[Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.]

For all the beginners, including non-beginners as well, in the world of cryptocurrency (not just in this forum): be free from scams.

It has come to my attention that the vulnerability of users to online frauds has become higher than ever. Our shift into this 'New Normal' has set higher standards in the terms of security and safety on the internet, especially to those who wants to earn money. I know many people who have been victims in these frauds, and even I myself has been too. It's simple, the scammers would set up a website, an app, or a group that promises income in exchange of your time, effort, and/or financial investments. They would usually pose as someone who are seemingly 'legit' but are actually not. Yes, everyone already know this but believe me, it has become more dangerous than ever so extra care must be done. People usually learn from their mistakes, and that's not bad. The best thing to do right now is to share your experiences to others and teach them from your mistakes. In that way, we minimize the loss of innocent people and ultimately reduce the earnings of those scams so that possibly, just possibly, we'd wither them off our noses (which is entirely improbable, but not impossible).

In the data provided by Rijnetu (2019) from the Federal Trade Commission, younger people especially from ages 20-29 are the most susceptible to online scams, and 1 out of 5 people are reportedly scammed. That's only a result in a US consensus done in March 2018. In their report done in 2020, they found out online scams done in social media has increased greatly, as seen in the following graph. Reports of Scams that Started on Social Media

 
These are four signs, according to the Federal Trade Commission:

1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know. It can be any form of organization - government, academic, private, and especially businesses. This must usually be the most common scam sign that is so hard to detect because they make you think they are legit. This is an example.

Screenshot 1:



Screenshot 1:




These are good looking online shops! With cheap prices and good deals, they are even set up for the Black Friday sale. Who would not think this isn't legit, right? Now, my question is which of them are legit? Answer: None Yes you heard that right. Take a look at the address bar, both have eerily different link addresses but are seemingly the same. And don't argue with me that the other one is legit because I have all the proof that I can give. Their site was even called Mellifluousy last month. Sadly, my friend can no longer retrieve his money and he has to freeze his account because of the details he provided.

A quick tip about credit card details, always be skeptical of to whom you send your credit card details. Sites should show proof of security whenever online transaction occur. You'll be damned when you find out that scammers doesn't need your PIN for it, they just need your credit card number and the 3-digit (depends) number at the back of your card called the CVC code. Boom! Instant scam.

 
2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE. We all know this of course, it's the basic notification or alerts that are just pop ups. This is somehow easy to see because of its visual difference of a real deal. The most common would be pop-up browser ads and in-between installation steps. When you aren't careful, you might have clicked one without even noticing!



Image from Pilici, S. (2018) .


3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately. "Oh, no! You're computer has been infected by a virus, click this now" cliche. It's usually like this, but can be in any form.



Image from Webroot (2015).

 
4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way. Usually in a specific way, but nowadays they will mimic how legit sites would do it so you would think that they are really legit.

Screenshot 3:



Now, how can we be safe? Thankfully, the FTC provided some guidelines (and I modified it for online appropriation):

Block unwanted calls, text messages, emails, and ads. These will be their usual medium to contact you, and one simple click can be very malicious. If unavoidable, you can install ad blockers and antivirus programs.

Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. They would always ask for your personal information so you should be weary and skeptical as much as possible. Never share your card number, pictures of it, or even if you cover the first 12 digits because it can be deciphered by corporate scams. Passwords should also protected as well, make it harder combination, and change it when you like it. You can also enable multi-factor authentication features.

Resist the pressure to act immediately. Be patient and think about your plan of action before acting. This will minimize your chances of making more mistakes when you have reason backing you up.

Know how scammers tell you to pay. The way scammers tell you how to pay can give you a hint of what they are up to. It most likely lead to your personal financial information being asked. Sometimes they do scams in forms of text messages and tell you to buy them load credits.

Stop and talk to someone you trust. If in doubt, contact a trusted friend or a professional. Best if you contact your card's bank of origin and ask for your card to be frozen to prevent transactions from occurring.


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I hope this helps, please share it to everyone you know or you love so they too would be safe.

