Tag: scams

The Golden Age of Scams

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

https://www.yahoo.com/news/age-scams-184034965.html

Alana Semuels wrote an essay called “The Age of Scams” for “Time.” It makes me genuinely envious to see this quality and content in writing. Not only is the writing lively and clever, she is absolutely right about our generation unfortunate arrival at the peak of a world of scams. Here is a paragraph from her work:

Cotelingham’s experience is increasingly common. We are living in the golden age of scams. U.S. consumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission, a 14% increase over 2022. That tally is almost certainly an undercount. More than three-­quarters of victims, including Cotelingham, don’t report to authorities that they’ve been defrauded. We are constantly baited by scammers—by text, by email, by phone. The average smartphone owner in the U.S. gets an estimated 42 spam texts and 28 spam calls per month, according to RoboKiller, an app for screening calls.

We all suffer living in this golden age of scams. I can take a quick glance at my e-mail spam folder which is many times in size the contents of legitimate e-mails and get an immediate grasp of the giant growth industry that scamming is.

It is obvious that the pathways we use to communicate, e-mail, the internet and the phone have all become corrupted. Surely as a larger society something can be done to curb these disgraceful practices.

I recommend you read the original essay and like me contemplate what can be done about this moral and ethical disaster.

James Alan Pilant

Positive Thinkers: Why do they Feel more Pain and Earn Less? (via Positive Thinking is Totally Lame?)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Oh, thank God, somebody is willing to say it. Every time, I go to the book store I stare in total disbelief at a wall of books explaining that your mental attitude will bring you wealth, love and maybe stave off death.

I live in a strange world where actually being able to do things and think intelligently make you money. I live in a strange place where putting affirmations on the wall and repeating themselves to yourself at key moments in the day just makes you look odd.

Let’s stop thinking positive and start planning, working and doing. That’s where things happen.

James Pilant

Positive Thinkers: Why do they Feel more Pain and Earn Less? If you are like me and had the privilege of working with and knowing wealthy people (i.e. not people on $50K / Year Pretending, but people of say at least $5M+) – you would already know that “Extreme Positive Thinking” really only has a place for sca … Read More

via Positive Thinking is Totally Lame?

What is SEO and could you do SEO? Either way, avoid scammers. Part II (via Social Media Directors)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Not only are his views on blog success excellent, he is a fan of net neutrality. in my judgment, he is an ally.

Best paragraph – Well-written, original and researched material with relevant, high-quality content that is rich, but not over-saturated, with properly researched keywords and is linked to content-related sites – both yours and others – is the type of copy that works best. Though it requires more effort and time, it is the fastest, longest-lasting and certainly most profitable way to get ranked high on Google and stay there. Some people call it White Hat SEO. I call it honesty.

Good stuff.

James Pilant

What is SEO and could you do SEO? Either way, avoid scammers. Part II In the offline world starting small makes sense. You start small and try to grow. But this is the Internet. It is not yet completely governed by politics. There are computers involved, and computers work using logic. Simple, reason-based logic. Often, these SEO experts who are trying to sell you their strategy will convince you to not even try to go for the big keywords. They attempt to make, and often succeed in making us pay for not trying. It … Read More

via Social Media Directors