly. Passing on your old hard drive also allows the illegal copying of legal 'Operating Systems'. As each illegal copy comes to the attention of Microsoft', they are locked + the original copy as well from any further updates. This is not a 'make money' move it is a 'make safer' the Internet move, all pirate software has flaws that allow bugs, viruses etc onto the offending computer far easier than a 'legal' up to date secure 'Operating System' does.

* Do not sell on your computer with the hard drive in it.
* Do not trash your old computer + hard drive at the local dump.
* Do not leave it out + hard drive for the bin men.
* Do not pass it on + hard drive as a present to someone else.
* Do not sell add on hard drives or give away etc for the same reasons.
* Do remove your hard drive and store in a safe place.
* Do destroy your hard drive if no longer needed by you.

How to destroy the old hard drive: With a hammer, embed it in concrete, or lose it in the Sea. Nothing else will destroy the drive or any of the contents on it.

Every hard drive removed by the rightful owner is one less the 'Cyber-Criminal' can buy in bulk; literally, container loads of old computers are regularly purchased to further their activities. The hard drive you got rid of last week could be ripping of umpteen friends and Aunt Edna in a day or so from now. The method to do so was on 'Your old hard drive!'

Your recorded CDs etc with data, personal details on etc, should be shredded or at the very least scratched heavily to destroy the readability of the CD for exactly the same reasons.

Email Precautions

You have not won anything: One of the Cyber-Criminals favourite bullying tactics is the 'Lottery' prize awards. 'Microsoft' do not run lotteries at all, National Lotteries of various countries etc rarely if ever run such events to online persons, the chance of winning is way below 'Zero'. All emails are designed to fool you, 'Bogus' Telephone numbers routed to another country, Plausible false names, along with extremely bad English are all methods used to fool the 'fools' amongst us.

Junk mail: Do not open it 'ever' check it has not been 'spammed' by mistake from a genuine sender by reading the header only. In the event that this is not the case then delete straight away, (More reasons for this are further on in this article).

Do not use your name as an email address: Unless you absolutely have to, never use your real name in an email address, no ordinary email user needs to do this. By using your 'Real Name', you supply all sorts of traceable help to 'Cyber-Bullies'. Failing to use your real name on the web was frowned upon a while back, now it is becoming a necessary step to protect ones self from Identity theft, the higher your web profile the more chance of being a victim of the 'Cyber-Nastiness' on the Internet.

You email address is yours: Email allows you to send mail to everyone at the click of the mouse; the click sends everyone the entire list of recipients as well. Meaning that everyone gets to know 'so-and-so's' email address, that they did not know before or your best friend did not want known in the first place, silly you! Next time you send a blanket email, use the BCC facility, then your friends, associates or family will not get everyone's address just yours and their own. You do not share your home phone number or home address with everyone you do not know. So why do you believe you have the right to share everyone's email address without the owner's permission?

Never open unknown received mail: Just because an email has not gone into the 'Spam' file does not mean it is safe, if in doubt do not open it, instead instantly delete it. In the seconds it takes to open it, a 'Trojan', 'Virus' or 'Key logger' can become active, trawling your address book and hard drive passing itself on invisibly to other people you know or do not know. Doing the same to their computer as the 'Bug' is doing to your computer now. The latter will sit there on your hard drive recording and sending information to an unknown to you at all computers somewhere else in 'Cyber-World.'

Never open unknown received attachments: The reason above also applies. In the second it takes to open it, a 'Trojan' or 'Virus' can be active, trawling your address book and hard drive passing itself on invisibly to other people you know. Some viruses sit for months like time bombs before becoming active, making them hard to locate or trace back to source.

Always use reputable valid and up to date 'Anti-Virus' and 'Spyware' programs and also 'Legal' computer 'Operating Systems' and 'Software' programs - the crucial bits missing from pirate software, make it much easier for others to get into your computer from the other side of the world (or even next door!).

Chat Precautions

Log all chats: Each 'Chat' program has the facility to record onto the hard drive every typed word and most pictures (or references) and emoticons used by both parties. Please activate it and keep a copy of every chat (Parents, activate it and store everyone's chats in your own partition, for everyone's peace of mind. Trusting your siblings is one thing, making sure they are safe is another). Would you let them have a total stranger in your home? This is what you are doing now. The chat record could be very useful if a loved one ever goes missing for no apparent reason, it may help find them faster and in a healthy condition again.

