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Conventional work wisdom says that the best way to find work is to network. Searching ads, sending out applications and resumes, and walking into businesses to talk to the manager may yield desired results for some people, but the best way to find the work you’re looking for is to reach out to people you know who are in a position to hire you, and people who might be connected to those people. This makes the cloning work scam particularly lucrative for scammers,
The con begins with a classic case of facebook account cloning, sometimes called spoofing. We have all gotten the non-work version of this scam. Somebody on our friends list appears to send us a message, but when we open it, all they have to say to us is “Is this you?” or “Look at this video I found of you!” with a link we can click on. These messages are not from the person they appear to be from. The scammer has stolen their profile photo, their name, and any other details they can copy, and created a second account that they control. Clicking on the link opens your computer up to the scammer’s malware, allowing them access to your financial accounts and other personal information. To run the work scam, the scammer does the same thing with a local facebook account, only instead of sending messages to the person’s friends, they post a job ad in local groups. A recent ad circulating around the Utica area offers the opportunity to work from home doing data entry for $25 per hour. Group members are asked to private message the account for more details. Once you send a message inquiring about the job, you receive the following reply: “This is an online and work from home job the working hours are flexible and you can chose to work from anywhere of your choice,the pay is $25 per hour training is $15 per hour and you will be getting payed weekly via direct deposit or credit card top up and the maximum amount you can work a week is 40 hours. I believe working from home will not be a problem for you ?” Notice that although the account appears to be someone in your community working in a data entry job, the grammar, spelling, and word choice are incorrect and awkward. It is also noteworthy that the company can only pay you in ways that require you to give them your banking and/or credit card information. Once you assure them that working from home will not be a problem for you, they say, “Okay good. Job Description & Responsibilities. Data entry is all about speed, accuracy, and attention to detail. You enters information into computer databases for effective record keeping. Daily responsibilities include: Organizing files and collecting data to be entered into the computer and appropriate software entering. I'm sure you can handle all this as a Data. Entry clerk ?” Again, they are recruiting for a job that requires accuracy and attention to detail, yet their dialogue is barely readable, and contains mistakes and strange phrasing, even in that short message. Further messages include pressure to download their preferred private messenger app from the Google store, so that you can communicate with the hiring manager. At this point, it may still be tempting to convince yourself that this is genuine. After all, you do give your direct deposit information to any job that offers direct deposit once you’re hired. And many Americans who speak English as their native language do have poor written communication skills these days. Seeing posts that say “Your doing great!” instead of the correct “You’re doing great!” or “What are there hours?” instead of “What are their hours?” is far from uncommon. And we use “positive” and “negative” to refer to anything that pleases or displeases us on any level. But even a person who forgets basic grammar and uses the same two words for everything can understand and answer a direct question in their native language, especially when the question is one they would likely hear and be expected to answer on a regular basis. There is no reason why a fully functioning, native English speaking adult whose job involves recruiting others to work for their company would not be able to understand and answer the question, “What is a typical work day like for you?” The person you are talking to when responding to these ads cannot do that. “They like to see an had working and fast people,” was the first answer I received to that question. I asked it again, using slightly different phrasing. The answer was, “I work 30hrs week.” When I tried a third time, they said, “You can work as hours you want to in a day Once you start the interview you will understand everything” “But what is a day of work like for you as an employee?” I asked. “I work from Monday til Friday,” the scammer said. “Can you describe a typical workday?” I then asked. “I don’t no the kind of job that is available right now When you start your interview you will be good,” said the scammer. Before blocking them, I tossed out a couple of silly questions and statements, just to see if they could even follow a conversation. The scammer I talked to can pick up on a few words. They asked if I was only focused on the money when I asked if I could earn millions of dollars, responding, “Are you looking after the money or.” I assured them that no, I also wanted a job that would allow me enough time to teach my dog to drive. They said, “Your dog to drive Wow I don’t know dog also drive car.” This is clearly not really someone working for a company that demands anything fast and accurate, unless you count quickly collecting the credit card and bank account information of their scam victims. In order to learn the details of the scam, I interacted with this account even more than I should have. The best response is to simply report any of these “looking for people to do data entry at home” job ads to the group administrator right away. And if you happen to know the person whose name, photo, and other details are being used, let them know what’s going on. When looking at job ads on social media, respond only to those posted by an established local business or a well-known professional. Make sure the content makes sense, such as a hairdresser posting that they have space for another stylist, or a hotel seeking a desk clerk. If they offer an application on Indeed dot com or through their website, or provide email or phone contact information, use it rather than sending everything in social media messaging. If you must communicate with a prospective employer or client through social media, spend enough time chatting with them to determine that you are communicating with the person presented. Never give out your banking information or any other sensitive information until you have been given and completed a W-4 form, or signed an independent contractor agreement, with an established company. Taking extra steps may seem like a hassle, especially when you need work right away, but it would take a lot more time and energy to deal with identity theft or a drained bank account.
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When you’re in high school, or college if you go the traditional route of enrolling right out of high school, living on campus, and taking all in-person classes, school can feel like the world. Whether that’s a good experience or a bad one depends on your school and your place in it, but either way, it can feel like your whole life.
