PLEASE EVERYONE BE ALERT AND KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU AND WHEN IN DOUBT A SIMPLE CHOICE: DELETE!!!
I opened my phone this morning to read three (yes, three! and all that before 9am) posts and comments from people who have been ‘abused’ on social media, either by the worst of the two options: Instagram or Facebook and another who had been scammed for a substantial sum of money by a bank fraud situation.
I have spoken a lot about fakes and scammers over the years and believe me they are getting more and more resourceful. If you have been sensible like me and brought your Instagram profile back down to ‘private’ you will hopefully, no longer be inundated with rubbish messages! You can also put key words in to filter messages you may receive, but so far. I can only confirm that it’ s been a great success for me and I don’t get them anymore. Sometimes, one creeps in, but I never ever read and delete and report.
I realize of course, there are those of you out there who use your accounts for maybe other reasons and need to keep them more open to the general public. But you can switch off comments, if you find yourself having loads of bitchy and evil comments, like a friend of mine recently told me. It is so sad that the socials have become a platform for this and that everyone feels they can say what they like, being totally disrespectful and sometimes down what rude!
And yes, we make ourselves open to this, because we all love the socials and keeping up with what is going on and sharing our lives. But there are limits. I also find myself extremely irritated by the so-called influencers and I won’t go on ad nauseum about them anymore. I never follow and it does worry me how much influence they may be having over young teenagers and adults who follow their each and every move. The majority of photos are tweaked and photo-shopped so please don’t be fooled by the ‘perfect appearance’. There are so many apps to make yourself like ‘a Hollywood star’ and those of you who have been following the Depp/Heard litigation will now know that the most magic make up is: ‘the bruise kit’ (as Amber Heard said herself about her alleged bruises she received). Very few influencers will ever post normal photos like ones we do, which maybe show the real truth. Influencing is all about really conning people into believing the adapted truth. Enough said.
They just do it for the money and the perks, nothing more. Those who carp on too about people faking their accounts are also ones to be aware of. I know of instances where they were worse than the scammers themselves! Really!
Recently, someone I know who has to deal with fake accounts and women all over the world thinking that they are chatting to him, had someone turn up at his private address! A very sad disillusioned woman thinking he had invited her. Now this is taking things too far! It was painful, humiliating, devastating, incredibly brutal (to use a few of Johnny’s words) and ended up with everyone wishing it had never happened. This person just happens to be gay and happily married to a man and in his work has no time whatsoever to be chit-chatting with women around the world. All he does is share his journeys as a sea captain. Nothing more and many enjoy.
Another person I know from a closed and private workshop group posted this morning that she had lost a substantial amount of money from a so-called bank fraud. Please, please write this down in large capital letters that the bank will never contact you in this way. Ever! And if in doubt, hang up and delete and close off your banking app on your laptop, smartphone whatever. This is an awful experience, and you may find yourself completely left to deal with it alone, the bank probably will not even help you recover the sum lost and remember you can report them for this negligence with KIVID (The Netherlands) or another organization that you can make a claim for help. Also, really important file an official complaint with the Police for Internet Fraud. This all helps to prove your innocence and the fact you have been taken for a ride. Or abused if you prefer.
A good tip is never open your banking app’s anywhere apart from in the relative safely of your own WiFi. Anywhere else is making yourself vulnerable.
These scammers and fakes are getting more and more inventive and find many ways to push themselves into our lives. Just remember the majority are the so-called ‘creeps’ in places like Ghana and Nigeria and loads of them sit in rooms with rows and rows of computers faking and abusing people, robbing people of money and their hearts. Don’t be a victim. Wise up to it, please
A new way of scamming I have discovered, and this is a personal story. I recently posted out on Facebook warning people about a company here in The Netherlands who offer goods, you pay, but the parcel never arrives! In other words, you lose money, so I posted out to warn others, just like I do in my blogs. Someone asked me to make the post shareable and I did (something I don’t normally do) and yes, would you believe it this is the message I received this morning: –
Quote: From Facebook user: Jeffrey K Walton (living in Nevada USA)
Hallo mijn oprechte en oprechte excuses voor het abrupt schenden van uw privacy. Nou, ik was door mijn update aan het scrollen toen ik je profiel tegenkwam en ik was gefascineerd om je te leren kennen, ik hoop dat het niet erg vindt om mij een vriendschapsbezoek te sturen of kunt mee een bericht sturen op Messenger. Ik heb geprobeerd je te sturen maar deel het niet doorlopen. Ik hoop dat je het niet erg vindt.
Unquote!
Now the Google Translate version in English, as I purposely wrote the Dutch one first as there are mistakes in the text (a tell-tale sign) that this is not genuine.
“Hello, my sincere and sincere apologies for abruptly violating your privacy. Well, I was scrolling through my update when I came across your profile and I was fascinated to get to know you, I hope you don’t mind sending me a friend visit or you can message me on messenger. I tried to send you but did not go through the share. I hope you do not mind.”
Unquote
Get the drift how fake this is? I sure hope so. And yes, you did violate my privacy so just f*** off!
Needless to say, I have deleted and removed this comment because if you look at his profile you will see there are only three photos, no friends and it is so obviously a fake profile and needs to be reported.
I have deleted the comment from my Facebook page and please take this as a serious warning, the tighter the circle and by that, I mean the more we become aware how inventive these people are, the more they are looking for different outlets. Don’t be fooled or taken in. Ever!
I know it may be getting boring for some of my readers that I keep carping on and on about these fakes and scammers but there are still too many sad stories out there, even people I know personally and all of us need to be more aware. It just spoils things entirely for the genuine, normal people in the world and listen to your inner voice and don’t be taken in by their rubbish.
Take care with what you share! Keep it light, open and impersonal, no photos of your children and any other information which entices them to make their move. BE AWARE OF WHAT YOU SHARE!
Have a happy day everyone.
