Now, this is not going to be a financial column, if you need wise advice go to Dave Ramsey or Crown Financial Ministries. It is my desire today is to keep you from ending up like the family in the article below. They lost all savings, have 2 mortgages on the house and $200,000 in credit card debt all thanks to one person believing in the ability to make lots of money quickly.

The story is here http://blogs.zdnet.com/Foremski/?p=499&tag=nl.e019

What happened to this lady and family “could never happen to me” you think. Yes, this really could happen to you. We always feel that we are invulnerable. The wife lost everything in desperation for money that would solve all her families problems. Folks, that is just not how money works.

My primary desire here is for you to remember, there is no such thing as easy money, don’t get desperate in these times, if you deleted or blocked the Nigerian type scam in the past, continue to do so now. Talk with your parents and in-laws about these scams, bring it up somehow so they know they are out there and can and will hopefully avoid them.

If someone you know has been “hit” help them break the cycle, just as in the story above, the scammers will continue to prey on the victims, they don’t just make a onetime attempt and walk away.

Snopes has a good article from 2003 here http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp

You can report these emails or betterr yet help someone by getting them get in contact with United States Secret Service, Financial Crimes Division, 419 Task Force, 950 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-4518 or telephone (202) 406-5850 fax: (202) 406-8203, (202) 406-6390

Until we meet again, have a virus free week.

I started to write just an article on what to do but then I wanted to add screen shots. This ended up way to long so I made it another FREE downloadable PDF for you.

Backing up Outlook Express

Today let’s go over backing up your information that is in Microsoft Outlook.

Basically all you do is open Outlook and go to File | Import/Export.

Then new menu that appears allows you to Export to a File and then select Next.

On the next screen choose Personal Folder File (.pst) and then select Next again.

The new page will allow you to select what part of your email to backup, select Personal Folders and make sure that there is a check mark next to Include Subfolders and once again choose Next.

On the next window select Browse and navigate to where you want to backup such as a thumb drive, another computer on the network or an external hard drive.

Now select a name for the backup (located at the bottom of the window) and then select OK.

Once there double check your Options and then select Finish.

You will have another window appear that will allow you to password protect the file if you desire, after making your decision select OK.

Yet another window will appear and when the backup is complete you will be back at the normal Outlook screen where you read your email.

That is all there is to backing up your Outlook data.

Until we meet again, have a virus free week!

First – SPAM works
The reason you receive so much unwanted e-mail is simply that it is an effective form of advertising. If it wasn’t effective, it would have died off by now. As you can tell by the number of unwanted messages in your inbox, it’s flourishing.

Second – SPAM is a business
SPAM is a form of advertising, no different from telemarketers or junk mailers—and it’s a very cost effective form of advertising. Even though regulations have appeared in some countries, spammers are not always following the rules and those that do, still want to “earn” a living. Besides, e-mailing 10,000 people costs a fraction of what it would cost to call or mail 1,000 people. Such low cost allows a much wider audience to be reached, and only a tiny percentage needs to respond to make a profit.

Third – Some people like SPAM
As scary as this may sound, it’s true. Some people love any form of communication sent to them. Although these people are (thankfully) few and far between, they are out there. The opportunity to get rich working from home, or have a better sex life is alluring to most people, and some people think that advertisements will provide those and other services.

Fourth – No one is sure how to combat SPAM
Microsoft supports an anti-framework technology called Sender ID. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is popular among the open source crowd. AOL and Yahoo announced a pay per e-mail scheme that quickly went the way of the Do-do. Bayesian filters are available as 3rd party add-on programs and appear in some e-mail clients. Which, if any of these, will be an overall solution to SPAM is unknown. Right now it seems that a combination of these technologies is best.

Fifth – In 2004, 73 percent of total internet e-mail was SPAM
A study conducted by Industry Ca showed that in 2004, 73 percent of all Internet e-mail was SPAM. If you thought that was a lot of unwanted mail, just last week, I read that figure for 2008 was up to 93% of all email was SPAM.

Finally – SPAM is not only for email. With Twittering (called TWAM), Instant Messaging (called SPIM) and other forms of Social Networking, SPAM has found new opportunities to proliferate.

Though SPAM may be an inconvenient fact of life, don’t let it get you down and most of all PLEASE don’t respond to any of it.

If you would like more information on blocking SPAM contact IFix Computers Inc in Beautiful Branson Missouri.

Until we meet again, have a virus free (and SPAM minimialized) week.

This week I want to keep it short, so let’s get straight to the material. Since many of you will be buying a new computer for Christmas, the first thing you will want to do is add some software program(s) that you did not get. Please only buy from e-mails you requested and know sources (like us, or www.newegg.com). Do not purchase from a random e-mail.

Among spammers there’s trends and fads, and I’m not getting so many offers to enlarge my bodily parts these days, but I am getting more and more offers for cheap software – especially Microsoft Office and Symantec products but cheap “security” software ads / scams proliferate my email and are part of “drive-by-downloads”.

Most offers are quite primitive but some look a bit more sincere – we’ve seen one that’s a decent copy of a familiar Amazon product page. Naturally it has nothing to do with Amazon.

Please, I beg of you, just delete these offers without a second thought.

Even if you did get something in the mail for your money, it’s certain to be an illegal copy. More likely your money would disappear into someone’s laughing pockets never to be seen again.

Over the years, we’ve heard from people who have paid money to these con-artists and get angry when they get some obviously pirated CD’s. Amazingly their anger isn’t at the retailer, but rather they blame Microsoft! We’ve had emails from people who expect Microsoft to make good their loss. As you know, we’re always ready to blame Microsoft when they get things wrong – but the gullibility of a shopper isn’t their fault.

It stands to reason that if someone unknown to you offers eg. Office Professional upgrade for $50 when it retails for $330, then there’s something screwy going on.

If you believe stories about it being unwanted stock, a sale from a bankrupt business or whatever – then we have some bridges in select locations around the world that we can offer at reasonable rates.

I say it again – don’t be tempted, just delete the messages and move on.

Well I said I would keep it short, so have a great Christmas and a pirated software free New Year.