With the economy downturn this year, merchants have more ads and sales to entice people to get out and shop this holiday season. Whether you are shopping in the store or online, be sure to use the following tips to be safe.

Black Friday
Starting the Friday after Thanksgiving, malls, large retailers like Target and Best Buy, and grocery stores are more crowded than usual with shoppers – and thieves. Security in most places have been increased for the holiday season, but if you are out and about, ensure your safety with these tips from the National Crime Prevention Council:

Keep careful track of your bags and packages. Do not carry more than you can handle. Make frequent trips to your car to unload, and put the bags in the trunk or in a hidden place in your car. If you purchase a large or expensive item, it may be well worth it to drive the purchase home and return to the store for more shopping, instead of risking a break-in.

If you see unattended bags or packages, do not try to take the package back to the retailer on the bag or find the owner. Tell a security guard or store employee, and they will secure the package.

Check your receipts for accurate information. Your full credit card number should not appear on the receipt, but if it does, put the receipt in a safe place so you don’t accidently drop it while shopping. Someone could pick this up and use the information to make unauthorized purchases.

If you shop with children, have a plan in case you are separated. Have a central meeting place, and review with your children who is a safe person to approach, such as a mall security guard. Ensure that each child knows your cell phone number – you may want to print a card with emergency information and put it in your child’s coat or pants pocket.

Guard your money. Take only as much cash as you think you will need, and only take one or two credit cards. Keep your wallet close to you, and not in a large purse that you have to shuffle through every time you make a purchase. Keeping your wallet under your sweater, instead of in a coat pocket, can prevent pick-pocketing.

When getting cash from the ATM or using your debit card at the counter, be sure to guard your PIN number. Stand close to the keypad to block anyone who may be looking over your shoulder.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not walk in abandoned areas alone. Park under a light if possible, and walk in a well lit part of the parking lot if you are shopping after dark.

Cyber Monday
SafeShopping.org is an informational site created by the American Bar Association to help you order safely while shopping online. They offer these tips to prevent identity theft and shopping mishaps:

You can tell the internet connection is secure when there is a picture of an unbroken key or closed lock in your browser window. Either icon indicates that the merchant site is secure and your sensitive information, such as your credit card number, cannot be read by anyone else but the retailer. Make sure that the web address that asks for personal information starts with “https” instead of “http”. Some websites may use a pop up box that indicates a secure area or uses the term “Secure Sockets Layer” (SSL).

The safest way to pay online is by credit card. If your information is stolen and you have an unauthorized charge on your credit card, under federal law your liability is limited to $50. If you do have an unauthorized charge, you should give written notice to both the merchant and the credit card company within 60 days.

Unless you are sure of the address, do not send personal information via email. Email does not offer the same protection as these secure websites. Identity thieves can make up emails that look like secure websites, so if you receive an inquiry for personal information from someone you do not recognize, do not send personal information.

If you are more comfortable giving information over the phone rather than the web, most merchants offer this option. Be sure you record the phone number, company name, date and time of your call, and the name of the person who recorded your credit card number.

If you use a password for orders, make it different than the one you use to log into your computer or network. You may even want to create a special, stronger password that is harder for hackers to crack for web purchases. Do not use birthdates, addresses, phone numbers, recognizable words, or children’s names as passwords, as these are too easy to figure out.

To avoid computer viruses, do not open an attached file that ends in “.exe” as they could activate a computer virus and damage the information stored on your computer. Use a reliable anti-virus software program as well.

Web retailers are not yet required by law to maintain the privacy of people who order from their sites, so they may collect names, addresses, and other information and use these for marketing, or they may sell the information to other merchants and telemarketers. Check to see that the site you are ordering from has a privacy policy that ensures your name does not get sold for spam.

Source: emaxhealth.com

By Stephanie Chen, CNN

(CNN) — (CNN) — If you’re on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site, you could be the next victim.

Experts say cybercrooks are lurking just a mouse click away on popular social networking sites.

That’s because more cyberthieves are targeting increasingly popular social networking sites that provide a gold mine of personal information, according to the FBI. Since 2006, nearly 3,200 account hijacking cases have been reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

It starts with a friend updating his or her status or sending you a message with an innocent link or video. Maybe your friend is in distress abroad and needs some help.

All you have to do is click.

When the message or link is opened, social network users are lured to fake Web sites that trick them into divulging personal details and passwords. The process, known as a phishing attack or malware, can infiltrate users’ accounts without their consent.

Once the account is compromised, the thieves can infiltrate the list of friends or contacts and repeat the attack on subsequent victims. Social networking sites show there is ample opportunity to find more victims; the average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site.

“Security is a constant arms race,” said Simon Axten, an associate for privacy and public policy at Facebook. “Malicious actors are constantly attacking the site, and what you see is actually a very small percentage of what’s attempted.”

Social Media Crimes

As some social networking sites experience monstrous growth, they are becoming a new — and extremely lucrative — frontier for cybercrime. Facebook says it has 300 million users, nearly the size of the U.S. population, and it continues to attract users outside the college student niche. From February 2008 to February 2009, Twitter, a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages known as tweets, grew 1,382 percent to more than 7 million users.

“They [cybercriminals] are very adept to using social engineering,” said Donald DeBold, director of threat research for CA, an Internet security company. “Your friend is in trouble traveling in another country, ‘I lost my wallet. I need help.’ They exploit the curiosity aspect out of human nature.”

A few decades ago, malicious software and viruses were usually the result of a prank, but Internet security experts say today’s attacks are profit-driven. A study from the Indiana University in 2005 discovered that phishing attacks on social networks operated with a 70 percent success rate. These users had fallen for the scam, opened the foreign link and released personal information.

Cybercriminals are employing phishing and malware attacks for a number of reasons, including trying to redirect users to sites where profit is fueled by the number of visitors. They also try to elicit private information like passwords and bank account numbers to perform scams.

Early this year,Twitter experienced several phishing attacks in which a Web page that looked identical to the widely recognized light blue Twitter page was a hoax. The company warned users to double-check the URL to ensure they were visiting the correct site.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 72,000 complaints about Internet fraud in 2008 that were referred to law enforcement agencies for further investigation. These cases involved financial losses amounting to $264.6 million, an increase from 2007. Each person lost an average of $931.

“Most of us would want to help a friend in need, but if it’s an online friend, and they want you to wire money, you should double-check,” FBI spokesman Jason Pack said.

Security experts said it makes sense that cybercriminals are turning to social networking sites. Personal information is abundant on sites like Facebook and MySpace. Each time users give out valuable information like birth dates or addresses, they could be providing hints about their password, security experts say.

The American Civil Liberties Union has expressed concern about the information visible through Facebook quizzes and applications.

“They’ll have access to all that information, so they can sell it, they can share it, they can do an awful lot with it,” Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for privacy-related issues with the ACLU, told CNN.com in September.

Many Internet security experts consider the first virus attack on the PC to have occurred in 1986. By the early 1990s, viruses transmitted on floppy disks became ubiquitous. When the World Wide Web became widely available that same decade, viruses, worms and malware became problems in e-mail accounts, frustrating users who clicked on messages thought to be legitimate.

In the new millennium, the most common form of malware attack has become known as drive-by downloads. While surfing on Google or Yahoo, spyware or a computer virus is automatically and invisibly downloaded on a computer, requiring no user interaction for the computer to be infected.

“We are on the verge from shifting from the Web being the No. 1 victim of infecting to social network,” said Mikko H. Hypponen, chief of research technology at F-Secure Corp. His company sells anti-virus software and malware protection programs. “It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”

Social networks are fighting the aggressive attacks from cybercriminals. Most sites have information pages dedicated to educating users about the risks of Internet scams. Users can become a fan of “Facebook Security” and receive updates on how to protect their accounts. One of the most common pieces of advice given by security experts is to change passwords frequently.

Facebook has also developed complex automated systems that detect compromised accounts. They spot and freeze accounts that are sending an unusually high number of messages to their friends. Company security officials said Facebook is a closed system, which can be helpful in erasing phony messages from all accounts.

At News Corporation’s MySpace.com, the company creates blacklists of phony accounts to prevent people from clicking on a faulty link. Hemanshu Nigam, first chief security officer for MySpace, said the firm warns about suspicious links and educates users about the harm phishing and malware attacks can bring. “We are prepared for them,” he said.

By Jessica Walker

On Sunday morning I overheard an interview on Fox and Friends about a cell phone application that provides instant background checks for singles.  At first I thought great idea; another tool to help our members.  I finished watching the interview, wrote down some notes and then went online to find out more.

Even though I would be promoting another company, my initial reaction was to gather as much information as possible so I could share it with our members.  After all, I am here to help keep you Safer in the City right?

