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John Thomson  

Here and there

For many, it's the season of giving. For cyber-criminals, it's a perfect time for taking.

McAfee, a leading security software and services company, says 'tis the season for those more naughty than nice to swindle naïve web surfers out of their shopping money.

With the intent to steal one's identity for financial gain, many new scams (and new spins on older ones) have surfaced this time of year, and so McAfee is cautioning Internet users by publishing a list of its Twelve Scams of Christmas to watch for.

A popular scam is a free iPad giveaway. The offer might come in the form of e-mail "spam" asking users to first purchase other products to receive the free iPad (instead, the crooks steal your credit card number). Facebook users, on the other hand, might be asked to take a quiz to win the free tablet, and are then asked to provide a cell phone number -- but victims inadvertently sign up for a cell phone scam that can cost them $10 a week on their wireless bill (until discovered).

Speaking of cell phones, "phishing" scams familiar to computer users – messages from legitimate-looking institutions such as your bank – are now hitting mobile devices. Called "smishing" attempts, these SMS (text) messages appear to come from your financial institution or an online retailer, requesting to confirm account information by text or phone. In actuality, these cyber-criminals will try to use your information for identity theft.

Fake gift cards are another easy way for thieves to prey on gullible web users. One such scam promises a "free $1,000 Best Buy gift card" to the first 20,000 people who sign up for a Best Buy fan page on Facebook. These offers are not from Best Buy, but malicious types asking users to reveal personal information (and take a quiz or two) in order to qualify for the phony gift card. Instead, this information is used to sell to marketing companies or for identify theft purposes.

Travel-related "distress" scams, such as the "Help! I've been robbed!" plea on social networks like Facebook, are also expected to be on the rise during the holiday season, predicts McAfee. In some cases, the message appears to be from someone you know, while in most instances it's from a stranger - both request money to be wired or transferred ASAP so they can get home for the holidays.

As many people plan on traveling during the holidays, McAfee also warns of "rogue" Wi-Fi connections at airports and hotels. You might be tempted to log online to a "free" wireless network your laptop found in the vicinity, but in could be a tech-savvy scammer out to steal your information. Instead, McAfee suggests you stick with well-established and trusted networks and websites, preview a link's web address before you click on it and don't respond to offers that arrive in a spam e-mail, text or instant message.

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A good friend of mine, Richard Short, who for years was a supplier for my many businesses and clients, passed away very suddenly last month in Vernon. I knew him and his family very well and it came as quite a shock to hear the story of his passing. I hope the roads are a lot smoother in heaven.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
May he be at peace.
Dear Friend, rest easy.


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Last month there was a full-page ad in the Globe & Mail about the free
Amish heaters that were being offered by the company to the first group of people who called. They had taken a map of Canada and divided it in half and the top half were the first lucky people to get to call.

First of all they are not free and they are certainly not a miracle. It is a difficult ad to read and the program has been running in the states for years.

The heater is made in China and the mantel is made by a group of Amish people. The actual source of the heat is quartz infrared bulbs. These bulbs get warm and a small fan moves the heat into the room. The Amish people are against the use of electricity.

These are not free, the shipping costs are quite expensive. To ship two $600 is the total cost.

They really are a great piece of furniture if you have a small room to heat but at what cost?

Be careful, nothing is free.

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My friend and fellow writer Deanna Merrick did a feature article on Councilor Andre Blanleil. It was a good interview in the OK Mission Review
and I asked if I could quote her article and she gave me permission.

“Unquestionably, the single biggest disappointment was the cancellation of Kelowna’s downtown plan. Between the developers and ourselves we spent $1.5 million on that. It went through three years of public consultation. We lost a great plan,” said Blanleil. “The previous council would have passed it if all the work had been completed. This was a twenty-year plan, decades of vision for the future of Kelowna. We had the plan, we did the math, and we were prepared to compromise to make the thing work. At the end though, they wouldn’t go for it.”

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We just don’t realize how much money stars that have passed away make and their image is still worth big bucks in the market place. Here are the top six lists for the year:

  • Michael Jackson - 275 million
  • Elvis Presley - 60 million
  • J.R.R. Tolkien - 50 million
  • Charles Schulz - 33 million
  • John Lennon - 17 million
  • Stieg Larson - 15 million


  • More John Thomson articles

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    About the Author

    John Thomson is the Okanagan's pre-eminent business columnist writing his column, Rumours and Things, for over 24 years. Plugged in to the valley's who's who, John keeps his readers coming back for more with his straight talk and optimistic perspective on where we are headed next.

    When John is not writing his column, he runs a sixteen year old think tank called the Executive Roundtable and holds his popular "Thomson Presents" quarterly business speaker seminars.

    Have a comment, question, or tip for John? 

    E-mail John at
    [email protected]
    or send him a fax at 250-764-8255.

     



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    The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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