URGENT: go sign this petition to protect your privacy now

There is an online petition to expand the privacy protections of ECPA.

This was a bill designed to protect your privacy but it was signed in 1986.

Since then a lot has changed and, as I keep telling you, the IRA, FBI, numerous other Federal authorities and corrupt businesses are using loopholes to exploit your personal information and destroy your privacy.

They are looking at your emails and phone records without a warrant!

All you have to do is put your name and email address in this petition to wake the Washington fatcats up: http://notwithoutawarrant.com/

Put a fake email if you like and make it anonymous with the checkbox, but go do it now please.  Its not often we get a chance like this to take action, and now is the time.

Please pass this along to your friends and family.
Chris Peterson

PS:  If you haven’t already please please tell your friends and family to start

[Alert] China is targeting us

Here’s a roundup of all the privacy and security issues that popped up this week:

• Do you live in one of the top 10 states for ID theft, the list will probably surprise you: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/top-10-states-for-identity-theft-2013-05-07
• Child identity theft, as I have been telling you, is on the rise: http://www.freep.com/article/20130507/FEATURES01/305070075/Abuse-of-children-s-identities-on-the-increase  (btw, you protect your kids’ identities the same way you protect yours, start monitoring their credit and watch for suspicious mail right away)
• No real surprise here, but China has its considerable spying might aimed right at you-know-who: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iC2lHhEtzzUCeb94sBOYCVFkjEnA?docId=CNG.01e184ea6363d37846d3ffe17fe8f8cc.561
• This identity theft uses a ‘skimmer’ device at a pump to steal your credit card info: http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Identity-Theft-At-The-Gas-Pump-206303411.html  (always pay attention to those credit card slots you slide your card into, if it looks like something was added on after the fact, report it and move along)
• Here a nice little summary of the worst internet scams and how to avoid them, pass this along to your older or more gullible friends: http://www.foraywhile.com/5-worst-online-internet-scams-and-how-to-avoid-it/

I’ve got your back 🙂

Chris Peterson

FYI I told you yesterday about the Sold Out After Crisis book that I really like, if you forgot please check it out now: http://SoldOutAfterCrisis.net

Simple little things

You know we talk a lot about disasters and being prepared.  Some of them would affect people on the
coastlines, others in major urban centers.  But the reality is that there is just ONE disaster that would affect everyone, no matter where you live or what your income is.

A food crisis.

A crisis is closer than you think, and it could take many different forms.  Food borne illness, skyrocketing prices, drought, terrorist attacks – all things that have happened in recent years and could really knock out our food supply in short order.  You combine a couple of those disasters together and we’re all in a heap of trouble.

That’s why personally I think you should get this:

http://SoldOutAfterCrisis.net

It’s an easy, and affordable, guide to what you need to be prepared for, what to store up, and other simple little tricks for preparing you and your family for a large-scale food disaster.

Keeping you safe…

Chris Peterson, Privacy Guy

PS: I think you should at least look at it, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.  There are some things in here I never would have thought of here, and one big surprise at the end:

Click here–> http://SoldOutAfterCrisis.net

[Alert] new credit card scam OPEN NOW

Verified with Snopes:http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp

This is a heads up for everyone regarding the latest in Visa fraud. Royal Bank received this communication about the newest scam. This is happening in the Midwest right now and moving.

This one is pretty slick, since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard telephone Credit Card Scam works, you’ll be better prepared to protect yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from ‘VISA’, and I was called on Thursday from ‘MasterCard’.

The scam works like this:

Person calling says – ‘This is (name) and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460, your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a marketing company based in Arizona?’ When you say ‘No’, the caller continues with, ‘Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching, and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address). Is that correct?’ You say ‘yes’.

The caller continues – ‘I will be starting a Fraud Investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. ‘Do you need me to read it again?’

Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works – The caller then says, ‘I need to verify you are in possession of your card’. He’ll ask you to ‘turn your card over and look for some numbers’. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the last 3 are the Security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the last 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, ‘That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?’

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, ‘Don’t hesitate to call back if you do’, and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. We were glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. We made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the Scammer wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card, as they already know the information, since they issued the card! If you give the Scammer your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a ‘Jason Richardson of MasterCard’ with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA Scam. This time I didn’t let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. I dealt with a similar situation this morning, with the caller telling me that $3,097 had been charged to my account for plane tickets to Spain, and so on through the above routine..

It appears that this Is a very active scam, and evidently quite successful… please pass this along to your friends and family.

Chris Peterson, Privacy Expert

Subscribe to our privacy alerts here.

Internet Soldier Love Scam Costs Woman $750,000

Chris Peterson here with your Patriot Privacy Alerts for the week, there are some doozies.  There are so many I am going to list them here:

·      Hard to believe someone would exploit our soldier’s good name to perpetrate a scam, but that’s  exactly what someone is doing in Oregon and it cost one woman $750,000! http://portlandtribune.com/go/42-news/136029-beware-of-internet-soldier-love-scam

·      In another case of the Feds using the constitution as their own wet wipe, the IRS thinks it can spy on your emails now: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/11/can-the-irs-read-your-emails-without-a-warrant-or-does-it-at-least-think-it-can/

·      I’m not a big fan of Hollywood, but this new movie seems to touch on a lot of the things we talk about here: http://www.disconnectthemovie.com/

·      Here is a free full length movie that definitely talks about the issues we cover here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXjEW2etAVM

·      CISPA, the zombie privacy-killing law that will never die, is back:http://www.zdnet.com/cispa-passes-u-s-house-death-of-the-fourth-amendment-7000014205/

Also, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of people buying my book over the last week.  First of all THANK YOU.  I would love to hear from you, what you think of the book good or bad.  I am trying to make it the premier privacy resource in the world and you can help make it so.

