I just got a new kind of phishing email. It’s a faux receipt from paypal, with a delivery address in my old hometown! (This was a little startling, because my car was broken into a couple of weeks ago, and I was just home for Thanksgiving.) So the phishers have gone to new lengths, writing routines to match last names up with towns. I find it very creepy.
If you get something like this, there are a couple of giveaways. The one that I got was actually an image, but the messages from paypal (and presumably other companies) are text. The real giveaway, though, is if you put your cursor over the “dispute this charge” or “login” links, the address that appears isn’t a paypal.com address (at least it works this way on Macs).
Always good to have a heads up. As everyone should by now be aware, it pays to be suspicious of any unexpected email, particularly if it contains links or attachments.
That’s just so sad and horrible. People trying to take advantage of you. Hate that.
I’ve had some bad experiences with phishing, and so I’ve had to develop some expertise in recognizing these spoof emails. If you get one that might be suspicious, I’ll be happy to take a look for you. Simply forward the email to me (bloomfield AT the-spa.com) along with your full name, credit card number, expiration date, three-digit security code on the back of the card, social security number, and billing address. I’ll let you know if the email was from phishers.
He needs that information to check on the phishers. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know anything about the account they’re phishing for and he couldn’t tell if it was phishing or not.
The trick is that you just never click on anything in emails. If you get something from ebay or paypal you might think is legit, type in the homepage for them into your browser and log in from there.
I don’t know how much they actually do with it either, but I did forward a phishy email I got to them and a few days later got a reply from them saying thanks for sending it and yep, it wasn’t from us.
It only looks that way, Cynth. It’s just like those calls you get from bank detectives investigating crimes. You know, the ones who need your account number and pin number and all so they can catch the criminal in the act with it.
We have spas here, and that’s how I know about them. They’re verrrrry nice! They won’t let people in there unless they have lots of money. When you think about it, it’s really a good deed Bloomie is doing, since he’s having to take time away from all those mineral soaks and massages. Most people, after spending that kind of money, wouldn’t give you the time of day. Not our Bloomie!
You know, just as a brief detour. I read, and now cannot find, some very scary safety information about hot tubs. I knew you weren’t supposed to drink (are you listening, Bloomfield?) while you were in the hot tub. But apparently some have unsafe drains, which are extremely powerful, and people have been killed by them. Their hair or other body parts get sucked into them. I wish I could find the website, but it said that two people had actually been disemboweled! There are special safe drain caps apparently. I would never go in a hot tub.
Hair Entanglement – Since 1990, CPSC has reports of 43 incidents (including 12 deaths) in which people’s hair was sucked into the suction fitting of a spa, hot tub, or whirlpool, causing the victim’s head to be held under water. Hair entanglement occurs when a bather’s hair becomes entangled in a drain cover as the water and hair are drawn through the drain. In some incidents, children were playing a “hold your breath the longest” game. Permitting their long hair to be sucked into the drain. CPSC helped develop a voluntary standard for drain covers that helps reduce the risk of hair entrapment. Consumers should be sure they have new drain covers that meet this standard. If you are not sure, call a pool or spa professional to check the spa. Never allow a child to play in a way that could permit the child’s hair to come near the drain cover. If a drain cover is missing or broken, shut down the spa until the cover is replaced.
Bodypart Entrapment – CPSC knows of 74 incidents since 1990 in which parts of the body have been entrapped by the strong suction of the drain of pools, wad-ing pools, spas, and hot tubs. Of these, two resulted in dis-embowelment and 13 other people died. CPSC helped develop a standard requiring dome-shaped drain outlets and two outlets for each pump. This reduces the powerful suction if one drain is blocked. Consumers with older spas should have new drain covers installed and may want to consider getting a spa with two drains.
I have this theory that American society is ruled by fear more than by anything else. The interesting thing about it is, of course, that the amount of fear Americans feel is inversely proportionate to their affluence. Another thought is the coincidence of violent crime and anti-bacterial soap. Violent crime in the US is at about double or triple the level that it is in (Western) Europe. And so is the use of anti-bacterial soap (the soap gap is probably even greater, I haven’t seen recent numbers). I shouldn’t wonder if more people had been murdered in hot tubs since 1990 than had been sucked into drains. I’ll be right back, I have to go wash my hands.
I’ve puzzled over this for about half an hour, but I think I finally understand it: my free-floating anxiety has been replaced by sheer terror that there is a violent criminal in my Jacuzzi, waiting to bash in my head with a bottle of antibacterial soap.
Cynth my dear,
The above snippet from your well researched post brought to mind a story that I read a while ago concerning this very matter.Now there are those who would argue that the story is obscene and should have been banned.Others, myself included, would argue that it is an excellent piece of writing from one of Americas most highly acclaimed writers.
Now I am giving fair warning here that this story may deeply offend some folk.Many will be disgusted beyond description and demand my removal from the members list.
Should anybody think that they might be offended or shocked by this short story, then DON’T click on the link…move on…go somewhere else.
Wow. I am sort of speechless. I think your warning is very appropriate and it even mentioned somewhere else on that site that some people have a lot of trouble with the story.
That being said, I think it is an excellent story. I thought the way we were brought through different levels of shock and believability was really interesting. Also, it is always so strange when you laugh during a horrifying event. It sort of reminded me of the movie “Fargo”—because of the situation I actually laughed when a policeman was shot in the face. I have never gotten over that I did that and I am sort of horrified by it, so the viewer has experienced the horror for real. Same in this story in a way—I laughed and was horrified that I laughed. Very weird and unsettling for a number of reasons.
I had already decided never to go in a hot tub. Let’s make that anything containing water other than the ocean.
