Scam Update

I still belong to an online marketing discussion group -- remember when those existed for every topic? Anyway, someone posted about some computer scams, and I replied with my "your computer has been hacked" phonecall scam. Someone else has just responded:

My 81 year old mother in law just fell for this scam. What they do is to leave a backdoor and a keystroke recorder on your computer. We caught them, hopefully, before they could do anything other than get a couple hundred dollars from her credit card. She had been having problems with her computer---my thought is that they got her with a trojan that gave her computer trouble, triggered it, and then called her. Now, the computer is not working...they may have left a timebomb so that when the backdoor was removed, it caused more problems. I have to go look at it tonight. Obviously the computer expert we hired wasn't so much.

I know there will be no justice for these people, but I sure wish there would be!


Update a few hours later:

Here's another response:

There’s a trick some of these crooks use to get you to install their stuff on your computer—and this will evade some anti-virus/malware programs.  (A Norton tech told me this a couple of years ago.)  Once you’re on their phony site, you’re presented with a pop-up that asks you if you want to install their program.  The choices are Yes and No, and there’s also an “X” in the upper right to close the thing.  The problem is that, no matter which of the choices you pick, you’re indicating “Yes,” and the anti-virus program reads it as you giving permission to install the program.   

The only way to safely close the dialogue is to use the old ALT-F4 key combination (in Windows). 

I have a friend who thinks these hackers should be executed when caught.  I used to think that was a bit drastic, but I’m coming around to his POV.

Amy's on the Move

She took this (Amy says: Some Colorado river action near Lake Mead) on the way to Albuquerque:

Peaceful Sunday Night

Yesterday I was able to get my head above water with work-work and can face the week without worrying that a client is waiting for something. Today I relaxed and concentrated on my apartment and puttered around, did some decluttering, finally got rid of a broken chair that was weighing on me. All my horizontal surfaces are clear and all garbage and recycling is out. I had an insight which probably shouldn't feel new to me, but I don't know if I ever articulated it to myself and that is that I am happier when I am in control of my environment -- not in a control freak way -- I don't care if the throw pillows are this way or that -- but I just mean that there's nothing calling at me to do.

And to top off this peaceful, easy feeling, Fran sent Buddha with this explanation:

Here's the Buddha of Harrison Street (you've met him before), sitting under a tree in his front garden. You can't help but feel the peace and tranquility radiating from this home. It's a small house with a lovely, informal garden. The peacefulness stops you in your tracks and hypnotizes you (well, it does me;-). You just know fairies share the space with Buddha. I once met the husband of the couple who lives there and he said his wife is responsible making it so appealing. Enjoy.

Here's the Buddha of Harrison Street (you've met him before), sitting under a tree in his front garden. You can't help but feel the peace and tranquility radiating from this home. It's a small house with a lovely, informal garden. The peacefulness stops you in your tracks and hypnotizes you (well, it does me;-). You just know fairies share the space with Buddha. I once met the husband of the couple who lives there and he said his wife is responsible making it so appealing. Enjoy.

Another Twitter Pic

I thought this was clever -- the mother wrote that her kid doesn't like to get his hands dirty. I think it's quite inventive of the kid. And boy, I would like some cotton candy. Haven't had any in years -- maybe decades!

Saturday Afternoon

I am beginning to think that in my next life I should return as a well-loved pet!

Happy End to the Week

Yesterday I surrendered to my computer problem, admitted I was powerless and ordered a new laptop from Best Buy. I picked it up today. I will take my other new computer to a shop some time soon to have it fixed. I'm on the new one now, up and running, and will spend most of the weekend doing the work I couldn't do this week. Wah-Wah.

I had an interesting "ghost of future Pat" today. I first went to Citibank to a branch on 86th Street that used to be a regular, normal bank with tellers. Now it's all just ATMs. I was a bit amazed by the technology myself as I was depositing four checks and you just shove them in the ATM, in a pile, all at once. No deposit slip necessary. It used to be you did the checks one at a time, but no more.

All of a sudden I hear "OH NO!!!" and I turn and there is an old lady in a walker and she says to the Citibank/security guy/rep, "You mean I can't cash a check here?"

And I thought, "Cash a check? When is the last time I did that?"

I could picture her complaining to her friends, "cluck, cluck, can you imagine I couldn't cash a check in a bank??" Technology has passed her by.

I am trying my best to NOT let technology pass me by. Hey, I'm doin' Windows 8... isn't that enough?

Thursday

My crappy week revolved around big computer problems. I called three different and separate computer repair guys between Sunday night and now, all of whom made precise, definite, confirmed appointments; none of them showed up.
The guy who was supposed to come today between 2 and 4 -- I called him around 3:45 (after disrupting my entire day) and I got a beep, beep, beep the number you are calling has been disconnected. At that point, I just laughed.

Then I carefully selected #4 to call -- and I mean carefully -- he asks me questions and then says, and I quote, "We don't do anything as fragile as repairing laptops." WTF??

So I surrendered. Tonight I bought a new computer and will pick it up tomorrow. I will then take my other new computer in to a shop.

You might wonder how this computer is working and I'm typing and everything looks fine, but I guarantee this is temporary.

I have been pushed past stress. I surrender. They win. I have no power.

Amy, who is in California, sent these photos of her host's garden and these shots are probably the best thing I've seen all day: