#internet-security

[meanya]

I saw a post before about how hackers are now feeding Google false phone numbers for major companies so that the AI Overview will suggest scam phone numbers, but in case you haven't heard,

PLEASE don't call ANY phone number recommended by AI Overview

unless you can follow a link back to the OFFICIAL website and verify that that number comes from the OFFICIAL domain.

My friend just got scammed by calling a phone number that was SUPPOSED to be a number for Microsoft tech support according to the AI Overview

It was not, in fact, Microsoft. It was a scammer. Don't fall victim to these scams. Don't trust AI generated phone numbers ever.

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF Glitchtrap really HATES Mike specifically

[pinkanon-com]

My favorite Scene Queen <3 Vanessa <3

Based off of @chloesimaginationthings teen!Vanessa design

[marvelsmostwanted]

Full offense but? Stop putting your full name on this Internet. Stop putting your kid’s face on social media. Stop posting Ring camera TikToks of delivery people who didn’t consent to having their faces put online. Stop posting videos of the view out your window or where you can see your entire neighborhood, even if you’re walking on a sidewalk or driving down the road - it makes it extremely easy to find where you live. If you’re in school, don’t put your school’s name and graduation year in your bio - it tells everyone your location and age. Basic Internet safety has gone out the window for some reason… ! Just a reminder to not put your Entire Life online; people can see it!

[napping-sapphic]

I just want to fall in love with someone who makes me feel safe like even when we’re angry or sad or upset i just want to know that both of us are still going to be okay

[corviiids]

found a note from october last year where i tried to pitch myself a lawlight chatfic and immediately rejected myself

[hedgehog-troops]

i know that everyone pushes that fandom is a safe place, and yes, usually it is. for your identity, but fandom is still the internet and the internet is never a safe place.

the internet is full of creeps, just because someone is interested in the same things as you does not mean that theyre not a threat, just because someone is queer doesn't mean that theyre not a threat to you.

this is coming from someone who got groomed for two years by another minor (though much older) within the lgbtq community because i, as a 12 year old, assumed that she was safe.

i have had people like 11/12/13 tell me that they saw my pronouns and assumed im safe. i may be. not every non-binary 17 year old on the internet is.

being friends with another minor, as a minor, may not seem like a big deal but the emotional maturity at 16/17/18 is vastly different from 11-15, and no matter how mature you consider yourself, you cant race ahead of your brain development.

you never know any true information about anyone on the internet, just what they want you to know. makinh friends with in your age range is the safest bet, but if youre forming other friendships, never rush into them, never give your address/full birthname/any sort of information that can be traced back to you.

also, people do often pose on the internet to entice and draw in people, dont let yourself fall for it.

internet security is important.

and the moment somebody gives off creep vibes, ghost and block. no need to confront them, no need to do anything. ghost and block. then inform a trusted adult.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

EXPRESS VPN IS A SCAM

I signed up for Express VPN a few months back because I heard it was better than Nord (it's not, much slower, but that's another issue) and ended up canceling after my first month. Today, I got an email from them saying that my automatic subscription renewal had been turned back on and that they charged me $28 dollars. I thought the email might have been a phishing scam, so I went to the Express VPN site and check, and what do you know, my subscription that I canceled months ago had been turned back on and now expires in one month. I canceled it, again, and contacted customer support. Here's a screenshot of that conversation

Now what I want to point out here is that this chat has been edited by Express VPN. At first, there was nothing between "Please bear with me while I quickly review your account" and "Rest assured there were no charges made and that your subscription is canceled". When I asked my follow up questions, suddenly the part about "Thank you for waiting, this has been escalated to our internal team..." popped into existence, and the chat went dead. As I was typing this, I began typing a follow up question about the "internal team" but before I could even finish typing it up, I got another message saying that the internal team would be looking into the issue. They also never acknowledged that I wanted my credit card info deleted.

So far, I have no support ticket for this and no emails acknowledging that my complaint has been forwarded to a different support team. I searched around t he internet and found this reddit thread where other people have been having this same issue going back 4 years.

So yeah, Express VPN is a scam. It saves your credit card information and then randomly reactivates your subscription after you cancel it and charges you. Don't use Express VPN.

