ShoppyBag And Other Warnings
Toto, I’ve a feeling we‘re not in Kansas anymore..
Internet scams:
An alert reader informed me of another website, something called “ShoppyBag” (wonder who that’s aimed at?) that harvests your email contact list and then spams out “Hey! [friend’s name] tagged you in a photo.. click here to ” type recruitment emails, ala the vile method of MyLife.com (see Just Say “No” To mylife.com).
Tell your friends: if you should ever see something from ShoppyBag in your Inbox delete it unopened. I don’t care that it appears to have come from your best friend. (It probably did, if your best friend was suckered.) Do not try to “unsubscribe”.
Complaints are rampant.. here is a good sample discussion of ShoppyBag. IMHO, a certain “dignan2” said it best..
“Are people really this gullible? You receive some cryptic email from a friend, you click on the link, and you sign up giving this “company” access to all of your contacts. In this day and age, how can you possibly fall for this stuff? I mean it really makes no sense to me. I received the same email under my brother’s name and didn’t even click on the link. I alerted him to this crap being sent to me (and probably many others).
If you get odd emails like this, it’s very simple DON’T SIGN UP! DON’T EVEN CLICK ON THE LINK! JUST DELETE!
Are we really becoming this dumb as a society? Scary.“
Beware of Google+ Invite scams. For the millions and millions and millions of you interested in “social networking”, and “tweeting”… get a life? Sorry. That’s not what I meant to say. Facebook and Twitter are powerful tools, bringing us closer together in the One Human Family. What I meant to say is, Google is coming out with a new “service”, Google+, which is supposed to be the social networker’s bee’s knees. Trouble is, it’s currently limited release and “invite only”.. so…
• Google+ Invite Scams Appear On Facebook
“The search giant’s latest foray into social networking is currently in a closed “field trial,” and invitations are a hot commodity. But thanks to some unscrupulous opportunists, you must be wary of Google+ invites that appear on Facebook.” Read more..
.. a “hot commodity”.. wow. I remember, as a kid, watching a Disney program about lemmings..
• “Don Gunshot” is Blackmailing You
“It’s a variation on the old 419 scam. The e-mail tells you that the sender is a hit man hired to knock you off, but he’ll take your money instead.” Read more..
• All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
“If you don’t make your Google Profile public and searchable by Google+ users by July 31st, Google will delete it.” Read more..
Folks, the Internet is not Disneyland, nor some vast public library where everyone is on their best behavior. It’s an unpoliced, fly by night freak show where cybercriminals are fleecing us rubes out of billions of dollars a year. But, hey, you can watch porn for free!
Let’s use some paranoid common sense when online.
Please?
• Researchers Dissect The Underground Economy Of Fake Antivirus Software
“Scareware pushers see more than 2 percent sales conversion, make millions in profit — and even offer refunds.” Read more..
• Are social media and mobile app jobs just fads? (This is one to read the “Comments” on.)
“Are social media and mobile app jobs fads or legitimate fields to get into?” Read more..
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
9 Comments »
Post your Comment/Question
• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.
-
Say "thank you!" Buy Tech Paul a cup of coffee (and keep T4E ad free).
-
-
McAfee® Cybersafety Resource Portal, an online help center designed to assist victims of computer crime and provide information on how to avoid becoming a victim.
-
Subscribe to Tech--for Everyone by EmailRecent Comments
-
-
-
-
Also:
-
-
Tech - for Everyone 
It’s sad that so many people continue to fall for these “give us your personal info” scams… I think these websites must rely on the 50% of people that trust the internet… or is it 90%?
I for one refuse to let Google make my profile public. They have no right to make this decision for me (rewritten EULA or not). I have downloaded all of my Gmail to my local Windows Live Mail accounts. I will no longer be using Gmail as soon as everyone in my contact list has been notified. Google has grown a bit to big for their britches, and I don’t plan to be around when the seams explode.
LikeLike
kstinman,
Well.. the Internet is marketed to us as some wonderful, clean, well-lighted place.
(By those selling devices, services, etc., as well as online retailers [vested interest in ‘consumer confidence’]..) and of course those who simply want us their to see their advertisements.)
“Ignore the man behind the curtain..”
Wonder how many will join you? (Not too many, I suspect… no one has clicked the “read more..”)
LikeLike
I clicked “read more”…
LikeLike
Your comment about lemmings about says it all…
LikeLike
kstinman,
I have been around long enough to see a lot of things come and go. Even see some things come back. (Never thought I’d see mainframe <> thin client come back..)
And I never was one to go rush down right away and buy a Members Only jacket, or a new kind of running shoe called Adidas.
And I never owned a pet rock.
Whether you call it a “fad” or “the fashion”, it 999 times out of a thousand ain’t for me.
LikeLike
kstinman,
That URL “hyperlink” has been clicked only 4 times today, according to WordPress.
Sometimes I find such data a bit discouraging. But I guess I am a bit like Don Quixote..
Seriously though – it would take “the masses” speaking out against such behavior (in significant numbers) and time and again history shows us that “the masses” are not even aware a change happened, much less is gonna squawk.
It’s one way they get laws enacted that they know we do not want.. wait until we’re not looking. Which is all the time, so there’s no wait.
Umm.. I think that says what I am trying to say..
LikeLike
Let’s not go losing our mind now Paul…
But, you are right… The sheeple pay no attention to anything but their patch of grass (and obey the big dog terrorizing them)
LikeLike
Interesting post Paul—my first thought is, why would anyone open something called ShoppyBag? But funny names aside, hacking is an issue that could easily ruin a computer’s performance, especially when users do not have software to protect them from PC problems. It’s not fair to expect everyone on the Internet to be an expert at detecting scams, especially when users (particularly on Facebook) can be young. In an effort to protect users, do you think Facebook and Google should publish warnings of scams?
LikeLike
Alexandra Lawrenz,
I disagree. I think it is fair to expect a certain application of “paranoid common sense” on the Internet (it is a criminal’s playground after all, and cyber crime is well-reported). And that people should be highly skeptical and suspicious of what they see – and that goes double on the Internet. And children – even the ‘quite young’ – should be warned about online predators, false “friends”, and that what they post online will stay there forever, some content is for ‘adults’ and not for them, etc.. (and it is a parent’s job to teach them this.)
It is our responsibility to understand the technology we’re using, the risks we’re taking, etc. as there is no nanny-type government agency nor Internet Police Force to do it for us.
Along those lines, it is incumbent upon the good and responsible online entities to make efforts to protect their users (such as by using SSL for logins, encrypting their databases, etc.) and to provide their users the information to help them protect themselves — such as posting notices of spam/scams and breaches.
The trouble is.. the “masses” are “too busy” to read the warnings.. but, yes, they should be posted anyway.
Every single person should be aware of this truth..
And no, you did not just win 2.2 Million pounds sterling in the “online lottery”.
LikeLike