But, all that positive thinking fizzled the more and more I researched the company behind the application, Intelius, and the application itself. Lets start with the company and mind you not much effort is needed to find something sketchy.

With just a quick Google search using the following words, “Intelius and scams”, I found this article in TechCrunch, from March 2009 describing a company swimming in consumer complaints and legal issues.

You’ll also find multiple sites with detailed consumer complaints.  Check out these links:

Complaints.com Consumers in control
Intelius.Pissedconsumer.com
Thesqueakywheel.com

Also, take a look at the comment trail on this article:
Topix

You’ll read that almost all of the customers complained of unauthorized monthly charges appearing on their credit or debit cards after paying for a one-time fee service on the Intelius site.  Some even complained that the searches they initially paid for weren’t accurate and could not be used.

Now let’s explore the cell phone application that Intelius has just launched in October through iPhone, Blackberry and Android. There are five searches that are available to cell phone customers once the application is downloaded and this is where it got creepy for me.  Although, I was okay with the first search called the “Sleaze Detector” which instantly checks for past criminal activity.  But then I noticed the other four searches that instantly check for the following:

Net Worth
•    Property ownership information
•    Home details (bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, tax info)
•    Assessed property value

Compatibility
•    Birth Date
•    Horoscope and astrological
information

Interests
•    Social Network Info
•    Professional Info
•    Educational background

Living Situation
•    Names and ages of relatives, associates & roommates living at search subject’s residence

Reading through these searches made me nauseous.  My initial thought was what a brilliant tool for a criminal!  With just a name, phone number or email address Intelius can tell you all this information INSTANTLY.  Now I understand that some of this stuff is available online in some way, which is another problem, but starting in October it’s easier then ever to gather it in an instant one stop shop.

Does anyone else have a problem with some stranger learning about your property ownership, assessed property value and the names and ages of relatives living in your home?  What does that have to do with dating?  You would think marital status would have been number one on their search list but it was left out.  I guess they felt learning the number of bedrooms and bathrooms was more of a priority then whether someone was married or single.

Well you’ll be happy to learn that Safer Dates takes marital status very seriously as it is included in both our Level I & II Verifications and our InvestiDate tool.

Now that we know this application is out there, here is some advice on what to do to block some of your information from being shared through this tool.  Linda Criddle, the expert in my latest interview, “What the Fraud!”, talks about contacting local government agencies to request that your housing information remain private.  Linda spent 13 years at Microsoft where she was a pioneer in online safety for mobile devices and PC’s for the MSN division. She advises that within your home town learn what is public knowledge and accessible through the internet and request that it be removed.  Also, be sure to change the settings on your social networking sites so that only “connections” or “contacts” authorized by YOU can see your profile information.

To read about what Linda Criddle thinks on this new application go to her blog at ilookbothways.com.

One last thing… the tag line for this new application is “Look up before you Hook up”.  You can say that again!

Until next time, here’s to keeping you Safer in the City!

- Jessica

By Jessica Walker

Segment 3

Jessica: More and more people are using the online banking tools offered by their banks.  While these tools are convenient, how safe are they really?  Is it safer to pay your bills online or through the mail?

Linda: It depends, you can be safe banking and bill paying online if you know how; failing to act appropriately can significantly increase your risks when banking online. Many of the precautions needed here are the same as we’ve already discussed. Learn to minimize your two risk areas – your personal computing environment, and gaps in your internet safety skills – to use online transaction services safely.

Remove risks in your computing environment. Ask yourself:

Is the computer you are using secure? You must have up-to-date security software, which means antivirus and anti-spyware protection.

Is your connection secure? Make sure the firewall is on. If you use a wireless network, it needs to be encrypted so someone outside the house can’t collect your information.

Do you have a secure password? Weak passwords are bypassed in a matter of minutes. You might as well use a strip of scotch tape to lock your front door.

Your biggest threat, once you have secured your computer, is through your own actions online. Cyber-criminals are masters in fooling unsuspecting consumers into exposing themselves to risks. Financial criminals use a thousand ploys, but each ploy has the same key elements. They need to know who you are, where you transact business, and how to access your account(s). So don’t give them this information.

Don’t assume, require proof. A classic method for swindling is to use what appears to be one piece of information to collect more. For example, a scammer sends out a fake email pretending its from a bank notifying recipients that they need to re-enter their account information. Some percentage of recipients will make one or more of the following assumptions.

