what NOT to do

Phishing and other scams are prevalent. I receive them from time to time.
In this real life story, one very intelligent friend of mine was duped, and her mistake is everyone's lesson in what NOT to do.

She received an email from Yahoo, her email provider, asking for your password, and thinking it was official, she replied. Mistake.

Yesterday morning I received this email from her (so did ALL her other email contacts, business and personal); typos in the quoted section appear as I received it:

I am in a hurry writing you this message i am sorry i didn't inform you about my urgent trip to London, i don't have much time on the pc here,so i have to brief you my present situation which requires your urgent response actually, I had a trip to London but unfortunately for me all my money got stolen at the hotel where i lodged due to a robbery incident that happened in the hotel.I had been so restless since last night cos i have been without any money moreover the Hotel's telephone lines here got dissconnected by the robbers and they are trying to get them fixed back i have access to only emails at the library because my mobile cant work here so i didnt bring it along,please i want you to help me with money so please can you send me 1,200 Pounds so when i return back i would refund it back to you as soon as i get home,I am so confused right now and dont know what to do,Please you can have it sent through Western Union Money Transfer so will get it immediately its sent but let me know if you can help me then i will make findings.please let me hear from you so i can give you my the address and name where you can send the money to today please.Its really urgent for me as i dont know what to do right now than to leave here soonest you send it to me and i'll pay you back immediately i get home..Thanks alot for your kindness,

I will really appreciate your quick response.

Best Regards
(I deleted her name to protect her innocence!!!)

I thought that a professional writer (which she is) would do a better job writing this and her husband would have sent the money if this were indeed a real situation. Besides we knew she was home and not in London.

But the annoyance of having to admit her error and the consequences to all her email contacts ruined her day. And don't you think she felt her online security was violated? Humor: she did admit that as a result of this scam email, she never knew she had so many friends who cared so much about her...silver lining?

Even if it seems official, forward that phishing email to abuse@(your ISP).com. They will track the bad guys down if they can. If they have time to...

So tell your friends, your kids, you parents, that what appears to be a legitimate, official-looking request for your email password is actually a scam designed to find one dummy in your email list who might just send the money to help you out in a panic, and enrich a scammer.
Be safe.

It's been a while

Since my last blog posting, a few things have happened that are noteworthy.

First, my daughter's college graduation, magna cum laude from Tufts. My college son is home too and between the two of them, they are on the Hawaiian time zone, asleep at 4 am and up again at 12 noon.

Second, a number of new clients in the for-profit and the nonprofit spheres, which is always a good sign. Perhaps the economy is reawakening?

Third, new products virtually for free: a wireless credit card terminal for merchants who go to the client, rather than the traditional vice-versa way, and an IP-capable desktop terminal for retailers with the latest in VOIP telecommunications.

Finally, LinkedIn is kicking! Many new contacts and new ways of gaining exposure which is crucial in this industry. I am presenting in New York City to a group of accountants early this week; one of a number of presentations I am asked to make, which is outside my normal area of expertise, but helps me meet new people.

It's always been the networking that I really enjoy at the end of the day. People helping people. Til the next installment...

The Proper Care and Feeding of LinkedIn

All living organisms, and some electronic things, need proper care and feeding. The seeds I sprouted in March in the windowsill are mostly surviving, despite my too-constant watering and transplanting. Some would say compulsive...

I have lost a few seedlings, and more tragically, some friends this past month. John was 53 and Jerry was 84. Both will be sadly missed.

The 84-year old came up with the name "The Proper Care and Feeding of LinkedIn" for a session I did for Jewish Family Services to help some folks in between jobs learn a few techniques for job searching using LinkedIn. Unfortunately he was in the hospital when I gave the session,. but would have been asking lots of questions as his mind was always clicking away...That's how I want to be at his age!

I am beginning to collect tips and ideas for an upcoming white paper for my clients, fellow consultants, friends and fellow bloggers, LinkedIn buddies called "The Proper Care and Feeding of LinkedIn."

If you have a great story, an smart tip, a savvy use of LinkedIn, a piece of business you won directly from LinkedIn, etc., please send it to me and I will pull together the top 50 (or 100) ideas and distribute to you. Insert the anecdotes into comments to this posting.

Adoption Adaption

This week's spotlight is on Jewish Family Service. one of whose programs is a full-service domestic or international child adoption service.

The staff at JFS could not be more sincere in their desire to help couples adopt children. The experience was so favorable that a friend who used the JFS adoption services became a Board Member and cannot say enough about how well it all went.

Experienced, consultative, supportive and professional, JFS guides couples along the way, making a vulnerable emotional time much more enjoyable.

They remain engaged as the new parents adapt, the child flourishes and the agency has performed its mitzvah (good deed) for couples of all faiths and backgrounds.

What could be better? Encourage friends and family members thinking of adopting to contact JFS by phone at 203.366.5438 or via the website. Adoption and adaption all under one roof.

Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes

Until I came in contact with Homes for the Brave in Bridgeport, CT I didn't know that:
1) that an estimated 7,000 – 8,000 female veterans are homeless in the U.S., the most in the nation’s history.
2) their numbers are expected to increase as more women return home.
3) women make up about 5% of homeless veterans, up from 3% 10 years ago.
4) a woman who has served in the military is up to four times more likely to be homeless than a nonveteran woman.
5) female veterans are more likely to experience severe housing cost burden than male veterans. They represent only 7% of veterans but 13.5% of veterans with severe housing cost burden.
6) lack of affordable housing is a primary catalyst for homelessness amongst all veterans.

Of the 8,000 soldiers from Connecticut who are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, 25 percent of them are women. With more veterans due to return stateside, there is an extreme shortage of transitional housing for female vets in CT. “Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes” would be the first transitional living facility for homeless female veterans in the state.

The urgency for supporting these homeless female veterans is extreme and your financial support is needed. Please contact Amanda LeClair at aleclair@homesforthebrave.org or 203.338.0669.

At a theatre near us

The Community Theatre Foundation in Fairfield, a gem of a cultural attraction in the midst of Fairfield, CT is this week’s featured nonprofit client. It is a foundation, supported solely by movie ticket sales at well-below market prices, and donations from the people who love it. Unfortunately its expenses exceed its donors’ generosity and in these rough economic times, its needs have ballooned. Operations and maintenance expenses are sapping its stability.

Folks, this is a different kind of place. The seats are comfortable, the moviegoers are your neighbors, and the operation is staffed by high school volunteers who are getting great work experience.

For these reasons, I really don’t think it gets any better than this; they give back to the community and now need our help.

Donations can go to https://secure.modpay.com/vterm/vterm1.cfm?an&nan&ae=1&clientcode=1C65A547.
Please help.

Moooooove your kosher meat buying online

Jewish meat eaters who relish glatt kosher meat know that the periodic trip to the kosher butcher as much as 2 hours away is a major pain in the rumproast.

Now you can order glatt kosher meat online while your salivary glands start into hyperdrive just looking at the online photos; a few days later you have the meat delivered to your door. It's the low-carbon footprint way of getting your glatt kosher meat.

Passover starts the evening of 08Ap09. That's soon.
Don't delay-tell your friends who buy kosher meat to have a look at The Golden West Cattle Company, this week's featured client. Special prices are on the website ahead of the holiday. And the website is fun to read as well.
Hag sameach (happy holiday in Hebrew)