Wireless phones have made life easier in so many ways. “Waiting by the phone” no longer means sitting at home, now the phone goes where you go. You can virtually stay in touch with anyone, anywhere. Besides the traditional use of phoning another party you now have many other capabilities such as the ability to text message, browse the web and download options and information directly to your phone. However, with this comes the potential for scams. They are not only an inconvenience but can be a costly experience to boot.
Ads for free ring tones, jokes or music downloads are prevalent but we wary as what sounds too good to be true usually is just that. Always read the fine print in accepting such offers. Many of these offers are presented in a manner most appealing to children and teens. And taken at face value are attractive and seemingly harmless but can come with terms and conditions that may result in pricey and often recurring fees. In some instances these offerings come in as text messages and your reply via text to an apparently free offer or one time offer will be anything but.
Watch out for spammers on your cell. They have figured out how to enter the world of text messaging. If you thought spam was bad enough with e-mail, junk mail and telemarketing, now this kicks it up a notch as recipients of text messages are most often paying for this service.
One common spam scam is the “Pump and Dump”. Thousands of cell phone users have been hit with spam text messages hawking stock (often penny stock). They promote the stock to pump up the price and then dump it as soon as the victims have helped to boost the price and quickly sell before the stock inevitably plummets. People are making millions of dollars with this type of scam.
Wireless devices are now a target for identity thieves. We know find ourselves using cell phones for more than casual conversation, for example, many people conduct online banking by means of their wireless device. With this convenience we expose ourselves to the danger of having personal information stolen by hackers. Because wireless technology now allows people to use their phones in many of the ways they can a PC, a scammer can hack into phones and get personal information just like they can a personal computer. They can even hack into a cell phone by just walking by, allowing them to listen in on calls or steal personal information without anyone’s knowledge. This is accomplished by exploiting short-range Bluetooth wireless connections (WI-FI) between cell phone and hands-free headsets for PCs.
What does all of this mean to the millions of cell phone users out there? Be proactive in trying to protect your personal information, check you bill monthly. Think twice before “saving” passwords and IDs in your cell phone, which in turn means having to enter your info each time you make a transaction or want to enter a site.
Protect your cell phone like you would your wallet or purse, be aware of your surroundings when making calls and give it careful consideration before lending your cell phone to anyone. If you are a victim of a scam contact your wireless provider immediately. The amount of assistance may vary. Contacting your carrier is one way of motivating them to stay on top of the situation.
By: Matt Hick
Archive for the ‘Business’ Category
Why Cell Phones Are Important March 29th, 2010
Cell phones are now considered to be a necessity for most people. This is because cell phones provide us with the ability to communicate with our family, colleagues, etc. not only through calls and SMS but even through sending e-mails as our mobile phones are now just like a mini computer that can be connected to the Internet if configured. Cell phones are even used as a camera, a video recorder and even as a radio and mp3 player all in one. What more can you ask for?
Cell phones are a great tool for us to connect with other people, thereby providing us with a kind of security knowing that we can “watch over” people or can be “watched over” by the people close to our hearts. In emergency situations, our mobile phones are the ways wherein people can reach us and in the same way through those phones we can reach the necessary people or establishment too. In the event that an old friend is looking for you, there are now websites with a cell phone directory for people to use to find an old flame, a lost relative etc.
If in the past, cell phone reception was not that reliable, that has changed now. In fact due to the advanced technology of today, high quality reception is enjoyed by cell phone users. Wireless technology also brings everything you will ever need in cell phones such as Internet access, GPS technology, etc. Mobile phone service providers have become really dependable that it is hard to live without their services. Due to the increase in the production of different models of cell phones, prices of these gadgets have also dropped making them more affordable than ever. With cell phones, you are not only able to make important calls but may be able to check your office email, use your phone for reminders or calendars, use it for data transfers from your phone to your laptop, and a lot more.
Cell phone manufacturers now have ongoing competition as to who would be able to provide the best phone in terms of lightness, being user friendly, having the most features, etc. There are cell phones that are not costly but would have nice features, and then there are the really expensive cell phones that would have everything you could wish for. It is up to you on whether you would choose a phone that is basic giving you only the necessary features you need or a phone that is technologically advanced that gives you needed features and also extras that are great to have. Wireless cell phone service providers on the other hand need to come up with a cell phone directory that would work just like a phone directory to be able to trace the cell phone numbers of people you are looking for. Take note though that there are some websites that have their own cell phone directory that is a paid service. This would of course come with pros and cons.
By: Steve Herzog
