Scams in Your Inbox – Phishing E-mails

In the last couple of weeks I received two e-mails that almost tricked me. The first one was supposedly from PayPal the other one today from CapitalOne credit cards. I have received this type of e-mail before, but usually since they are such obvious fakes, I pay no mind. This time they looked pretty real.

What is Phishing?

According to Wikipedia it is “the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information …by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication”.

Both e-mails tried to scare me saying that my account had to be confirmed or it would be terminated. The CapitalOne e-mail even went as far as saying there had been various login attempts from multiple computers. I was so close to clicking on the link provided. Of course I remembered a little safety and went to the website directly. Naturally there was nothing wrong with my account. If you do click on the links provided by these scam artists you will be directed to a fake website that looks very much like the genuine site. The e-mails were equally official looking, logos and all, but they made one fatal mistake. The e-mail address they used was a yahoo one. Duh! How dumb do they think I am, of course PayPal would not be using a free e-mail account and neither would CapitalOne. Also, look for bad grammar, the lack of your name, and look closely at the link address.

I went to the PayPal site and found a link to report phishing. Forward the Phishing email to spoof@paypal.com. That was great at least I felt like there was someplace to go! Like someone would do something about it, stop others from being taken. PayPal even wrote me back offering thanks and a link with tips to help protect the consumer. Remember that the official PayPal website is a secure address, look for the s after http.
https://www.paypal.com/

All companies should provide this system. I was surprised the CapitalOne site doesn’t have a link to report Phishing. At least I couldn’t find one. I contacted them directly and am awaiting a response.

There is a place to report phishing scams it is The Anti-Phishing Working Group a volunteer organization. You may send any suspicious e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.org and they will review it and any websites it links to. They ask not to forward it for information can get lost. Go to their "Report Phishing" page for instructions. They also have a "Phishing Archive" page where you may review phishing e-mails that have been submitted and confirmed.

The CapitalOne e-mail phishing attempt seems to be a new one for it does not show up in their archives. I will be sending the e-mail to the APWG for review.

Another site I found helpful is the FBI’s. The “Internet Fraud” page is a collaboration between the FBI and the national White Collar Crime Center.

It makes me so mad that they can get away with scamming the general public, worldwide! There are no laws, no governing agency to put a stop to every single one of these online criminals. While legislation has been proposed it has not passed. I really don’t understand how and why they have not passed this legislation. Some lawsuits have been successful; however most are getting away with it.

Be careful! Report all phishing attempts and maybe someday they will get tired of spamming our inbox because it will not be worth the effort.

Happy trails!

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Entrecard Buzz

You have probably noticed the rectangle on the top left of my side bar that states ‘Drop’ and an ‘E’ that stands for Entrecard. It includes a picture that changes daily, this is called a ‘card’. A card is like a digital business card for your blog that each blogger creates (125x125 formats). The ‘card’ serves as an advertisement for your personal blog. As you earn credits on Entrecard you may use them to buy advertisement space on other blogs. The ads run for a complete 24hrs with no rotation and are free! The card that shows in my widget changes daily and its purpose is to serve as an ad for another blog that I have personally approved. My 'card' is found on other sites where I choose to advertise and the site owner accepts my ad.

So what is the point of signing up with Entrecard?

Entrecard gives the blogger a chance to promote their blog. It doesn’t matter if you are new to blogging or have an established site. It is free, immediate and easy to set up. Entrecard increased my blog traffic right away and I hadn’t even started advertising!

After you register with Entrecard you may start ‘dropping’. To drop is to go to a blog and if you see the widget click on ‘drop’. Pretty easy. You will earn EC’s (Entrecard Credits) for this action. When you accumulate enough EC’s you can advertise on other blogs and get more traffic to your site! You also get EC’s when others place ads on your blog.

