Hey Rob
I really see no risk as most computors have anti-virus firewalls. The way My e-mail is set up is that until I put someone in my "contacts" list the mail automatically goes to my "junk mail" box, and I am alerted that "you have mail" in my junk mail folder. If I know the correspondent and wish to have their future mail go directly to my "inbox" I click " add to my contacts". And as Gary said, this is a "first" for the forum since it's inception. We just need to remain alert as Colleen (August) was and report it. This guy was discovered in an hour. And all in all, he was just a vitamin salesman. There was no real malice on his part.
Keeping My E-mail Visible, Petey

Just got in from one meeting and leaving today for another. We cannot prevent this kind of thing, we can only take care of it like Gary has once it happens. Just one more thing to thank Gary for. With all my lectures and travel these days, I am not on the forum everyday anymore. Gary nipped this in the bud before it got out of hand. But these things continue to happen as opportunists keep trying to take advantage of cancer patients. The best we can do is be diligent and knowledgable.

Just as a point of information: you can opt to hide your email address and still get private messages from people on this board--and even have them sent to your email account so you know there is one (if you don't check in here every day). I have never listed my email publicly here (have had too many bad experiences with that elsewhere) and I get private messages from people here all the time.

Nelie

Nelie

I agree with Petey and Rob. I have nothing to hide and will remain accessible for all as long as I can. I can block individual email senders with my software if I wish. I also have a long list of specific, restricted, words that automatically deposit many emails in the spam folder (like loans, mortgage, vitamins, drugs, supplements, viagra, etc.). I also block emails that are sent as image files (so that the word filters don't work). These bastards are clever.

It is an individual choice to list your personal email publicly or not. I prefer direct email so as to lighten the load on the OCF server.

My software detected a legitimate phishing attempt of my PayPal account last week (verified by them and reported to the FBI).

Keep your antivirus, phishing, spam filters and internet security up to date. If you have broadband, turn off your computer or router when you are not using it. There are many ways to protect yourself from unwanted and unsolicited emails. Also I recommend Ad-Aware and Spybot (freeware) run these weekly as well as a full system scan along with your antivirus software. You will be amazed at what you find!

I also use Registry Mechanic to clean up the Windows register of dead links and find it of value also.

It's important to not over react to this as well. The guy was exploiting our personal information and essentially making "cold calls". Not much different then the girl scouts showing up on your door to sell cookies. Except that commercial exploitation is not allowed here.

It's very hard to completely hide your email address. All you have to do is send one email to someone you know with no, little or outdated security in place (and their are lots of them out there) and your email address can be hijacked.

I also recommend being familiar with sites like Hoaxbusters, Quackwatch and other sites for detecting hoaxes and other deceptions which are all too commonplace. One clue is ANY forward that requests you to send it to 10 other people (even if it guarantees you of a cure for cancer if you do this or some other BS promise) is a fake and don't do it. Take the time to research the forwards you get for authenticity before you pass them along.

One other thing, many of you double post. And I spend a lot of time removing these. The reason this happens is because of net congestion and/or the slowness of the upload to your internet service provider. There is typically a small status window on the lower right hand of the screen that indicates your upload to the site (little green bars). Plus the site will automatically take you back to your response after it's fully received on the forum. Do not be impatient - WAIT for this to happen. Hitting the "Add Reply" button more than once will cause the double, or in some cases multiple, duplicate posts.

I got an email from him too.

Jim

yeh me too but it was delivered to my junk box and marked unsafe

Yeh, he sent me one too with a request that I acknowledge reading it. Fat chance! Good work Gary.

Eileen

If you acknowledge it, you have automatically told him he has a valid email address for another person he can continue to send junk to. That means more junk email, and hope he doesn't sell it to some list somewhere. Anyone that answered him, (some emails can auto detect being opened as well) has already confirmed their email address to him.... so you can create a rule that deletes emails that come from him in Outlook as Gary suggested.

just blocked him...In Outlook, go to Tools....Options....Junk Email....Blocked Senders List....Add....type in [email protected] OK

Gary -- please tell more about your phishing software. I have Ad-Aware, Spybot, etc. in addition to antivirus, but I've never heard of software that detects phishing attempts. I'm particularly interested in this as some evil-doer cloned one of my credit cards while I still had the original card (no damage done, credit card co. was on the case, and it wasn't a card I used often so I just canceled it).

thanks,
Leslie