My cyber mailbox constantly overflows with news and nonsense.
My spam filter works overtime to weed out bogus messages (read: e-mails intended to defraud and deceive), but the criminal intentions somehow find their way into my inbox. Over the months, I’ve had to put up with news naming me beneficiary to some inheritance (from people I don’t even know!), alleged financial institution executives urging me to collect four-digit sums from Western Union (complete with the Money Confirmation Transaction Number), and banks informing me that my account would be frozen unless I update my personal information. Really? The funny thing is, I don’t even have an account in their banks!
Scammers and con artists obviously think that folks like me are easily taken by such “too good to be true” tales of instant fortune. It’s fraudulent nonsense being perpetuated by worthless cyber thugs. This growing Internet trend succeeds in making me sad knowing that a countless number of people spend time cooking up wicked ways to take advantage of the innocent masses.
The other day my friend Mary and I got into a discussion on the disadvantages of the Internet. It all started when I mentioned that I happened to Google my name on the world wide web and almost went into cardiac arrest when the first link that came up was one that had my resume posted. Last August after I knew that my job was being eliminated due to corporate downsizing, I joined an online recruiting agency so that I could be notified of available positions that matched my qualifications. In the process, I had to submit my resume to their website. What I didn’t anticipate was my home address and telephone number becoming fodder for the cyber masses!
If anyone ever find themselves in the same boat (that is, see your private information posted online), my advice is to log into your account where you submitted your resume and immediately delete your file. Now it explains why my telephone answering machine is full of strange messages from callers who sound like they actually know me!
Mary commented that the Internet has unleashed some wild and wicked power that has made our world a scary place. Private personal information has become free-for-all. The Internet may have brought easy access to information and convenience for people searching for data, but more are using this medium to wreck havoc and bring disaster to the world.
I had no choice but to say, Amen, sistah! My caution to everyone: If the e-mails you receive from strangers promise a fortune at your fingertips, delete it!
