Category Archives: Tips

Avoid sending spam

Avoid sending spam

If you send or have someone else send your marketing emails or messages, you need to know about spam laws.

How to comply

If you plan to send marketing messages or emails, you must first have consent from the person who will receive them. Even if someone else is sending out your marketing messages for you, you must still have consent from each person who will receive your messages.

After you get consent, you must ensure your message:

  • Identifies you as the sender
  • Contains your contact details
  • Makes it easy to unsubscribe

Get consent

There are two types of consent:

  1. Express
  2. Inferred

Express consent

A person who gives express consent knows and accepts that they will receive marketing emails or messages from you. This is best practice when it comes to consent.

People can give express consent by one of the following:

  • Filling in a form
  • Ticking a box on a website
  • Over the phone
  • Face to face

You cannot send an electronic message to ask for consent, because this is a marketing message. Keep a record when a person gives express consent, including who gave the consent, when and how.

It’s up to you to prove that you have a person’s consent.

Inferred consent

In some circumstances, you may infer that you have consent to send marketing messages if the recipient has knowingly and directly given their address and it is reasonable to believe they would expect to receive marketing from your business.

This is usually when a person has a provable, ongoing relationship with your business, and the marketing is directly related to that relationship.

For example, if someone has subscribed to a service, has an account or is a member, and the marketing is directly relevant to the relationship – such as a person’s savings bank telling them about another savings account with higher interest. It would not cover the bank trying to sell them insurance products.

It does not cover sending messages after someone has just bought something from your business.

Inferred consent is not as reliable as getting someone’s express consent.

Know your responsibilities for email lists

Take care when you buy or use a marketing list. You are still responsible for making sure you have consent for any addresses you use.

Identify yourself as the sender

In your message, you must:

  • Accurately identify your name or business name
  • Include correct contact details for you or your business

If someone else sends messages on your behalf, the message must still identify you as the business that authorised the message. Use the correct legal name of your business, or your name.

This information must remain correct for at least 30 days after you send the message.

Make it easy to unsubscribe

You need to make it easy for people to unsubscribe from your electronic mailing lists. Every commercial message must contain an ‘unsubscribe’ option that:

  • Presents unsubscribe instructions clearly
  • Honours a request to unsubscribe within 5 working days
  • Does not require the payment of a fee
  • Does not cost more than the usual amount for using the address (such as a standard text charge)
  • Is functional for at least 30 days after you sent the message
  • Does not require the person to give extra personal information or log in to, or create, an account to unsubscribe from marketing messages.

Tip: Remember that if you are using an alphanumeric message header in SMS, these are generally not capable of receiving return messages.

Unsubscribe examples that are clearly worded

Email:

To stop receiving messages from us, simply reply to this email with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line.
If you no longer wish to receive these messages, please click the ‘unsubscribe’ button below.

SMS:

Reply STOP
Unsub: (1800-number)

Other actions that may break the spam rules

You cannot:

  • Use or supply a list that has been created with address-harvesting software
  • Use or supply address-harvesting software

It is also against the spam rules to:

  • Help, guide or work with another person to break the spam rules
  • Encourage another person to break the spam rules
  • Be directly or indirectly, knowingly concerned with breaking the spam rules

If a business breaks the rules, law enforcer can take enforcement action.

Ask for or provide information

If you or someone else breaks the spam rules, you can tell us. If you do break the spam rules, telling us may help to fix the issue quickly. We review all cases individually, but it may be resolved without further action.

We value all information because it helps identify trends and spot serious or ongoing issues.

tips to avoid travel and booking scams

Tips and Tricks to Help You Avoid Travel and Booking Scams in 2023

A new year brings more opportunities to make vacation plans and travel.

Jan. 10 is National Shop for Travel Day, an event founded by the Travel Technology Association to celebrate technological innovations that have reshaped the way we plan, book and pay for our vacations.

The internet offers plenty of ways to help you plan the perfect trip, as well as book accommodation and flights while the post-holiday blues settle in, whether you’re considering a short citybreak, a tropical cruise or a trip to Disneyland.

However, the technological advancements that can create an effortless booking and travel experience also enable scammers to defraud travelers of tens of millions of dollars each year.

