Safety

It seems that online dating has fast become the new way for singles to meet that special someone. A recent study, published in Online Dating Magazine, suggests that more than 120,000 marriages occur each year as a result of online dating. I mean, who doesn’t know someone that met their significant other online? This new online Mecca for singles is not however, foolproof. We are all aware of the risks – article after article is published cautioning online daters not to give out personal information on online dating sites and  to meet their date the first few times in a public place. The fact is these concerns could all but be rendered unnecessary if online dating sites ran consumer background checks on all their members.

In a recent scandal surrounding Match.com, convicted murder Abraham Fortune set up a seemingly normal profile on the popular online dating site. The retired San Antonio, TX salvage yard owner was looking for love, that is, until a local reporter recognized and outted him.  Busy singles aren’t the only ones flocking to online dating sites – criminals and the already married are also acting on the trend. In fact, Dave Evans, editor of Online Dating Post, told the San Antonio Express that “every single dating website out there has child molesters and murders.”And yet, according to Stephaney Alexander whose website womansavers.com allows women to research a potential mate for free, despite the fact that many online dating websites don’t perform background checks, users feel relatively comfortable that they won’t run into criminals on the sites. “I can understand why daters are getting a false sense of security – they are paying a fee to be on their site.”

Many are hoping that this will lead to a revolution in the Online Dating industry. Julie Spira, cyber-dating expert and author of "The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online," told ABC that it would be helpful for sites to at least give users the option to do a background check on other members. But until this happens online daters need to take their safety into their own hands.

When reviewing potential matches on online dating sites take the following precautions before arranging to get to know any of your potential partners any further:

• If you’ve emailed back and forth with a potential partner a couple of times through a dating site there is a fair chance that you know their name, their age, and the city they live in. This is all the information you need to run a full consumer background check on Intelius.com. Intelius background check services have been recognized by Top 10 Reviews as the #1 background check service. These reports will provide you with any aliases that person may have, their marriage and divorce records, their criminal records and more.
• Use your potential partner’s name, city, and screen name to try and find their profile on other social networking sites. This can help you figure out if their online dating profile is consistent with the self they present on other networks.

These tips are designed to help you avoid criminals, married men and women, and sex offenders and  to help you determine if a person’s profile is an accurate representation of themselves. However, the only way you can know for sure if the person you’ve met online is the one for you is to get to know them.  Good luck!

As always, large multinational public events generate heightened concern for personal security. The 2010 World Cup being held in Rustenburg, South Africa is no exception. The FIFA approved comprehensive security plan is broken into seven phases. The first phase began in 2004 when South Africa was selected to host this year's World Cup Tournament. The plan includes 41,000 Police Officers and $74.5 Million USD in hi-tech equipment. All the planning in the world however, can't insure the month-long event will go off without a hitch.

The committee’s overwhelming focus has been on protecting the attendees against the potential for violent crime, however, even with all the preparations security does not appear to be very tight. Just yesterday, according to the Huffington Post, attendees witnessed several people setting off the metal detectors on their way into the stadium and then being waved in by smiling security guards without being asked to do so much as empty their pockets! For attendees with credentials, people with advanced tickets that have passed 'pre-screening' checks, bag checks are often cursory or are not done at all. Monday the stadium stewards walked out in protest of low pay or their work, leaving the stadium more-or-less unguarded during the Italy-Paraguay match.

This latent security should leave attendees of the World Cup concerned, however, by following certain guidelines you can increase your chances of both enjoying the World Cup and staying safe.

• Be mindful of your surroundings. As everyone knows, beer is a big part of soccer, but that doesn't mean that your entire group should go 'wild' and every game. Sure you don't have to drive, but South Africa can be dangerous and with so many tourists in town for the World Cup, you can bet that prospective criminals will be on the look out for anyone who seems to be enjoying themselves too much.  So drink moderately at the games or, if that doesn't work, elect a rotating DN (designated navigator) to keep you on track to your hotel. Regardless of whether you've been drinking, always keep an eye on where you are, where you're going, and who's around you.

• Try to 'blend in' with the crowd. When you're walking around, either before or after a match, try to blend in with those around you. Be mindful of your personal space, keep any valuables in inside pockets, but try not to call too much attention to yourself by being overly loud, pointing, or by straying out of tourist areas.

• Stay in groups and on the beaten path. Don't go anywhere alone. At the very least bring a buddy, but a group of about 4 or 5 people is probably the safest bet. If your guide book or hotel tells you to stay out of certain areas, stay out of them. If security guards or police are ushering you away from a particular place, obey their instructions. Exercise common sense and good judgement while walking around the city.

