Fishing for Fortunes. Scam!Written by Seamus Dolly.
Spelt phishing, but pronounced as above, this despicable act is an effort to batter your bankroll or commandeer your cash. To put it simply, you can get emails from account administrators, which strongly urge you to update details attached to that account. The issue, though, is pretence of such mail.You may not even have such an account as referenced. It doesn’t come from account provider. It can use false S.S.L. references, to present an illusion of trust and security. It can prompt for immediate action on your part, alleging false log-in’s by persons unknown, and from countries unknown. If action is not taken, they can impress on you, that account will be suspended or closed. Indeed, anything likely to work can be fabricated, to get you to webpage suggested in link or hyperlink. Note word “suggested”. Likenesses to company logos are used to re-enforce “credibility”. In fact, these phishing attempts actually look pretty good or realistic. So much so that any qualms of guilt or stupidity, experienced by a “conned party” are groundless. Experience, specific education or forewarning, is all that prevents this type of charade from widening its base of “victims”. The goal is to get you to type in your details, complete with credit card number and rest can be guessed. Some damage is also absorbed by organisation or company being misrepresented and they can do little about it but warn their customers what to watch out for, and issue security instructions. Indeed, it is from accounts at reputable companies that most passing trade learn correct or most secure procedures. It is therefore important to read any material that they offer. Generally though, reputable companies with a mind to preserve their integrity will tell you to log-in at their main page and proceed from there. Not through a link specific to your account! Hyperlinks can mask true domain that you’ll be brought to, with text linked to www.anydomaindotcom (example, only), a replica or fake page. Only going to secure pages where one believes that “https” will do it, will always help but wholly unreliable. The “s” is an indication of a secure page, but are you at right domain? Place your mouse over link and domain attached to such a link, should show itself. Viewing source code is another way but some knowledge of it is necessary.
| | Big News for Small Business -- Internet Marketing Comes of Age.Written by Neil Street
For everyone who believed in power of internet, dot com bust of 2000 was always a short-term phenomenon. Over last few years, internet has matured into most amazing economic and social engine since dawn of television. In this past holiday season alone, U. S. online sales in November and December registered more than $15 billion – a whopping 30% increase over a year ago. Savvy marketers are already taking advantage of unique power of internet as an advertising medium. Online advertising is now siphoning money away from traditional media, including local media such as newspaper advertising and yellow pages. And according to advertising analysts, online advertising as a whole is poised to overtake total magazine advertising by 2007. It’s a long way from dotcom bust of a few years ago. Internet marketing options for small businesses are plentiful – and this is true whether their market is local, regional, or national. Local businesses, in particular, have opportunities that are frequently overlooked. Because they have a local focus, these businesses can make sure that their website is “optimized for search” at local level – which simply means having their website set up properly, and maintained, so as to take advantage of fact that Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, AOL, and other search engines make it fairly easy for local businesses to be found on internet. The “pay-per-click” opportunities from Google and Overture are also an important tool both for local and national advertisers. A local business in Norwalk, CT, for example, can tailor their Google ads to be seen only by customers in their local region – and they can track precisely which ad (and which keyword) led a visitor to click through to their website. Want to take it a step further? The advertiser can now track where on their website this visitor goes – and even what they click on. It’s a powerful way to monitor spending and ad dollars ROI (Return on Investment). You can’t do that with an ad in your local newspaper. A good internet marketing plan is now essential for any small business. The plan will be unique to that business, because choice of internet marketing options virtually demands that plan be customized. This is a good thing, because a unique internet marketing plan will help business stand out from competition. Our internet marketing company has clients who are successful using one or more of available tools, including Google Adwords and Overture “pay-per-click,” online publicity, search engine optimization, email marketing, internet yellow pages, vertical directories, regional directories, and so on.
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