Here’s what you can do to avoid scams while planning your 2023 vacation itinerary:

  • Be wary of ‘free vacation’ giveaways – A freebie vacation? I don’t think so. If you haven’t entered a contest or official giveaway to win a vacation somewhere, any email, text or phone call telling you that you’re going on an all-expense paid trip for which you only need to pay processing fees or a small tax, is a SCAM.
  • Use caution when booking vacation homes and other accommodations–make sure that the deal or rental dwelling exists before committing any payments. Only use trustworthy platforms to search for accommodation, flights and tours.
  • Steer clear of offers that sound too good to be true – Check for inconsistencies and grammar mistakes, and read the fine print before making any payments.
  • Never pay in cryptocurrency, wire transfer or gift cards for your vacation packages, resorts or cruises – this is the first sign of a scam. Use a credit card or PayPal so you can dispute any fraudulent charges.
  • Carefully read the cancellation and refund policies for your bookings. If the travel company or individual refuses to give you this information, walk away from the deal.
  • Research any new travel companies, platforms or offers online. Look up any phone numbers or contact information and make sure that the property exists before booking.
  • Ensure that your loyalty member accounts for flights and other travel platforms are secure with unique passwords and 2FA where possible.
  • Use a security solution that blocks phishing and other malicious attempts while you search for the best travel deals. This will ensure that you don’t land on a phony website that will try to steal your information and money. A security solution will also block malicious links or attachments from compromising your device and data.

Source: https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/shop-for-travel-day-tips-and-tricks-to-help-you-avoid-travel-and-booking-scams-in-2023/

Avoid online poker scams

How to avoid online poker scams?

If you want to know how to avoid an online poker scam, you have to start from the premise that there is no single way to do it. Given the diversity of this type of bad practices, detecting poker scams becomes a complicated task.

Prevention will always be the best ally when it comes to avoiding online poker scams. To do so, follow these tips and minimize the risks of suffering cheating and scams in your poker games.

Choose licensed networks

Make sure that the online poker network in which you are going to register has the respective seals and certifications that guarantee the security and integrity of the platform.

In the case of Indonesia, BMM Testlabs has certified the Random Number Generator (RNG) of IDN Poker as truly legitimate. Internationally, we would find seals such as Malta Gaming Authority or Curacao Gaming, which issue licenses of great prestige and reputation.

Choose the most popular payment methods

Pay special attention to the payment methods at the time of making transactions of your funds. Avoid those that you are not familiar with or even seem insecure.

Also, remember that online poker rooms that have several payment methods are the most reliable. Bank cards, transfers, e-wallets, payment through coupons or cryptocurrencies are just some of the most common methods among the most relevant poker rooms.

It is also advisable to check how to make withdrawals and deposits, as well as to be aware of the waiting times for the arrival of funds to your account. Never provide your bank details without prior research on payment methods.

Report suspicious behavior

The poker rooms have customer services that you can contact in case you detect suspicious behavior.

In this regard, it should be noted: a player who always bets chip amounts of identical size or who always spends the same amount of time answering is most likely a bot.

Prevent them from accessing our hardware

Never leave our devices, computers, cell phones, etc. on the road, and never leave them alone with anyone you trust.

Lack of customer service

Be wary of platforms that do not provide sufficient contact options. Trustworthy operators provide their users with various means of contacting them, helping to create a positive image.

COVID-19 Phishing Emails

Beware of COVID-19 Phishing Emails

Several new COVID-19 phishing email campaigns have been detected over the past few days that are exploiting fear about the novel coronavirus pandemic to deliver computer viruses and steal sensitive information.

People are naturally worried about getting infected with the real virus especially with the high fatality rate, so emails related to COVID-19 are likely to be opened.

Some of the phishing emails that have been intercepted are easy to identify as malicious. They are poorly written with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, but some campaigns have been expertly crafted and are highly convincing and are likely to catch out many people.

The first COVID-19 phishing campaigns were detected in January and the number has steadily grown over the past few weeks. Many different threat groups are now using COVID-19 phishing lures to fool the unwary into disclosing credentials, visiting malicious links, or downloading malware.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning after several phishing campaigns were detected that impersonated WHO. The emails claimed to provide essential information about cases in the local area along with advice on how to avoid infection. One of the most recently detected campaigns claimed to provide “Coronavirus Updates” with the emails containing a ZIP file attachment that appeared to be a PDF file – MYHEALTH.PDF. However, the file was actually an executable file – MYHEALTH.exe. If the file was opened, it triggered the download of GULoader, which in turn downloads Formbook malware from Google Drive. Another similar campaign included a Word attachment that downloaded the TrickBot Trojan, which is being used to deliver Ryuk ransomware as a secondary payload.