• Don't flaunt your wealth. American's are a prime target to a potential criminal because of their suspected wealth. While you can't change being American, you can change how you are precieved as a victim. So keep you money out of sight, and don't spend wildly while you're out in the city. Research tipping culture before you go to a pub or restaurant so you know how much is normal. Leaving too large of a tip can mark you as both inexperienced and wealthy. Also, as hard as it might be to resist, don't give too much money to people on the street - it can attract un-wanted attention.

• If your wallet is stolen, report it immediately to your bank. If you notice that your credit cards or passport are missing report them immediately to the local consulate or your home bank. The sooner you report them the less likely you are to have your identity stolen or to be a victim of monetary theft. Before you go (if you are going for the later part of the month) consider investing in an Identity Protection Service, that way, even if your credit and personal information is stolen you will not be at risk for identity theft or fraud.

• Maintain regular email contact with those back home. This is both for your safety and for the peace of mind of your family and friends back home. Arange to send an email to them on a regular basis - perhaps every 2-3 days. Agree that if you don't check in with in 24 hours of the agreed day, your freind or family member will report you missing to the authorities.

It's more than likely that you'll be safe for the duration of your stay in South Africa, however, the above precautions will give you and those at home some peace-of-mind while you're away. Just remember to respect the cultural and civil environment in which you are now a visitor!

As the last day of school and summer vacation draws near, working parents are faced with making tough decisions about what to do with their kids while they are at work. For many American families full-time childcare program is simply financially infeasible.  Hardly a rare phenomenon, more than 3 million children under the age of 12 stay home alone at least some of each week in the US, with an even greater number of teens also staying home alone. A study by the American Psychological Association suggests that staying home alone is not necessarily bad for children, concluding that the success of kids staying home alone depends more on what they do while home alone than the fact that their parent isn’t there with them. Leaving your kids home alone can be nerve wracking but, with the proper preparation and structure in place, it can be a good experience for both your children and you.  
 

• Is your child ready to be home alone? Before you prepare your children to stay home alone on occasion this summer you should ask yourself a few questions: Are your children able to keep themselves entertained or do they need constant supervision? Do they get along with each other or do they fight a lot? Do they understand and follow instructions? How do they make decisions under pressure? Once you’ve asked yourself these questions you should ask your children if they want to stay home alone. Many children will answer this question honestly – especially when they are younger. If your children (or eldest child) are comfortable assuming the responsibility of being home alone, proceed to the next step.  

• Do a safety check of your home. Before you leave your children at home make sure that there are no obvious safety risks in your house. For instance, make sure any and all firearms are locked in a safe to which your children do not have access. Lock away any alcohol, cigarettes, medicines, and potentially poisonous chemicals to ensure that your children will not have access to them while home alone. Also, remove any spare keys that you keep either under the doormat or near the door area. Thieves know people keep keys in these places. Move your key to somewhere less common and perhaps unique to your house and let your children know where it is, or better yet, leave the spare key with a trusted neighbor.  

• Establish “House Rules”. Come up with a list of behaviors you expect from your children while at home. Go over each item on the list with them and then post the list in a visible place in your house so that it can easily be referred back to. Include on the list things that they will both be expected to do and things that are off limits.

• Prepare. If one of your rules is “No cooking” make sure you have food prepared for your children that doesn’t require cooking. If you require that they spend at least one hour a day reading make sure that appropriate books are available and that there is a system in place to check that they read when you got home. If you require that your children do a daily chore, make sure that any supplies needed to accomplish that chore are available for it and that your child knows how to perform that chore. Setting up rules that your children can’t reasonably follow sets you both up for failure so, make sure you help them succeed in every way possible.

• Teach your kids how to answer the phone. One of your house rules should be that your children should always check Caller ID when the phone rings and should only answer calls from family and friends. Regardless of whether they know the person or not your children, when home alone, should always respond to a caller asking for their parents with the following phrase: “My mom/dad is not available right now, can I take a message?” Instruct them to NEVER tell a stranger that they are home alone.  

• Have an “Emergency Plan.” Talk to your kids about the potential situations they could get into at home and how they should respond to them. They need to know that serious injuries, fires, and criminal or suspicious activity are all are emergency situations and warrant calling 9-1-1. Prepare a first aid kit (Band-Aids, flash-light, etc) for your children and teach them how to properly use each item. Leave a how-to list inside the kit just in case they forget how to use something when the time comes. They also need to know what situations are not emergencies, so go over as many situations with them as you can. It can also help to teach your kids how to avoid emergencies. Come up with practice situations for your children: an in-home fire, a break-in, or a serious injury while playing outside. Make your children practice, step-by-step how they would respond in these situations. Obviously, you can’t prepare your children for every situation but if you role-play different circumstances it can help increase their confidence that they will be able to handle such situations should one arise.
  

