scam

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The Cold Hard Truth about WBC

Do you have muscle pain? Need to lose weight? How about anxiety or stress? We just got a flyer in the mail promising help for all these things, plus better sleep, increased libido, reduction of cellulite, pain management, a decrease in jet lag, a stronger immune system, fewer wrinkles, and—just to cover all the bases—enhanced mental clarity and “invigoration” of your mind and body. I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t suffer from at least one of these issues, including me. Is there something that can help? It seems too good to be true.

Of course it does.

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Gullible

Are Evangelicals more gullible than other people? A friend recently shared a blog article claiming that, among the blogger’s Facebook friends, it’s the Christians (and just this particular kind of Christian) who most frequently re-post “news” that turns out to be a hoax. Share this post and some company will donate to a kid’s heart transplant fund. Warn your friends that their hot dogs are about to explode. Don’t drink coffee/milk/water/juice/soda because it will ruin your health and cause you to be dead!

The blogger then went on to suggest four excellent reasons why Christians should not re-post this tripe, and an easy way to find out if something is true or not (just Google the first sentence). I recommend his article highly.

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Yet Another Scam…

I was sitting at my computer, catching up with a few friends on Facebook, when a chat window popped up. The name was one of my former students, someone I enjoy reading about, but not a close friend at this time in our lives. Still, I was pleasantly surprised—at first.

Apparently, this scam has been around for a few months now. You may have already been targeted. It’s just another reason to be a bit paranoid online (or in general).

At least this is an easy one to figure out. If the person knows you well enough to ask for a loan, they should be someone with whom you have some special shared memories. Just ask them some questions no one else could figure out.

Also, don’t forget to notify your friend that their account has been hacked. Time to change the password, at the very least!

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Easy Money

You’ve seen the ads: makemoney-online

I always assumed such things were scams, and ignored them. Then an acquaintance got sucked in, and I decided to do a little research. Are any of these offers legitimate? Can you really make money stuffing envelopes, typing, or commenting on blogs? Thankfully, several well-known sites have done the research on these claims, so I didn’t have to. Here’s what they found.

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Don’t be a sucker

The internet is a strange and wonderful place. You can find information on pretty much anything, from how to blow your nose (over 100,000 Google results!) to a life-sized photograph of a blue whale. And everyone knows that mixed with the fascinating facts and helpful tips is an tremendous pile of pure, er, nonsense.

I recently came across a website that might take the award for “most audacious” among the myriad of con artists trying to swindle suckers out of their cash. These guys should receive a Pulitzer prize for their skill at sounding scientific while spouting unbelievable quantities of double talk.

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