That the sender knows them

That the sender knows where they bank

That the sender is the bank

That there is in fact a problem with their account

None of these statements is true. But criminals count on a certain percentage of recipients to assume these inferred connections are true.  Those that fall for the assumptions in reality provide the criminal with all three critical pieces of data. By responding, they confirm who they are, where they transact business, and provide their credentials to ‘fix’ the problem.

Don’t misplace trust. Identifying the trustworthiness - or lack of trustworthiness – of the people, email, Websites, content, and businesses you interact with is a critical life skill in any environment – trust the wrong entity and you can loose your life savings.

Steer don’t be pulled. Stay in the driver’s seat and get to websites on your own by searching, don’t be pulled by links that may or may not be legitimate.

Protect personal information. Though it is relatively rare that email is intercepted, never share passwords, social security numbers, credit card information, and the like. What you post online is another potential ‘leak-point’, protect personal and financial information everywhere.

Learn to spot scams. Don’t respond to any e-mail requesting that personal or account information. That “urgent” message may look like it’s from your bank, but it’s bogus. A financial institution would never send you an e-mail asking for your personal information, PIN or password. Never!

If you do all of the above, you have a reasonably strong chance of having only positive experiences. For the record, I use online banking services.

Segment three question: What are the three key elements that a financial criminal needs to collect? To submit your answer, click on the contact link found on the upper left side of the blog.

What the Fraud!

By Jessica Walker

This months interview is packed full of so many helpful tips that I have decided to feed it to you in a five-part series to make it easily digestible.  Each new segment will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday over the next couple weeks, so be sure to subscribe to the blog to get an email alert every time a new segment is posted.  There will also be a chance to win a prize after each segment, but you will have to keep reading to learn how to win.

Unfortunately, the inspiration for this interview came from several instances where my personal information and credit card information were stolen.  After cleaning up each occurrence, I printed a free credit report from all three credit agency’s through www.annualcreditreport.com, to check for unauthorized charges.  I also had each agency place a fraud alert on my credit.  The fraud alert is free and lasts for 90 days.

Until a couple years ago, I never knew anyone that was affected by online fraud.  Now I am amazed at how many people I talk to that have had similar experiences.  So this month I am on a mission to save as many of you as possible from becoming a victim to online fraud.  And how do I plan to do that you ask?  Well, I have an expert up my sleeve that has superhero credentials.  This crusader spent 13 years at Microsoft where she was a pioneer in online safety for mobile devices and PC’s for the MSN division.

I’d like to introduce everyone to Linda Criddle, currently the founder and President of LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc., a company that develops internet safety technologies and products while providing product design, safety reviews, and other consulting services to leading technology companies, regulatory bodies, and law enforcement, as well as offering practical assistance to consumers navigating the online world through a consumer internet safety site, iLOOKBOTHWAYS.com

Linda is also president of the Safe Internet Alliance, devoted to promoting a safe Internet and better educating and protecting all users, especially children, teens and the elderly, from Internet corruption, crime, and abuse by driving initiatives through industry, education, government, and non-profit entities.

Through the above mentioned entities, Linda collaborates with local, state, national and international law enforcement agencies, teaching how to understand and track predators online. Linda also works with government organizations in the U.S. and around the world to advise on, and prepare, internet safety regulations and legislation.

In addition, Linda is an author of the award-winning consumer-oriented books, “Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet,” and “Using the Internet Safely for Seniors For Dummies.” She has also written “Internet Safety for Educators”, a distance-learning course offered through Universities.

After each segment, I will post a question and the first member to submit the correct answer will win an autographed copy of one of Linda’s books, your choice of course!

Let’s get started!  Go to the Safer in the City link on the right column under Categories to read the next segment.

Until next time, here’s to keeping you Safer in the City!

- Jessica

Segment One

Jessica: What should our members do to prevent their identity and or financial information (i.e. credit cards, account numbers) from being stolen on or offline?

Linda: A few key steps can make a real difference in protecting your identity and financial information.

