Dating Dangerous Liaisons

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While I am not a fan of dating or finding a date through an app, I try not to judge those who do. But every day I see evidence of the danger presented when the heart overrules the head. Dating apps have been gaining momentum from extortion through fake profiles and photos, to death and criminality.

Sometimes, people think this only occurs with the young and naïve believing in a state of alleged reality that those individuals masquerading as the real person depicted in the photos on these apps are tried and true. But we also find that people over 50, 60, and 70 are being spammed, scammed, and flimflammed. Victim exploitation occurs when prime candidates want to get back out on the dating scene, but are oversharing information about their loneliness, that they are a widow or widower, they are isolated and lonely, or these scammers detect obvious neediness. Bingo! They check into your life and don’t check out, at least not that easy anyway, and without repercussions.

Often I wonder how these people can live with themselves, taking things so far and threatening their victims because their victims have unknowingly fed them all they need to know to take advantage of and manipulate them to financial ruin, criminal prosecution, winding up on a missing persons report, or even death. I’ve known of a few people who are considered smart, with educational achievements, and appear to have good common sense who vow to the validity of some of these dating apps, only to come out on the losing end of the deal because they were played like a monopoly game, resulting in no love and no satisfaction.

While there are some success stories with these dating apps, you must be careful about who you let into your life and personal space when they knock. I’m sure that the developers of these dating apps designed their objective to connect like-minded people looking for love or companionship. But as always, when something has been developed for good, like social media in general, we find that shady characters look for ways to manipulate a person’s trust and see where such individuals are desperate by offering too much or all of themselves before realizing they are in too deep.

If you are using one or more of these apps, please exercise caution, because these exploiters are seasoned by what they do. They could care less about your hurt feelings or pride, they just care about how much they can extort from you.

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AI Fakery: Attacks on Authors Already?

Image Credit: Andrea De Santis

TRUST and CREDIBILITY! I knew it would be just a matter of time, but I never thought it would be this quick that AI would be weaponized, and Indie authors are now faced with new challenges and are under attack. With AI-created writing and AI user-friendly aides, scammers are easily flooding various writing venues with AI-authored fakes, such as travel, guidebooks, and independent publishing. Sadly, this is one of the things we have to be very concerned about, especially if you have indie-published work.

One recent example of this AI attack comes from author Jane Friedman, who discovered that there were several books listed on Amazon under her name that she did not write. These books turned out to be AI-generated, and someone (a “huckster, according to Friedman” ) used her name to make a quick profit.

Scammers are easily flooding various writing venues with this “Brand-Jacking” and I can see this quickly spilling over into other creative communities like the arts and music. While AI may have been created to make things a little easier for consumers, it is creating a firestorm of problems, trust, and credibility issues, that will have us questioning everything.

Additionally, indie writers have noted the influx of AI-generated nonsense on Amazon’s best-seller lists. This has caused concern about the integrity of these lists and their impact on human authors, and the revenue generated from their work. While Amazon is trying to address the issue, it will also need to tackle the influx of AI-generated reviews cluttering the site. It is clear that better safeguards must be put in place because with the influx of AI invading our daily lives, what may have started out as a good thing is making us vulnerable to God only knows what.

It’s so sad that we really have to be on guard these days in light of predators weaponizing advanced technology and be as proactive in our leisure and business dealings with security, especially online. Here is an article published in The Guardian, “Authors call for AI companies to stop using their work without consent,” (Margaret Atwood, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and 8,000 others have signed an open letter asking that permission is obtained and compensation given when a writer’s work is used by AI) that you can check out at your convenience.

How will this issue be monitored and addressed? Only time will tell. Just try to remain as vigilant as you possibly can.

Image Credit: Geralt

The Scheme is On

Image Credit: MAKY_OREL

You know, I thought we were pass pyramid schemes. Several years ago, I got caught up in one trying to help a friend out, but in the end, I was the one who got duped out of some hard-earned money. The schemers come up with some attractive pitches and packages that have you dreaming dreams that in the end turn out to be nightmares. Of course, I won’t do that anymore. Once is enough for me and my naiveté!