Just reply to this email with any of your thoughts on the book, the videos, or the even the emails I send.  Your comments will be kept private and will serve to let me know how I am doing as a teacher and privacy advocate.

Thanks for being here

Chris Peterson

Online Stalker Tracks Woman’s Every Move

Chris Peterson here with your Patriot Privacy Alert.

I found this video that tells the story of a middle age gal that decided to give online dating a try.  You can imagine since I’m telling you about it it did not end well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4xEVkpit2E

The stalker managed to load spying software and keystroke recorders onto her computer.  That allowed him to follow her every movement, know who she was meeting, and harass her at every opportunity.

Although the article doesn’t make it clear, its likely that the perp sent her some files that contained a virus.  He might have hidden it in a group of pictures that he sent her or in an email attachment.  The virus then allowed him to spy on her computer.

The lesson here is that online dating can be dangerous.  The most obvious solution is to not do it.  Try to find dating partners at church or through friends and coworkers.  If that doesn’t work and you have to try online dating, then be very careful what you share.

Check the person out at every opportunity.  Do a background check on them at a reputable company like this one.  Never accept an email attachment and make sure your computer’s virus software is up to date.  Have a friend follow you to your first date and make it in a wide open public place.  Also consider using an alias for your online dating profile.

Looking out for you….

Chris Peterson

PS:  These background checks are good for a lot of different uses whether you are hiring someone, wanted to check out your niece’s new boyfriend, or just curious about a neighbor.  http://BackGroundReport360.com

PPS: If know what you’re thinking.  What’s to stop someone from checking ME out?  Check out chapters 9 and 10 of the Patriot Privacy Kit for ways to opt out of these databases.

Does Government Spying Hurt the Economy?

Chris Peterson here with your Patriot Privacy Alert.

I found this video that confirm what I’ve been saying all along: government spying hurts everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aB9WLoglSU

The gist of the video is that foreign companies are invading the US marketplace claiming that they can offer better privacy for their services because they are not subject to things CISPA, FISA and the Patriot Act, which have all served to reduce our privacy.

Regardless of what you think about the foreign companies, remember that no one but you is really looking out for you.  And following the tips and loopholes in my book you will be more protected than ever.

Chris

PS: Barbara and I have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on our ebook ‘The Patriot Online Privacy Kit”.  Just wanted you to know we have a hard copy available here.  We think its worth to have both the hard copy and the ebook because there are links in the ebook that are much easier to click on than type into your browser.  And the physical book is just easier to read for most folks.  Anyway, get your hard copy here now if you haven’t already and as always let us know what you think:

Click here for your hard copy to the http://PatriotPrivacy.com/HardCopy

[Alert] Senate defeats background checks, is that enough?

Chris Peterson here with your Patriot Privacy Alert for this week.

I’m sure you’ve been following all the gun news this week.  As sad as the events in Boston were, part of me couldn’t help but think “I wonder how soon the liberals will use the bodies of the victims as an excuse to grab at our civil liberties?”

Luckily the Senate soundly defeated background checks for gun purchases AND is considering one more that will protect gun owner’s privacy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/us/politics/passing-2-measures-senate-winds-down-gun-debate.html?_r=0

The news is always a mixed bag, even when there seems to be good news there is a downside.  That’s why I tend to protect and prepare myself no matter what.

I still believe the day will come when the government will seize some or all of our weapons.  That’s why I like this booklet put out by my friend Joe Campbell.  He’s got a bunch of good stuff over at SurvivalLife.com but this one in particular is the most timely.

https://AbsoluteRights.com/HideYourguns

Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Chris

PS: Joe has a whole library of these affordable and useful guides, you can get the whole lot of them for next to nothing.  Just get the first book and you’ll see a deal for the rest of them for $19.95:

>Click here for the report <

From the Police Blotter

I was browsing the web the other day and ran across this police blotter:

http://elmhurst.patch.com/articles/multiple-cases-of-id-theft-college-account-cleaned-out-and-then-some

This is a small town in Illinois, and in ONE DAY they had three cases of Identity Theft and Fraud.  Someone emptied a college student’s checking account, somebody bought a car with someone else’s name, and finally someone experienced tax fraud.

Are you convinced this is a problem yet?

Do you understand that this is the #1 crime in America now?

So what do you do?

Well pay attention to these emails for one.  Read my Patriot Privacy Kit.  Shred EVERYTHING that has your name and address on it.  Never give out your social security number (and stop carrying around your social security card!).  Monitor your credit like a hawk.  File your taxes early.

And stay tuned to my newsletters, we’ll help you stay safe.

Chris

PS: For those that have experienced ID theft or just bad luck, I found this credit repair guide that I thought was really good. Even if your credit is good now, you better know how to fix it because its just a matter of time before the credit bureaus make a mistake: http://MyCreditRepairUniversity.com

Feds Caught Red Handed Spying on YOU

Wanted you see more proof that the feds are spying on you on a daily basis:

http://www.ice-news.net/2013/04/03/administration-collecting-information-about-possibly-problematic-americans/

A lot of people don’t believe that the government is storing their personal and financial information.  But it’s a fact: soon every single email and phone call you make will be stored in a government storage facility.

What can you do about it?  Well you can take your communications ‘off the grid’ as we talk about in the Patriot Privacy Kit.  Use encrypted emails, IP disguisers, and TOR browser if you are conducting sensitive communications.  Better yet, keep your sensitive communications off of electronic devises period.

As always, Chris Peterson

PS: I have begun to train myself in self-defense techniques, and I found a pretty cool system to do that.  Krav Maga is the system developed by Israeli commandos to disarm and disable attackers.  Its easy to learn, incredibly powerful, and honestly pretty fun.  Check it out here: http://SelfDefenseKravMaga.com