Atourhouse,nobodygetsmoremailthanJake:ca
At our house, nobody gets more mail than Jake: catalogs, coupons, and offers to subscribe to magazines. (61) He is also urged to donate to worth causes and take advantage of some pretty incredible credit-card offers.
He ignores all of them. What do they expect He’s a dog.
(62)It all started when I used Jake’s name as an assumed name on the Internet. in an attempt to protect what’s left of my privacy.Before I knew it, junk was pouring in, proving once again that these days every move you make online can be, and often is, carefully watched and recorded by people who don’t know you from your dog--everyone from ad and insurance agencies to nonprofit groups and even the dreaded telemarketers.And let’s not forget the more, shall we say, unscrupulous characters.
(63) We’ve all heard horror stories about people whose identities, in the form of credit card or Social Security numbers, were assumed by crooks. Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes arounD、
Even if you never buy anything online, your privacy can be compromised by Web "cookies."
A、cookie is a small file that a Web site stores on your computer containing information it can use to "recognize" you if you return to that site.
Most cookies pose little risk to privacy on their own. The problem comes when others get hold of your cookies. In a highly publicized case earlier this year,DonbleClick Inc planned to cross reference consumer cookie data with information from a marketing database, such as name, address and credit card purchase history. (64) Seen as an unethical violation of consumers’ privacy, a lawsuit followeD、DoubleClick backed off the plan. for now.
In the meantime, other threats to your cyber privacy still exist.Example:
Anyone who knows where to look can buy stolen credit card numbers in chat rooms, and spends up every penny on your card in minutes.
(65)As new technologies bring out the creativity in crooks, your best bet may be plain old-fashioned vigilance. Keep track of each penny, balance your checkbook and follow up on discrepancies in your statements immediately. However much the world change, it still pays to be your own watchdog.