Entrecard is not just about promoting your blog. It is a place to find amazing blogs, make some friends and yes gain popularity for your blog right away. It is a blogging community. The blog database can be searched by topic type. This has given me the opportunity to find some interesting blogs that I would have never come across otherwise. There is also a forum and messaging. Entrecard is an ideal place to see and learn what other bloggers are doing.

As any community there are some etiquette rules to follow. Always follow those who drop on you that is the number one rule! It is not always reciprocated; there is a lot of buzz about this throughout the blogosphere. I just say deal with it. Who knows why the other person couldn’t get back to your blog to drop. Maybe they just had so many drops they can’t keep up. The fact is if I drop on you and you don’t drop back, your card will not show up in my dashboard and I will probably not drop again. I don’t loose any sleep over it. I always drop and then follow the advertisement and drop there too. This can go on perpetually! The more I drop the more I gain!

I actually not only drop but read the sites. It takes forever on dial-up but it is well worth it I have found some great sites and great tips on making money online. The amount of time I will spend on a page depends on the content and the grammar. While I am not an English professor, if I have a hard time reading a post I will drop and leave. The buzz is that not a lot of Entrecard users actually read the posts. There are what are called “drive by droppers” or “chain droppers”. They just drop and run. That is fine with me. If I can’t keep your attention long enough to read, well…what am I going to do? Whine that you do not read my posts? Nope, that is not me. I will just keep trying harder to make my blog more interesting so you will not be able to stop yourself from reading the posts. That’s just me, but to each his own.

If you haven’t given Entrecard a try yet I recommend you do so. This is not a paid post or anything of the sort. It is from my own personal experience in the last couple of weeks that I recommend this service.

Happy dropping!

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New List for Entrecard Users

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ClixSense.com - Make Money by Clicking?

I decided to try out one of those pay-per-click opps found advertised around the net. There was a post on a related blog that recommended ClixSense.com, so I figured I would do a little investigating on the subject. The following is my recount of what I experienced.

After registering you may browse ads by clicking on the “Browse Ads” link, a list of available ads will appear, click on the ad that interests you. Then a timer will appear in the new ad window/tab, when it counts down to zero the amount declared for that ad will be credited to your account. Every so many ads you will have to input the Turing numbers/letters you see, it’s just their way to make sure you are not using an automated program to view the ads, or so I imagine. They use it at log-in also. Simple enough.

Only one account per household is strictly enforced. Payment will be made via check by regular mail. PayPal is not used. Payments are made on the 10^th day of the month provided the user has reached the minimum payout of $10, or a higher amount if preferred. If not they will carry the balance over to the next month until the minimum is reached.

No fees are associated with making money on ClixSense.com. There is an option to upgrade to “premier status” which gives you the benefit of viewing more ads and collecting additional affiliate revenue. You may advertise on this site that is separate from your earnings.

The affiliate program pays premium members 5 levels deep for their referrals which they claim can lead up to a $366.50 payout. Regular members get $0.10 a referral. That is quite the difference. I am not there yet and I do not like to pay for anything either. I will not be upgrading anytime soon.

Some of the ads I viewed were for such things as The Discovery Store, JitterBug phone, money making opps, and shopping. A couple of the ads repeated themselves, but I was still credited. All of the ads so far pay a penny for 30 seconds of viewing except one that paid $0.02 for the same 30secs of viewing. The ads displayed match your profile settings. I should have checked off more interests because it only displayed 25 ads. Keep this in mind if you decide to sign-up. You can only change your profile settings once every 90 days!

I made $0.25 in 12.5 minutes. The money was accredited to my account right away. If I wanted to make $5 a day I would have to view 500 ads spending a little over 4hrs viewing these ads. I have dial-up and the pages loaded fast. The seconds start counting down before the page fully loads so, if I wanted I really wouldn’t have to wait for it to finish loading anyways. Using tabbed browsing makes it easy because I can still view other pages. I am surprised they haven’t figured this out yet. My curiosity makes me view the page for more than the 30secs required anyway.

