How to Check for Fake Websites

Anonymous

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. IP stands for Internet Protocol. An IP address is numeric label assigned to every device connected to the internet.
2. What guidelines do you currently use to decide if a website is trustworthy?

Protect Yourself from Viruses
There are many fake websites. If you visit a fake website, you could get a virus that tracks your data, your private information, and your IP address. Here are some steps you can take to help you avoid getting scammed or even tracked by a fake website.

Is It Up to Date?
First, open up your computer and go to any website. Check at the very bottom of the website. You should see the date right next to the copyright or trademark section to ensure the website is up to date.

Is It Secure?
Second, check to see if the website is secure to use. Click on the secure lock icon right next to the website address bar, and you should be able to see if the website is secure or not.

Don’t Click on Pop-Ups
The third and final way is to AVOID pop- ups. If you ever get to see a pop-up or a fake virus detector, avoid it. If it keeps popping up constantly, always to be sure to update your browser or get yourself a pop-up blocker. To get a pop-up blocker, go to any of the app stores and read the reviews.

Got a Virus? Get Help!
If your computer is infected with a virus, there are people who can help you get rid of it or recommend antivirus software. Call a legitimate customer service number. Be sure you are talking to the right person. Make sure he or she has good knowledge about computers.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. Open your browser and visit some websites. Use the author’s suggestions to check if the website is fake.
2. If you need help with your computer, who could you talk to?

Anonymous is a student at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Dear Cybernauts:
Do Not Trust Anything Online, At All

Say Cordero

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. Who and what do you put your trust in? If you’re not sure you can trust someone or something, what do you do?
2. A cybernaut is someone who uses the internet. Are you a cybernaut?

I Was a Victim
The internet is not a safe place. There are many ways to be a victim of a scam. Criminals will steal money from your bank account, run up charges on your credit card, and open utility accounts in your name. These days, learning to be safe online is as important as learning to read and write.

When I was younger, I signed up to take a course about how to trade in the stock market. I trusted the school, and I shared my personal information. I also paid for the course, and the person who I talked to disappeared with my money. He also smashed my dreams.

I Learned from the Experience
That experience made me sad, and I felt like a fool. But it also changed me for the better. After the storm passed, I thought about how vulnerable we are online. I realized the starring role that online safety can (and should) play in our life. I learned to be more cautious online, to use only verified sites and browsers, to read reviews, and ask my friends and family for advice. I also learned never to share personal information online unless I am 100% sure that it is safe.

These days, online fraud is increasing. The numbers do not lie. According to the Insurance Information Institute, “The Federal Trade Commission … took in over 5.39 million reports in 2023, of which 48 percent were for fraud and 19 percent for identity theft.”1

It looks like there are millions more people besides me who have been victims of scams and fraud! This is a problem that is getting worse. We need to pay more attention to it.

Stay Safe Online
Criminals are waiting for you to make a mistake, so they can take everything from you. Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Here are some useful recommendations to keep you safe online:2

• Be careful with emails from people you don’t know.
• Be careful with links and new websites.
• Secure your privacy; use strong passwords.
• Stay informed on the latest cyber threats, and keep your anti-virus software up to date.

By following these tips your journey online can be a nice trip, dear cybernauts. Technology is better when we use it safely.

Sources: 1. Facts + statistics: Identity Theft and Cybercrime: https:// www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-identity-theft-and-cybercrime.
2. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation https://www.fdic.gov/ resources/consumers/consumer-news/2021-10.html

AFTER YOU READ:
1. What happened to the author after the storm passed?
2. What does it mean when something is too good to be true?
3. Read more about security in the article on p. 37 and try the free classes listed there.

Say Cordero is a 30-year-old ESL student from Venezuela. He is a tech-, Sci-Fi-, and cat-lover who has been studying English for four months at the Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Pitfalls of the Internet

Annette Bowen

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. A pitfall is a hidden danger. What do you think are some pitfalls of the internet?
2. An unscrupulous person is someone who disregards the law, takes advantage of the less fortunate, and has no ethical standards. What are some ways an unscrupulous person might use the internet?
3. Other vocabulary to consider. See if you can figure out the meaning from the context as you read: jump through hoops, harrowing, vulnerable, cybercrime and cybercriminal, stigma, and negligence.

Cybercriminals Are Everywhere
Villains aren’t always in the movies. There are unscrupulous characters in every part of life. Some hide in plain sight; others clothe themselves as reputable businesses. The worldwide web is full of cybercriminals posing with false identities ready to phish, scam, hack, and steal your identity. Deceit, thy name is the internet!

