{"id":1977,"date":"2012-06-01T05:06:38","date_gmt":"2012-06-01T13:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2012-06-01T05:06:38","modified_gmt":"2012-06-01T13:06:38","slug":"the-wonderful-wretched-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=1977","title":{"rendered":"The Wonderful, Wretched Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

First a high note: We talked about freelance writing a while back. Here\u2019s an article you might want to read. It\u2019s in the print edition of the Freelance Writer\u2019s Report<\/em>. It tells you how to ask for more money for your writing work by Devyani Borade in the UK. This author gives you 14 tips for getting more money for your writing. Subscribe to this useful print newsletter here http:\/\/www.writers-editors.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Still no satisfaction from the Facebook team with regard to the fact that my account has been hacked or cloned or something sinister. I am no longer on Facebook. But there is an imposter using my Facebook photo and bio and pretending to be me. He (or she) is using my identity to spread his word\u2014whatever it is. Aggravating. And I guess this is not an isolated case. I\u2019m hearing from others who have had their Facebook identities stolen. Some of them also closed their accounts. Well, what other choice do you have when there is virtually no team support. And a recent article in the LA Times <\/em>indicates that this problem is growing. Check it out here:
\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/la-fi-facebook-scams-20120531,0,7188241.story<\/a> <\/p>\n

The article mentions the Grandparent Scheme. Have any of you had the call from the Grandparent Schemers? I did\u2014but I had heard about it and knew what it was\u2014so I played with the criminal on the other end of the phone for a while\u2014before telling him what I think of him and hanging up!<\/p>\n

My mother was the first to get the Grandparent call. She couldn\u2019t understand how her 14-year-old, well-supervised grandson ended up in some foreign country without his parents knowing his dilemma and needing quick money. She halfway believed the young man on the phone\u2014but not quite. Finally, she asked for proof that the caller was, indeed, her grandson. She asked, \u201cWhat is your middle name?\u201d He hung up. Yay Mama!<\/p>\n

The most common scheme I\u2019ve been subjected to is when I receive an email from someone I barely know\u2014a client or colleague, perhaps\u2014asking for large sums of money to get them out of a jam in another country. They\u2019ve lost their luggage, been mugged, or??? Of course, it is someone impersonating them. <\/p>\n

I still get a lot of those \u201cDearest One,\u201d emails from someone in a part of the world I didn\u2019t even know existed (maybe it doesn\u2019t) saying they are the wealthy ruler and need to get a large sum of money out of the country or some such nonsense. I am the only one in the world they can trust, don\u2019t you know? <\/p>\n

I guess people do fall for some of these schemes, which is why the criminals keep working them.<\/p>\n

My message today is beware. Be smart. You truly don\u2019t know who is at the other end of an email or a social media account. I mean, look at how many unsuspecting young people are harmed or nearly harmed by \u201cnice\u201d people at the other end of emails who turn out to be lecherous, dangerous predators. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First a high note: We talked about freelance writing a while back. Here\u2019s an article you might want to read. It\u2019s in the print edition of the Freelance Writer\u2019s Report. It tells you how to ask for more money for your writing work by Devyani Borade in the UK. This author gives you 14 tips […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t