Recently there have been other companies that have been in the news with reports of their social media sites being hacked. Since we are living in the digital age, it’s extremely important to be aware of what we post on the internet and on all social media sites. Awareness is key in protecting yourself and your business from identity theft.
Companies and organizations need to be prepared in case they are hacked but they should also take extra precautions and follow 15 Social Media Security Tips from McAfee consultant and identity theft expert, Robert Siciliano. Siciliano gives tips on how not to be the next victim. These tips can apply to companies and people who want to prevent identity theft. Some of the tips seemed quite obvious like, choosing unique logins and passwords for each website you sign on to. Then there were other tips that did not seem so obvious. Recently I have seen surveys going around on Facebook. These surveys ask questions that seem fun to answer, but can cost you your privacy in the end. Siciliano notes “Nothing good comes from filling out a “25 Most Amazing Things About You” survey. Avoid publicly answering questionnaires with details like your middle name, as this is the type of information financial institutions may use to verify your identity.” (Siciliano, 2011)
Individuals need to be cautious when clicking on links. There are many links on social media sites that are scams and can lead people to entering personally information about themselves. It’s sad but even in society today you have to be cautious about links even on the pages of friends and families. Identity thieves use the people close to you, thinking that you would trust a link posted on their page.
Hector, A. (2012, November 4). Great animal rescue or
great scam? a complete guide by alison hector. Retrieved from http://petadvocatesnetwork.org/wordpress/2012/11/04/great-animal-rescue-or-great-scam-a-complete-guide-by-alison-hector/
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteThank you for drawing my attention to the potential threat posted by scam animal rescue organizations.
I really had not given much thought to how simple it might be for a shady rescue organization to use social media.
Aside from these organizations accepting donations that are scams, have there been actual identity thefts through animal rescues on social media? I would imagine that would be so easy to do. I don't think it would take much effort to con people into providing their contact information to an animal rescue.
I would think the same thing. Having people click on a link and entering their information to donate, while the scammers still this info is something I hear about all the time. I am researching further to find a news article about an actual identity that was stolen rather than the articles like the one below where a woman scammed pet lovers out of more than $25,000 in cash and thousands more in pet supplies and used Facebook to do this.
Deletehttp://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2012/11/29/local-woman-uses-facebook-to-scam-pet-owners-nationwide-is-arrested/
You did a great job tying the topic this week to your blog theme. about this, it makes total sense for identity thieves to use a potential charity to lure people in an take personal information from them. Being in banking, I see it more than I would like.
DeletePeople really do need to do proper research before they donate money to charity, not only to ensure that the charity is legitimate, but also to ensure that their donations are going to the proper places and that the charity is not taking too large a percentage. When I was raising money for the United Way earlier this year I had a lot of people ask me about this. In a strange way I am glad tat they did because it means that they are aware of what scams are out there.
I’m glad there are some people out there that are aware and know what questions to ask. In the guide I have listed above by Hector, she encourages people who are adopting or donating to ask questions and places that are legit should have no problem answering the questions. It makes sense, although I never thought to ask questions, I would start going forward. I wonder if there is some kind of stamp of certification that organizations cane start having, something that lets you know they are thoroughly checked out repeatedly to make sure they are doing what they are said to be doing. This way people who want to donate can feel a bit more secure when going on social media sites and donating. It makes it hard for the legit companies; they suffer because people are hesitant to donate because of so many scams and are afraid of having their identity stolen.
DeleteHi Christine,
DeleteThe article you posted is the classic scam that can so easily happen through Facebook. I enjoyed reading it.
You raise a good point here about certification of organizations. That is a great idea! I am not familiar with anything like that, other than just checking how an organization files through the IRS. But a seal of approval stamp would be very useful, kind of like the BBB.
Hi Christine,
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought that animal rescue organizations would be scams. I just rescued a cat a few months ago and I was searching for months online leading up to the day that we went to the pound to pick out our beautiful Ula.
There were a bunch of sites that asked me to fill out a survey. I did not do it, because we weren't ready to pick a cat out yet and I didn't want to be followed up with regularly. However, I did think that they would ask people to fill out a questionnaire so that the organization could help determine if you are a right fit for rescuing an animal.
These organizations are taking advantage of people who are looking to help an innocent animal. For shame!
Are there any key points of hackers that people should watch out for when looking online for a possible pet adoption?
Hi Amanda,
DeleteAccording to Hec
tor (2012), she has a complete guide but below are her cliff notes to the complete guide of what to look out for and what you should avoid.
Donate locally.
• Do you personally know these people?
• Can you visit their facility if they have one?