They Got Me
In 2012, I noticed that the money from my most recent Social Security check was gone! It was stolen from my checking account. Someone in Florida decided it was a good idea to hack into my account and clean it out. The whole experience was terrifying. The anxiety and uncertainty knocked me to my knees. Needless to say, Social Security required me to jump through so many hoops to get a replacement check.

It was a harrowing experience, to say the least. I’ve never felt so vulnerable. I felt exposed, like a raw nerve. They put me through so much. They made me feel like I was guilty, not the guy who stole my money!

I finally contacted the White House Office of Public Engagement. Thankfully, someone from that office contacted Social Security. They helped guide me through the process of replacing the stolen funds.

The truth is, the elderly are more susceptible to becoming a victim of cybercrime or identity theft. There are companies and people who prey on the elderly with scams. In some instances, their houses have been foreclosed due to these evil characters.

Many Ways to Steal from You
How do cybercriminals steal from you? Here are some of the ways:

Tech Support
This is when someone tries to scare you by telling you that you need something fixed on your computer or you need protection from viruses or malware. Really, this is just a way to get access
to your passwords and sensitive information on your computer. When you need tech support
or virus protection, make sure you get it from a reputable source.

Extortion
This is when someone uses force or threats to get money from you. For example, someone tells you that you will lose your home or you will be evicted unless you send money somewhere. Unfortunately, elderly men and women have lost their homes and life savings from these kinds of scams.

Personal Data Breach
This is when hackers get access to data (including sensitive information like Social Security Numbers) stored in servers in large companies. Apple, Meta (parent company of Facebook), Twitter, Prudential Insurance, and Verizon have had personal data breaches.

Phishing
This is when someone sends a message and tries to get you to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. They may know something about your shopping habits or your personal life, so they seem legitimate.

The Problem Is Huge
In a report called, “Resolving the Shattered Identity Crisis,” Suzanne Sando writes, “Scams orchestrated by criminals resulted in just over $20 billion in fraud losses to victims.” This number is probably low because these crimes are underreported. She goes on to say, “We know that there is always going to be a certain number of victims who don’t report it, and it has a lot to do with the stigma against being a victim of fraud and scams.”

Everyone is susceptible to some form of internet crime. I never, in a million years, thought someone would steal my identity and my money. But it happened. Not due to negligence on my part, but due to the determination of unscrupulous characters.

Sources: https://identitytheft.org/statistics/; https://javelinstrategy. com/research/2024-identity-fraud-study-resolving-shattered-identity-crisis

AFTER YOU READ:
1. Tell Annette’s story in your own words.
2. Does anything in this story surprise you? Describe and discuss.
3. Discuss the word stigma. Why would there be a stigma against people who are victims of scams?

Annette Bowen is a recurring writer for The Change Agent. She’s a mom, grandma and great grandma whose fondness for writing and reading fuels her active imagination. “You’re never too old to daydream. Oftentimes, stories borne from daydreams become bestsellers.”

Back to Issue 64

Au Pair Beware

Luisa Aguiar

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. Read about what an au pair is in the box on p.33. Discuss and share any experiences you may have with this kind of work.
2. What does beware mean? Try using it in several sentences.
3. What sorts of things do you think an au pair should be aware of?

It Seemed Like a Good Way to Travel
My friend and I came to the U.S. to work as au pairs. We worked with an agency. The agency matched us with a family. We each lived with a family. We took care of their children. For payment, we received our own room, three meals per day, and $200 per week. We think this is a good way to travel and be in a new country. But it does not always work out.

Looking for a New Family
My friend had problems with her host family. She needed to make a change. The agency allows us to look for a new family. But she could not find one.

We decided to use Facebook groups to find a new family. We found an interesting post. There were pictures of a nice family with cute kids. They showed all the family members taking fun trips together. My friend texted them and they answered back a few hours later. They asked for her email address.

An Unbelievable Offer!
We were so excited. My friend was so happy. She thought they would be her new home. They sent an email, and we read every detail. We read it over and over again. We couldn’t believe it! They were offering $600 per week.

We never saw a family offer this amount. We decided to check the family pictures. We did a Google search of those images. We found the same pictures but with different names and different cities.

Always Check Everything!
We learned something very important: never trust pictures online. Always check everything!

