ProcurementAlert.com » Internet

The 10 best Internet myth-busters

Charlie Walker — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Hey – did you get the notice in your Inbox about how you can make money by simply forwarding messages, to help Microsoft and AOL test an e-mail tracking system?

What about the e-mail promising you a free Applebees gift certificate, if you forward it to nine friends?

Chances are, you’ve seen these e-mails and many others with similar promises, rumors or allegations.

You can’t reach through the Internet and throttle the senders, but you can send a message that steers them to an authoritative source.

Where can you tell them to go?

The Top 10 Internet myth-buster sites:
1. www.snopes.com
2. urbanlegends.about.com
3. www.breakthechain.org
4. www.sophos.com/security/
hoaxes
5. www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax
6. http://vmyths.com
7. www.symantec.com/business/
security_response/threatexplorer/
risks/hoaxes.jsp
8. www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/
hoaxes
9. http://virusbusters.itcs.umich.
edu//hoaxes.html
10. www.truthorfiction.com

Not getting enough rumor-mongering spam?

You can still get a kick out of sampling these sites, and seeing what people fall for.

Networking: Let your fingers do the talking

Charlie Walker — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:45:44 +0000

More Procurement pros are using the Internet to hang out “Help Wanted” signs and track down best business practices at the same time.

Actually, it’s Internet networking sites — LinkedIn, Facebook and the like — that are opening new doors for Procurement people looking to beef up talent or even hunt down possible hires who don’t happen to be looking for work at the time.

It figures this would strike a chord with Procurement and Purchasing folks. They’re used to networking, turning over stones and exercising creativity when it comes to upgrading any part of the operation.

In addition to uncovering talent, Internet networking sites can be a great source of references for job candidates, above and beyond the ones they supply.

It’s a two-way street: Out-of-work Procurement and Purchasing pros seeking new employment report that sites such as LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) are a great way to market yourself and save time, approaching only companies you’d be interested in working with.

There’s still another benefit. Internet networking sites can be information hubs.

Members can pose questions to specific groups about how others might handle a similar situation. This sort of input can be invaluable.

In this sense, it’s a tool and resource that facilitates information exchange and the sharing of ideas.

That’s why, for many Procurement and Purchasing pros, it’s a classic “win-win” opportunity.

Warning: Do NOT put this person in charge of your finances

Charlie Walker — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:57:11 +0000

An Oregon resident has shelled out $400,000 falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book (or at least on the Internet).

That’s right. The Nigerian e-mail scam.

Can you imagine what she could’ve done if she had access to your cash box?

This woman said an e-mail offering $20.5 million caught her eye, because it asked her to find a long-lost relative with the same last name.

OK, so that made it a bit more tempting. So she sent $100.

We’re not dealing with a mental midget here. This woman is a nursing administrator and CPR teacher.

But she still:

mortgaged her house
took a lien on the family car, and
cleaned out her husband’s retirement account.

You know what makes it even more painful?

Her family and her bank pleaded with her to stop. She didn’t heed their warnings.

The first $100 was sent through an untraceable wire service.

Then, a flood of phony documents followed. “Guaranteed” documents from the Bank of Nigeria and the United Nations asked for her help.

Ever wondered why scammers keep sending out “Nigerian” scheme e-mails — when everyone has seen them?

Because it taps into a human weakness — greed for easy money — and it still works.