Going to college after age twenty-five, going to college online, and/or going to college part-time while we also focus on our family, paid work, music gigs, acting, or writing can feel like a completely different world. And like traditional college and its urban legends, nontraditional college comes with its own set of myths and misconceptions. Note: for the purpose of this article, the term “adult education” will be used to refer to any of the nontraditional situations described above. It is a common term used to differentiate nontraditional students from more traditional higher education situations, and is in no way meant to imply that a student who is eighteen or over, taking all of their classes offline, and living on or computing daily to campus is not an adult. Myth: It’s going to be you and a bunch of eighteen year-olds who have never done anything but attend high school. Reality: This may turn out to be true at some schools. However, people are increasingly delaying college, going back to college to prepare for second careers, or taking other, less traditional routes to their degree. If you do not want to feel like the only person who did not head off to college right after high school and then settle into your permanent career, it is entirely possible to narrow your list of prospective schools down to those with a high percentage of students who fall into similar categories as you. According to the U.S. News and World Report online rankings for 2022, Peirce College in Philadelphia, UMass Global, and our own Empire State College right here in New York boast a student body that is over 80% “aged twenty-five and older.” Myth: The instructor is going to expect you to know more about the subject because you’re older, or you’re “out in the world” more Reality: Most instructors expect students to enter the class at the level of expertise and skill one would expect of anyone taking the class. Anyone who doesn’t is being unfair. Regardless of the subject, everyone was a beginner at some point, and that includes adults studying that subject for the first time. You will not be expected to have any skills or insight anyone else taking the class would not be expected to have. Myth: You will never really be a part of campus life. Reality: Like the issue of feeling surrounded by people barely out of high school, this one seems to be less of a problem as nontraditional students become more and more the norm. Where once you might visit a university webpage and find “Young Democrats,” or “Young Republicans,” as the only offerings for those interested in politics, “College Democrats (or Republicans)” groups are increasingly common. Groups for people of specific ethnic backgrounds, general interests, and career interests welcome all students. Many schools even have distinct groups for students who do not reside on campus or are otherwise “nontraditional.” Myth: You are going to be your instructor’s equal, especially if you’re close in age or older than them. Reality: Your instructor is the person teaching the class and you are the student, regardless of your age, life experience, or any other details about either of you. If you truly know more than the teacher, you need to drop the class and take one at a much higher level. Other details about your life do not matter in class. An instructor with an earned doctorate is still “Dr.” and his or her last name. Those teaching with a Master’s degree, or who hold a terminal Master’s degree are “Mr,” “Ms.” or “Mrs.” (or whatever they introduce themselves using) and their last name, unless they ask the class to call them by their first name. And regardless of your age, past education, or professional experience, it is best to ask the teacher what they wish to be called if they do not let you know in the syllabus or other introductory materials. Myth: The instructor is going to offer you special treatment because of your age, employment status, or family status. Reality: This myth began circulating around the internet as early as 2009, and took hold thanks to a now defunct “college advice” website boasting more than one rather questionable gem. Never assume that you are going to be graded more leniently, allowed to turn things in late, or given extra time on a test simply because you have a job, kids, a spouse, a house full of pets, or bills to pay. Each instructor’s policy on late work, grading, and other class issues may vary, but they will apply to everyone, not just you. Myth: Your instructor will have a degree, or at least some training in adult education and will be especially attuned to the needs of adult education students. Reality: This particular myth has been put forth by a certain well-known online university that offers doctorate degrees in adult education. Visitors to the “chat with us” area of their website are urged to enroll right away, and the line “Yeah, in order to teach at a college you pretty much need a doctorate in Adult Education” is one they have used. This is neither true, nor is it a tactic used by all schools that offer this degree, because it simply is not true. Your instructor will have an advanced degree, at least a Master’s degree, in their field. Myth: College teachers have to announce they treat everyone the same. If I take them aside and have a little chat with them, they’ll give me an extension when I have to work an extra shift that week or take my kids to practice. Reality: Approaching anyone supervising any of your work, whether paid or academic, with a reason why you deserve special treatment is making an excuse. Some instructors happily accept excuses. Others accept none. But either way, what you’re doing is nothing more than making an excuse. And that is not a good habit to develop in college…or at work. If you’re headed back to school, or thinking of going back to school at an age that feels older than everyone else, or you feel like you’ve had more or different life experiences than most college students and won’t be able to relate to anyone else, don’t let those fears discourage you. Higher education is more friendly to those who didn’t take the traditional route than ever. While the traditional path to college is still full-time, on campus, and directly out of high school, more and more people are going a different route. People are getting degrees after they have been in the military, worked in a professional field for a time, raised a family, or coped with a long illness. Many people are returning for second and third degrees in order to make a career change. College can happen online or offline, or a bit of both. It’s not all dorm rooms and frat parties anymore.
Here are some tips…from someone who teaches nontraditional students online…for anyone who is off to school online, after age twenty-five, or after first going down any other path but the one straight to campus after high school. Set up space for school. The best place for nontraditional college students to take online classes, study, and complete their homework would be in a comfortable shared space. Renting a classroom or conference room with a group of other students and making that “school” for you would be ideal. Of course, that also ranges from impractical to downright impossible for most people. So come as close to that as you can. If you have a home office or studio, use that space as your school space. If you have a desk in your room or in a shared home office, use that. And if you have none of those things, set up a temporary school space. Designate your chair at the kitchen table your “school spot” anytime your laptop is open or the mug from the school store is sitting there. Schedule school time. Colleges and universities that offer you the opportunity to “learn at your own pace” and “work on your own time” mean that you get to decide when school time will take place, not that you get to do your work and hand it in when you feel like it. Begin each unit of study with a careful noting of due dates, and plan your work around that plus the rest of your life, including your own learning style. Some people learn best and get the most done when they do a lot of work at once. Others need to work in shorter, more frequent sessions. Academic work time will likely need to be scheduled around paid work, family obligations, and other activities. But schedule it. It’s too easy to forget to do an assignment when you