Hello peeps! Today, Inu is a fairytale evil queen...Mwahahahaha!!! *cough* *hack*...I was kind of loosely inspired by both The Queen of Hearts, and the Queen in Snow White.
Hair: We have a new mesh hair store to hit our happy virtual world! Welcome to Second Life, eep! I'm wearing their first hairstyle "001" in copper, with the boob version. Yes, my hair does not sink into my boobs!! \o/ Eep can be found here on the marketplace [X], as well as on the BOOM sim next-door to the left of BOOM [X].So today I would like to take a moment to speak out about phishing scams. Do you like my incredibly cheesy post title? I love cheesy saying..and cheese. Anyway, many of you probably know that they never truly left, and quite possibly have been more phishing attempts now than ever in SL...But, what you probably weren't prepared for is the fact that phishing has gotten even worse!
"What is phishing, Inu?" - Phishing is a lot like fishing. Phishing in SL is when someone tries to get others to click on a link that offers something seemingly good like an item or free linden, or join a group that is seemingly good but costs a fee, and is not associated with who they claim to be associated with. Phishers hook you in with something you may want, often something on the Marketplace, but in reality are just trying to hack into your account, steal your linden, possibly delete your groups and/or inventory for the fun of it, and contact your friends to try and phish them by pretending to be you.
I've seen posts on Flickr in the past few days about all the phishing attempts at current events like The Arcade, and Whore Couture 2. From what i've heard, Whore Couture is swamped with phishers; from phishing IMs, to fake Whore Couture groups with a fee to join! Eeek!
I have a little advice for all of you: Slow down on your clicking speed!
Slow down on how quick you are to click on links, and to join groups. Remember that they could have hacked your friends, so receiving a link from a friend may not be safe. Watch out for generalized messages, such as, "Hey", "Hey, how are you?", and any other phrases that seem friendly but could easily not be who you think it is. When in doubt, talk to the person first. If it doesn't sound like your friend, or you get no response at all, it probably isn't your friend. Also, I should note the seemingly vast and reoccurring phishing links that send you to "Alter Vista Marketplace". If the link includes altervista.org, run away. DO NOT log in! Remember that marketplace links are "marketplace.secondlife.com". If it's anything but ".com" that should be a red-alert right off the bat. Also remember that storefronts do not have names in the URL; each storefront as a number, not a name like many of the Alter Vista links have.
"So Inu, what do YOU do when you get a suspicious IM?" - Phishers often "talk" to you nowadays, instead of just sending you a sentence or two plus a link. They can sound very honest as they explain why they need some linden, or how desperately they need someone to purchase something from their marketplace storefront (often Alter Vista). But, phishers are almost always bots, so they cannot respond to you. I make sure to talk to the "person" for a bit..it usually doesn't take long to realize the bot isn't answering your questions...or responding to your insults...Just close the IM window, and be on your way.
Very quickly...So you did click on the link, and you logged in? Quickly change your password, and make sure your email address for SL was not changed. Too late, your password and email has been changed? Contact SL Support.
Feel free to share this post with your friends in SL, or link-back on your blog. While you may have already been fully aware of how to protect yourself from phishing scams, there are plenty of people in SL whom are not so prepared.
Stay Safe!
- Inuoko Shikami \o/
Poses: Blah [X] - Posepacks 2 & 4
BODYshop:
Skin: .The Sugar Garden. [X] - Baby C tone
Eyes: Dead.Apples - Anime Eyes - Unnatural *New* [The Arcade Gatcha Event] !I'm collecting these Dx!
Nails: Izzie's - Claw Nails - black >gatcha<
Under-eye Liner: :Little Pricks: - Underliner.
Lipgloss Purple: Dead Apples - Doll Lips - Mauve (B)
Lip Stain: La Malvada Mujer - InColor#1[lips] *Thank you Morgany <3*
Lipgloss Extra Gloss: Izzie's - Glossy Lip Highlights 3D
PAINFUL Decor:
Knee Scrapes: *Anymore.. - bloody knee
Tattoo Neck: .Pekka. - Heart 2
Piercings Cheeks: Plushberry ~ Spike cheek piercing ~ Black
Piercings Septum + Medusa: :Hebenon Vial: - Septumee 04 w/spikes [Ink]
Piercing Neck: ...:::Scrub:::... - Pinched Neck Piercing Mesh >Free Subscribo Gift<
Hand Piercings + bands: -UtopiaH- - My Immortal Hand *New* [Whore Couture]
Create an OUTFIT:
Dress: The Sugar Garden - Drape Dress - Black *New* [Whore Couture [X] ]
Shrug: [Cynful] - Shruggable - Shrug - Black *New* [TDR Fusion]
Stockings: *blowpop* - Fishnet Stockings -Black- Rip
Shoes: Baiastice - Ute Mesh Pumps-black
ACCESSORIZE Me:
Crown + I<3U Necklace + Bracelet: .Olive. - the Folded Golden Paper MYSTERY #1,#2,#3 - RARE *New* [The Arcade Gatcha Event [X] ]
Headband Spiked: -UtopiaH- - Spiked Crown (in gold) >Gatcha<
Headband Flower: Violent Seduction [X] - Lolita Cantonier (Bordeaux) >Mesh, Mod, Pay2Join Group Gift<
Choker: -Glam Affair- - Rea Necklace Dark Bronze
Shoulder Fur: Color.Me.H.O.F - [AnjaFurShoulders[Black] >Free Gift<
Shoulder Pads: -Glam Affair- - Spiked Shoulder Pads
Necklace Fox: .Olive. [X] - the FOX Head Necklace - Gold
Ring Gold: PIDIDDLE - Un Jolie Ring - Gold [Free*Style Event]
Spare PARTZ:
Antlers: +Half-Deer+ - Eternum Antlers (White Black Studded) *New* >Gatcha< [The Arcade Gatcha Event]
Breasts: Lolas ::: Tango ::: Mesh Breasts >Skin Applier: TSG - Lumiere C for Tangos<
Whiskers: [ .:SOPHERIAN:. ] - Schatje Whiskers
2 comments:
People should keep in mind that there are some marketplace links as well that end in ".ccom" and can be easily overlooked.
Wow I haven't seen those, but that sounds..eek. D: I'll be sure to pay even closer attention myself! Thanks Vit! <3
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