Internet

Infopackets Reader Alejandro M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I stumbled across your website and read your articles on Sextorted on ThaiFriendly and Being Harassed on Instagram . I have a similar situation. A week ago I joined a Spanish sexting group that ... was recommended in a forum online. It looked active and legit, so I figured I'd give it a go. Not long after, I matched up with an attractive woman that supposedly lives near me. She seemed completely normal - polite, and even a little reserved. The texts were sporadic but eventually picked up steam, at which point she asked me to move over to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jean Paul R. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being blackmailed on Instagram ! I'm a 40-year-old guy from France, and unfortunately, I am the latest victim of a sextortion scam . I read some of your articles and posts - ... including the one about Sextorted After Trip to Thailand and Being Harassed on Instagram . To be honest, it's scary how similar my story is to the ones you've shared. Last Wednesday, I matched with a curvy Thai girl on the ThaiFriendly app. At first she wanted to chat over Instagram , so I gave her my contact info and we chatted on there for a bit. ... (view more)

Amazon is set to launch 27 satellites that will provide Internet services to consumers, businesses and governments. It plans an eventual network of more than 3,000 satellites. The idea is to provide a rival services to the existing Starlink, ... bringing competition to the market and offering an alternative for potential users wary about dealing with Starlink. Satellite Internet was originally designed to serve rural and remote areas where fixed-line broadband is expensive or unavailable and where using the cellphone network to transmit data is also difficult. However, developments to make ... (view more)

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has settled a significant legal challenge in the United Kingdom regarding its ad tracking practices. It's also considering expanding a paid subscription option to use Facebook and Instagram without ... advertisements. The company agreed to stop using the personal data of a specific UK user, Tanya O'Carroll, for targeted advertising after she invoked her "right to object" under UK data protection law. (Source: techcrunch.com ) The legal case involved Ms. O'Carroll, a "tech accountability advisor" who formerly worked for ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Oadby' writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently received a spoofed phishing email from my own email address. But Outlook won't let me report it as it thinks it's from me! Is there a way to report them? I know it's probably useless but I ... try to do my bit. Also, why don't email programs and services provide a simple way to see where an email has originally come from in order to prevent spoofing? " My response: Thanks for your message - I'll explain how to report a spoofed or phishing email below - but first, let's understand what some of the terminology means for those who might ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tyler M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on Facebook Dating sextortion article - thanks for that. I have a somewhat different issue, though similar. While on vacation in Thailand, I met a beautiful local ... woman at a bar in Bangkok. She offered to be my personal guide (plus benefits!) and promised to show me around for the duration of my visit. I was skeptical at first, but knew that this type of ' transactional relationship ' was common in Thailand. After a few drinks I gave in - we exchanged numbers and added each other on Instagram. Everything seemed ... (view more)

Genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving millions of customers questioning the fate of their sensitive DNA data. The firm, once valued at almost $6 billion, faces lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over privacy ... breaches as experts warn users to secure their genetic information. (Source: reuters.com ) From Boom to Bust: The 23andMe Bankruptcy 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 23, a legal process that lets companies restructure debts while attempting to stay operational and potentially find a buyer. CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki is stepping ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jenna M. writes: "Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on Being Harassed on Instagram - it was a very informative read. I have a much more complicated issue: I separated from my husband last year and recently decided to give ... Facebook Dating a try. A few days in, I matched with a man who said he was an architect from a nearby city. He was attractive, polite, and claimed his wife had cheated on him. He told me he was originally from Germany and his daughter lives there. His profile said he lives in Minnesota - but his phone number has a New York area code. Not long after ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sarah B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Please help - I'm being harassed on Instagram . A few months ago, I met a guy on Instagram claiming to be stationed overseas in the US Military. He moves from base to base, which makes it difficult ... for him to stay in touch with people. Initially, he was sweet, charming, and always had a good excuse for why we couldn't video chat - so we exchange some photos instead. At first, he just wanted someone to talk to, but not long after, he hinted that he was struggling financially. He needed money for things like Internet access, food, and other ' ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Mark R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just came across your article on How to Stop Cyber Harassment and I'm reaching out because my teenage son is brutally being harassed online . He recently met a girl in a chat group on Reddit; she ... seemed nice at first, and claims to live nearby. They chatted for a few days, then things got more 'personal': she convinced him to move to Snapchat, where they exchanged some private messages and pictures. After that, the tone shifted instantly and now she's demanding money. She's taken screenshots of all of his Instagram followers and says ... (view more)