Is it worth it? Not sure. It would be $5 more than I have now. Every penny counts, literally! It is up to each individual user. If you want to sign-up click on my link to ClickSense.com and I will make an entire $0.10! Thanks!

I will update when I have an actual check in my hand from ClickSense!

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PPP Accepted my Post!

It was so awesome I checked my e-mail and there it was “Your post has been accepted by PPP”! I had been logging in and checking my e-mail everyday waiting for a response. Actually, it didn’t take that long, I was just so anxious.

This is a real opportunity to make money online, no gimmicks, no money on your part required. My payment will be deposited directly into my PayPal account, simple as that. The hardest thing is getting opportunities before they are filled! So far, I have only been able to get two paid posts. There have been plenty more opps, but they are always filled by the time I get to them. I don’t know what the trick is, how often I should check or what! As soon as I figure it out I will post about it. If anyone has any tips please! Leave a comment.

Happy blogging:-)

Related Posts on WAHB:

The Buzz on PayPerPost

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First E-mail from Air Car!

I received my first e-mail from ZeroPollutionMotors! Had been thinking about this car all weekend! They will keep me updated on any news about the Air Car. I can’t wait! 2010 seems like a long wait, but it is really not. Two years fly by. I am sure there will be at least a few other choices by then. So far, I think compressed air sounds the best. It gets the best mileage of any of the other fuel alternative vehicles I have read about. There also not seems to be as many complications with it in comparison to other alternative fuel vehicles. The Air Car is the option for me! The price sounds great! Actually less than what I was planning to spend on a traditional fuel car. OK, so I will have to compromise on the leg room, oh well have been doing that all my life! Anyhow, don’t know yet just how roomy they will be, they do say it is a 6-passenger car, which sounds pretty roomy to me!

More to come as I get additional updates from ZeroPollutionMotors.

Related Posts on WAHB:

OPEC can BITE ME!
Alternative Fuel Technologies
OMG! A Car That Runs on Compressed Air!

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OMG! A Car That Runs on Compressed Air!

It exists! Yes there is a car that runs on air and only “pure air exits its tailpipe”!! I am so excited! Of course, it is not available at the moment. It is though, in its “final development stage”. ZeroPollutionMotors.com estimates 96mph top speed and up to an 800 mile range. Pretty good! Demand for the Air Car will be high. I signed up with my e-mail to be kept up to date; purchasing an Air Car will not be easy. They are taking ‘reservations’ for US deliveries in 2010. Three similar models will be available.

“If you can, imagine a vehicle that runs on air, achieves over 100 gas-equivalent mpg and over 90 mph, has zero to low C02 emissions, seats six, has plenty of space for luggage, cuts no safety corners, and costs no more than an average economy to mid-size vehicle.”

Ok, there is a bad aspect. It is French! I know that if you are an American loving patriot like my honey, French products are not allowed. But, hey! You know it’s for the good of the entire planet! It was developed by MDI-Motor Development International based in France, with Guy Negre in charge.

ZeroPollutionMotors.com mission statement:

“To bring zero pollution motoring at any speed, for any distance, to the largest number of motorists possible and, in doing so, significantly improve the quality of the air we breathe and reduce our collective carbon footprint.”

Sounds great to me, I don’t care where it’s made as long as no one was harmed in the process! I want one! They also look real cute, ZeroPollutionMotors.com calls it 'Smart Design’. They are just as safe as other cars on our roads today, for they follow the same safety rules. Air bags and ABS braking included.

No sacrifice of the usual amenities, either. The Air Car comes equipped with full CFC-Free A/C; power windows, doors and locks; optional GPS, etc. Ok so the sacrifice is in horsepower, only 75hp. You can’t have everything! See vehicle specs.

Price is the best thing; it actually is affordable for the average population. The Air Car is proposed at roughly $17,800. Oil changes are only required every 31,000 miles! They estimate $2 to fill up and 106mpg! Simple maintenance by replacement of parts cuts down on labor costs. I am totally sold!