• Develop a phone check routine. Have a routine where either you (or your spouse) call the house (not your children’s cell phones, unless you have agreed that they will be at a friend’s house) to check in with your children at regular intervals. Make sure it is clear what times you expect them to be home to receive your calls. When you call ask questions that will help you find out how things are going: What are they doing right now? What else have they done today? Do they need help with anything? Has anything different or suspicious happened today? Also, make sure that your children know that they can call you whenever they need you during the day. Post your work and cell phone numbers as well as the numbers of nearby relatives or a trusted neighbor just in case they forget.

• Know Your Neighborhood.  Identify the hazards in your neighborhood and if you haven’t already, go out of your way to get to know the people that live nearby.  In case of an emergency your kids may need to go to one of your neighbors for help. Pick at least one trusted neighbor nearby that will be home during the day and that your kids can go to for help if something happens.  Also, run a Property & Neighborhood Report to locate and identify sex offenders in the area then, using the photos and addresses in the report, make sure your kids know where potential predators live and what they look like.  

• Listen and let your children know that you appreciate them. After they have had a few days alone sit down and invite them to share how they feel about being home alone and any questions or concerns. Be willing to listen to everything they have to say and try and make any adjustments necessary. When things go right, let them know that they’ve done a good job and that you are proud of them. 

Although the task ahead may seem daunting, taking these steps will help your family stay safe and happy when you can’t be there.

The mass ‘unfriending’ of Facebook has signaled the public’s dissatisfaction with the social networking site’s privacy policies. Social networking sites have provided millions of people with the ability to connect and keep up to date with friends and family around the world. From keeping up with friends from the past to helping you form new ones, social networking certainly has its purpose; as long as you’re ‘safe’.  Even with their ambiguous privacy settings and indiscernible security policies, no matter how insecure centralized social networks become, without a viable alternative the vast majority of users will not abandon sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Bebo. Enter Diaspora*.

Diaspora*, the new craze in social media has already raised nearly $200,000 in pledges via the funding website kickstarter in less than one month. That’s 1792% of what the four guys from NYU requested to help them make it through the summer! But what makes Diaspora* worth $200,000? I mean, do we really need ANOTHER social networking site? No. This is why Diaspora* got our attention—Diaspora* promises to be a “privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all, distributed, free, open-source social network.”

What this means is that, as individuals, we will each be able to download the Diaspora* software (which the Diaspora* team hopes will go live in September) onto our OWN computers and from there, set up our OWN ‘seeds’ (mini social networks). Each user will be in complete control of what they send to whom. There will be no hub and no moderator. Add a user-friendly interface and a sleek design and everyone will want to have their own ‘seed’.  The privacy settings will all be automatic. With heavy encryption and full user control, Diaspora* has the potential to make social media privacy concerns a thing of the past.

As co-founder, Maxwell explains, Diaspora* will allow you to store all of your information (photos, comments, conversation threads) in one place: your seed. From there, you will be able to push pieces of that information out to whichever ‘friends’ you choose to share it with. After all, when we share data online there is no guarantee that, even if we delete it, that information won’t be available on someone else’s computer due to archiving. Since the internet is still relatively new, as far as anyone knows, the information we’ve posted across the social web will exist forever. But, as the Diaspora* project is set to prove, it doesn’t have to be that way. As the guys put it, “Sharing is a human value,” and everyone should be able to share what they like with who they like without fear of identity theft or damaging their reputation.

Online classifieds like Craigslist, eBay and Bonanzle are great places to find anything from a new apartment or sold out concert tickets, to gently used furniture or hard to find collectibles. In my case, I was desperately trying to find tickets to the sold out David Sedaris show in Seattle for my mom for Mother's Day. Lucky for me a Craigslist seller had just what I needed, four tickets, center section, eleven rows from the stage. Bingo!

I love Craigslist; I've used it to find apartments, tickets, art supplies, even my car, and thankfully I've always had positive experiences. It's only been the last couple of years that I've given much thought to meeting up with total strangers in pursuit of a deal. I've changed my ways after reading some of the recent headlines and now take steps to avoid putting myself in potentially dangerous situations. The buzz surrounding the recent murder of a Washington man over the diamond ring he listed on Craigslist made me want to share my tips for a safe and successful private transaction for whatever online classified you use.

