Spam, spam, spam, spam...good spam, wonderful spam....

So - just what is this wonderful thing called "spam?"  We need to define it if we are to talk about it.

     Spam is unsolicited bulk email.  Just like in the past with snail mail, where a person or organization could buy mailing lists of potential clients and then send a "form" letter to these people with offers of some good or service, in today's world it is possible to buy mailing lists (or even find them) of millions of email addresses (yes, that is "millions") and send out bulk emails offering goods or services for sale.

     Spam can cause a multitude of problems.  First of course, most people find it annoying (with good reason).  Second, however, spam can tie up a computer network if enough bulk email is sent (and as we all know, millions of unwanted emails can be sent all over the world in a blink of an eye).  Third, bulk email can also cause impairment to systems or data or to programs simply by the large numbers of email that is send.  Fourth, spam can be used as a cover to send emails that are carriers of a virus.  Fifth, of course, the spam can be used to commit fraud.

   More on this later.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Spam, spam, spam, spam...good spam, wonderful spam....

OK - back in town, everything is up to speed, let's move onto our next topic.  Which, as you can guess from the title line, is "Spam."  And no, I am not talking about the all-purpose "meat" dish that is a legendary product of the Hormel foods corporation and so popular in Hawaii.  I am, of course, talking about the unwanted email that every single person with an email account on Planet Earth receives (including BTW, world leaders and the President of the United States).  Spam is the original virus of the internet age and I can confidently predict that as computers, software and hardware continue to evolve, spam will always be a part of their evolutionary heritage, in much the same way that viruses have become a part of the evolutionary heritage of life on this Earth.

     Spam, however, can be used for fraud, which is a topic we will be exploring in the posts throughout the rest of December.

     And yes, for any Monty Python fans out there, the title comes from their still hilarious sketch on the subject.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Personal Encounters V

Need to take a break for the next two days since I will be celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary (hard to believe) but I will be back on Monday with a new topic.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene

Personal Encounters IV

As I mentioned in my last post, the important step once it is discovered that your passport has been stolen is to report it immediately so it can be cancelled.  Failure to do so can lead to enormous problems not only for you, but possibly for the government as well.

     As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, their is a vast industry of underground passport sales and tracking.  As anyone who has received a new passport in the past five years knows, passports are not just folded cardboard books anymore.  They are high-tech devices with built in transmitter chips that can be electronically read and transmitted from various points around the world.  The entire point of this is to deter passport fraud.

     However, even with these high tech devices, passport fraud and forgery is still a big issue.  Once an identity thief has an actual passport, it is much easier to try and use this actual passport as a way to create a forged one - on the back of the actual person from whom it was stolen.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Personal Encounters III

So - my passport was stolen and I went to the American Consulate to get a new passport.

     There is another factor in the necessity to get a new passport as soon as possible and to report your passport stolen.  To put it bluntly, it protects you.

    Once a person discovers that a crime has been committed, in this case that a passport was stolen, by quickly reporting it I have cut off all personal responsibility for the matter.  If I take the affirmative steps to report the passport stolen, and if the passport is used (or attempted to be used) in the future, I have done my part to protect myself.  Likewise, if I do not report it stolen as soon as I discover that it was stolen, I am setting myself up for possible problems.

   More on this later.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Personal Encounters II

So - I mentioned in the last post that my passport was stolen.  I immediately moved to report it stolen and get a new one.  Why is this so critical?

First, from a practical point of view, a person cannot travel internationally without a passport.  So, unless I wanted to get stuck in Russia (which would not be a bad thing), I would have to get a new passport in any case. It makes sense to take care of this sooner rather than later.  I discovered that my passport was missing on a Friday and since the Consulate would have been closed over the weekend, it was practical to get it taken care of when I knew the Consulate was open.  To do otherwise would have meant that I would have been without this vital document for at least two days; two days when I might have needed it.

     Second, from a fraud examiners point of view, passport fraud is a big worldwide industry.  Passports from advanced nations such as the U.S. are in high demand because they are sold to high-tech "passport surgeons" who try and alter the passport for a new identity for someone else.  My stolen passport may have been used for such a purpose.  It is important for the American Consulate or Embassy to know about my stolen passport ASAP so they can put a stop to my passport and passport number to prevent it from being used by anyone else.

More on this tomorrow.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk

Personal Encounters

Well, the "major project" to which I referred earlier was a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia.  Just got back in town and although I had a great time (I love Russia), I myself was the victim of theft which could lead to fraud.  So, there is no time like the present to discuss how I took care of this situation.  Yes, anyone can be the victim of fraud and theft.  The most important part is taking care of the situation.

     So, long story short, my passport was stolen.  Aside from being the victim of a theft, which is always difficult and unpleasant, the most irritating part of having a passport stolen in a foreign country is that it needs to be replaced.  A person cannot travel internationally without a passport.  So, this means that an American citizen, or a citizen of their own country, must go to their country's Embassy or consulate and get a new one.  Since I was in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, I had to go to the consulate in St. Petersburg (in Russia, the USA has its embassy in Moscow [the capital], and consulates in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, and Ekatirinburg).

     So, a few hours later, I was able to report my passport stolen and get a new one (and I give extreme props to the good people at American Citizen Services at the St. Petersburg consulate for their excellent work).

   But - why is it important to report when a passport is stolen and get a new one as soon as possible?

More later.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE NOR IS IT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE.  IF THE READER HAS ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO AN ATTORNEY.

Have a great and fraud-free day.

http://www.tauskvega.com

----------à>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>gene tausk