We reported the profile to Facebook. They took it down. But that is not enough. These people will just try to run their scam on a different platform or using a different name. And someone could fall for it. Sometimes you are so desperate to get out of a situation, or maybe you need a little more money, you can be a victim.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. What made Luisa and her friend check the family pictures?
2. Have you ever been suspicious of something you saw online? What did you do to check it out?
3. The images in this article were generated by AI. What do you think of the images? Try using AI to generate images or a graphic.

Luisa Aguiar is an ESOL student at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, VA. She is from Brazil and her first language is Portuguese. She is passionate about being able to learn new cultures and she came to the United States as an au pair to improve her English.

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Invisible Thieves: Online Scams and Digital Dangers

Andrea Coello

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. What are pop-up ads? Do you click on them or avoid them? Explain.
2. What is an attachment to an email? What is a computer virus? Have you ever had one? What happened?
3. As you read, notice the words and phrases meticulously, verify, up front, and distinct markings. If you don’t know what they mean, use the context to figure it out.

Nobody Is Safe from Scammers
Technology brings many opportunities, including new ways for people to steal. It turns out, nobody is safe from scammers! Here are three examples from my own life.

My Parents Missed a Small Detail
When I was a kid, I remember watching my parents use the internet for their retail business that sold spare parts for cars. They were very careful. They always wrote an email to the company and asked about their products and services. My father meticulously looked for errors in each piece of information provided by the company’s representative. Sometimes, he discovered that the company was fake. Also, my parents looked at the “About Us” section of their website and called them to verify they were real.

One day, they seemed worried. My father received an email from a provider in Turkey. This provider asked for half of the payment up front. My father did not notice a small change in the company’s email address. They used a “0” (zero) instead of an “O” (letter). As a result, my parents sent their money to a different bank account.

When my father tried to contact them again, they never answered. We were sad and disappointed about how some bad people could use the internet to steal from hardworking people.

I Bought a Phone from a Pop-Up Ad
In a similar experience, I was shopping online for a cellphone. I was looking at Facebook and a pop-up ad appeared. It looked real and had pictures of different people buying their cell phones. I contacted them, and they asked for the money up front. After I sent it, the account disappeared with all my money. I was so frustrated. I called my bank to cancel the transaction, but it was too late. The money was gone.

I Lost My Cat and Found a Scammer
Finally, my last experience was when my cat got lost. I was worried that morning because my cat “Lulu” did not wake me up as he always does. I went to the kitchen to feed him, but he never appeared. I remembered that I saw on the internet a page called Find Your Pet. I signed in and personalized my advertisement with Lulu’s photo and my contact information. I sent it to every group on Facebook and gave them some details about my pet.

We started to receive messages about cats around the area. But there was one that shocked us. Someone posted a picture that looked like our cat, but we weren’t sure. So we asked to see a picture of his tail, because the tail had distinct markings on it. But the person refused. He wanted us to send him money to see our cat. Fortunately, we realized that he was a scammer and blocked him.

We spent all day looking for Lulu. Finally, my husband pointed to a bush, and there he was! We were so glad to find Lulu safe!

How to Guard against Invisible Thieves
Be careful! There are so many ways for people to take advantage of you. My recommendations are:

• If you receive an email from someone you don’t know, it could be phishing. Learn how to recognize phishing. You can Google it or start here: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams.
• Most importantly, do not open attachments because they could deliver a virus into your computer. This virus could steal your personal information.
• If you want to buy a product on the internet, and the seller pressures you to deposit money first, you are probably talking with a scammer. Block them immediately!
• If you do not know a lot about computers, just ask for help.

The three experiences I have shared with you here have made me aware of online dangers. I hope, now that you know what happened to me, you can avoid these problems. I hope my tips will be useful for everyone!

AFTER YOU READ:
1. Notice the structure of this essay. What are the main parts? How does she begin and end the essay?
2. Does the author make a convincing case that there are “invisible thieves” that you need to be aware of? Why or why not?
3. Your friend posts on social media, but it doesn’t sound like them. They are posting photos of free phones and telling people to click a link to access them. What would you do? What would you say to your friend?

Andrea Coello is a student at Shoreline Adult Education in Branford, Connecticut. She is part of the English as a Second Language program to improve her language skills. She is from Ecuador and moved to the U.S. with her husband and cats in 2022. Now, she is pursuing admission to Gateway Community College, and she hopes to have a better quality of life.

Back to Issue 64