Be aware of meeting others: The stranger you are going to meet, you know the one you let into your home and life everyday, sometimes several times a day, the one who has not shared a true photograph of themselves. Told you little about them apart from what you wanted to know, possibly later than direct a response to your questions. Please take these wise steps before going to meet them for the first few times.

1. Arrange a public place to meet, never meet in a secluded place or building.
2. Take a friend with you, or arrange to meet them later at said place.
3. Ring a friend regularly to let them know you are all right (this can be coded if you wish) never txt anyone as there is no proof it is 'You' sending the txt on the mobile.
4. If you do not take a friend with you, arrange a time to meet and place before leaving home and do not leave this spot no matter how much your 'New friend' wants you to.
5. Any suspicions you may have make your excuses and leave fast.
6. Your teenage friend could so easily be someone much older.
7. If everything is okay, great, have a good time but remember to follow the safety rules above.

Habits of chatter: We all have a limited command of our own language and each language has a limited number of ways to use a particular phrase. By reading a chat message, it is possible to see something that you do not know or understand, just as if you are listening to someone speaking. Just as you would ask 'what do you mean' verbally, you can do the same in a chat message as well. In the event that you do not understand the response, or it seems to indicate an 'exciting' do this answer, be careful it may not be someone in your own age group or someone who can be trusted. Parents, if your sibling starts talking in words above their own natural ability to date, or showing an interest in something far too old for them, listen and take note, flying off the handle too quickly could easily push this issue away and become a secret to be kept from you. A sudden change in vocabulary may be a sign of an interaction outside siblings known friend and adult associations. It is much better to observe, listen, and discuss than to 'shut the stable door' after the horse has bolted.

Watch for grooming: All the clues to this are visible in changes in a persons behaviour, be they young or old, taking on 'new' words wanting to do 'this' or 'that'. Dress code may change as well, when you hear words like - 'so-and-so' does this... 'Does that' or 'I want...? Etc' the selling pitch is like an advert to millions on TV, except here it is aimed at a perceptively naïve youngster. The fact they are starting to trust and believe an 'Invisible' electronic friend more than someone in the 'Real' world is another subject, nevertheless just as big a problem.

Infatuation: Very similar in many ways to the above paragraph and very closely associated to 'normal' everyday life. Changes in behaviour may slip in and free usage of names etc easily linked to friends, films or TV and 'natural' growing up, quite possibly the same as known 'for real' go un-noticed as similes' with net activity and 'real' friends are not usually noticed in many cases. Some habit changes may go un-noticed at first, accepted as just a part of growing-up.

Secrecy: We all like to have and keep secrets from others, with the intention of dishing out a surprise 'gift' or 'treat' at the appropriate time. The secrets I refer to are neither of these, rather the secrets laid in by 'devious' manipulation of a youngsters mind. These secrets may become evident due to a 'slip-of-the-tongue', do not press for an answer, instead wait patiently and introduce it another way. A one parent firing squad is 'out' bring the matter up gently as if a 'secret of yours as a teenager' for example may be a way to dig it out, if you know your sibling well, this will not pose a problem. However, in the event that you are too busy with your own life... No matter how little you know your child, you will be aware of habits, care or not will have noticed changes taking place.

Changes of habit: See grooming and infatuation as well. Habit changes are noticeable in many ways, but not as easy if the youngster is a loner or has only a few friends. Eating habits could be a clue here, suddenly loving peas or carrots for example, or, not eating fruit, maybe wanting a curry every day. Over many centuries, foodstuffs have been a weapon used against others in many ways; this is simply a variation on a theme, wishing to cook or lay the table could be links, or are they? 'One Swallow does not make a summer.'

Groomer likes / dislikes; this is where you can learn to use your memory, linking the above four entries together, may provide many clues to who your siblings' 'Mystery person' is. Habits, clothing, and food are some, along with films, music, or TV Heroes. The liking of black things is a phase most youngsters go through, this may not be a help. However it is a clue, just as for example 'Strawberries' are suddenly a favourite dish whereas they did not like them till recently, could be the clue needed to enable the authorities to catch an offender and return a loved one back to the family fold safe and sound.

Photographs: Posted photographs and shared photographs may not be the person or persons in them at all. In several cases where a youngster has gone to meet the 'new friend' for the first time, the 'new friend' has turned out to be a lot older than photographs posted on chat etc, sometimes the excuse given is that 'so-and-so' is doing... 'So I have come to meet you in their place and will take you to meet them 'X' asked me to apologise for not being here.' (Or words similar to this example)

Lack of photographs: Why? Maybe they are new to 'chat'. In the event a picture never appears after talking them through the methods or you have doubts, end the 'electronic' relationship, it is better to be safe than sorry at the end of the day.