REF:
https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/top-online-scams/
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/consumer-sentinel-network-data-book-2017/consumer_sentinel_data_book_2017.pdf
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/data-spotlight/2020/10/scams-starting-social-media-proliferate-early-2020
https://www.creditcardinsider.com/learn/credit-card-security/

IMG REF:
https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-youve-won-iphone-x/
https://www.webroot.com/blog/2015/04/27/fake-security-scams-2015-edition/

A little more drive of inspiration for every crypto lovers there...

"Bitcoin isn't going anywhere." These are the words of the BlackRock's CIO, Rick Rieder.


Before anything else, who is he? What is BlackRock, you say?


Image by Marcus, S. from Business Insider.

I did a little research in their main website https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/about-us. First and foremost, BlackRock is a global investment manager whom primary task is to help investors with their investing or other financial needs using their company's solutions.

Rick Reider, according to his biography, is the Managing Director, is BlackRock's Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income, Head of the Global Allocation Investment Team in the Multi-Asset Strategies Group, a member of BlackRock's Global Operating Committee and Chairman of the firm-wide BlackRock Investment Council... you know that it means.


Now, going back to our track...

He actually thanks the millenials for their openness for cryptocurrency and digital payments. I think this may also include the more recent generations of people who also actively partake in the endeavors of Bitcoin, so to speak, since I'm not a millenial myself. Well, it doesn't really matter 'who' is to thank for, the main idea of this is that we are doing good, really good, in creating the surge for Bitcoin in order for it to be a thing for the future. It is evidently clear that we have a right good grip right now (most of you already know this, yes) and we are, little-by-little, encouraging more and more of the world to use cryptocurrency as a new way of life.

According to Fox (2020), Rieder even believes bitcoin has real potential to "replace gold to a large extent" given that it's a durable mechanism for means of trade, more so than gold at least. That's a big thing, isn't it? Of course one man with some titles may not be enough to determine the course of the future, but this a part of it, if not a start.

What's more? JPMorgan agrees to this. JPMorgan is an investment banking company too, and according to them it sees "considerable" upside in bitcoin as it better competes with gold as an alternative currency. They said that it sees millennials accelerating adoption of bitcoin, which will further its status as both a store of wealth and means of payment.

For someone who is but a little speck in this vast financial world, I'd say this is quite and assurance and a motivator for us to continue what we have started. While most of us won't even have the slightest chance of leaving cryptocurrencies, some would and I'm telling you not to. Hardships would come and go and eventually our hard work would pay off. On the right time.


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Liked it? Comment down what you think!

If you wanna read the exact post -- https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-price-outlook-here-to-stay-millennial-demand-blackrock-rieder-2020-11-1029827265

Wanna know more about Rieder? -- https://www.blackrock.com/institutions/en-us/biographies/rick-rieder

Here is blackrock -- https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/about-us

[Macro Viruses]

First of all, what should they be called?

Macro Viruses
Yes, an eerie name to begin with.

As defined by Kovaks, N. (2018) from Norton.com, a macro virus is a computer virus written in the same macro language that is used for software applications. A macro language is a special type of programming language (though not a full language, more like a command-only language) that automates program events. Famous applications such as Microsoft's Word and Excel, are some examples that would be most likely encountered. Any other apps may be carriers too. '.exe' files are some notorious ones too, but doesn't use macros. These files are brought to you through emails, downloading of other apps, clicking unknown hyperlinks, et cetera.


So how do they transmit viruses?

Let's say you've downloaded the infected file. Using the definition given above, we can easily understand that these viruses uses the command automation ability of the macro language to inflict their damage. The virus would be inserted between these commands, and by simply opening the file, BOOM! The virus would now have infected your other files and probably have replicated itself. And if you didn't knew that happened, it would take a while before you even notice it.

One famous example of this is the Melissa Virus, March 1999. It is an email that contains a file saying that it is the file requested by the user. When the user opens it, the macro then resends itself to several other contacts from the user's list. Although harmful, it made Microsoft really alarmed.

This is also similar to viruses passed when an infected USB stick is plugged into your computer, when it doesn't transmit the virus the moment you plug it, then it will when you open it.


Is this harmful?

No, but yes. According to a topic about Word macro viruses on Microsoft Support's FAQ Section, "Some macro viruses are annoying but not harmful; others can be very destructive." They also claim that it will only affect other similar files and not actual software, which in most cases is true and there are no major news of its having to disrupt certain systems (correct me if I'm wrong). It does get annoying especially these virus can modify or create files, cause error prompts, and even slow down your computer. Microsoft Support also specified encountering the word "WAZZU" on random locations.

