I know that we the more mature and even the younglings some times fall for scams that are perpetrated daily on the Internet. Lately I have received many e-mails telling me that I am eligible for a rebate from the IRS, but I listen to the news and try to keep updated and I never respond to this type of spam. If you receive the following in your inbox please simply ignore it because they only want your private information.

  We are pleased to inform you that upon reviewing your fiscal activity,
we have determined that you are eligible to receive
a tax refund of $285,14.

To access the online form for your tax refund, please follow this link :
         
  Deleted for obvious reasons by me.

Because this letter could help resolve any questions regarding your exempt
status, you should keep it in your permanent records.

If you distribute funds to other organizations, your records must show whether
they are exempt under section 497 (c) (12). In cases where the recipient
organization is not exempt under section 497 (c) (12), you must have evidence
the funds will be used for section 497 (c) (12) purposes.

If you distribute fund to individuals, you should keep case histories showing
the recipient’s name and address; the purpose of the award; the manner of
section; and the relationship of the recipient to any of your officers,
directors, trustees, members, or major contributors.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sincerely,
Natasha Morgan
Director, Tax Refunds Department

Whatever you do never, ever reply to any of these form letters because this is  simply a technique called Phishing that scammers use to exploit people that don’t know better. Before clicking on any link that is sent to you have someone that knows what is going on check it or better yet simply delete without viewing if the name is not recognisable.

The Internet can be such an enjoyable experience for older lonely people and it only takes one bad experience to disillusion you from it forever. The Internet has made it possible for so much good and learning, but a small faction have learned how to use it in devious ways to benefit from the young and older population to benefit themselves.

So I give a very strong caution to never give out personal information unless you know the site is a trusted site and make sure your computer is protected with a firewall and virus protection. Before starting this great adventure make sure you learn how to protect yourself online so you will be able to enjoy this for a long time.

I have been online since 98 and I’m still learning because daily they have new ideas that they try out and many people don’t understand and fall for these devious and fiendish ways to take control of your life. We have enough problems as we age that being duped is appalling to even contemplate. So keep your eyes and ears open and enjoy the great place that you have created online