Karma Is Real
Every few weeks we hear about another hack and theft of our personal data in the news. It was reported in the news a few days ago that an astonishing 2.7 billion people were exposed in the latest hack, this time Social Security numbers were stolen. Based on the frequency of these hacks it seems like no one is able to keep our data safe. Unfortunately, this situation will only become more volatile with the advent of AI and quantum computing. I, personally, get about two or three spam calls a day.
Often the biggest target of these hacks and scams are the most vulnerable among us like the poor and the elderly. Thankfully there are teams of white-hat hackers who’re fighting back against the scores of scammers throughout the world looking to profit off the misfortune of others.
The YouTube channel Scammer Payback does a great job of taking their viewers right into the heat of this battle between good and evil.
It seems like this is like a continuous game of whack a mole. When one operation is shut down a new one pops up or they reopen under another name and in a different location. Some of these scammers are even protected from prosecution by their local governments because they provide kickbacks to crooked local politicians.
These videos are a great window into a huge war that’s being fought every day. Karma is real though sometimes the results are immediate and sometimes it takes a while. It's so satisfying to see some of these hackers and scammers brought to justice in real-time. This Scammer Payback channel is also an education in protecting yourself from these unscrupulous scammers.
There’s Nothing New Under the Sun
Most of us have heard some version of this quote from writer and philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
I’ve been doing an extraordinary amount of reading this summer and one of the books I’m devouring is The Lessons of History. One thing I’ve learned is there’s truly nothing new under the sun.
Even though it feels like we’re in uniquely strange and volatile times, we’re really not. Humans of the past, for the most part, behaved just like us. Civilizations have gone through countless divisive periods throughout the course of history and really the only thing different in our modern world is our technology. This was oddly comforting and allowed me to breathe just a little easier. This is a very short read, about a hundred pages, and I can’t recommend this book enough if you want to ground yourself a little more in this crazy world of ours. Knowledge is definitely power.
All for now.
Be well and make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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Total madness indeed
The world seems pretty crazy right now!
Leaving for Afrika soon to hide for a few months
The warmth and sunshine will be wonderful! I miss traveling so much, I hope to resume soon. Bon voyage!
The same here. Our data was sold to bet and internet companies. Everyday, I either get call or message.
It's ridiculous, isn't it? It must be very lucrative.
That is very interesting about the history thing. I know with things like the climate there are a lot of people who claim these things we see as disasters are actually quite cyclical. I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't the case here as well. Just different people and different places. That is funny about the people scamming the scammers!
In looking at the climate change data it seems like it could be a 12,000 year natural cycle but greatly accelerated by humans pumping excessive amounts of C02 into the atmosphere. A lot of folks think we're actually heading into another ice age. This channel is unbelievably good! We've been binging episodes these last few days. I'm glad there are still people choosing to do good in the world.
Yeah, I am sure we aren't helping things at all. I don't mind snow, but I am not sure I am ready for an ice age!
Apparently the ice melt and floods happen first and will take centuries or even millennia before the planet turns colder. Even though it might feel like an ice age here in Minnesota in January I'm not ready for it either.
Good to know I've still got some time then! :)
I also get spam calls on my phone sometimes but I don't receive them. However, the phone does not contain any important data. Reading books is good and what comes from them is power and that is knowledge.
The iPhone does a pretty good job at identifying spam but, occasionally one slips through. I don't pick up calls from numbers I don't recognize.
I got an email yesterday about exposing my controversial porn choices to the world. Guy wanted $900 in Bitcoin, then went on to explain what crypto is. My question was... after several paragraphs devoted to how he knew my every online move, how did he think I didn't know about crypto? I hate it when hackers get lazy like that.
I find this to be really comforting too. I think we're programmed to amplify what happens to us. Just like we think a break-up, ailment or betrayal that we go through is worse than what others have experienced. We can't possibly be one in a long line. But we are. Thank goodness.
I'm putting that book in my TBR:)
Lol, I think that scam has been around for a while. With 99% of these scams you just wonder "how can people fall for this?" but they must fool enough people to make it lucrative for them. My fear is how much more sophisticated these scams will become in the next few years.
I think you're right about the amplification of our individual condition, it's like we get lost in and blinded by the emotions of it all. This book is a really quick read and valuable. It was actually recommended by Elon Musk and now I understand why.
Yes, that is the famous sentence of King Solomon. You know, this week I came across a video about the Cromagnon man: taller with more robust bones and a larger cranial capacity, indicating that they were stronger and smarter than us. I wonder, how valid was Solomon's sentence for them? Perhaps, we have degenerated as copies of the original giving place to such bad practices that you point out with certainty. Anyway, in the end, one decides one's behavior under the circumstances. Although I am inclined not to affect others. We must recognize that the instinct to satisfy one's own needs can be a stumbling block and temptation. Hence the sublime of those who strive to do what is right and in solidarity with others. I don't know if there were swindlers among our Cro-Magnon ancestors, but surely there were also those who did good.
Happy reading of The Lessons of History, my friend.
It seems life is, and always has been, a battle between good and evil. I think we're all part of a universal consciousness that just keeps getting reborn again and again. Thanks!
Over the last number of years, so many companies & etc have have been hacked, that I know my info has to already be out there somewhere. It's a shame to be sure. Although I still try to do the right things so that I don't spread out my own info, I sometimes think about how futile that probably is. It's no consolation if your identity gets stolen that was other people's fault, I would still have to deal with it all the same, but I would like for it not to be because I'm stoopid.