decide to just “do it when you have a chance.” Get started…and ask questions…early. Read the first assignment, including any resources, notes, samples, guides, or supplemental material, on the first day. Start assigned readings that day. If you have a project to plan, get started on it on the first day of school. This will give you a time cushion if something goes wrong. If you need to cancel a day of scheduled school work, a piece of a project gets misplaced, you’re having trouble getting a book you really need, or you don’t understand the assignment and need to email the teacher and wait for a reply, you’ll be ahead and able to relax and work through the difficulty without sacrificing your grade, or any other part of your life. Wearing yourself out will not benefit your studies. Give yourself breaks and time off. Going to college is supposed to be time consuming. It’s supposed to be hard. If your admissions counselor talked you into enrolling by promising you can earn your degree by glancing at your phone while your toenail polish dries at the salon, you are at a bad school. You will be tired. You will have added stress. But this does not mean you need to live logged in to your school website or your online research materials, never leave the local library, or miss your best friend’s wedding to write a paper. Breaks should be scheduled into each school session. And days…or at least half days off should be scheduled for important life events. You might also want to schedule a day off of school work just to rest once in a while. Tailor your work to the rest of your life as much as possible. Sometimes, you are just going to have to complete projects you don’t feel like completing. This is going to be true whether you are in school or doing paid or volunteer work. But it is always more encouraging to work on something you care about. Choose a topic you’re passionate about anytime you are assigned a paper, presentation, speech, or other project on the topic of your choice. You may even want to design a project that can be used in your current professional life. Avoid excuses and pity plays. Excuses today come in a wide variety. The classics are still around., “My dog ate my homework, often updated to “The computer ate my homework” today. There’s always that time in the semester when it’s apparently dangerous to know someone who goes to your school, as everyone’s friends and family members seem to die, go to the hospital, or fall seriously ill at once. And then there’s the contemporary version, where the excuse-maker attempts to give everything a politically correct spin. They’re “just letting the teacher know the work will be late because communication is important,” or “They’re going to be handing in the next assignment when they can get around to it, because they’re ‘doing self-care.”Don’t use any of them. Spend the time you were planning to use to write out that excuse to write out the questions you have about the coursework that’s preventing you from being able to get things done on time instead. Keep track of large projects you complete for classes. If you’re old enough to go to college, you’re probably a little too old to hang your work up on the fridge, but don’t just recycle or delete everything either. Keep papers and projects you do particularly well on. You might be able to use some of the same material, or the same research, in future classes. (Make sure this is okay with the new teacher first of course.) Even if you never get to use the work again in school, it might give you something to discuss with a hiring manager at a job interview when they ask what you have done in your new field, or want to talk about your studies. Going off to college isn’t going to be the same as it would have been in your late teens. If this is a second degree, things won’t be the same as they were the first time. But with some planning, and some useful attitudes and approaches, they can be even better. by Jess Szabo' (novelist, arts writer, and writing teacher) originally published on Artist Cafe Utica Summer is travel season for many of us. Utica area artists, particularly musicians and other performing artists, may be heading out on the road to perform at festivals and events in other cities, while those of us who only work locally might be on our way to conferences, workshops, or other business trips for our second job or day job. And although everything is far from affordable right now, there must be at least a few of us who just plain need a vacation.
One group of people who are sadly not taking a vacation are scammers. They remain hard at work, and focused on our professional and personal travel plans. Here are just a few of the travel scams on the rise for summer 2022, and how to spot them. The rental of your scammer’s dreams. One of the most basic scams out there involves tricking people into paying money for something that does not exist. The scam unfolds as you might expect. You’re looking for a place to stay, and come across the perfect hotel, lodge, cabin, or suite. You quickly message the person offering the rental, send them your money, and cross “find a place to stay” off your list. Everything goes according to plan. Everything goes according to plan until you drive up to the place, hoping to put your stuff away and rest for a bit before exploring your destination. The address you were given turns out to belong to an empty lot, or a Walmart, or a complete stranger’s house or the back alley behind a garage. Calls, texts, and other messages to the person you rented from go unanswered. Your money is gone, and you have nowhere to stay. Anyone traveling to someplace completely unfamiliar may want to visit a local travel agent with expertise in booking travel and arranging lodging. If you are going someplace you are reasonably familiar with, such as a neighboring state or a city you have visited in the past, refuse to book travel anywhere but a reputable travel website. No legitimate renter is ever going to ask you to leave an established site like Travelocity, Expedia, or AirBnB dot com and make a payment someplace else. Carefully check reviews before you book. A place that has no reviews may be a fake listing that was recently posted. While nobody has the time to read through multiple pages of reviews, take the time to read a few, noting not just problems, but word choice. Beware of multiple reviews that use the same words or phrases. They were likely written by the scammers themselves. Finally, take a close look at the photos. Pictures that are grainy, out of focus, or of odd things such as corners and blank walls were likely taken at a random spot. Scan the pictures for details that do not match the listed location. If you aren't sure if there are palm trees where you're headed, or if that chain restaurant in the background exists in that city, do some online research or talk to a trusted friend who knows the area. The interesting story that paid off…for a scammer. While most scammers have embraced technology, there are still those who run old-fashioned, in person scams. The situation begins with something that looks like it will just be one of those everyday mishaps or misunderstandings that make for an interesting story to tell once you get back home. Someone spills something on you, and insists upon helping you clean your shirt or your bag. Or they bump into you and feel so terrible about it, they begin apologizing so profusely, it draws a crowd. Maybe they stopped you mid stroll down the street, talked you into signing their petition, and made such a scene about donating to the cause, you gave them some money just to get away. None of these scenarios are coincidences. These are all common tactics scammers use to separate distracted travelers from their money. Avoid or leave the situation quickly. If someone bumps you and/or spills on you, say “It’s okay,” and move away from them before they can reach your bag or your pocket. Walk away from people pressuring you to sign a petition. If it turns out to be a real cause, you can learn more about it and show your support from the safety of your own room or at home. The “help” that helps themselves to your banking information. This one is not strictly a travel scam. As I sat in my own kitchen doing the research for the article you are reading right now, I received a text message from scammers pretending