Stuff to Blog About and More: Facebookers Beware

The other day I received a Facebook wall post from someone I'm Facebook friends with but, never converse with. We are more of a notch on each others friends count, not an uncommon thing in social networks. The message referred me to a website (a blogger blog at that) that featured ring tones and that this person had been on it all day downloading free ring tones.

Okay, red flag(s).
Why would this person who I really don't talk to be posting this news on my wall?
Why would anyone spend all day downloading ring tones?
Do people still go nuts over downloading ring tones?
I deleted it from my wall and now I know that was a good idea.

Last week, computer security firm Sophos detailed an attack in which messages posted on the walls of Facebook pages urging Facebookers to view a video that claimed to be hosted on a Google website. But when the link was clicked, the victim was diverted to a website containing malware.

Social networks are a haven to hackers . Facebook alone has over 80 million users. There are users who have hundreds of friends. Only friends are allowed to post messages on your wall.

When a hacker gets into your friends list, they can post on the walls of everyone you know, which is what happened to me. The malicious code entered spread the same message to over 200 of my friend's Facebook friends. The same message was sent from the e-mail boxes of those 200 people to their friends, and so on, .

Facebook attempts to keep on these things with their advanced software. They will take extra steps on assisting affected users fix problems and will advise on how to remove the malware.

Facebook advises taking these precautions. Always follow these important safety tips when using Facebook:

Never share your password with anyone
Adjust your privacy settings to match your level of comfort, and review them often
Be cautious about posting and sharing personal information, especially information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline, such as your address or telephone number (how many phone number groups are there anyway?)
Report users and content that violate our Terms of Use
Block and report anyone that sends you unwanted or inappropriate communications

If something seems odd delete it before you have a problem. Don't give in to these malware terrorists.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.