However, we should not dismiss the fact that it is very likely that these may have the power to open the path for other malicious software to enter your system, those that can bring serious trouble. User @kiklo uncovered a connection between macro virus and ransomware, a must read: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1590315.msg15980762#msg15980762. So it is best to get rid and avoid all of those.


How do I avoid it?

Simply, don't open nor download files that are from untrusted and suspicious origins. Be wary when downloading files from unsafe sites. Have an antivirus installed so it may block it before it even enters your system.

Please also note that these tips shouldn't just apply to this particular scenario but can also protect you from many virus attacks too.  

I've also mentioned a similar transmission when opening an infected USB stick, I know a trick to still access it without clicking it. You can type it from the address bar of the Windows pane (e.g. 'F:') so you can access it without triggering the virus. I don't know if it is still a usable trick today, but that's what I do when my PC is plugged with an unknown stick.


If my system has already been infected, is there a way to remove it?

Hopefully yes, and as I've read it may also be simple. There is a manual way to do it as explained here: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-macro-viruses.html#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20macro%20virus%3F,languages%20are%20embedded%20in%20documents. It's in the "How do I get rid of the macro virus" part.

User @asianguy845 made an interesting list in avoiding and removing viruses here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5257348.0

Most of the time, different viruses have different ways to treat. Some can only be done manually, most can be done with the help of safe third-party apps. Avoid them all, on most times, by installing an anti-virus.

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Thank you for reading this simple thread about Macro Viruses and I hope it helps or may help you in the future. May this be helpful for everyone, and please keep safe from these traps.

If you want to read more about Ransomware, you may find this informative: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5280739.0

If you want to know more about macro-related virus attacks, I'd suggest you read this: https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/macro-virus


REFERENCES:

Kovaks, N. (2018). Everything you need to know about macro viruses. Norton. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-macro-viruses.html#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20macro%20virus%3F,languages%20are%20embedded%20in%20documents.

Word Micro Viruses (updated, 2018). Microsoft Support. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://support.microsoft.com/en-ph/help/211607/frequently-asked-questions-about-word-macro-viruses

Rouse, M. (2018). macro virus. TechTarget Network. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/macro-virus

[Recentness]

I replied this to a thread earlier and managed to give it its own thread. Thank me later.

After hours and hours of surfing over countless threads, there is simply no 'one' definition of quality and this does not also depend on the definition provided in a dictionary. Quality comes in all or a combination of the characteristics given below:

• Recentness

A hot or a more recent topic usually has more value compared to those that were already aged a year or more. As some say, "The news should always be 'new'". Though it is not the case when a topic is still considered to be reliable (see Validity and Reliability).

• Validity and Reliability

The validity of a topic is a very important characteristic because your topic would be useless otherwise. Also, with this being reliable, your post may age but would still retain its value. How would your post be valid and reliable? Cite sources, provide reason and justify your claim/idea. What if you are sharing an already whole idea by another? Add some personalization to it and cite it (see Personalization).

• Depth

One can retain or lose readers by the depth of your text. Readers avoid a too shallow idea be cause some see it worthless, unless you really have to (see Purpose). Too deep ideas are tedious to read, unless you're a nerd or something. Try creating one that is balanced so you'd catch the largest spectrum of readers. Hence the name, user-friendly.

• Purpose

What is the purpose of your post? To share or to farm? Believe me when I say that many people can feel the greater intent of a post just by the post itself. You'r post cannot be of good quality if you do not aim for it. It's not simply the earnings (though it is included), but the real reward that you'd receive here would be the helpful information and effort that you give for others.

• Personalization

Some people posts others' ideas and credit it. That's nice! However, where's the good in it? If you're going to share an existing idea, might as well contribute to it by saying some of your thoughts about it. People love listening to others' comments.

• Interest

The last and arguably not the least. This is a major reason that drives people crazy... Errm, motivated to do whatever it is they're doing. If you plan on taking the world by ideas, lure the world with what they want.
[/list]

PS. I do fully agree with those who do not see the rank difference to judge the quality of a thread, not because I am one (lol), but because it is correct and the rightful thing to do.

Source? My time and my mind.