they were trying to help me. The text was allegedly from Amazon. They wanted to let me know my card was charged $495.99 for a VIZIO 60” Class V Series 4K LED Smart TV. The note assured me that they knew it was “not me” and they wanted me to contact them. Sitting calmly in my kitchen, working on the arts writing portion of my writing work, I was able to instantly realize that this was a scam. Amazon does not send text messages from random numbers because they think my latest order wasn’t placed by me. But scammers are not counting on calm. They hope the recipient of the text will be distracted, panic, call the number, and provide the “helper” with the credit card number so the charge can be canceled. And we are often distracted when we are on a trip. Fight back against this scam while traveling by taking a moment, no matter how rushed or distracted you might be. Never hurriedly click on any numbers in a strange text. Delete it immediately. The bonus view of the strip that costs you a “bonus” for the scammer. Las Vegas is a dream vacation spot for many. Some like the lure of the chance they might come back with a fortune. Others enjoy the glamorous image the city holds in the popular imagination. And still others just like the buffets, lights, and room service. Those who truly love Vegas love most or all of the above. One way to put a damper on a Vegas vacation is getting drawn into the Vegas taxi scam. This one can be hard to spot, because the scammer is a legitimate taxi driver, who really is going to take you where you want to go. They are just going to offer to ‘show you the strip” before they do it, greatly increasing, sometimes doubling your fare. Never announce that you want to see the strip or cannot wait to visit the strip. And don’t fall for what appears to be friendly chatter about where you’re from and how well you know Vegas. The cab driver isn’t trying to befriend you. They’re trying to find out how easy it might be to pull the scam. People who seem exhausted and/or unfamiliar with the city are the easiest targets, because they are likely not paying close attention to the route, and may be unaware that the drive down the strip is a waste of their money. Refusing the ride will not cause you to miss out on the strip. Walking the strip is easy, and it is free. Avoiding Vegas will not guarantee avoiding this scam. Unethical cab drivers in all cities can pull the same trick by promising to show you any famous nearby landmark. Always request the shortest route to your destination, no matter where you travel. Whether you’re headed to an out of town gig, a business meeting, or finally going on vacation, look out for yourself, and each other. . “Nobody wants to work,” is a familiar refrain from hiring managers. “There are all these jobs available, but nobody wants to work.”
In reality, the problem is not that nobody wants to work. Plenty of people want to work.. They just cannot afford to devote so much time to a low-paying job with few to no benefits that they can neither pay their bills nor search for a better job. If the paycheck you’re offering me is gone before I make it down the list of the bills I have to pay each month, but I’ve been working so long I can barely walk to my couch to collapse never mind go on a hunt for a better job, I simply cannot work for you, whether I want to work or not. Job ads that ask the applicant to agree to do the work of multiple positions, keep themselves available to the company at all times, and accept pay that would only cover their expenses if they were about fifteen years old and just needed to save up for prom are standard anymore. But some ads have requirements that are so absurd, it’s like the higher ups don’t even want employees, just another excuse to whine. Names and other identifying details have been changed to protect the ridiculous. Please be prepared to step through the screen at a moment’s notice A tutoring company we shall call “Tutory Tutors” is looking for someone to work a variety of shifts. Their focus is on business and engineering, but they’re looking for someone to enlighten and inspire the next generation, because they want certified and experienced elementary and middle school teachers to join their staff. Reasonable so far, at least in today’s job market. Someone who has gone through the rigorous educational and testing requirements needed to become a teacher, and has put in their time student teaching and building their own teaching career should be a bit too far along on that path to do work that has traditionally been done by people who haven’t even finished college yet, but that simply isn’t the way things work today. But “Tutory Tutors” isn’t done. They would also like their tutors to have CPR certification. The tutoring is done online. We trust you with our students’ academic futures online…but not with your own resume. Online teaching makes up a large part of my career as a writer. I am an Online Adjunct English Instructor at a university that offers classes online. In order to get my job, I first filled out the application on their personnel website, complete with my resume and references. Someone from the school then called me on the phone and conducted an interview. Once I received an offer, I was asked to verify my identity by submitting to a background check and stopping in at the County Clerk’s office in the town where I lived to have them notarize a paper verifying that the person who had applied and accepted the job was indeed the person they were presenting themselves to be. This was all perfectly reasonable. I got everything done quickly, and seven years later, I still work there. But I have still never even visited the main campus. It would be nice to tour my own workplace, but it would be a long and expensive trip, and it is not at all necessary. Everything is done online. Another school, in a different state, posted an ad for an identical job recently. There is just one difference. In order to be considered for this online adjunct teaching job, one that is actually possible to work for several years without getting near the place offline, you have to bring your resume into the office in person. While all schools are not corporations, they have certainly taken a lesson in absurdity from “big business” here. Work for us and we might not pay you…but we will sure appreciate it! Artist Cafe Utica serves as a place for local artists to get free content once per week, and as my online office as a content writer. My niche is tiny. I only write for artists in and around Utica. Most content writers have much larger niches, marketing their work throughout the country or even internationally. This can be lucrative if your niche is a high demand, high paying field like tech or business, and if you are careful and selective about the clients you choose to work with. Or you can take on anyone with the word “writing” in their ad or profile as your client, and wind up with the content mill that posted this job ad: “We focus on college students. We are having US-based articles, Knowledge-based, we do job reviews of US, and we are also having knowledge based articles, we are having book reviews articles, company's review, job descriptions, puns and we also have the articles for swot analysis, mission statements of companies, etc.” And here are the “perks”: stipend up to $50 to $100 for 40,000 words per month…with extra payment for extra work, including a bonus upon completion of your three-month “internship.” Most blog articles are around 800 words. This breaks down to being offered the chance at $1-$2 per article, for around 50 articles per month. But don’t worry about only being offered the mere possibility of a dollar or two a day. You also get a certificate of completion and a certificate of appreciation. Most job hunters will agree that the search is frustrating, even demoralizing. Hiring managers and CEOs commonly complain that they can’t find workers, then make it impossible for anyone to qualify for or keep the jobs they offer. But some job ads go beyond the impossible…all the way to the absurd. The online extortion scam is a modern version of the classic blackmail scheme. The perpetrator either obtains or claims to have something damaging about you. They threaten to use that item or piece of information in a way that will harm you if you do not give them what they want.