The Centers for Disease Control and prevention is also being impersonated. One campaign claims the novel coronavirus had become an airborne threat and warns of new cases in the local area. The emails appear to have been sent from a legitimate CDC email account – CDC-Covid19[@]cdc.gov. The emails include an attachment titled “Safety Precautions” which appears to be an Excel spreadsheet, but it actually a .exe executable file. Double clicking on the file attachment triggers the download of a banking Trojan.

Email and text-based phishing campaigns are targeting UK taxpayers and impersonate HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The emails include a legitimate HMRC logo and advise the recipients about a new COVID-19 tax refund program. According the emails, the refund program was set up in cooperation with National Insurance and National Health Services and allows taxpayers to claim back tax to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic. In order to receive the refund, the user is told they must supply their name, address, mother’s maiden name and their bank card number.

In the past few days, a web-based malware distribution campaign has been identified. Several websites are now displaying world maps and dashboards that allow people to track the spread of the virus and find out about the location of new cases. People are naturally concerned about cases in their local area, and the website maps are attracting a lot of visitors.

Shai Alfasi, a security researcher at Reason Labs, discovered several websites using fake versions of maps and dashboards. The websites prompt users to download an application that allows them to track infections in real-time. The application is an executable file that delivers the AZORult information stealer.

With COVID-19 infections increasing and showing no sign of slowing, COVID-19 phishing campaigns are likely to continue. Organizations should raise awareness of the threat of COVID-19 phishing attacks with their employees and ensure appropriate technical solutions are implemented to block web and email-based attacks.

Help stopping spam

You Can Help To Stop Spam Emails

Not all spam email is illegal. But there are steps you can take to help stop receiving spam emails.

Laws Regulating SPAM

State and federal laws regulate and protect you from spammers.

The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act is a federal law that sets standards that email marketers must follow. The Federal Trade Commission and Office of the Attorney General are responsible for enforcing and penalizing violations of this act.

The CAN-SPAM Act requires that unsolicited commercial emails:

  • Be identified as advertisements
  • Use clear, accurate, non-misleading subject lines and header information
  • Provide a functioning return email address and the legitimate physical address of the mailer
  • Include a way for people to opt out of future mailings
  • Learn more about CAN-SPAM Act standards, enforcement and penalties on the Federal Trade Commission website.

Limit the Spam You Receive

You can take steps to reduce and manage the flow of unwanted email into your inbox.

Use an email filter. Take advantage of all spam filtering tools offered by your email service and/or Internet Service Provider. If spam messages get through the filter and reach your inbox, mark them as spam to help improve the filters.

Avoid Posting Your Email Address on Websites. Spammers regularly “harvest” email addresses from websites, so never post your email address on a public website, including on blog posts, in chat rooms, on social networking sites, or in online classified ads.

Protect your personal email address. Consider using two email addresses – one for personal messages and one for shopping, newsletters, chat rooms, and other services.

Review privacy policies and opt out of mailing lists. Before you submit your email address to a website, check their privacy policy to see if it allows them to share it with others, and then think twice before providing them your information. Also look for pre-checked boxes that sign you up for email updates from the company and its partners. You may be able to opt out of receiving these emails.

Reduce Spam for Everyone

Spammers search the internet looking for computers that are not protected by up-to-date security software. When they find unprotected computers, they try to install malware on the computer so that they can control the computers.

Spammers use a network of many thousands of these infected computers – called a botnet – to send millions of emails at once. Millions of home computers are part of botnets, and most spam is sent through these botnets.

Don’t let spammers use your computer

You can take these steps to reduce the chances that your computer is infected and used to send spam:

  • Update your software. Keep all of your software – including your operating system, Internet browser and other software programs – up to date to protect against the latest threats. It is a good idea to set your software to retrieve updates automatically.
  • Use a good antivirus software. Make sure you have good antivirus software installed on your computer, and regularly receiving updates.
  • Use caution opening email attachments. Do not open an email attachment – even if it is from a friend or relative – unless you are expecting it or know what it is.
  • Download software only from sites you know and trust. It can be tempting to download free software, but keep in mind that such software may contain malware.

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