Consider what information about you is online - Search to find the total set of information that you - and others - have shared about you online. What have you posted, friends posted, family members, employers, schools, groups, associations, clubs, teams, and church groups, posted?  If you donate to charities, do their sites place your name and amount of donation on their sites? Have you ever posted a resume? (There is nothing wrong in posting resumes, but restrict contact and address information until you’re actually interviewing, and TAKE IT DOWN when you’ve landed the job!). Check online county records; if you own property find out how much information is available on you and your property - I’ve seen cases where in addition to the basic information, the registrar’s office also displays information about floor plans, and loan papers - which include the name of the lending institution, the loan number, and people’s SSN’s and signatures.  Look to see if they show power of attorney documents, what information is available on your birth certificate, and of any children’s birth certificates. If previously married and divorced what information can be gleaned from these records? Once you have a firm understanding of your footprint of possible exposure, work to remove, or have removed, any information that you don’t feel is appropriate. Discuss with others where your privacy boundaries are so that they do not over-share about you, and ask others for their boundaries so you can be respectful of their safety and privacy needs as well.

Secure your computer. If your computer isn’t protected from viruses and other malware your financial information, your passwords, and everything else you store on your computer or do online will be abused. This concept is so basic, yet only 20% of the US population adequately protects their computers. If the cost of security software is prohibitive, use one of the excellent free services.

Use strong passwords.  Passwords do not have to be hard to remember, just hard to guess. Never use information about yourself as a password. They need to be long (8 or more characters) and use uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols. This isn’t hard to do. For example text messaging short-codes can really help make this easy - 2BorNot2B? (To be or not to be, that is the question) or MaybeL8r (maybe later).

Check your credit history and freeze your credit. I’d guess that less than 10% of people consistently check their credit histories to ensure nothing is damaging their credit scores. By law, you have the right to three FREE reports each year. You may choose to pay to have a company monitor your credit for you, but unless you’ve had real trouble with ID theft in the past this is probably not a necessary expense. If you are not actively seeking a line of credit now or in the next month, freeze your credit. This is one of the simplest things you can do, but a step that few actually take. This blocks anyone from taking out a loan or opening a new credit card in your name. It’s easy to do - contact one of the credit bureaus - and is either free or low cost depending on their criteria.

Only purchase from reputable online stores. The price may be cheaper at a store with no reputation, but you don’t want to gamble with your financial information. To find out if a store has a good reputation, the Better Business Bureau has an online site where you should be able to look up this information. Keep all purchase confirmation emails in case you need to dispute something.

Beware of scams. Far too many people ‘give’ away their information to criminals by falling for scams in email and on the web. NEVER use a link provided to you to get to a site, find the URL yourself. You want to be in the drivers seat when going to sites online – that way you end up where you intended to, not on a clever fake site.

Physical world requirements. In addition to the safety steps above, physical items need additional protections. Shred financial documents; far too many people are careless with financial materials yet more ID theft is still carried out the good old dumpster diving way. Protect your possessions like your wallet and purse because a significant amount of ID theft is done by someone the victim knows, including parents, siblings, children and close friends.

Segment one question:  What does a credit freeze do? To submit your answer, click on the contact link found on the upper left side of the blog.

August 15, 2009

By: AnnaLaura Brown

Source: examiner.com

Have you thought about how to use social media as a dating tool? There are many people who are already doing it and why not? I just returned a few days ago from my candle business convention and while I was there I met a couple who met online via a social networking site for NASCAR fans and the woman who was already in the business recruited her husband and then they got married a while after that. So not only did she use it as a dating tool but also as a business building tool.

If you are single and in business for yourself, you could try this too.  This article about Facebook as a dating tool, offers some advice about how to take advantage of social media to date.

In addition, here are a few things to think about when using social media as a dating medium.

1. Who do you want to date? and by this, I don’t just mean the sex or age of the people. You need to decide what qualities, and characteristics you are looking for in people.

2. Where will you be most likely to find these people? Facebook can be a good choice but it is only one of your options.

3. Are you comfortable with the idea? Using social media for dating means that you will get some requests from people with whom you would rather not have a relationship so you have to make sure that this will not bother you.

4. Are you prepared to undergo the stress and hassles involved with long-distance relationships? This is important since you will probably not necessarily be able to always connect with and date online people only in your local area.

5. Do you have a safety plan for when you do decide to date someone and to meet them in person so as to avoid any problems that might arise?

Using social media as a dating tool is not right for everyone but it may be an option for some.

July 24,2009

By Herb Weisbaum

Source: KOMONEWS.COM

Internet safety is not just for kids who go online. A growing number of seniors are also plugging in to the web. Many use it for social networking, and dating.

“The fastest growing demographic group on Facebook are women over the age of 55,” says Debra Berlyn, who runs the Consumer Privacy Awareness Project.

She says the same sort of protections that we always talk about with kids and computers also apply to older adults who go online.