So for those of you who probably never heard of pyramid schemes, they are a form of investment that’s illegal, by the way, where each paying participant recruits two more participants hoping for big financial returns if the recruitment process goes as planned. Whoever came up with the scheme is the one who actually gets the big payoff.

But beware, there are new and improved schemes that are out there trying to rope people in, especially when they know people are in desperate, financial dire straits. Don’t do it, ’cause it ain’t worth it. Wrong you say? Of course, it is, but schemers and scammers never rest. They watch what folks worry over and then go in for the jugular and suck the life out of you. It certainly is not worth losing close relationships over when the schemes/scams blow up in your face and your wallet.

The Electronic Junk Mail Tidal Wave

Image Credit: Gerd Altmann

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed an increase in spam showing up in their spam folder or inbox? One morning I got up to find 35 pieces of spam sent to my spam folder. I usually check my spam folder to make sure legitimate email is not among this scammy spammy trash.

Later that same day 18 more pieces showed up, then later that evening 10 more showed up. What the what? Phishing is on the rise, trying to set a trap with something that looks legit, turning it into an illegitimate weapon that will cause victims great pain, heartache, and money.

Sometimes those little suckers slip into your daily inbox, undercover. Do not be deceived by their invitations because innocence is nowhere near their devious intent. Be cautious and don’t get swept away in the tidal wave of deception.

Indie Authors, Be on the Lookout!

You know, there are times when sinister scammers scam the hell out of you. These folks work methodically and diligently to take advantage of your vulnerabilities and then profit from it.

As a writer, we are no doubt proud of the work we tirelessly produce and we must admit that we do get a sense of satisfaction from our dedicated readers, our good reviews, pleasant comments, and the revenue our publications deliver. Yet, there is a growing target on authors, especially Indie authors, to flatter us, and draw us into their marketing webs and publicity scams that’s costing writers, poets and authors more than mere money.

Beware of the phone call solicitations, texts, emails or social media contacts from people saying that your book was highly recommended to them (even using the name of your publisher to push their agenda) and how they can make your book a bestselling, marketing success. Don’t be so quick to run out of the gate and buy into their illegitimate and wicked schemes that could ruin you financially and professionally.

The wolves are always out there and they are multiplying more than we realize to devour your mind, money, body, and soul. Their scams look legit but are far from it. So many people have been duped and while we can’t prevent what we don’t know, we can take precautions to that which we do.

Exposing Too Much?

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Are you exposing too much of yourself online? I don’t mean scantily dressed, but baring too much of your soul? I enjoy social media interactions, but being targeted by the invasiveness of shady and fictitious characters is when things get weird. As I read some of the social media posts from people I am connected to, I notice so many red flag dialogues that the good, the bad, the ugly and the vicious also see. I mentioned to a few of those acquaintances to avoid putting way too much personal stuff out there that clearly exposes their vulnerabilities. Whatever they wear on their sleeve, they post it.

While such posts rally certain emotions, like sympathy, for example, there are phishers (not fishers) who are also spying on your social and digital footprint trying to find a way to cash in on your woes. Catphishing, spearphishing, and anglerphishing are not terms used when you go deep sea fishing or fly fishing. Nope, these are terms used for scams, frauds, extortions and other predatorial pursuits. Such tactics are also used for criminal recruitment.

I was watching a movie about some teens who catphished a guy who was single, lonely and looking for love in all the wrong places. Of course, he posted enough information for these teens to create a fake profile based on his gullibilities and desperations and then attached a stolen picture of a very attractive girl from a legitimate online profile.

Catphishing is when a victim is seduced by a fake online profile to engage in a fictitious online relationship, in order to extract money or other benefits from the victim. Spearphishing hacks and targets specific people or a group of individuals to deceive them through legitimate-looking emails. Beware of links included in these luring emails that require downloading. Anglerphishing leverages social media to create a fake online brand presence to redirect customers to phishing websites.

Be vigilant online with your conduct and conversation. Someone is making it their job to spy on easy targets and are working even harder to victimize and capitalize off of as many unsuspecting people as they can. You may not be able to stop every cybercrime, but you can be alert and diligent enough to pay attention to suspicious activity that comes your way and end it as quickly as it began.