Oh, Oh. I read on, guess what? At higher speeds, over 35mph, it uses other types of fuel. Darn it! I have been fooled again! Ok it is still twice as clean as the cleanest car out there today and they are small amounts of fuels such as gasoline, propane or ethanol. They do say it gets “over 100 gas-equivalent mpg”. That is still better than my 31mpg highway.

Refueling problems again, must plug into a normal power outlet. It does also refuel while driving at high speeds. Ok so I will do like that dude that installed his own wind turbine in his back yard, plus some solar panels and done deal! Actually I am serious about this. I have thought about it for years, my education makes this an easily accessible option, remember I am an Archi! I know how to do it, at least in theory. Money has been a deterrent, but given the state of things I do believe this will finally become a feasible option for a lot of people.

Happy Trails!

Disclosure:

I am in no way associated with this company or have received any form of payment from ZeroPollutionMotors.com for this post. It is of my own free will that I chose to write about the Air Car with no compensation in mind. However, if anyone from ZeroPollutionMotors.com reads this and wants to throw an Air Car my way, I by no means will refuse it! Imagine how much I could write if I actually got to drive one!

Related Posts on WAHB:

OPEC can BITE ME!
Alternative Fuel Technologies

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Alternative Fuel Technologies

So what is out there? What are the alternative fuel choices we are given today?

• Ethanol: It is not working out. There are not enough fueling stations! By the time they get fueling stations for everyone, food prices are going to be so high what’s the point? Plus, for what I have been able to find out the mileage is not that great at all.
  

• Electric cars….not so good. They are very small, most Nev’s (neighborhood electric vehicles) are only allowed on roads with posted speed limits of 35mph or lower, and they can only go short distances. The better ones are way expensive (EV’s). The picture posted is of the Kurrent NEV car. The Kurrent will be built in Michigan by American Electric Vehicles. It is affordable only $10,600, but can’t be driven in the US in roads with posted speed limits over 35mph and only has a 40 mile range. Most NEV’s are being sold in Europe, London especially. We need an EV that is viable here in the US, at around $20,000. That would be accessible to the average person and therefore a successful solution to our current problem. Then there is the question of how are you going to charge them up? Plug into the regular grid? Then you are still part of the energy consumption problem. We need more solar energy and wind power to supply our homes and businesses, but that’s an entirely other can of worms!

• Hydrogen fuel cars? Several decades before it is perfected. You see, hydrogen is an energy carrier not an energy source. Big difference! The procedure is that of combining hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity. The only byproducts are heat and vapor, splendid! Honda is promising 280 miles of range and a whopping 74mpg! However, these fuel cells are extremely expensive. These cars require some kind of fueling station and there are not many, even in California. Some even say that the stations would actually run on traditional fuel sources, so what's the point? It has been called “one of the least efficient, most expensive alternative fuel sources”. GM is rolling out 100 fuel cell electric vehicles for the largest ever market test. Don’t think they will be out on the lot of your local car dealer anytime soon, though.

What about a car that ran on air? OMG wouldn’t that be the most awesome thing? And it could take polluted air and recycle it through the engine and have it come out clean air!

Ok, I'm getting carried away here.

To sum it up:

Buying a car that does not rely on traditional petroleum fuel is not so easy, at least for the time being. I think things will change dramatically in the next 5-10 years. The little one is always saying that by the time she gets to drive fuel will be like $1000 per/gal! I always tell her she will not be driving traditional fuel vehicles; by God they may not even have wheels! After the 70’s energy crisis, shouldn’t we be driving cars with perfected alternative fuel technology by now?

Finding alternative energy sources is not just about rising fuel prices and not wanting to support the greedy oil companies, it’s about making this planet a better place to live and keeping it around for our grandchildren to enjoy.

Driving alternative fuel cars is one step, perhaps the first major one for you and me. We can also recycle, change our light bulbs, build more efficient homes, stop the use of harmful chemicals, and find alternative energy to fuel our homes!

