Some people have mistakenly logged into strangers’ Facebook accounts by using their ATT cell phones to access their own accounts.

It seems to be a routing problem caused by ATT.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com…security/

What does this mean? It means that ATT’s routing flaw allowed people to access private, personal Facebook information without the use of any passwords or login information.

Does this mean that privacy is dead?

Possibly. This error has revealed that ATT (and probably any cell phone or Internet provider) has the ability to access personal private information via routing protocols.

Of course, this is not unexpected – it’s always possible to grab passwords and other private information over the Web unless there is a bonafide HTTPS secure link between you and the other server.

Even then, one wonders if information is secure. Nevertheless, HTTPS connections are definitely much more difficult to breach.

Privacy was dead a long time ago, when advertisers began collecting private information about every residence in the United States, and elsewhere. Databases around the globe have access to more information about you and your location than you probably know about yourself.

They have collected buying habits, ethnicity, income, financial records, ages, family situations, divorce, relationships, roommates, lovers, friends, personality types, all legal information and more for decades.

Additionally, credit card companies and other purchasing portals use buying habit informations to sell targeted advertising information.

You have become, basically, a statistic. Welcome to the modern world!

Important Information to Know re: Online Purchasing

Have you make a purchase from such companies as Vistaprint, Fandango, 1800 Flowers, movietickets.com, classmates.com, Victoria’s Secret, Yahoo, Cheap Tickets or a myriad of OTHER RETAILERS? See below for a larger list.

Were you diverted to a special bonus, coupon, money off after your initial purchase? Did you knowingly agree to pay a subscription or membership fee to the tune of $10 to $19.95 or more per month?

This “bonus” offer was especially designed to be deceptive and misleading, say a number of Web marketing experts before a Senate Commerce Investigatory committee.

For one thing, your “bonus” will probably consist merely of spamlike sales offers offering little value. In other words, you signed up to pay a monthly fee to receive spam emails.

For another, your eye was tricked  to go immediately to “Yes” buttons, arrows and Free Offer text diverting your attention from the fine print.

Additionally, AFTER your original purchase, your credit card information was automatically transferred, unbeknownst to you, to the entirely UNRELATED third party marketing company.

You would have tacitly given permission to share credit card information when you agreed to the Terms and Conditions with your first purchase.

What To Do

Check your credit card bills to see if there are any suspicious monthly fees that you do not recall signing up for. 

If you see these “unauthorized” charges, immediately contact the company and ask for a complete refund of ALL “membership” and monthly charges and fees. They will claim you gave your permission. Be insistent.

Send a quick letter or email to your Senate Representatives.

Contact the original company and voice your complaint. Let them know your displeasure and disappointment.  

Post your complaints on consumer websites such as Satisfaction.com. Be sure not to make any false claims.

Email complaints or notifications will not be enough. A number of people have reported that their emails were ignored.

Be sure to read the fine print on ALL purchases. Otherwise, you may end up being one of the unknowing victims of this multibillion dollar ”industry.”

~~~

Senate Investigation
Four of the offending marketing firms are Vertrue, Webloyalty, Chase Bank, Affinion. Currently, several or all are under Senate investigation for consumer fraud.

~~~

Additional Information
CNET: Feds: Top e-tailers profit from billion-dollar Web scam
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10399880-93.html

COMMERCE.GOV
Aggressive Sales Tactics on the Internet and Their Impact on American Consumers 
Link

