Gather ’round kiddies. Huddle close together and listen up. It’s December in the year of our Lord, 2015. We had a snow last month, your Detroit football Lions, won a Thanksgiving game and the 10 day weather forecast for Southeastern Michigan has temperatures solidly in the 40s.
Hot damn and deck them halls with boughs of holly!
Tis the season of rosy cheeks, childrens? smiles, love rekindled, laughter, peace, joy and all that jazz. Oh, and it is also the time all the Scrooge McDucks out there pray on all us goodie-too-shoes, wanting-to-give types.
Fa la la la la but don’t be scammed.
Yep, even us folks who think we are too clever to fall to schemes of fraud, can and do. And, when you get scammed, you feel sad, you feel mad and you feel stupid — these feelings kinda? put a damper on the fun and good cheer we all should be sharing this month and every month.
One way not to be scammed is to donate/give to local charities by local organizations. It is easy to follow the money and see how funds are used. Another way is to watch your fingers. Don’t be so click happy whilst on social media websites. I hopped on-line and discovered that 40 percent of all on-line fraud happens the last three months of the year — these days are like a crooked Christmas to cyber criminals.
‘Tis the season to be jolly!
Following are some common holiday cheer-stealing Grinch tricks.
From Cnet.com: ‘You downloaded an app because it advertised fantastic holiday deals. Who could resist? You open it up and it looks like a copy of Amazon, but it doesn’t work very well. Frustrated, you delete it. Problem solved, right? Not so fast. The malicious app has already gotten its claws into your phone, collecting your personal information.?
See the blazing yule before us . . . Strike the harp and join the chorus
PCWorld.com listed five things to be on the lookout for. The Free Ipad scam; the gift card scam; the bogus auction/classified scam; malicious websites and public Wi-Fi hackers — adding their number one tip of the season: Avoid shopping and paying bills over a wifi public network.
Remember, cyber bad guys on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., are trying to lure you into giving away your personal information with cool quizzes, outrageous celebrity news or other things you click regularly.
Fa la la la la but don’t be scammed.
Here’s a little from Foxnews.com, ‘What on-line site lets crooks, hucksters and scammers reach potentially more than a billion people with a single post? You guessed it, Facebook. Right now, three specific Facebook scams are rampant, and if my News Feed is any indication, normally ‘smart? people are falling for them. Don’t be one of those people.?
The top scams are the Secret Sister Scam and The Lottery Scam. The Secret Sister Scam goes like this: ‘Here’s a fantastic deal: Buy a $10 holiday gift and send it to one person. In return, you’ll get up to 36 gifts back.?
How to avoid scams? Remember, nothing is free and that old skeptic’s mantra, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.? From the Foxnews.com article, ‘Keep in mind that anyone offering a huge return on any investment is probably trying to fool you.?
Follow me in merry measure . . . While I tell of Yuletide treasure!
While the internet is a wonderful tool bringing much good to humans of the world, it kinda sucks, too. It can also bring the world’s despots into every home connected. So, I come back to the local angle.
You wanna? donate to a worthy cause? You don’t have to give for something that is halfway around the world; look in your own back yard. There are plenty of local groups that help clothe, feed and gift give to members of (yes it is hard to believe) this community. Do some due diligence, ask your neighbors, call a local church or god forbid, read your community newspaper! Our pages are usually full of awesome ways to give.
Sing we joyous all together . . . Heedless of the wind and weather!
Another way to avoid being scammed is to shop locally this holiday season. Small Business Saturday was this past week, just because that day is done and gone, doesn’t mean you are now obligated to shop the big boxes or websites. Shop locally! The local shops and restaurants and spas and places welcome you and will appreciate you! And remember . . .
Fa la la la la but don’t be scammed.