Bruce Wilson

Here's another tip. If you have a spare computer, designate one computer as the only machine that you do your electronic financial/banking transactions on. Do not use it for anything else. No email, no web-surfing, music downloading etc.

I haven't looked into it, but off the top, I would not use a smart phone fo rany  financial transactions even though that is the direction all the phone companies are heading in.

George Bracey Gillow

BCC INSTEAD OF CC ON EMAILS--LIMITING SENSITIVE INFO ON COMPUTERS

Bad Guys don't have to hack into your computer to send out emails in your name.  They can hack into a computer of a friend, business, organization or website that may have your email information.   With that they have enough information to send out emails in your name.

It is particularly easy for them if you send out emails with a lot of Cc's.  They can get those email addresses from the Cc's they hack from a friend's computer.   So it is best if you are sending an email, like a Christmas greeting, to use Bcc rather than Cc.

Also we don't keep any sensitive information like passwords, social security numbers, credit card numbers etc. anywhere on our computers.    I have only hard copies that we keep in our safe deposit box and in a home safe that is bolted to the concrete.

Finally do not to carry your Social Security/Medicare card with you unless absolutely necessary.

Linda L. Keating (Keating)

Thank you for all your super ~ excellent TIPS!!

Appreciate all the insightful & prudent information,, etc.

Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

My cousin fwd me the email she got from Anthem. My carrier got a list to pass on to clients and I took the steps they suggested. Apparently the rumor is they were not encyrpted and  a class action suit.is possible.

They have our SS, DL email and physical addresses.

Bruce Wilson

My last trip to the doctor they wanted to scan my medicare & supplemental insurance cards, driver's license. In addition, they took a photo of me and wanted a digital copy of my signature.

This information is then recorded in  their woefully underprotected database.

Generally, in class action lawsuits, the only ones who prosper are the attorneys.

George Bracey Gillow

Class Action Lawsuits

Bruce is correct, the biggest beneficiaries of a class action lawsuit are the attorneys who file the winning lawsuit.  They will get 25% or more of a settlement.

So, for example, if a class action lawsuit were filed and won against Anthem for, say, $12 Billion, it would result in the attorneys getting $3 Billion. The 80 million customers/victims would end up splitting $9 Billion or just $112 each.

There was a class action lawsuit against the City of Chula for overtaxing cell phone use.  The case was won and we got a check in the mail for $125.   I was surprised that it was that much, but I expect that a lot of citizens did not send in the required paperwork.

George Bracey Gillow

THE OSCARS OF LONG AGO

Remember when Bob Hope hosted the Oscars.   This YouTube video is of the 1966 Oscars.  Bob Hope's entrance is at about Time 1:45 in the video:

Notice how Bob Hope--or his writers--did not get Presidential history correct.

Bruce Wilson

Even more telling on the CV cellphone tax isssue is that the city settled and never stopped over-taxing.

The City denies any wrongdoing but has agreed to provide up to $8 million in refunds to Chula Vista residents who paid the tax, called the Telephone Users Tax (“TUT”). The City will also lower residents’ telephone tax rate from 5% to 4.75%.

George Bracey Gillow

ANTHEM EMAIL SCAM ALERT

There is an scam email going to Anthem members that looks like a genuine email from Anthem.  It has a link for a credit monitoring service from Anthem or for following instructions to protect your account.  Clicking on the link brings up a website that looks exactly like the Anthem website, but it belongs to the scammers/phishers trying to get personal data about you.

As I mentioned before, don't trust email attachments and links.

Here is a YouTube video on this problem:

Shayne Maree Schuller (Morgan Sledge)

Bruce, Grandma and Grandpa Fender lived at 206 Landis when they owned the E Street Garage. They moved to 488 Davidson, where Grandma Fender lived into her 90's on her own.

Grandpa Fender made saddles and we had several when we had the horses in Bonita.

I was in a band in college and again later, in LA and my boyfriends always had Fender guitars.

George Bracey Gillow

SUMMARY OF SUGGESTIONS FOR SCAM AND CRIME PROTECTION

Bruce and I have posted a lot on the problems of scams, identity theft and crime. So, I thought I would summarize recommendations (I have also put a pdf of this on www.gillow.com, home page, item 6):

EMAIL

1. Opening an email is OK. However, bad things can occur with the attachments and links. Attachments that end in .exe are particularly dangerous.
2. Be careful with emails even from people you know. For example, if you get an email from John Doe who's email you know is JDOE@cox.net but checking the "To" line shows something like ddoxcrtevskis@isl.lv, that is a red flag.
3. Beware of an email that has strange language and incorrect grammar, even if it looks like it maybe from a source you know.
4. Delete emails that look like they come from banks, credit card companies, Internet servers, telephone companies, etc. saying you have a problem and need to "click here" to login--these are really bad!
5. Delete emails from someone claiming to give you huge amounts of money if you help them transfer money--the classic Nigerian scam.  These are dangerous.
6. It is probably a good idea not to put anything on an email that you would not want the whole world to see.
7. Delete an email that comes from a friend or relative claiming to be in trouble while traveling and asking you to send money.
8. Use "Bcc" instead of "Cc" or "To" when sending an email to lots of people--like a holiday greetings.

IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION AND SCAMS

1. Get Identity protection from one (you only need one) of the national credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian or TransUnion or other reliable companies.  Be sure to get Social Security number monitoring and Credit Report Lock. 
2. Check bank and credit accounts often.  Also check IRA, 401ks, stocks and other investments.
3. If possible use a separate computer for banking and financial transactions only.  One that you do not use for emails, Internet access etc.
4. Don't store personal information like Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or drivers license numbers anywhere on computers.
5. Keep personal information like birth dates, mother's maiden name, address etc. off of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and various forums.

CRIME PROTECTION

1. If you leave a car in the driveway or street curb at night, take out the garage door opener.
2. It is best not to open your front door to strangers.  Talk through the door or install an intercom.
3. Have a locked mailbox.  Tax time is popular for mail box thieves.
4. Immediately hang up if a caller says they are from the IRS, law enforcement, electric power company, etc. wanting you to send money due to some problem.
5. Beware of a phone call from someone claiming to be a relative like a grandchild who is in trouble and needs you to wire money.
6. Shred documents with personal information such as pre-approved credit notices.
7. Keep doors and windows locked even when at home.  There are many cases of burglars entering homes when residents are inside.
8. Beware of young people coming to the door trying to sell magazines for some charity or school function. They may even claim to be neighbors.  Even though some of these maybe real magazine sales people, they over charge and lie about the charity--sleazy at best crooked at worst.

George Bracey Gillow

IDENTITY THEFT RISK ASSESSMENT QUIZ

Rutgers University, in New Jersey, has a good quiz for testing your identity theft risk:  http://njaes.rutgers.edu/money/identitytheft/

You can take it on-line or off-line by clicking on the sentence just before the quiz: "If you would like to score yourself, use this scoring grid".

However if you do it on-line it helps them with their study.

Do you remember when Social security numbers were printed on the outside label for booklets and letters that the IRS sent.  Times have changed.

I promise that I will try and make this the last post on this subject.

"If it looks like a Phish, swims like a Phish and smells like a Phish it is probably a Phish"

John Poe Moore, Jr.

Shayne:  Were you related to Donna Fender?  She was two years behind us.   She lived in Bonita and had a couple of quarter horses.  Just asking...

Johnny Moore

Andie (Joan) Ault (Harvey)

Regarding the “Nigerian scam” emails that we’ve all received ad nauseum:  I have a friend who works for the feds investigating international crimes perpetrated against U.S. citizens. She told me that these “419 scams” (referring to a part of the Nigerian criminal code that addresses frauds) are the third largest industry in Nigeria. She was sent by our government, undercover, to pose as a gullible victim, since many of the follow-up emails from the scammers ask them to travel to Nigeria to receive the money in person, often resulting in their death or disappearance. Before going, she exchanged many phone calls with two people who worked in the American Embassy there….and “they” turned out to be the same person (a Nigerian). Once in the country, she was monitored and protected by CIA agents, but it was an extremely scary experience. The mission was to find out how those operations worked, and there were some arrests, but the Nigerian government refused to allow the extradition of those who were arrested. Their government doesn’t see an ethical problem with this operation, I was told, because they figure that anyone foolish enough to fall for the scam deserves what they get.

Treasa Struble (Skiles)

Re scams: As I often submit answers to the Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle on NPR, I was delighted when my cell phone rang today at noon (that's the apointed hour when the radomly selected winner is contacted). Turned out to be someone from the "Federal Government" informing me that I had just won $8500. I told the guy that I was going to report him to the authorities and that his ploy was a scam and hung up on him. He had the audacity to immediately call me back, asking why I had hung up on him. I repeated that his ploy was a scam and hung up on him again. I then turned off my phone for several minutes.  He must have found a different victim, as I have not heard from him again.

So, thanks to all of you who alert us to possible scams. Stay vigilant. 

Gail Nisbet (Sutherland)

Treasa Struble (Skiles)

Verizon has recently been made aware of a cell phone scam originating in Jamaica. The scammer informs you of your winning a multi-thousand dollar sweepstakes and asks that you call a certain number to claim your prize. The caller's number is then captured and used to rack up thousands of dollars in international phone calls. So, Verizon customers, be wary.

Bruce Wilson

Anyone ever hang out in Cockatoo Grove? (east of Bonita) or The Theosophical Institute (Point Loma).

Bruce Wilson

Hotel Del 1952, 1935  (in the 1990's I had a Model A just like the one pictured)

PB Oscar's and Crystal Pier 1960 and  around 1955

Bruce Wilson

El Cajon Blvd, 1942 looking west (note gas ranging from .15 all the way up to .19)

Bruce Wilson

San Diego State College Aerial 1968. In the lower left hand corner near the bridge there used to be a frat house (TKE?) which was torn down and became a free parking lot. The house had come to be referred to as the 'pimp' house. Amphitheatre (center) was still in tact, Just across from the lot was "The Two Bit" sandwich shop. Two sandwiches for $.25 (American). Steve Williams and I ate there a few times after swimming class. We invited Shayne but she would have nothing to do with it, she was busy over at the other end of campus, something about lemon peels.

Bruce Wilson

Crystal Pier 1946. Check out how over-developed PB was in those days. Bill Burger's mom's store was just a couple of blocks from the pier (1950's & 1960's).

There is a big sqwable currently about short-term vacation rentals in the area.

Bruce Wilson

One more and I gotta go, even without a ticket to ride. Hope I passed the audition.

♦♦

San Diego street car about 1950 (never rode in one, never will, just no desire)

Linda L. Keating (Keating)

Wow - Thank you for all your great messages, 

pictures & links! - "Live Long And Prosper."

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

The donations were a great idea and the choice of charities excellent. Once again thank you to the committee for everything.