“Our parents today are helping their kids with online safety but they also have to help their parents with online safety. They’re sort of the digital sandwich generation so they’re helping their kids and they can also help their parents. If you’re older and you’re online for the first time, ask your son or daughter to help you figure some of this stuff out.”

Berlyn says if you go on the net, no matter what your age — be skeptical of everything and always think twice before you click.

Because on the Internet, if you give out personal information: account numbers, passwords, or Social Security number, there’s no taking it back. Once you hit send, it’s gone.

For Immediate Release
June 1, 2009
                                                                                                                
Contact: Catherine Johnson
press@safeinternet.org
 
Safe Internet Alliance Commends Administration’s
New Cybersecurity Effort
Focus on protecting the American public in the Information Age
 
WASHINGTON – The Safe Internet Alliance today applauded President Barack Obama’s announcement of a major new comprehensive U.S. cybersecurity program.  Leveraging both civilian and military capabilities, the program’s initiatives will better enable public and private partnerships to, as President Obama said, “find technology solutions that ensure our security and promote prosperity.”
 
Linda Criddle, president of Safe Internet Alliance and member of InfraGard’s Evergreen State Members’ Alliance, said, “President Obama’s announcement provides a timely validation for our new organization. Safe Internet’s growing membership knows firsthand that cybersecurity is an enormously complex issue that touches every industry, organization, community and family.  We simply cannot allow criminals and abusers to hijack and corrupt the Internet. Together we can work to bring safety and civility online, enabling everyone to confidently take advantage of the great opportunities the Internet provides.  
 
“As President Obama stated, ‘We rely on the Internet to pay our bills, to bank, to shop, to file our taxes… Millions of Americans have been victimized, their privacy violated, their identities stolen, their lives upended, and their wallets emptied.’ We can only feel comfortable performing these tasks if the cyberworld is secured,” said Criddle.
 
Joy Howell, a board member of Safe Internet Alliance and a former director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Federal Communications Commission, praised the government’s inclusive approach. “It is Safe Internet’s goal to facilitate dialogue and partnerships between the administration, the public and the private sector. Cross-vertical collaboration is absolutely essential to developing the security infrastructure America needs for the 21st century. We look forward to promoting the resources, technology, best practices and conversation to help the president with this crucial task.”
 
###
 
Members of the Safe Internet Alliance include:
The Software & Information Industry Association
WiredSafety
IdentityTheft.Info
US Internet Industry Association
League of United Latin American Citizens
National Black Chamber of Commerce
iKeep Safe Coalition
Enough is Enough
Financial Publishers Association
AT&T
Tangle.com
Microsoft
PC Pandora
CyberPatrol
Sulake
National Beer Wholesalers Association
60 Plus Association
4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies)
SaferDates.com
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
RetireSafe
Internet Security Alliance
US Telecom
Privacy Vaults Online (Privo)
Stop Child Predators
Stop Internet Predators
INOBTR.org
LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc.
Verizon
MANA, A National Latina Organization
Consumers First
CrispThinking
Ricky Martin Foundation
 
Based in Arlington, Virginia, the Safe Internet Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(4) corporation. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and are not deductible as business expenses. For more information, please visit us at www.safeinternet.org
 
###

LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc., a leading online safety technology and services provider, launches an online reputation service called ReputationShare and partners with Saferdates.com to integrate the new service into their online dating site.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) May 21, 2009 — LOOKBOTHWAYS, Inc. (http://www.ilookbothways.com), a leading online safety technology and services provider, launches an online reputation service called ReputationShare (http://www.reputationshare.net) and partners with Saferdates.com (http://saferdates.com) to integrate the new service into their online dating site.

ReputationShare is a breakthrough technology that takes the concept of online buyer and seller ratings, often used by eBay customers, and applies it across social networking sites. As registered users interact socially online their positive or negative actions are tracked by the participating site. The users behavior then creates a reputation score which follows them as they visit other participating sites without ever violating the user’s privacy. Sites like Saferdates.com can better identify and reward positive users while effectively monitoring cyber bullies, griefers, spammers, and predators.

Safer Dates’s multilevel background verifications and overall commitment to safety are truly unique in the online dating community. ReputationShare will give their members one more layer of insight into the reputability of a potential suitor. Reputation Scores will help Safer Dates members determine whom they should engage and whom to avoid.

