Social Networks Week #2

You probably visted one of the social networking sites Craig list or Ebay.com in your surfing days on the internet, if not you will learn a little from my blog. These sites offer a place to put a ad on the internet for free or charge a fee.
Craig's List has changed alot of its policys regarding counter acting fraud, and scams and in recent news the policy on Erotic placed ads . Craig's list can be a dangerous place for example,
Phillip Markov was charged with a murder of a online escort back in april 2009, he also robbed a women on april 10th of $800. His acts fueled by a gambling problem.
Craig's list is mostly free, if you are placing a general ad and using there site . The only charge is for Therapeutic Services and Escorts which is $10 per ad and $5 to re-post. And no editing allowed after you hit the submit button. they require a valid telephone number and credit card now. You have to agree to there terms and conditons such as- prohibit posting, emailing, or otherwise making available content that is unlawful, pornographic, or which advertises illegal services. There ads for adult section are now reviewed by staff daily to help protect customers.

Ebay is a popular auction web site that does not offer a adult secton. Ebay gives more security to customers such as feed back of previous transactions of "sellers" and "buyers",Spoof (Fraudulent) Web Site Protection, The eBay Toolbar with Account Guard,The eBay Security Center
Both social networks have a risk of scams and cons for doing business with them. You can do some common sence thinking and review the seller or buyer. i.e. doesnt hurt to call the bank the check was written on and validate its real and not phoney rubber check.
If, you are responding to a Craig List ad for the adult section there is no real protection the web site can offer truely, you are conducting a face to face meeting out of cyber space.
Dangers of Facebook,Myspace,LinkIn- we all probably have a profile of our loved ones or mabe a simple blog about yourself on these social networking sites. The problem is we put too much infomation about ourselves on them, where we work, what we do, and what we buy. A good example is the IRS. In recent news they are using public infomation on these sites to spy on YOU and ME to see if we are cheating on our exemptions and taxes. So carefull what you post and brag about on your profiles.
A good example of the dangers of Myspace is a case where a married couple from New York City(2 strippers) where charged with Rape. The couple lored the women to there house. Which lied on there profiles and said there where 18. The couple was charged with 56 counts of sexual abuse to children and face 15 years in jail