I have been concerned with this topic since the early 80’s when it was not a fad. While I am glad that it is popular no matter the reason, people are changing their habits, which is what counts, I do not like that it is a trend. I am scared that oil prices will go down and then what? We all go back to consuming excessive amounts of energy, forget about our carbon footprint? I sure hope not.

Happy Trails Everyone!

Related Posts on WAHB:

OPEC can BITE ME!
OMG! A Car That Runs on Compressed Air!

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OPEC can BITE ME!

After renting an SUV this last January, my car was hit by an idiot who ran a stop sign! Don’t even make me go there! Anyway back to the topic, so I decide I want an SUV and I no longer cared how much it pollutes, wastes energy and blah, blah blah. I mean what was one more SUV going to do to the environment? I am 5’10” tall, for the love of God have some sympathy! My compact hurts! I have bruised legs from the steering wheel!

Then gas prices started hitting record highs and I thought about it again. No way! I will not continue to support the oil companies who are at the very same time that we are struggling making record profits! I mean what is that? It’s like go ahead slap me across the face while you….in the behind, I don’t mind, really. (Sorry but there is no nice way to put it.) I will do whatever it takes to stop my dependency on fuel! I will keep the car I have until something different comes along. That is my final say.

Gas prices are out of Control! Let’s face it; it will only get worse in the long run. The truth is that it has been a long time in the making, we need alternative fuel sources ASAP! The major oil companies have kept the new technologies from emerging, we have all heard about the great inventors who sold their licenses to alternative fuel motors thinking that they were going to change the world, only to find out their buyer was an oil company who buried the invention. My own grand-uncle, with no more than a grammar school education 30+ years ago altered his engine to run on water!

But times are a changing! Finally the public is outraged; we will not let the oil companies bury another alternative fuel powered engine design. We have cut down on driving; we are selling our gas guzzlers, production of SUV's is coming to a screeching halt, oh yeah! Watch out OPEC your days of a gold palace are coming to an end!

Related Posts on WAHB:

Alternative Fuel Technologies
OMG! A Car That Runs on Compressed Air!

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Online Coupons to Popular Sites

Another fantastic find through the Frogpond at BzzAgent.com!

RetailMeNot.com offers an incredible and huge variety of online coupons. They advertise having more than 70,000 coupon codes. Easy to navigate and full of popular brand names such as, Target, Banana Republic, Cold Water Creek, Papa Johns, Amazon, etc. I found no spam or viruses associated with this site. What I did find were great savings!

I checked out Victoria’s Secret coupon codes first just because I am a regular shopper there and receive a lot of offers directly from the company. This made it possible for me to compare discounts I regularly receive from them to what was offered by RetailMeNot.com. I found they really had coupons that would make it worth it to visit their site.

Amazing! RetailMeNot.com had a bunch of coupons not available directly from victoriassecret.com, even for frequent buyers! I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I found approximately 52 coupons! A few are printable coupons and mostly online codes. Everything from free shipping, discounts 10%-40%, free items with purchase and dollar discounts. I will definitely check out RetailMeNot.com before placing any order again!

Disclosure:

As a BzzAgent I get to try out new websites and products and provide honest reviews about them. Buzzing is about word of mouth, sharing honest and informed opinions. RetailMeNot.com is one of the latest frogs in the Frogpond. The Frogpond is an area of BzzAgent.com dedicated to “sharing and discovering stuff online”. I am not paid for my opinions so I can be honest and tell the good and the bad, I am not a salesperson! The Frogpond rewards me with some points and sometimes free trial memberships to the sites buzzed about. To see more of my BzzAgent reviews or become a BzzAgent yourself follow the link below. It is fun and informative!

More BzzAgent Reviews:
CheckMD Buzz
Claritin RediTabs Buzz
The Buzz on SimpleTuition.com
The BzzAgent Site Review

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