Don’t Talk To Strangers

If you are…ahem…thirtysomething or more, you’ll remember the Rick Springfield song, Don’t Talk To Strangers. It sounds like a simple concept, but as we tell children, sometimes, strangers appear to be harmless, or portray themselves to be something they are not.  Some strangers try to entice with candy or some other appealing means.

Similarly, we all receive spam email from time to time, but there are instances where spam email isn’t conspicuous. Be very, very careful about any email that requests personal or sensitive information; it is better to call a number with which you are familiar to provide such information than to take a chance and transmit it via email. Be cautious of links within email messages, especially if the message is directing you to a link to then enter information. To “test” links, copy and paste the link into a document and right click the link to view “properties”; it should be a familiar url and free of strange characters or words. Be wary of email that includes typos and/or misspellings.

Such practices are called “phishing”.  Pay-per-click (PPC) programs have resources available to you if you feel you have received phishing email.  (If your PPC account is managed by Solid Cactus, please contact your account manager.)

Google Phishing Assistance

Yahoo Phishing Assistance

MSN Phishing Assistance

So, remember, don’t talk to strangers, don’t take candy from them, either, and you won’t turn into a sucker!