Do research and ask questions. Rescue organizations that are legit will have no issues answering any of your questions like:
• How many pets do you save/take in over a specified period of time?
• How many do you adopt out over a specified period of time?
• How many do you euthanize over a specified period of time?
• Under what conditions do you euthanize?
• Do you kill for space?
• How many are currently in your care?
• What are you hours I can visit?
• What is your address and phone number?
• Do you rescue pets from your local shelter?
• Where do the pets come from?
• Who is your vet?
AVOID rescues that do the following:
• Avoid those that refuse to be transparent and answer questions about anything regarding their rescue
• Avoid those that do not clearly report and identify how many they rescue and adopt out
• Stay clear of rescues that on their Internet presence post few pics of those they claim to have up for adoption or is in foster.
* Avoid them if there are very few if any local people commenting on the pets in their care they have seen, adopted, or fostered.
• Steer clear of those that do have an internet presence but mainly post pics of themselves with the pets
Hi Christine,
DeleteThanks for the tips! The Internet really opens up a whole new can of worms with security and privacy issues!
Christine your opening paragraph was an excellent way of grabbing the attention of your audience. The fact you provided proves social media security as well as policy are critical today. The numbers (250,000 accounts) are rather scary but I think fear may be a great advocate for getting people to realize the importance of networking smart via social media.
ReplyDeleteYou spoke a lot about identity theft and the fact that you lead it into false organizations stealing your donations was great. Through our reading I did not consider this scenario and I am rather shocked that individuals who donate to animal rescue sites are a huge target, but it makes sense. I love animals and I am one of those individuals that donate money when I see a Facebook post outlining an animal in need. I am sure you know what I am speaking of as they tend to be all over Facebook. Curious how many are scams, now that you have mentioned this.
A lady goes into great detail about a rescue called Pet Pardon’s allegedly scamming people quite frequently. http://petadvocatesnetwork.org/wordpress/2012/04/08/validity-or-not-of-pet-pardons-chip-ins/
I have been a victim of something similar. We were in the midst of adopting a French bulldog – just close of depositing $1,500 to get the process on the way – we decided to Google search like crazy (the telephone number, ad’s description, etc.) – sure enough, major scam. The Internet is a playground for thieves, protecting ourselves is paramount. Great post.
DeleteIt really is amazing the stories you hear! It reminds me of that saying “no good deed goes unpunished”
Below is a link to the ASPCA’s website where they have people share their scam stories in hopes that it helps people in not becoming the next victim. One of the stories features an ad on Facebook, which I would not trust, while the other features a Facebook Marketplace scam where a man was scammed out of $2,700.
http://www.aspca.org/adoption/adoption-tips/pet-scam-stories.aspx
Krsytal,
DeleteThat is awful. I actually had someone tell me about something similar a while ago where they were solicited to purchase a puppy in a local Petco from a woman they presumably found online, only for the puppy to die the same day they took it home. So terrible. I cant believe people would use animals to turn a profit like that.
Wow, the stories you hear are ridiculous! I had a friend who adopted her dog a year ago and she found it on Petfinder. The dog kept being pushed out on being shipped to her, because the dog was sick a few times. I really thought that was a red flag. She looked into it some more because I have hear stories of scams. Turns out the dog was fine, she ended up getting her a couple weeks later and the dog just turned one year old the other day. My friend was lucky because there are people who were not so lucky. It actual disgusts me what people are willing to do for money, the lives they are affecting and how they have no feelings what so ever.
DeleteLaura, that is awful! When one takes on a pet it becomes a member of their family. I can't imagine the loss they experienced. With the Internet it becomes difficult to catch these people. Enforcement agencies have more cases then they can handle. Animal rights have always been on the bottom list. This is scary as I actually did research for a course a few years back and nearly 8 out 10 violent criminals actually have pet abuse in their history.
DeleteChristine, that is remarkable that your friend purchased a dog and all was alright. Petfinder was actually the site we were scammed on. This is another side effect of security - these sites become bombarded with scammers and it damages their reputation. But with all honesty I can't hold Petfinder accountable. We all must take our own actions into account - we chose to search before spending - thankfully we did!
Hi Christine,
ReplyDelete"To steal your identity there are people out there who create false organizations to get your attention. These organizations claim to be taking your donations and putting the money towards saving animals; in reality they are stealing your money and identity for themselves."
This is scary! I am shocked that people would use animal rescue as a means for personal gain. The checklist in the article you provided is very helpful. It is important for legitimate organizations to have a social media policy so that they do not accidentally make themselves sound like a scam. I could easily see this happening because tugging at the heart strings so to speak is a great way to lure people in.
