Phishing and the Gag Reflex
This set off my Gag Reflex today, I was sent an invite to a "select membership" website that touted that I could interact with "other affluent" members around the world.
From their website: "Membership to ___ is completely free but requires a demonstrated minimum household net worth of $3 million US; or a minimum annual household income of $300,000"
Now how are they going to find out my "demonstrated" net worth? I found this invite so out of touch with the times, it almost seemed a joke. What really stuck the thorn in my side is the business plan for this site. Who wrote it? And who's funding this? Are they so out of touch that they think that in these economic times that it's all "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? This site is so outrageous that it could be a spoof to lure in people who want to be with "the elite" and offer up as much information they can to join. Another red flag is on their "About Us" page, their general consul goes by the name "Nick", no last name. Sort of reminds me of the character on the Simpson's "Dr. Nick", the doctor with dubious credentials.
The physical address for this site is Palm Harbour, Florida. There is a part of this that screams "phishing". Phishing is "In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames." This site already has a slew of blogs calling it out as a sender of spam bombings. If it is not a phishing expedition, it is a site for all the wrong reasons, an attempt to separate the haves and have nots.
Whenever you get an invitation to any site, always be aware that if you join, you are giving information about yourself. If you don't know the sender, delete. If you don't know the site, delete. If you are not interested there is no reason to join, then delete. Keep in mind that information that you give out goes into databases, and from there it is accessed by people you don't know. Trust needs to be earned offline and online, you have to be the gatekeeper to who gets your information.
Follow Up: Today I got two more emails from this website telling me that I had only 24 hours to join (or else I would be missing out on " exclusive community of affluent people dedicated to making life better for both themselves and others").
Image: Ophelia Chong / An exact copy of the Chateau de La Fitte built by an entrepreneur in Beijing Mr. Zhang Yuchun has built a hotel and winery in the dusty suburbs of Beijing is modeled on the 1642 Chateau Maisons-Lafitte, and he added wings based on the Palace of Fontainebleau.