• If possible, meet the seller in a public place, like a coffee shop, mall, grocery store or other highly trafficked location.

• If it is not possible to meet in a public place, for example, if you are looking at renting a condo or apartment, ask for a first and last name, phone number, address, and email address. In my most recent experience, I had to meet the seller at his house. Using the address he gave me, I ran an Intelius People Search by Address and a Property Report and was able to verify the seller's address and phone number. In this particular case, I took it a step further and ran a consumer background check on the seller to see if he had a criminal or civil judgment record. Fortunately, he checked out.

• Make sure the information the seller provides checks out. A Reverse Phone Lookup is a quick and inexpensive way to get more information about the seller and make sure the information they provide is consistent.

• Consider bringing a buddy, especially if you're unable to meet the seller in a public place.

• Tell a close friend or relative what you are doing, where you are going and leave the seller's information with someone else when you go to meet the seller. Arrange to call that person by a certain time to let them know the transaction went smoothly.

• If possible, do not enter a seller's home or vehicle. Wait outside, even if they insist that you come inside. Obviously, if you are buying a car or renting a place, you will have to go inside but make sure you bring a friend or relative.

• Only carry the exact amount of cash agreed upon for the sale and leave your purse or wallet in the car.

• Trust your gut. If something seems off or makes you uncomfortable, listen to your intuition and bail. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• Avoid sellers that can't meet face-to-face. NEVER wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram or any other wire service and NEVER give out financial information like account numbers, social security number, and eBay or PayPal logins.

By simply taking the above precautions I was able to stay safe when purchasing an item from a private, unknown seller. Now I have great tickets, an online purchasing strategy, and an Intelius success story!

What do you do to keep safe when buying things posted in the classifieds, on EBay, or on Craigslist? Post your tips bellow to help us protect consumers!

Phase One of the 2010 Census wrapped up on April 1st with the final receipt of mail-in forms. Phase Two is set to begin on May 1st, with nearly 700,000 temporary census workers across the United States going door-to-door in an attempt to collect Data on the 28% of American households whose mail-in forms were not received by the deadline. The second phase of the census could open the door for potential scammers to pose as census data collectors and go door-to-door "phishing" for your private information.

How to recognize a REAL census worker:

• Census workers will show up by themselves, wearing a clearly marked identification badge (containing their name and photo, a Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date). Each Census worker will be issued a briefcase clearly marked with the 2010 Census Logo.

• Census workers are trained to ask only the 10 questions of the official census form. An official Census worker will never ask you for your full social security, a cash donation, passwords, pin codes, or bank account information.

• The Census worker will fill out the official Census form with you in person.

• Census workers are trained to respond to households where English is a second language by asking you to identify the primary language of the household. They will then leave, and someone fluent in the primary language will return to complete the census information in the primary language.

• A Census worker will never ask to enter your home.

• The Census Bureau does not conduct any of its research via email. If you receive an email regarding the Census, do not open any attachments.

• If you completed and sent the mail-in form prior to the April 16th deadline then you should not receive a visit in Phase Two.

• You should receive a mailing notifying you that in the next couple of days you will be visited by a Census worker. If you receive a visit from a Census worker but did not receive a mailing from the Census Bureau verify the visitor's identity before providing any information.

• If you are unsure if the visitor at your door is legitimate, call the Census Bureau at 1-800-562-5721 to verify. You can also ask the visitor for the local office's phone number and supervisor's name for extra security.

• If the ‘Census Worker' at your door does not adhere to the above code, don't talk to them and contact your local Census Bureau office.

You think you've verified that the Census Worker at your door is real. Now what?

• Never invite the Census worker inside your home. Step outside to talk to them, closing the door behind you.

• If you must go inside, for any reason during your Census visit, close and lock the door behind you, leaving the Census worker outside. It isn't rude, it's safe.

• Do not offer the Census worker any information not explicitly asked for on the Census form.

• Do not suggest to the Census worker that you are home alone. Always suggest that there is someone else in the house. If you live alone, pretend you have a friend over.

Most grandparents would stop at nothing to help one of their grandchildren in a time of need. The love and concern a grandparent has for their grandchildren is exactly what con-artists are banking on in the recent surge of scams targeting grandparents.

These scammers, posing as a grandchild in need, call seniors and ask that they write a check or wire money to help get them out of trouble or jail. Preying off a grandparent's concern, these professional scammers are very persuasive and have already contacted seniors across the country and have conned some out of thousands of dollars.

