Tag Archive for profile

9 Facts About Scammers

March 6, 2020 Comments Off on 9 Facts About Scammers

As we finish up National Consumer Protection Week, I thought I’d pass on some advice on how scammers scam us. Here, from AJC Atlanta News Now, is a list of 9 things scammers tell you. Here’s the list. Read details on their article.

1. Scammers feed off specific clues you put in your profile.

2. He usually lives outside the U.S.

3. Scamming women is his job.

4. What he’ll tell you about himself.

5. He uses romance to lure you in.

6. He’ll always have an excuse for why he can’t see you.

7. You can’t find anything concrete about who this man is.

8. You can’t find anything concrete about who this man is.

9. Action plan for protecting yourself from a scammer.

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Did You Review that Review?

December 8, 2017 Comments Off on Did You Review that Review?

I’m sensitive about this because I come by all my reviews honestly, and a recent report by Chris Chmura of NBC Bay Area News Responds reminded me of how much this bugs me: the multitude of fake online reviews.

He pointed out that, according  to Yelp, one quarter of their reviews are either biased or fake. That Facebook keeps trying–and failing–to solve the problem.  And that Google is tight-lipped (but seemingly unsuccessful) about their attempts at curbing these bogus reviews.  Yet, most of us continue to check to see what others have to say about a company we’re considering hiring.

Ah, the companies.  Seems like it’s not just reviews from individuals with a grudge or promoting their relative’s business.  Businesses hire people to do reviews for a specific company or even for a bunch of companies in the same line of work, in order to enhance that industry’s image (and revenue).

What can we do?  Chris Chmura suggests looking at a reviewer’s profile.  Don’t trust them if all their reviews are 5-star positive or very vague.  Watch for brand-new reviewers, too, who are suddenly online posting a good  number of reviews (maybe they’ve just been hired to do this?).   Or people who seem to review only companies in a particular industry but in different cities and states (also hired?).

The government is suing these fakers when they can find them, but there are so many that it’s an uphill battle.

One more thing: you can file a complaint, find out about the latest fraud, and–only if you want to–sign up for fraud alerts at www.fraud.org.

 

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Martin Too Black or Too Young?

July 16, 2013 Comments Off on Martin Too Black or Too Young?

There’s a type of profiling in our society that people upset with the Zimmerman verdict are overlooking.  Instead of profiling Trevon Martin as a BLACK person, could Zimmerman have reacted to his YOUTH?  A kid, likely with a bit of a youthful, jaunty walk, coming down the street, face partially covered by a hoodie, carrying…something….  As they moved closer together, a KID probably failed to give an adult the desired response (translate that into “respect”).  Words exchanged could not have been conversation, because kids and adults don’t speak the same slanguage, and adults, often uncomfortable with that, become defensive to keep themselves from becoming intimidated by a PUNK KID.

I don’t know.  I think there was some pre-conceived notion on Zimmerman’s part.  Otherwise he wouldn’t have left his car to confront Martin.  I have reasonable doubt, though, that it was simply racial.  Maybe partially racial, maybe not.  But I’d bet that, in that Neighborhood Watchman’s mind, young people were the perpetrators of a recent rash of burglaries; therefore, he saw Martin as a suspect and a threat because he was a KID.

 

 

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