[embodiedfutures]

from @/frontlinemedics on instagram:

i use several of these resources so i can vouch for them!!

the link in bio mentioned in the post: https://linktr.ee/amadmahbub

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

Make your important passwords something embarrassing and fandomish. You'll never accidentally leave "Sensh1P@nty$hot" on a post it note in the office. You'll think twice before you give a scammer "B0++omD#anW1nche&ter"

(for screen readers: those say "Senshi Panty Shot" and "Bottom Dean Winchester.")

[helenvaughans]

gonna be real with you guys, i'm increasingly entertaining the idea that luigi didn't actually do it

[musicofthenightphantomoftheopera]

KOSA COPYCAT BILL INTRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA

If you know anybody in Australia that uses the internet, spread the word immediately! Do everything in your power to make your voice heard!

[melyzard]

Okay, look, they talk to a Google rep in some of the video clips, but I give it a pass because this FREE course is a good baseline for personal internet safety that so many people just do not seem to have anymore. It's done in short video clip and article format (the videos average about a minute and a half). This is some super basic stuff like "What is PII and why you shouldn't put it on your twitter" and "what is a phishing scam?" Or "what is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS and why do you care?"

It's worrying to me how many people I meet or see online who just do not know even these absolute basic things, who are at constant risk of being scammed or hacked and losing everything. People who barely know how to turn their own computers on because corporations have made everything a proprietary app or exclusive hardware option that you must pay constant fees just to use. Especially young, somewhat isolated people who have never known a different world and don't realize they are being conditioned to be metaphorical prey animals in the digital landscape.

Anyway, this isn't the best internet safety course but it's free and easy to access. Gotta start somewhere.

Here's another short, easy, free online course about personal cyber security (GCFGlobal.org Introduction to Internet Safety)

Bonus videos:

(Jul 13, 2023, runtime 15:29)

"He didn't have anything to hide, he didn't do anything wrong, anything illegal, and yet he was still punished."

(Apr 20, 2023; runtime 9:24 minutes)

"At least 60% use their name or date of birth as a password, and that's something you should never do."

(March 4, 2020, runtime 11:18 minutes)

"Crossing the road safely is a basic life skill that every parent teaches their kids. I believe that cyber skills are the 21st century equivalent of road safety in the 20th century."

[existentialterror]

Do NOT send pictures of your ID card to discord bots!!!!

Or, like, any online rando.

I ran into a server that wanted to make sure that members are over 18 years old. They wanted to avoid the other thing I've heard of, which is asking you to verify your age by sending pictures of your ID card to a moderator. Good! Don't do that!

However, ALSO don't do this other thing, which is using a discord bot that would "automatically verify" you from a selfie and a photo of your ID card showing your birthday. The one they used is ageifybot.com. There's a little more information on its top.gg page. Don't like that! Not using that!

Why not? It's automatic! Well, let me count the ways this service skeeves me out:

How does the verification process work? There is no information on this. Well, okay, if you had more info on what kind of algorithms etc were being used here, that might make it easier for people to cheat it. Fair enough. But we need something to count on.

Who's making it? Like, if I can't understand the mechanics, at least I'd like to know who creates it - ideally they'd be a security professional, or at least a security hobbyist, or an AI expert, or at least someone with some kind of reputation they could lose if this turns out to not be very good, or god forbid, a data-stealing operation. However, the website contains nothing about the creators.

The privacy policy says they store information sent to them, such as your selfie and photo of an ID card, for up to 90 days, or a year if they suspect you're misleading them. It sure seems like even if they're truly abiding by their privacy policy, there's nothing to stop human people from looking at your photos.

The terms of service say they can use, store, process, etc, any information you send them. And that they can't be held accountable for mistakes, misuse, etc. And that they can change the bot and the ToS at any times without telling you. The terms of service also cut off midway through a sentence, so like, that's reassuring:

In conclusion, DO NOT SEND PICTURES OF YOUR ID CARD TO RANDOM DISCORD BOTS.

Yes, keeping minors out of (say) NSFW spaces is a difficult problem, but this "solution" sucks shit and is bad.

Your ID card is private, personal information that can be used by malicious actors to harm you. Do not trust random discord bots.