“We are very excited to be working with Saferdates.com. Our two companies have a shared commitment to improving online safety. We are pleased to be able to provide enhanced levels of service and security for their users’ experience,” states Jerry Tylman, CEO of LOOKBOTHWAYS.

“Partnering with ReputationShare is a synergistic approach to help empower the online community”, remarks Doreen DeAguila, CEO of Safer Dates, LLC. “Safer Dates is committed to giving our members all the tools available to help them make an informed decision and we are thrilled to be able to add this service to our offering.”

About LOOKBOTHWAYS, INC. (http://www.ilookbothways.com):

Founded in 2006, LookBothWays is a leading provider of online safety technology and services and a trusted advisor to the world’s largest companies and governments. For more information on ReputationShare, please visit their website (http://www.reputationshare.net/).

About Safer Dates (http://saferdates.com):

Safer Dates is the first Internet dating service to offer the choice of multilevel background screenings identified on member profiles. They also empower members and non-members to screen ANYONE for misdemeanors, felonies, marital status and sex offender status by using a Safer Dates tool called InvestiDATE. Safer Dates understands that online safety is no longer just for children and they are dedicated to creating awareness of criminals targeting the growing popularity of online dating services. For more information, visit saferdates.com (http://www.saferdates.com).

###

Contact Information
Dave Govan
LookBothWays, Inc.
http://www.reputationshare.net/
(360) 385-2088

By Jessica Walker

With Spring in the air and Spring cleaning on my mind, I decided to write this months article on how you can Spring clean your dating profile. I know what your thinking, cleaning - that’s loads of fun (note the sarcasm!) but, what if that perfect match stops just short of sending you an email because you failed to communicate your desires clearly.  Well, no need to panic because I have interviewed the perfect person to help you develop your communication skills both on and offline.  His name is Bob Nicoll and he is featured in my latest article, “Empowering word choice will enhance your dating experience.” Scroll below to read it now.

Bob has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s in Counseling and over thirty years experience studying word choice and articulation.  Bob has also been a counseling psychologist, a business owner/consultant, a motivational speaker, a sales trainer, restaurant owner, financial planner and a top sales manager.  As recent as last year, Bob authored “Remember the Ice and Other Paradigm Shifts”.  Since it’s release in October 2008, Bob sold copies in more then 15 countries making it a book that has “jumped the pond.”

Bob’s book is the main focus of the interview as it is “a comprehensive program that teaches you to enhance your communication skills with family members, friends, co-workers—anyone who is important to you. It helps you stay focused on your task and accomplish more goals because you are conveying your message, and articulating your thoughts in a clear, precise manner. You eliminate confusion and gain confidence in your message and ultimately attract more of what you want.”  To purchase a copy of Bob’s book and learn more about his program please visit, www.remembertheice.com.

Oh and lastly, Bob is no stranger to Internet dating but you’ll have to read the interview to learn more about that.

Until next month, here’s to keeping you Safer in the City!

- Jessica

“Empowering word choice will enhance your dating experience”

Jessica: I heard you had a very successful experience using an online dating service, can you please share your story with our members?

Bob: Jessica, I am delighted to share our story.  Nancy and I met on an online dating service in October of 2002.  We both appreciated how the technology provided us the opportunity.  We lived 65 miles apart (near the Dallas metroplex).   After connecting through the site’s messaging system, we shared some emails and phone calls—realized there was a great chemistry starting, and decided to meet.  Actually, Nancy was the one who said, “I have a day off on Thursday, how about I come to Sherman and you take me out to dinner?”  I loved her spirit, and anxiously awaited her arrival at the restaurant.

The first meeting was very special.  That chemistry we both thought was there?…… was overwhelmingly there!!!  We had a great dinner, went to Wal-Mart and purchased a DVD player so we could view the 20th Anniversary of E.T. together.  We had a great first date.  We both knew we had something special happening.  I will always remember watching her leave the restaurant parking lot where we had left her vehicle parked, and turning the wrong way on a one-way street to get back on the highway.  I called her on her cell and asked if she realized it, and she smiled and said “NO, I think I had you very much on my mind at that moment!”  It was a cute moment.  Thankfully traffic around mid-night was usually pretty sparse.

We both shared our goals and dreams in our profiles, and saw many similar interests.  (BTW, that suggestion that “opposites attract”…..for me is generally a statement of the north and south ends of two magnets.)  We were definitely attracted to our many similar interests and respectfully asked about new ones that presented themselves.

Here is the body of my profile:

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