Online blackmail is old news, but today’s version has taken on a frightening twist. In the older version, the scammer contacts you claiming to already have something damaging. They may insist they have hacked into your computer, or that a link you recently clicked on gave them access to your files. Those are easily dealt with by letting the site administrator of the website where the message was received know what is going on, and deleting and blocking the scammer accounts without replying. But in the newer twist, the scammer first gains the victim’s trust, and manipulates them into providing materials that are then used in the blackmail scheme. This is often referred to as “sextortion,” (sex, texting, and extortion), because the material the victim is either persuaded to send, or blackmailed into sending, is often sexual or revealing in nature. In an especially chilling twist, the FBI has recently reported a spike in these crimes aimed at teens and children. Here are some warning signs: Classic “catfishing” signs The MTV show “Catfish” has some flaws. Host Nev Schulman often gives dangerous advice, suggesting scam victims befriend their scammers, behaving as though being scammed is something that can be brushed off, and giving the impression that romance scammers are just losers who deserve a second chance. In reality, romance scammers are often dangerous people, and being the victim of a romance scam can cause serious psychological and financial damage. But Schulman does deserve credit for publicizing the fact that people often pretend to be someone they are not on the internet, and the warning signs that this may be happening. Never trust someone who resists meeting offline and in public in a situation where meeting would be the logical next step. There is no good reason why two adults in an online dating relationship but residing in the same town would not be able to meet for coffee, two adults discussing a job should not be able to connect for an interview before the job is accepted, or the parents of children who are chatting online would not be able to talk, or even meet up in public. Look out for differences in the life the person presents and the one they appear to lead. Parents of babies do not have unlimited time to be on the computer. Nobody is tall one day and short the next. All who “catfish” are not planning extortion, but if you are seeing these signs, there is a good chance you’re talking to a person who is not online for the reason they claim, and their real reason may be extortion. Pressure to move to another online space Everyone has online spaces where they are more or less comfortable. Some people don’t care for chatting via facebook messenger, and would rather keep in touch with friends using old-fashioned email, or vice-versa. But when your friend of thirty years says, “Hey, let’s go on Facebook, so we can chat in real time instead of waiting for email,” it’s a very different situation than when someone you only met a few minutes, hours, or days ago wants to leave the platform. Scammers…especially extortion scammers….want to leave the platform where they first met you because they want to get you in an environment where it is more comfortable for them to carry out their scheme. They may want to go someplace where it is easier to send and receive pictures, have longer chats, or learn your email address, location, or phone number. Uncomfortable or inappropriately intimate conversation Extortion scammers are fishing for information or material they can use for blackmail. One way to get this information or material is to get into an intimate conversation with their victim. And a scammer is going to want to get this information as fast as they can. They will often initiate, and pressure their victim into, providing personal information or materials. Engaging in “sexting,” the exchange of sexual dialogue, messages, or photos as an online sexual encounter, is of course the most obvious. But don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because you are happily monogamous with the love of your life, fully aware of the potential dangers of sexting, and/or someone who finds the whole idea of this behavior distasteful and would never do this. It is far from the only kind of private or intimate information that can be shared or obtained online. Scammers who realize you are not going to “sext” with them can obtain other types of private information. They may pose as a platonic friend available for venting, a professional “mentor” who gets you to open up about your work history and finances, or someone going through the same health issues as you or a family member, persuading you to share private medical or mental health information. Overly friendly and attentive behavior A common warning sign among all types of scams, this one is met with the most resistance. It sounds like nobody can even be friendly and compassionate toward someone else on the internet without everybody accusing them of being a scammer. Compassionate, friendly behavior is not a red flag itself. Friendly behavior becomes a warning sign when it is behavior that would read as overly friendly in any situation. Look out for the person who wants you to think they would do anything for you, even though they just met you, responds with a flood of compliments to anything and everything you say, or has all the time in the world to “mentor” or coach you. Promises of rewards or benefits In case you are still tempted to sit back and say, “MY child would never share anything private. They aren’t even interested in that part of life yet.” or “I’m happily married and would never betray my spouse in any way,” or “I do not go on the internet and share any of my personal life, intimate or not, with strangers,” know that the scammers already thought people like you would be out there, and planned for it. Your child may be approached by someone pretending to be casting for a modeling or acting job, and told that they must send photos of themselves or information about their appearance for their “portfolio.” Or they might be made to believe they will win a prize for participating in “a silly dare” or “social media challenge” by someone pretending to be their own age. Adult targets will see right through these, but far too many adults are willing to engage in online conversations with strangers about jobs and investment opportunities. And some of these strangers may be fishing for your banking information, your unfiltered opinion of your boss, or other information you would not want to get out. Should these red flags begin to pile up, do not engage with the person any further. Block them from contacting you. Any explicit conversation with a child or teen under the age of consent, or credible threats containing information that could lead the person to a victim of any age should be reported to law enforcement. While we spend more and more time socializing, networking, and working online, let’s not forget to look out for ourselves and each other. The position on direct selling/multilevel marketing has shifted back and forth a bit over the years here at Artist Cafe Utica. There have been pro-direct selling and anti-direct selling articles. These shifts have not happened on other topics, but multilevel marketing, also known as social selling or direct selling, seems to be one that keeps changing.