-James
I was thinking about the organizations I donate to monthly, ASPCA & the Humane Society, they are well known. I also donate often to my local animal shelter but I drop off toys, treats and food. In this class I have “liked” a few Facebook pages relating to the blogs I have done. I wonder if the pages I liked would give me away to hackers and scammers, seeing what my weakness is and zoning in.
DeleteI am a person who might be suckered into these, I have become well aware of scams but it seems like I have to up my awareness. I had a two friends contact me on Facebook recently asking for me to donate money to the link provided. I contacted both people and it turns out the links were legit. One girl was running a race and needed sponsors, while the other was trying to raise money for an organization in memory of a loved one who passed away. You just always have to be careful.
It's unfortunate that we always have to question things but it is what it is nowadays!
Delete
ReplyDelete"These surveys ask questions that seem fun to answer, but can cost you your privacy in the end. Siciliano notes “Nothing good comes from filling out a “25 Most Amazing Things About You” survey. Avoid publicly answering questionnaires with details like your middle name, as this is the type of information financial institutions may use to verify your identity" which I too always viewed as innocent fun though I hardly participate in them but alot of people do.
As a matter of fact, people seem to love those questionaires, surveys in general. I remember they were a big hit on Myspace as well. One thing I took away from the Army OPSEC video was that social media is truly changing the way digital culture views security and privacy on an individual level. What once was simple sharing of information now has the potential to be a threat.
I remember them being big on MySpace! I think I actually did one on Facebook years back and I’m pretty sure we got to pick our questions to ask friends. It was a “who knows you better” questionnaire, so of course you ask personal questions you think only someone who REALLY knows you would know the answer too. I fell right into that one! Something like my dogs name I would not think of NOT sharing. I post pictures of my pets on social media sites because they are a big part of my life and I of course list their names. It’s a shame that something like sharing photos and information with people you know on Facebook or other social media sites can really cost you in the end.
DeleteI honestly never read that far into those questionnaires but now it sort of creeps me out to think that someone could just be using it to learn personal things about you.
DeleteIt really is creepy. I was mentioning this to friends this week because I now pay closer attention to what people post on social media sites, but think of all the movies out there about stealing identities and hacking sites, this puts thoughts into people minds. There are ways to try and protect ourselves as best we can when it comes to social media but I really think people are oblivious when it comes to securing themselves.
DeleteI think that maybe safety online is taken for granted by people who may not have experienced or been exposed to what dangers there are. Do you think that it would deter people from signing up to a site like Facebook if they had to go through a module like the one we experienced in this week's lesson?
DeleteI think that people do take it for granted. If people were exposed to a module it might be informative but I do not think it would deter people from signing up to sites. I would hope that it would make them a bit more cautious. I think people start to be more cautious when they are directly affected by a scam or hacking. People always have that “it won’t happen to me attitude.”
DeleteChristine, such interesting information. Your discussion of the animal rescue scams brings to mind other realms that security can become breached. Anything from 'a small donation every month can feed 50 people' to 'like his post and Bill Gates will give you $5000.' Social networking can become a hotbed for scam and faux postings, that consistently lure individuals to privacy doom. Here is a link I found that is actually pretty interesting. Its through an Australian government sponsored site called ScamWatch http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/829402
ReplyDeleteOne pretty basic piece of advice that the site gives, that I think all of us slack on (I know that I am terrible with this) involves the suggestion that you "Protect your accounts with strong passwords and change them regularly" (ScamWatch). I always forget to update my passwords, and therefore, they never get changed. Terrible strategy for securing my social network interaction.
Kris,
DeleteThank you for the link! I personally have had the same passwords for the longest time. I never remember to change them. I think my passwords are “strong”, but still they should be changed every so often. What I have noticed, and like, is when you log onto certain sites to create an account, when it comes time for the passwords, they not only give you guidelines but they tell you how strong/weak your password is! This is a great feature that more websites should have! If the password you pick is not strong enough you have to keep going until they approve it. I have noticed and I would like to hear you thoughts on this, some websites will not allow the use of symbols, I am not sure why but it would be helpful if we were allowed to use symbols. I think the password combinations could really be broader. Thoughts?
Christine, I totally agree. I have actually run across this problem and do not understand it. Most sites advocate for strong passwords, as this leads to less support tickets and problems on the site. Then, they won't allow you to use passwords containing special characters. Seems to make no sense to me. Upon further research, I found out that many of these organizations are using security/password software that does not read the characters. Maybe this is part of the reason many of these sites don't allow these characters, and maybe it will change as they update their security/login system software.
ReplyDelete