A more sinister variation has surfaced recently, where
computers are hijacked by so-called friends or family members
to spy on your activities.
Think it couldn't happen to you? Well, just to give a recent
example:
A Delaware man was convicted in October of putting a spyware
program on his father's computer to capture passwords so he
could read his emails.
There was a more disturbing element to the story -- the father
actually became a murder victim, though there was no
suggestion in court that the two aspects were connected.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Freelancing Risks and Translation Scams
In Spanish it's called "chanchullo," in Romanian "inselare"
and in French it's "escroquerie" but in any language a scam is
a scam and the bad news is that translation scams are on the
rise.
Not only that, but the risk of being conned, which the country's 50,000-plus translators face every day, could be the tip of an iceberg.
With increasing numbers of people setting themselves up as freelancers, doing everything from article writing to operating as virtual assistants, scammers have tagged the whole army of them as a lucrative target.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Not only that, but the risk of being conned, which the country's 50,000-plus translators face every day, could be the tip of an iceberg.
With increasing numbers of people setting themselves up as freelancers, doing everything from article writing to operating as virtual assistants, scammers have tagged the whole army of them as a lucrative target.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, November 11, 2011
How to Spot and Stop a URL Shortener Scam
Unless you're a "techie," you may not know what a "URL
shortener" is, but most of us -- Internet surfers, users of
social networks and even emailers -- use them all the time
without knowing it.
If you're a crook, the fact that we use them without knowing is very useful because it means if they can tamper with them, they can load malware onto our PCs, also without us knowing.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
If you're a crook, the fact that we use them without knowing is very useful because it means if they can tamper with them, they can load malware onto our PCs, also without us knowing.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Saturday, November 5, 2011
HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE YOUR PROSPECTS?
Does it
seem strange to use the word love when referring to a business
relationship? Substitute another word if you prefer -- "like," for
example, or "respect." However you want to express it, the point is to
consider how much you care about the people you sell to -- their needs,
goals, desires, concerns -- all the elements of their lives that might
be involved in their decision about whether to buy from you.
If you don't love your prospects, they will know it. We've all been sold to by someone who didn't care about us. The salesperson who pressures us to buy a car with options we don't need. Or the telemarketer who launches into a lengthy script without asking if she's interrupting our dinner. Or the guru who entices us to purchase a high-priced solution without bothering to find out whether it has any relevance to our situation. We can feel their disregard, and it turns us off.
On the flip side, you've probably had the pleasant experience of being sold to by someone who took the time to find out exactly what you needed, explored with you respectfully the match between what he had to offer and your desires, and allowed you to come to your own decision about the purchase. An experience like that not only makes you feel good about spending money, it makes you want to buy more from that person as soon as you can.
You know when people who are trying to sell to you care about you and when they don't. You can sense it in what they say (and don't say), the type of questions they ask (or don't ask), how they listen to you (or don't listen). You always know. And so do the people you are trying to sell to.
So how much DO you love your prospects? Do you look forward to spending time with them, or dread going to places where they gather? Do you enjoy talking with them on the phone, or find reasons to avoid calling? Do you take pleasure in learning more about their problems and goals, or resent the time it takes? Do you try to sell them only what they need, or hope to sell them anything you can? Whichever it is, you can bet that your prospects know it.
I'm not suggesting that you truly dislike your prospective clients. It may be that talking to them just makes you nervous. Or that selling brings up the fear of rejection. Or that you're so focused on making a sale, you're not really seeing the person you're selling to. Whenever we're anxious, or afraid, or intent on our own goals, we tend to become self-absorbed or defensive. As a result, we may hold ourselves aloof, or talk too much, or stop listening, or disregard what others want.
But those are the very same behaviors that other people interpret as "not caring." You're uncomfortable or hyper-focused, so you withdraw from others, ignore them, or override them. They feel your disregard, so they react by pulling away from you. You feel them pulling away, so you either give up -- and lose the sale because you're avoiding them -- or try even harder -- and lose the sale because you've alienated them. It's a self-defeating cycle.
There is a way to break this pattern, but it's not a new set of skills to learn or techniques to try. It's simple but not easy, subtle but incredibly powerful.
Love your prospects.
Picture in your mind the ideal person to become your client -- the sort of person you went into business to help. Imagine the problems they are having and the issues they are struggling with. Think about the goals they are working toward and the dreams that inspire them. Visualize them getting what they want and need, and what that would mean to them.
Now, what feelings do these thoughts evoke toward that client? Do you feel warm, friendly, connected? Thinking about their problems, do you feel sympathetic, supportive, encouraging? Imagining their goals, are you approving, enthusiastic, excited for them?
This authentic state of mind -- a caring, supportive, loving attitude toward your prospective clients -- will help you close more sales than any skills or techniques you could learn. And as an added bonus, it can help you become more comfortable with selling than you ever thought possible.
Whenever you find yourself struggling to make a sale, or to reach out to a prospect, stop what you're doing. Take a few moments to consider all the reasons you care about that person. Even if you don't know them, you know others like them. Ground yourself in an attitude of friendship, support, and respect. Then start again.