These kinds of scams/hacking are SO widespread! I don't think it's possible to completely protect ourselves but there are things we can do to lessen our risk. I worry about the elderly the most. My mom is very aware of how to keep herself safe from this kind of thing so I'm relieved about that but she's one of the exceptions I think.
My Mom is 90 and she is very aware not to give her info out anywhere or to anyone, but a few months back there had been some trouble with her computer and within a close time, she got something about checking her computer which she thought was related and gave someone access to her computer. She immediately realized it was probably wrong, hung up the phone and unplugged her computer. She doesn't pay bills online or have other sensitive info on her computer, so it would not have been the worst thing ever, but still, the scammers are so sly these days. I never say I can't be fooled, but I stay suspicious about everything, just in case.
Yeah, that exact same scenario that they highlight on that Scammer Payback channel. The scam is usually disguised as I.T. help or related to banking. I'm glad the damage was minimal in your Mom's case.
I think it was the recent computer issue that made her miss a beat. If she had no issues recent to the call, I don't think they would have fooled her for a minute.
“Thief who robs a thief, has a hundred years of forgiveness”. These days I received a message on WhatsApp offering me money in exchange for small online jobs. If I was going to become a millionaire with that job, I let it go. hahaha. Now the Venezuelan government assures that the electoral system of the country was hacked and that is why they cannot deliver the minutes, but in this case they are hoaxes to consummate and cover up the fraud.
Knowing that there is nothing new under the sun, that everything is already done, can be a hard blow to the ego and pride of some artists, for example, who feel they are discovering the warm water: Nihil novum sub sole, my Latin teacher used to say. Nice Tuesday, Eric. Hugs
Yes, as they say, if it seems to be too good to be true it usually is. The saddest part of all this is the self-loathing the victims of these kinds of crimes usually walk away from the experience with. Many of the victims blame themselves for falling for it. There's also probably a lifetime of distrust.
That's so true about creatives..nearly everything has been recycled knowingly or unknowingly. Thankfully there are new audiences born every generation as well.
I hope you're having a good week!
My sister got a call that her daughter was in a terrible accident and the man calling said he was a drug dealer so he could not call the law but her daughter needed medical help, if she wanted to see her again she was to bring 5 grand to Walmart parking lot, he put a girl on the phone that was screaming hysterically and my sister thought it sounded like her daughter.
She tried to call her daughter but did not get an answer, she headed to Walmart but saw two cop cars parked at Walgreens and pulled in there and told them what was going on, she still had the caller on the phone and they could hear him telling her what to do, the cops told her to stay there, they sent an officer to her daughters work and she was there. They never found the guy a Walmart. I do not know what she would do when she got to WM if she did not see the cops, because she does not have 5 grand.
That is really scary! There is such a problem with human trafficking and that sounds like what was about to happen there.
I did not think of that and I should have, my oldest daughter works for Social Services and she was the first person in my state to be trained in human trafficking.
It's crazy how prevalent it's getting here in the US.
I never knew it was a thing until my daughter told me she was taking classes for it. She says it is very bad.
I also received spam calls from Spanish telephone numbers in the recent past. I picked up only one of them. I said that I do not speak Spanish. A few times I received spam calls from Hungarian numbers too. I picked up those calls, but I did not said any sensitive information, and I quickly hung up the phone.
It's so widespread (and annoying). To top it all off we're getting calls for political donations here in the US. It kind of feels like that scene in The Matrix when Neo has to fend off a thousand Agent Smiths. Lol.
It's a shame that many people's data has been stolen by hackers. I think hacker technology is getting more sophisticated. Hopefully the country can protect its citizens' data from hackers who continue to innovate. Have a nice day, Eric.
Do you have this issue in your country?
It's really unfortunate, the way things keep getting worse.
I agree. Maybe AI will offer some solutions to help fight it.
I'm glad to know that in this crazy World of scammers, there are also crazy white-hat hackers ready to counter their attacks.
It is comforting to know there's a force for good fighting against it.
I agree to the fact that nothing is new under the sun. Faces change, methods change, technology changes but the basic things people do remain the same. Scam had always been around. With the ease of technology it just has become more sophisticated.
Awareness is important to take steps for protection.
Greetings to you
Yes, our technology is about all that is different. Thank you!
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I often wonder if scamming is the only means to make money for these scammers. Can't they engage in an honest day's job? Karma is indeed real!
I think sometimes it's easy money for them. I often wonder if they'd do better if they funneled all of that effort and creativity into a legit business?
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#hive #posh
It is quite painful that people data and privacy is really exposed and this is dangerous because hackers can make use of these hackers
Yeah I saw that recent hack... whew. Unfortunately, as is so common in these things, the biggest news here was how carelessly the company that was suppose to be protecting our information was. All that data was unencrypted and unsecured, just waiting for someone to get it. Security at so many companies is terrible. You would think that seeing these hacks would encourage other companies to upgrade their own security policies, but that never seems to be the case. For better or worse, it is currently a field day for hackers. They don't even have to be good hackers to stumble across things like this. As things are, quantum computing won't change things that much... because no one encrypts our information as it is in the first place.
That looks like a good book. I'll order it. And that channel looks great. I just subscribed to it. Thanks for the pointer!
Data breaches are way too common and the penalties aren't nearly stiff enough for companies who hold our data. I think there were over twenty major breaches just last year alone. This book is up there with the top ten most important books I've read. It just gives you this concise 10,000 ft overview of the human psyche. Super valuable stuff. You're welcome!