Yes, I received a Yahoo Account Suspension Warning! Boy, o boy, I must have been abusing my free e-mail account with forwarded messages and telegram style mails. Yahoo admin might have been bored with the volume and kind of emails I am sending prompting them to serve me a suspension warning. Don't get me wrong, I don't email prohibited, scandalous, abusive, or pornographic materials. Never! My Yahoo mail is absolulety clean from such rubbish. Some friends did try forwarding such kind of emails especially the last one I mentioned but without their knowledge, their email just end up to my trash. Seriously, I have to warn them.
But what about this email I received? What's wrong with it?
Of course, this email came from billaref@yahoo.com. He or she must be negatively brilliant, un-expert, or simply stupid. Sorry, I can think of a better term. He or she could have used something like "admin@yahoo.com" or "info@yahoo.com" to make it more legitimate. Maybe, we will call him 'Billaref' for clarity.
Let us digest Billaref's email. Apparently, he is sending this email to "anable" Yahoo to render better services. O common! he is wanting my cute email and "secret" password. But what puzzles me is that he was able to get my email address. I must have inadvertently shared my e-mail or my friends were not mindful in forwarding my e-mail address. Anyway, can I conclude that my yahoo ID, password, birthday, country and Zip code has significant factor to improve Yahoo services? Why is it that he didn't ask for my bank account details? Is he aware that it has fallen into the red mark and has no value in it at all? What about my Paypal account so He can deposit the proceeds of the estate of his murdered multi-millioner great great grandfather?
I hope you are getting my point. If you are an unsuspecting computer user, here are Five tips to protect your online privacy on the net.
I hope you are getting my point. If you are an unsuspecting computer user, here are Five tips to protect your online privacy on the net.
Do not reveal personal information inadvertently. You may be "shedding" personal details, including e-mail addresses and other contact information, without even knowing it unless you properly configure your Web browser.
Do not reply to spammers, for any reason. "Spam", or unsolicited bulk e-mail, is something you are probably already familiar with.
Be conscious of Web security.Never submit a credit card number or other highly sensitive personal information without first making sure your connection is secure (encrypted).
Beware sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your contact information or other personal details.There's a very high probability that they are gathering this information for direct marketing purposes. In many cases your name and address are worth much more to them because they can sell it to other marketers.
Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom. Don't give out personally-identifiable information too easily. Just as you might think twice about giving some clerk at the mall your home address and phone number, keep in mind that simply because a site asks for or demands personal information from you does not mean you have to give it. You do have to give accurate billing information if you are buying something, of course, but if you are registering with a free site that is a little too nosy for you, there is no law (in most places) against providing them with pseudonymous information.
So Billaref has to learn to crack the code to perpetrate his illicit trade of collecting personal information. Simple photoshops like the one he did below will not work.
Comments
These people will do anything to fool others.
When in doubt, ask the help desks of companies represented in such emails.