Government Archive Video
View Archive Webcast

~~~

PARTIAL LIST OF OFFENDING RETAILERS

Over 10 Million Dollars Received
1-800-Flowers.com
Buy.com
Classmates.com
Columbia House
Confi-Check
Expedia/Hotels.com
Fandango
FTD
Hotwire
InQ
Intelius
MovieTickets.com
Orbitz
Priceline
Redcats USA
Shutterfly
Travelocity
US Airways
Vistaprint

1 to 10 Million Dollars Received
1-800-PetMeds
Adteractiv
Airtran Airways
Alliegiant Air
AllPosters.com
American Greetings
Auto Parts
Avon
Barnes & Noble
Bizrate.com
Bookspan
Boston Apparel Group

BuySeasons/Celebrate
Express
Campusfood.com
Cendant
Channel Advisor
Cheap Tickets
Choice Hotels
CollectionswEtc.com
Continental Airlines
Current USA
123 Prints
Custom Direct
Digital River
Dr. Leonard’s
Drugstore
eHarmony
eTix
eToys
Fareportal
FrangranceNet
From You Flowers
FTD Florists Online
Gamestop
EBgames
Gevalia
Haband
Half.com
Hanover Direct
Hertz
HiSpeed Media
Infinity Resources
J.C. Whitney
Joann.com
Lillian Vernon
Live Nation
Marketworks
Miles Kimball
Musicnotes
MyLife.com
MyPoints
Pizza Hut
Potpourri
Restaurants.com
Riverdeep
Shoebuy
Simplexity
Spirit Airlines
Suresource
Americart
Thompson Group
Tiger Direct
TimeLife
True.com
True Credit
True Link
Upsellit.com
US Search
Victoria’s Secret
Vitacost
WayPort
West
Yahoo

REMEMBER – THIS IS ONLY A PARTIAL LIST. THERE ARE A HUGE NUMBER OF ONLINE RETAILERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE “WEB LOYALTY” ADVERTISING PROGRAMS.

Beware of Cell Phone Apps!

Did you know that the App you download for your iPhone or Blackberry could contain malware? Malware is software designed to infiltrate and control your device without your knowledge or permission.

Your phone is no longer just a phone – it’s a sophisticated mini computer subject to all sorts of computer dangers.

It goes like this. You find a great APP that offers a free game, cool tool or something intriguing. You’re ready to download. Hey, it’s free. Why not? What’s to lose?

Plenty.

That APP could contain malware. Among other things, malware can crash your phone, do all sorts of mischief or download all your personal information, contacts, even files.

Your contacts and personal information are gold to scammers and criminals. These hypesters could pretend to be you and email or contact your friends and business associates in YOUR GOOD NAME and then commit all sorts of dirty deeds.

So, What to Do?

Be smart – check out that APP before you download. Visit their website, check out the testimonials, SEARCH on Google for any REVIEWS and legitimate SCAM information. Proceed with care.

Your due diligence is required. These days, due diligence is imperative.

For Your Computer

Use the FREE firewalls, anti-virus and protection tools available through major companies.

Our favorite? Comodo. We’ve been running Comodo Free Professional Grade Firewall on our computers and haven’t had problems for many years.

It’s fast, doesn’t bog or change up your machine like many of the virus checkers do.

Use PREVENTIVE Technology

These days, scammers and hypesters are very Net and Tech crafty. They’ll use any method possible to raid your wallet and steal you blind if at all possible. Firewalls are preventative. Anti-Virus and Virus Checkers are REACTIVE. After the damage is done, there’s often little hope for proper repair.

Summary

Check out your APPS before downloading.
Use a Free firewall product. We recommend Comodo Free Pro Grade Firewall.

Be safe!

It can be a nutty world out there!

CHANGE YOUR HOTMAIL PASSWORD!
If you have a hotmail account, change your password immediately. Thousands of email accounts have been compromised and passwords, logins and other information may have been stolen. A majority of accounts seem to be in Europe.

NEWS STORY IN DETAIL:
Thousands of Hotmail passwords have been hacked and posted online, BBC News has learnt…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/technology/8291268.stm

Quote
“I’d also recommend that people change the password on any other site where they use it,” he said.
Around 40% of people use the same password for every website they use, he added.

If you are one of those 40%, it’s advisable to start changing your passwords NOW.

~~~

With the new purchase of Friendfeed, Facebook is now going to own all your Friendfeed updates and info. Own your feeds, own your Facebook, own You on the Net. That includes what you write, what you do, where you go, what you say, post, and see, if they so deem.

Your sole Social Networking life can be contained within Facebook the site, and now, throughout the world with Friendfeed aka, Facebook Global.

Is this a problem? Perhaps not to you, as you most likely may not feel the behind the scenes gradual integration of internal Facebook workings with outside feed aggregation. Perhaps other Social Networks and Aggregators will feel the pinch. The pinch out of existence Pinch.

What this basically means is that you will be able to “get all your socializing and online interactions” through Facebook. Add Search, and will you even need Google? WHAT will Google do, one ponders…

Let the fireworks begin…

Is this good or bad? It’s only for us to decide, individually. Some will love it. Others, fear it. Still others, decry and possibly hate it. And there will be those who Fight It, perhaps coming up with something still better. Or not.

The Friendfeed purchase of only $47 million by Facebook is the coup of the century…

Pwned.

As companies consolidate and combine further and further, the RULE OF THREES may apply.

That means: there will be only 3 companies left standing in a given field… 2 huge conglomerates, 1 tiny little sideshooter.

As for those two huge conglomerates? Most likely intricately related and married into a hidden couple.

Articles:
Now Facebook Really Owns You
You just don’t know it yet. – Chadwick Matlin

Feel like modding your XBOX for friends? Beware…

Michael Crippen was arrested by Homeland Security Agents for modifying and enabling Xbox video game consoles to play copied games. He was charging $30 per mod.

Whoa, he faces 10 years in the slammer… he’s currently out on $5,000 bond. At that lower bond level, seems unlikely he’ll get the full 10.

Obviously he was targeted for making a business out of this.

His defense: Merely helping folks make legal backups. Sounds… harmless enough…