Webcams: Does the other person on chat have a software problem? Is the chat set up correctly, is a webcam actually attached, settings may show one is present but actually is not. Which ever applies it does not matter who it is at the other end, never put on a 'floor show' for the other person. Especially if you never see them at all on their webcam, or accept invitations to do so by unknown parties, you never know who could be watching. Many children are tempted this way by 'groomers'. Near enough, every webcam has a USB, remove, and lock it away when not needed or record its activity in your partition most can be. This is another variation on the 'safe than sorry' rule.

Any noted suspicions are worth noting down, any clues are worth remembering, and be it an observation of yours, a friend, or even a sibling. In the event of something going horribly wrong, then a clue like so-and-so likes / dislikes 'tomato's' could be the very clue needed to apprehend and get a loved one returned safely home. Literally any suspicions should be reported to the correct authorities, let them decide it is their job not yours.

Fraud Email

No one is exempt: Everyone gets junk and scam emails, be it Mr 'Microsoft' Bill Gates, your favourite film star or singer, even me, efforts are made to curb this daily threat but without employing many of the suggestions in this article, it is a hard battle to win. Now my own spam emails received is low at around five or six items a week. If your IP address gets hi-jacked, you can send spam unknowingly. A few months ago whilst on holiday I found that despite not being on the Internet during the 5 days away that 1000+ spam emails had been sent using my IP address. The matter was resolved 6 weeks later and the offender caught, literally, no one is exempt from the 'Cyber-Bully' or Internet nastiness out there today.

Bank emails: There are always plausible reasons given to get you to respond to them, many are from banks that you do not have an account with at all. Never open or respond to them at all, if it is from your bank, go to the nearest branch and sort it out there, not over the Internet or phone, many bogus emails use false logos, and ghost embedded addresses to fool the recipients into responding. In the time it takes to re-read this paragraph, a computer operator elsewhere in another part of the world could electronically rob your bank account!

EBay emails: Have you brought anything in the last few days? Has anyone brought anything from you? Apart from the odd promotional email from 'EBay' or maybe a follow up question from a buyer or seller - You know who they are; there is no need for 'EBay' to contact you at all. Any such emails can be deleted without a second thought. The contents look good and the links work to bogus sites - not 'EBay' - they usually contain 'bugs' of various descriptions, all designed to get into your computer and feed back any useful information found on it. Want to see EBay's latest offers, go to the EBay website much safer than opening the 'offer you can not refuse' email.

PayPal emails: The scenario is very similar to 'EBay', again they look good and just like all scam emails they contain false links, sometimes phone numbers, impressive reproduced layout and a lot of 'English' spelling mistakes. (A fact many non-native 'English' speakers miss completely when responding to 'scam' emails.) Along with other poorly educated people, they happily answer all questions asked and lose thousands every day to these 'Cyber-Bullies'. The same rule for PayPal special offers applies as well.

Phone numbers are not: It is possible to buy phone numbers for other countries and many do this for genuine legally accepted reasons. Just because it is a 'UK', 'USA' etc number to ring, does not mean your call (along with the bogus contact name) is going to that country. Invariably the call never does, answered in a completely different country to the one dialled on your phone. In the event that you find such a number in an email, there is a very high chance that is an attempt to reassure that the email is genuine.

Lottery winner: Bin them! Do not waste a second opening them, each one is aimed at making you a lot poorer and the 'Cyber-Bully/ Criminal' a lot richer. You have not won anything at all. Your lottery winnings are false, every lottery has a ticket with 'Your' chosen numbers on it that will be in your possession, not faceless individual, - Foreign lotteries; do not normally sell outside their own national borders. Again badly written 'English' gets thousands of greedy individuals to empty their bank accounts chasing the mythical money they have not won, not only not won - The winnings never exist at all! - If the email were on paper, the paper would be worth more than the contents written on it.

Inheritance emails: Again bin them without opening them, the wording in the mailbox as to 'From' and 'Header' contents usually give them away first, if any is present in the header that is. As with any unknown names if in doubt - 'Delete' without opening. The header usually wants you to contact someone; this someone has a false name and phone number and is only intent on passing you along a chain of fraudsters getting you to part with as much money as possible on the way. Later after a few months respite they get in touch with you again and go through the whole rip-off process again. Think about this: 'Why they do not know your name if you are actually inheriting such a large sum of money?'

