Links and Minifeatures 01 15 Monday (I Have a Dream)

Carnival of The Insanities Recommended: 10 things to think about for 2007



Carnival of Personal Finance



Carnival of The Capitalists Recommended: Econbrowser (Whether the New Deal prolonged the Depression), Execpundit (issues with diversity versus EEO and Affirmative Action



On the other hand, some of the ignorance I saw this week causes me to re-issue my standard warning: Just because it's posted to a carnival doesn't mean the advice contained in a carnival is worth anything.

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Let's be careful out there: Do-it-Yourself Phishing Kit Found Online



If you get a "problem with your account" email, it should mention you by name. Even if it does, never click the link, and taking sanitation measures is advisable. If you must check out your account, close your browser first, then start it back up and go to the site via your usual method (bookmark or URL entry).



Seems to me that I get at least half a dozen "problem with your account" spams per week, and it is rarely for places that I even have accounts, but for people who have more accounts on line than I do, it may be more likely. When I can debunk 99% with "I don't have an account there," and 99% of what remains with "They don't know about this email address" it makes it less challenging to resist the urge to panic when I get one allegedly from a place where I do have an account and to an email address they know about.



One of the ones that's becoming standard is the eBay complaint. Somebody sends an email alleging someone has complained about your business practices to the eBay tracking. Once again, do not click the link in the email. Open the URL yourself via bookmark or manual entry. It is comparatively easy to make the link looks like it goes to one place and actually sends you somewhere else - which then mimics the appropriate website. People wouldn't be willing to buy such a do it yourself kit if it weren't profitable. Don't be one of the people that gets burned.