If you begin to really love your prospects, you may just find that they will love you back.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
If you don't love your prospects, they will know it. We've all been sold to by someone who didn't care about us. The salesperson who pressures us to buy a car with options we don't need. Or the telemarketer who launches into a lengthy script without asking if she's interrupting our dinner. Or the guru who entices us to purchase a high-priced solution without bothering to find out whether it has any relevance to our situation. We can feel their disregard, and it turns us off.
On the flip side, you've probably had the pleasant experience of being sold to by someone who took the time to find out exactly what you needed, explored with you respectfully the match between what he had to offer and your desires, and allowed you to come to your own decision about the purchase. An experience like that not only makes you feel good about spending money, it makes you want to buy more from that person as soon as you can.
You know when people who are trying to sell to you care about you and when they don't. You can sense it in what they say (and don't say), the type of questions they ask (or don't ask), how they listen to you (or don't listen). You always know. And so do the people you are trying to sell to.
So how much DO you love your prospects? Do you look forward to spending time with them, or dread going to places where they gather? Do you enjoy talking with them on the phone, or find reasons to avoid calling? Do you take pleasure in learning more about their problems and goals, or resent the time it takes? Do you try to sell them only what they need, or hope to sell them anything you can? Whichever it is, you can bet that your prospects know it.
I'm not suggesting that you truly dislike your prospective clients. It may be that talking to them just makes you nervous. Or that selling brings up the fear of rejection. Or that you're so focused on making a sale, you're not really seeing the person you're selling to. Whenever we're anxious, or afraid, or intent on our own goals, we tend to become self-absorbed or defensive. As a result, we may hold ourselves aloof, or talk too much, or stop listening, or disregard what others want.
But those are the very same behaviors that other people interpret as "not caring." You're uncomfortable or hyper-focused, so you withdraw from others, ignore them, or override them. They feel your disregard, so they react by pulling away from you. You feel them pulling away, so you either give up -- and lose the sale because you're avoiding them -- or try even harder -- and lose the sale because you've alienated them. It's a self-defeating cycle.
There is a way to break this pattern, but it's not a new set of skills to learn or techniques to try. It's simple but not easy, subtle but incredibly powerful.
Love your prospects.
Picture in your mind the ideal person to become your client -- the sort of person you went into business to help. Imagine the problems they are having and the issues they are struggling with. Think about the goals they are working toward and the dreams that inspire them. Visualize them getting what they want and need, and what that would mean to them.
Now, what feelings do these thoughts evoke toward that client? Do you feel warm, friendly, connected? Thinking about their problems, do you feel sympathetic, supportive, encouraging? Imagining their goals, are you approving, enthusiastic, excited for them?
This authentic state of mind -- a caring, supportive, loving attitude toward your prospective clients -- will help you close more sales than any skills or techniques you could learn. And as an added bonus, it can help you become more comfortable with selling than you ever thought possible.
Whenever you find yourself struggling to make a sale, or to reach out to a prospect, stop what you're doing. Take a few moments to consider all the reasons you care about that person. Even if you don't know them, you know others like them. Ground yourself in an attitude of friendship, support, and respect. Then start again.
If you begin to really love your prospects, you may just find that they will love you back.
Copyright © 2011, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
How 3.5 Million Social Security number Details Get Stolen Every Year
We've written many times about Social Security number theft
and you can read more about it and what to do if your number
is compromised at our Identity Theft Information Center.
With an estimated 3.5 million SSNs stolen every year (based on research findings from Javelin Strategy), we're taking a step back to explore in more detail exactly how numbers are stolen and what you can do to protect yours.
In fact, according to the same research, more than two in every five identity thefts come from stolen wallets or physical paperwork and only one-in-ten originates on the Internet.
You may be surprised at the variety of other techniques crooks use to get hold of your Social Security number.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
With an estimated 3.5 million SSNs stolen every year (based on research findings from Javelin Strategy), we're taking a step back to explore in more detail exactly how numbers are stolen and what you can do to protect yours.
In fact, according to the same research, more than two in every five identity thefts come from stolen wallets or physical paperwork and only one-in-ten originates on the Internet.
You may be surprised at the variety of other techniques crooks use to get hold of your Social Security number.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Scammers Target Harry Potter and Twilight Fans
Crooks are preparing to release their latest Harry Potter scam
as the approaching Holiday Season sees the launch of the final
DVD of the blockbuster movie series.
They offer pirated copies of downloads of the eagerly awaited disc as a cover for phishing scams or a way of loading malware onto victims' PCs.
The whole saga of the young wizard, in print, online and in video, has been dogged by scams and the continuing immense popularity of the series is likely to ensure they'll continue, even if the adventures of Harry Potter don't.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
They offer pirated copies of downloads of the eagerly awaited disc as a cover for phishing scams or a way of loading malware onto victims' PCs.
The whole saga of the young wizard, in print, online and in video, has been dogged by scams and the continuing immense popularity of the series is likely to ensure they'll continue, even if the adventures of Harry Potter don't.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
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