Microsoft Junk emails: Microsoft do not, repeat do not send junk emails, nowadays nearly all Microsoft emails are by subscription only, only sent by request. You can happily delete any you have not asked them to send, as they are unlikely to be from Microsoft at all.

Password request emails: If your mate across the street, a stranger in the bar where you have a beer, or a bus passenger asked for your password, bank details etc, would you give them to them. No! So why do people happily do so to an unknown plausible electronic inquiry? These details are yours and yours alone not for Jo/ Joe Public - Keep them safe!

Passwords

Never write them down; Use a clue to remind you, never write the password down just write the clue down. Anyone can find it in your absence or even in front of you without you knowing.

Use different on each website: Try to group your site passwords so that in the event that you have many of them if a password is found, the password will not give access to all of the websites that you use, just a few. If there are several passwords on one site make sure that every password is different, adding a figure at the end of the main password is not a good idea.

Change each month: Regularly change your passwords; it is in your own interest to do so and prior to this if you suspect someone else may know a password. A second option exists; if you do not use particular websites regularly, use the sites password reminder service, yes it takes a few minutes of your time but is well worth the effort involved.

Never share them: All the items in this section apply to this portion of advice.

Never email them: Not even to yourself (many do this) as there are no sure ways of keeping the contents safe from prying electronic eyes if a key-logger gets into your computer. (More on this subject later)

Ignore requests to others: The passwords that you use to access 'Chat', 'Windows', your various accounts etc are yours and 'Unique' to you! No one else needs or needs to know them, not even the company website that you use, only their computers do. In every case, individuals are 'locked out' from this information and no one has any right to ask you for it. Electronic reminders are just that, no human is involved in the reminder at all. Many systems do not send it; they send a temporary replacement instead, so that you can re-access your account. (A step that stops interception of the email whilst in transit to you)

Naughty Websites:

All are lockable: Every 'web site' is lockable from your browser, just as every unwanted 'email' or 'chat individual' may be locked on the relevant provider. All responsible parents on every computer in the home should take these actions, before any problems start in the future.

Sell your web address: That token fee of 1 Euro / $1 / £1 etc is more than just a means of verifying the users age, in many cases it is a 'Yippee' another sucker has given us permission to go on a spending spree at their expense. Result; loads of extra expenses many will go un-noticed by you as the Credit Card is usually paid by Direct Debit, with no questions asked by the Card owner at all.

Tracker cookies implanted: Cookies are useful aids that enable regularly visited websites to open faster. Unfortunately, there are also 'malicious' cookies; these tend to turn up in emails and some downloaded programs as well. Employing the email precautions above will help reduce them, as will regular virus and spyware scans and updates of said programs. Another precaution you can take is to 'Save' rather than 'Run' a new program that you download, this will enable you virus and spyware programs to scan and remove any problems before they get the chance to 'hide in your computers registry. Many new 'Bugs' self-duplicate, meaning you will get it back within seconds of removal as its clone left behind elsewhere in the registry reproduces itself.

Key-loggers implanted; Key-loggers sit there on your hard drive recording every keystroke and mouse click that you make. Then your computer sends this information to another (Unknown to you at all) computer in 'Cyber-World'.

Conclusion:

At the time of writing, There are sadly still several thousand missing children in the world related to 'chat' and other instant message issues. There were a little over 4,100 recognised frauds in progress and a list of 419 recognised Internet Fraudsters at large, with 420,000 frauds deleted from the Internet. A large number of hi-jacked IP addresses by unknown parties. With your help in adopting as many of the above advice items, larger numbers of Internet crimes will be solved and the perpetrators caught and punished. Even better still thousands of children will be re-united unharmed with their families and the 'groomers' will not be able to lead many more astray in the future.

Another point not yet clarified as 'a fact' is 'chat' systems being used as an extension to street and playground bullying, to incite violence or crime on the victim against other victims, keeping the 'actual' aggressor/ perpetrator safe and sound.

Public Records Pro Review - How to Search Public Records on the Internet?

2008-08-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

1. What Is Public Records Pro?

2. What Is The Difference Between Using Public Records Pro and Government Records Archives?

3. What Are The Likely Reasons for People to Use Public Records Pro?