Unlike the other topics covered on this site, it is a relatively new topic for me. Everything else is something I’ve either researched and written about in my past career as a reporter, something I have been learning about for years for personal interest, a topic I studied as a student in graduate school, and/or something I have already done extensive research on for past creative writing work. Direct selling was the topic of a single article, coverage of a fundraiser, during my years as a reporter. I researched it briefly after that, then never thought about it again until 2018. Opinions shifted as new information was learned. In May of 2022, I returned to working with Avon as an independent sales representative. Although I do enjoy their products, Avon was chosen as a side gig because nobody pressured me into it, there was the option to sign up to sell for them for free, and I am neither required nor pressured to purchase and maintain inventory. Anyone who decides to sign up to sell Avon, or any other products through a direct selling company, may also want also keep the following lessons I’ve learned over the past four years in mind: You do not own your own business selling the company’s products. You are in business for yourself, but your business is you working as a freelance salesperson who has hired yourself out to the company to sell…and in some cases recruit…for them. People who own their own business while also working for a large corporation own franchises. With a franchise, the corporation does not make money from that business unless the franchise itself makes money. When you sign up for direct sales, the company makes money from you anytime you purchase a product for personal use or re-sale, sign someone else up who sells, or purchase business materials. You also give that corporation free advertising every time you promote yourself selling their products. This can be beneficial to you in that, should you change your mind, it is very easy to simply walk away. After all, you’re a freelance sales agent. It can also be detrimental to you, as the corporation itself has no incentive to offer you any support. Whether they do or not will depend on the specific company you choose and the people above you. And you still have to take taxes and business expenses out of your earnings yourself. Promises of limitless income, especially for little to no work, should always be a huge red flag. The vast majority of people do not become wealthy by selling products for a direct sales company. Most people sell for these companies as a side hustle. They love the products, and they earn enough to get those products free by only spending the commission they earn on their personal orders. Some direct sellers earn a bit more than that. They generate enough extra income to give themselves a bit of side cash, or to pay a single bill, or pad their emergency fund a bit. And it takes work to do even that. Whether you have hired yourself out to sell products, play music, write, walk dogs, or do anything else as an independent worker, you are going to have to do that work in order to earn anything. People who try to recruit you by promising that “all you have to do is share your love of the product” are not being honest with you. At the same time, signing up to sell something, then doing nothing but staring into the screen of your online store, throwing your promotional materials on a single table, then declaring the business a big scam isn’t fair either. Keeping track of the time you spend on sales and/or recruiting a team along with your income, is important. One of the strongest arguments against direct sales is that you can make more money working the same amount of hours at a minimum wage part-time job. And this may indeed be true. Or you may earn a bit more. It is all going to depend on a variety of factors, ranging from the type of work you do, to the number of people you know, to your neighborhood, to where you will be able to sell. If you live in a community where your company’s products, or direct selling in general, is immensely popular, there are a lot of public places that welcome sales materials around, you know a lot of people who will buy from you already, and you do all you can to promote your sales as efficiently as possible, you could earn a lot more than you would earn doing a comparable amount of work in a wage paying job. If the market is weak, you have nowhere to promote anything, and you aren’t willing or able to get your promotional materials out in front of people, getting that part- time entry level job will pay more. You should be keeping track of your income either way. Keep track of how many hours you devote to your direct sales and how much you earn. This is not to say that if the pay turns out to be low that you should quit. If you are having fun, enjoying the experience, then it’s fine to keep at it for little to no profit. Just be aware that you will need to do additional work of another kind to reach any financial goals you set. You have to treat each person you meet through the company as an individual. Everybody is not your new adopted sibling or best friend. But everyone is not out to use you for their own gain either. The anti-MLM movement is correct that some people who get into direct sales are predatory and entitled. They engage in “love bombing,” pretending to be a friend to get you to buy from them or sell under them, pressure you into doing more work than you planned to do, or doing work that you truly do not want to do, and then berate and belittle you for telling them “no.” These are the people who call others’ polite refusals to join the company “excuses,” and try to make college students, single parents, and anyone else they can think of feel ashamed for doing traditional work, just to bully people into doing work that benefits them. Other people in direct sales would never think to do anything like that. Take a step back before making a decision about someone. While you don’t want to get taken in by someone who is predatory and deceitful, you also don’t want to shun somebody who is genuinely trying to befriend or help you just because you saw a nasty person on YouTube from the same industry. Direct selling has its benefits and its downside. The industry is not set up to generate easy riches, or even to make most of the people who work in it rich or well-off at all. There are predatory people who make promises they can’t keep in order to benefit themselves, and engage in bullying and manipulation. It takes a lot more work than some people care to admit. But if you approach it with reasonable expectations, use caution, and make careful decisions, it can be a fun way to get products you love cheap or free to you, meet new people, and gain new experience in sales and promotion. May is Mental Health Month: Protect your mental health from Munchausen's Syndrome by Internet5/13/2022 S Someone on your facebook feed is disabled or sick. They regularly post about their daily struggles, medical appointments, therapy appointments, and emergencies. In most cases, these situations are genuine. But sometimes, it is all a lie.