A similar scam has recently taken to the web. Scammers are now scouring the social networking site, Facebook, looking for people who either appear to be grandparents or those who are actually making status updates or posting pictures of their grandchildren. Using information they see on their profiles, these con-artists message unsuspecting grandparents telling them that they are in desperate need of help and ask them to wire money.

However, there are ways to avoid being duped by these scammers; here are some tips on how to handle a potentially fraudulent phone call or Facebook message.

1. Be cautious. Every grandparent wants to help their grandchildren, but make sure they understand that if they receive a call, or any type of online communication, asking for money it could be a scam.

2. Confirm the truth. If a grandparent receives a request for money over the phone or on a social networking site, they should verify the situation with the grandchild's parents, even if the grandchild asks them not to.

3. Ask personal questions. To help verify the identity of the caller ask personal questions that only a grandchild or family member can answer.

4. Know their number. Have a comprehensive list of family phone numbers on hand. If a call seems suspicious, immediately call the grandchild in need at their home or on their cell. If the call is from an unfamiliar phone number, doing a Reverse Phone search or Reverse Cell Phone Directory lookup might be a good idea.

5. Call the police. If a call seems like a potential scam, make sure to contact the police immediately with a detailed description of the interaction.

Intelius founder and CEO Naveen Jain was recently interviewed by Loren Baker of Search Engine Journal. In the interview Naveen discusses his plans for the future of Intelius, his successes and what he attributes them to:

• Passion - You must be passionate about what you are trying to achieve. It must mean something to you and you must be willing to sacrifice a large part of your waking hours to this purpose. Your passion will ignite the same intensity in others who join your team and help the same cause. Your team members and your customers are more likely to believe in what you are doing because of your passion.
• Focus - Great entrepreneurs see many opportunities where others see nothing; this is a gift but without focus can be the downfall. We can only focus on things that we can control and that means we need to stay focused on our efforts and let the results be what they will be. You have to always remember that most companies die from indigestion rather than starvation i.e. companies suffer from doing too many things at the same time rather than doing too few things.
• Hard Work - Success comes from hard work; there is no such thing as overnight success. Behind every overnight success lies years of hard work and sweat. Even the luckiest people will tell you that there is just no easy way to achieve success. Luck comes to those who work hard. Successful entrepreneurs always give 100% of their efforts to everything they do. There should never be any regret in the outcome if one knows that they are giving it their best effort and leaving no stone unturned. - Search Engine Journal

Read the full article at SearchEngineJournal.com

For students Spring Break is one of the most exciting times of the year. For parents it means worrying about what your kids are up to. If your kids are heading off for vacation, whether it's their Senior Trip, a college Spring Break or on a trip with family friends, here are a few things you can remind them do to protect them while they're away.

• Get the address and contact information for the place where your kid will be staying. You may even wish to contact the place in advance to verify reservations or accommodation details.
• Become Familiar with the Destination: Spend some time online learning about the area, potential hazards, and specific places to avoid and share your findings with your kid before they go.
• If your child is traveling with a group of friends, request the contact info of the other parents and create a phone list and share it so parents can get in touch with each other in case of an emergency.
• Stick to the buddy system. Yes, you've been telling them this since they were little, but remind them not to go out alone, regardless of the time of day. They're on Spring Break to spend time with their friends so this is not a tall order.
• Before they go make sure they have all their emergency contact info programmed into their phone or safely placed in their wallet or purse. Also, go online and find contact info for emergency services in the immediate area for where they will be staying.
• To put your mind at ease set a time everyday, while they're gone, that they will call or text to check in with you. If nothing else, this will make you sleep better while they're gone knowing what they are .
• Talk to your kids about the dangers of alcohol. In addition to reminding them of the obvious health hazards of alcohol abuse, take the opportunity to discuss how alcohol can impair judgment and potentially put them in dangerous situations. If they are going to be drinking, instruct them to never leave their drink unattended around people they are not familiar with. Bars and environments where your child is exposed to strangers are common places where predators may have the opportunity to slip harmful substances into their drink.
• Encourage your kids to use debit or credit cards instead of carrying around large amounts of cash. Not only will they get the best exchange rate if they happen to be visiting a foreign country, but they could also avoid potentially dangerous situations that may arise if bystanders observe your son or daughter's wallet or purse full of cash. If it is necessary to carry cash, instruct them to only carry what they need and keep the rest in a safe place.

As a parent you will never stop worrying but at a certain point reminding your kids to be responsible and aware of their surroundings is important. So relax a little more this Spring Break and give them the guidance and tools they need to stay safe.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share about keeping safe this Spring Break?