The term “Munchausen's Syndrome by Internet” was coined in 2000 by Dr. Marc Feldman, a leading authority in Munchausen’s Syndrome and Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, now called Factitious Disorder and Factitious Disorder by Proxy in medical literature. Munchausen’s Syndrome describes a pattern in which a person induces, creates, exaggerates, deliberately worsens, or lies about having one or more illnesses or disabilities. In Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy, the person displays the same behavior, only the illness or disability is created, exaggerated, worsened, or lied about in someone else. Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet occurs when a person uses the internet to perpetuate one of these disorders. As with the other forms of Factitious disorder, Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet is carried out with the primary goal of controlling others, and/or gaining attention, sympathy, nurturing, or pity. While the person may have a secondary goal of getting money, gifts, or time off from work or school, this will not be their primary motivation. A person who makes themselves or someone else out to be in worse shape than they are with the primary goal of gaining resources or avoiding any type of work is “malingering,” not engaging in Munchausen’s behavior. Here are just a few of the most common signs of Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet. The condition is “too textbook.” In any medical condition, the patient has to have a certain number of symptoms of the disability or illness, as judged by a medical professional qualified to make the diagnosis, in order to be diagnosed with something. The specifics, including the specific number and pattern of symptoms, will vary according to the condition. However, almost no medical problem requires absolutely every, or even most, of the possible symptoms or signs for a diagnosis. Those using the internet to exaggerate or falsify a condition often claim too many symptoms. They seem to have everything wrong with them that a person could possibly experience with the disorder or disability they claim. Sometimes, the posts are more realistic, but sound as though they're copied from case studies in a textbook, or are in such a different voice than the person's normal tone, they seem copied from another website or a book. Posts contain contradictions Despite their careful attention to faking or exaggerating a condition, Munchausen by Internet perpetrators tend to get caught up in the drama they create and make mistakes. A person who claims they have debilitating allergies and respiratory problems may claim they cannot be around any type of fumes, then post photos of themselves getting a chemical treatment at a salon when urged to “treat yourself.” Or they might make one post about their condition making them unable to eat, then post a photo, but forget to edit the edge of their dinner plate out of the shot. Claims go to extremes, and often swing from one to the other People with genuine disabilities and illnesses cope with a wide variety of experiences. Some are dramatic, but many are mundane. They must cope with everyday challenges and issues, that may or may not be interesting to their followers on social media. In falsified or overblown situations, the perpetrator often behaves as though their condition is made up entirely of extremes. They may repeatedly claim a miraculous healing followed by a life-threatening or dramatic emergency. New, intense symptoms might develop regularly. Something seems to happen to them anytime something happens to anybody else. This sign is the easiest to see in online support groups. The Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet perpetrator will often post about an illness or disability related tragedy or a miraculous improvement immediately after anyone else gains attention for something they post. But the person may also post to their personal page anytime anyone on their friends or contact list posts anything that gains attention. Watch for dramatic posts soon after a mutual friend gains attention online, or for the suspected Munchausen’s by Internet perpetrator to comment on a post, and then add something attention-getting to their own page. The person’s life is full of tragedy of all kinds Because the person’s primary goal is to gain attention, they are often willing to expand their efforts outside of their alleged illness or disability. Watch out for people whose lives are not only a constant battle against an illness or disability, but a series of serious issues or tragedies. Friends, family members and other supporters sound suspiciously like the individual in question. Some Munchausen’s by Internet perpetrators go so far as to create fake accounts. These are designed to make their condition seem more real, and because they know that we tend to follow virtual crowds on social media. Seeing somebody else offer encouragement or sympathy is likely to encourage us to add our comment. One of the most telltale signs of these invented family members, friends, and other supporters is that they sound an awful lot like the person they’re supposedly talking to. They may use the same terms, make similar word choices, or talk about the exact same topics. Anyone who suspects someone else of Munchausen’s Syndrome by Internet can only look out for themselves and others. Quietly withdraw your attention from the person’s posts or page. Reach out to others privately if they seem to be getting drawn in. Openly challenging or arguing with the suspected perpetrator will only get you cast as the villain in their narrative. by Jess Szabo' originally published on Artist Cafe Utica www.artistcafeutica.com Many of the most popular scams on social media today soon become obvious. The one asking for anyone willing to work a night shift looks like a local event seeking temporary stagehands until you read down the ad and realize they’re claiming you can sign up to work from home for Amazon doing simple tasks like packing gift baskets, and earn hundreds of dollars per week. Others, such as psychics, are apparently not so obvious, as people have fallen for their simple word association games and body language and tone of voice reading for longer than anyone reading this has been alive. Still others are just odd. They definitely seem too good to be true, but many believe them anyway, as there does not appear to be anything in it for the scammer. This is known as the “blessing” scam. The post appears to be from someone goodhearted and generous. They offer to bless anyone who answers an easy trivia question, or lets them know what time they saw a post. People respond, reasoning that no harm can come from typing the word “food” when asked for a word other than “good” and “book” with two o’s in it, or telling a stranger what time you saw their post. And while no direct harm can come from even the worst person on earth realizing that you know the word “look” or that you saw a post at exactly 9:47 in the morning, the post does serve as a test to see if you will fall for the next steps. As embarrassing as this may be to accept, you must have had at least a moment of gullibility if you honestly believed there were people out there giving away sums of money to total strangers for completing simple tasks on the internet. There have been instances in which someone was led by the Holy Spirit to bless complete strangers with money. But those situations unfold with the person spontaneously giving the money to the people they are called to bless, or contacting a church or established, well-known nonprofit and discretely arranging a donation to be used to bless someone. A person truly called to bless others in this way would have no reason to give them a test first, no matter how easy the question. And that next step is where the scam takes off. Once the scammer sees people “liking” or commenting on the post, they can then go back and edit the original post to include a link that downloads malware to your computer. This malware can then be used to access your information, including your banking information. Since you showed the scammers you are not carefully examining things online when you fell for their pitch, they’re confident that you aren’t checking your accounts closely enough or often enough to stop them from making unauthorized purchases on your credit cards, taking out new credit card accounts using your information, or using your identity to open up other types of accounts. Another popular like farming/blessing scam seems even more harmless at first glance. In this scam, you are not promised any type of blessing. You are asked to give a blessing, and the blessing does not even require you to part with with any money or material goods. All it asks for is a moment of your time. A photo appears at random on your social media feed. The photo may be of a person or an animal, but the caption is always something that tugs at the heartstrings. “Nobody will say ‘hello’ to me because I’m ugly,” it might read. Or “Today is my birthday. I bet nobody wishes me a happy birthday today.” Sometimes it simply says, “I bet I won’t even get one share!” Assuming no harm can come to them, and wishing to brighten the day of the person in the photo or the owner of the pet in the photo, people like, share, and respond with “Happy Birthday, Sweetie.” Or “Hello, beautiful girl.” And just as with commenting “7:26” or “good” in the hopes of winning $3,900, you have now added your name to the list of people who are going to have malware installed on their page, and are probably not paying close enough attention to remove it right away. Preventing these scams starts with paying attention to what you like, share, and comment on social media. Avoid interacting with these “blessings” posts, no matter how tempting it may be to think there is someone out there who wants to send you money, or how heartbreaking the photo or caption asking for your greeting or share may be. You are not ruining a generous person’s attempt at doing the Lord’s work. The people who posted that “money for your simple answer” offer have no intention of ever giving anyone any type of gift or blessing. And you will not hurt the feelings of a bullied child or lonely pet owner. Those photos are stolen. Their real owners have no idea they are even being passed around online, and will never see your share or greeting. Scroll past, without commenting, liking, or sharing. Should you notice a group or business page getting flooded with these, contact the group or page administrator. by Jess Szabo originally published on Artist Cafe Utica website www.artistcafeutica.com In a few days, it will be May, Mental Health Month….and it hardly seems we need it anymore. Various mental health issues are discussed openly, written about online, and portrayed in the arts. The rarest and the most common mental health issues are favorite topics, and we especially love to borrow terms from the diagnosis and treatment of those health issues, and use them to mean whatever we want. Here are just a few of the most commonly misused mental health terms.
OCD: “I wanted to just leave the books on the table, but my OCD wouldn’t allow it,” we might say, or “I have OCD about getting the dishes done instead of leaving them in the sink.” Statements like this don’t mean any harm or ill will, they are just inaccurate. What you are describing here is a perfectly normal dislike of clutter or dirty kitchens. “OCD” actually refers to “Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,” a mental health issue characterized by obsessions, such as fears or urges the person must fight to control, and compulsive behaviors. A person with OCD might indeed be distraught by a discarded pile of books or a sink full of dishes, but it wouldn’t be a simple irritation and urge to clean things up. A person with true OCD would experience deep distress over fears of germs or the urge to arrange things in a certain way. Depression: Depression is a mental illness characterized by intense feelings of sadness, loss of interest in things the person once enjoyed, fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, physical pains that cannot be explained by another illness, difficulty sleeping or oversleeping, loss of appetite or the urge to overeat, and difficulty concentrating. The symptoms last for at least two weeks, and cause a discernible disruption in the person’s life. In common speech, we use “depression” to describe ordinary feelings of sadness, guilt, or fatigue that are actually direct responses to instances that arise in our life. Triggered/Triggering: The true meaning of the word “trigger” in mental health care is when someone with PTSD experiences something that launches their mind into a flashback of the traumatic event they experienced. If someone has PTSD from being attacked in a parking garage, and their mind causes them to relive the trauma every time they enter a structure similar to a parking garage, that is a “trigger” for the person. In contemporary popular speech, people use “triggered/triggering/trigger” to refer to absolutely anything that bothers them in any way. We say we’re “triggered” if something irritates, angers, saddens, sickens, or otherwise distresses us for any reason. Many people have unfortunately taken this one step further, and use the word as a power grab. When someone claims to be “triggered,” everyone else is immediately expected to alter their speech and behavior to please that person. Psychopath: Most of us have the idea that a psychopath is someone who is out of touch with reality, but that actually describes “psychosis” or the state of being “psychotic.” A psychopath is a person who lacks all empathy for other people. They are unable to love people as most of us do, and can only experience shallow feelings for others, as one might have for a favorite item of clothing or piece of equipment they use often. Psychopaths do not feel shame, remorse, or guilt, even in situations when those feelings would be warranted. They are, however, typically highly skilled at reading people and faking genuine emotions for others. Most are charming, personable, and persuasive. While we tend to say someone is “psycho” or “a psychopath” when they do something shockingly vile and disturbing, most psychopaths are not violent. They don’t value human life and dignity, they just don’t want to risk the punishment if they get caught, or find the aftermath of violence unpleasant on a personal level. Most psychopaths are actually perfectly suited to work in corporate America. They can make decisions that generate cash for the company without regard for the impact those decisions might have on people. Dissociative Identity Disorder: (often called DID, or Multiple personality disorder, or “having alters” in common speech): While this disorder is listed in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the book used to classify mental illnesses, there is much argument among mental health professionals as to whether this disorder actually exists, and if it does, whether it is created by unethical or incompetent therapists rather than a true response to extreme distress. .The trauma necessary to create it is certainly real, and it is definitely possible for the mind to split to protect itself, but how and whether or not true separate personalities form from this is debated. For the purpose of this article, we are going to assume that it is a real disorder, including the formation of distinct identities within one person. And those distinct identities would need to be there…along with a certain number of other symptoms, for the diagnosis to be made by a professional. Somebody who goes on YouTube claiming they “have alters” or “know they have DID” because they sometimes like to eat foods they usually don’t choose, like to switch up their clothing style from time to time, or felt more sensitive or easily irritated recently is jumping on a bandwagon for clicks and views, not describing a genuine struggle with a mental disorder. In our art, we can use misdiagnosed, misunderstood, or misused terms from mental health to further the plot or aid in character development. A character who insists they’re “OCD” when they’re just irritated by clutter, someone who confuses ordinary sadness with depression until they meet genuinely depressed people, or a psychopath who has everyone fooled but reveals himself in the narration of the story would all work well in a piece of creative writing. Off the page, when we are dealing with the genuine health issues faced by actual people, much more care and caution should be taken. If you suspect that you are dealing with any mental health issue, whether it be one listed in this article or something else, do not attempt to diagnose and treat yourself. Contact a licensed, professional mental health care provider as soon as possible. Author’s note: This article is the first in our special series on mental health for May. These articles are intended to generate ideas for art work, clarify some misunderstood terms often found in writing and other art forms, and encourage artists to tend to their own mental health and support the mental health of others. They are NOT intended to diagnose or treat any condition, or to stand in for any form of mental health care. I am not a mental health professional on any level. Anyone who believes they may have mental health issues, or that the mental health issues of someone else are impacting their lives is strongly encouraged to reach out to a licensed mental health provider, or speak to a trusted doctor, nurse, or pastor as soon as possible. |
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