Candasys

As the number of people using the internet as an integral part of their daily life grows then it is inevitable that the number of Internet Scams will grow. Unfortunately there are many forms of scam but in this article we will look at three of the most prominent.

419 fraud or Nigerian Scams

Also known as advanced fee fraud (AFF), 4-1-9 scams are named after the section of the Nigerian penal code that deals with fraud. Although originally originating in Nigeria these scams can originate from anywhere. If you fall for one of these at best you will lose thousands of Dollars at worst you will lose your life. These usually start with an email from a bank official or the relative of a recently deceased African president or a government minister informing you that they have access to millions of Dollars but need your help to get the money out of the country. The end result is that when the deal is threatened you will be asked for money to secure the release of the funds. Do not under any circumstances reply to these letters, People have been murdered while following up these scams.

Phising

Phising scams can be very elaborate, scammers send out emails to millions of internet addresses purporting to be from a financial institution, and requiring you to log in and confirm your details. The email looks authentic and contains a link that you need to click. If you happen to have an account at the bank featured in the scam then it's a very natural thing to click the link and login to "your" account except it's not your account or even your bank. It will be a website setup by the scammers to extract as much information from you as possible, Name, Address Credit card details, Bank login, Password, PIN number etc. Once they have these details it is very likely that will have access to your funds and in the worse case your identity. Avoid these scams by never clicking on a link in an email like these, Banks do not sent out emails requesting you login and confirm your details.

Vehicle Sales Fraud.

If you place an advert online to sell a car, boat or motorcycle you will probably receive one of these scam attempts. You will receive an email from abroad saying that they would like to buy your vehicle and arrange shipping. Once you agree you will get a check or bankers draft in the post within a few days for the amount you asked for the vehicle PLUS the shipping fee you will then be asked to contact the shipper and pay him the extra amount. If you are sensible you will wait for the check to clear then pass on the shipping fee. This is what the scammers expect, the check will only bounce about 3 weeks to a month later at which point your bank will take back the money leaving you short of the shipping money. The best way of avoiding this fraud is not to sell your vehicle to someone who wants to pay the shipper.

I hope all this hasn't scared you away from the Internet, If you are sensible and wary about offers that seem too good to be true then you should be Ok, just apply the same commonsense you use in everyday life, after all if a stranger walked up to you in the street and said "Hi I am from your bank what's your credit card number and PIN" would you give it to them?

Auditel, the UK cost and purchase management franchise, raised over £2,000 for The Prostate Cancer Charity at their recent Annual National Conference. Auditel Conference raises £2,000 for The Prostate Cancer Charity

The money was raised by a Charity Raffle and Auction following a packed day of workshops and presentations for Auditel franchisees.

The Conference aims to offer franchisees networking opportunities, workshops and presentations which will help them grow their businesses. This year's event was no different. It included an introduction to new markets in energy and communications, a presentation on Carbon Reduction Commitment by DEFRA, and an inspirational presentation by Mike Southon, sales guru and author of the Beermat Entrepreneur.

Following these events and the keynote speech and gala dinner, it was time for the Charity Raffle and Auction. Prizes donated by supplier sponsors ranged from a digital camera, to a mobile phone, to a day's sailing. Shell LPG donated the auction lot of two 3-day tickets in the Luffield Grandstand for the 2008 British Grand Prix.

The inspiration behind the fundraising was Tim Rix, a popular and highly esteemed member of the Auditel network who died of prostate cancer last year. It seemed fitting to choose The Prostate Cancer Charity for Tim, and also to recognise their valuable work in raising awareness of prostate cancer, funding research and supporting those with the disease.

The raffle raised £1,020, and the winning bid of £1,000 for the Grand Prix Tickets bought the grand total to £2,020. The contribution will assist The Prostate Cancer Charity to fund research into prostate cancer. It will also help to make a difference to men and their families affected by the disease.

Dougal Hawes, Corporate Partnership's Executive at The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "We are extremely grateful to Auditel for their generous support. Each year in the UK, 10,000 men die from prostate cancer - that's one man every hour. Their donation is a wonderful way for Auditel to not only show their support to the many thousands of men who are already diagnosed with prostate cancer, but also to help raise awareness of the disease."

Having the right IT support for your business can improve the company's overall efficiency and productivity and ultimately help it compete at a level that belies its size. Canda Systems Limited can find the best solutions that work for your company and can save a lot of time using it’s specialised knowledge. Surveys consistently indicate that SME owners would rather focus on running and growing the business than get bogged down sorting out IT issues, this is where Canda can help.

Business owners don't want to risk their companies to just anyone, trust pays an integral part when it comes to outsourcing IT. At Canda Systems we not only offer trust but also expertise, availability and reputation. Canda offers a breadth of expertise with extensive experience in all kinds of technology, handling hardware, software and all your data needs. You can rely on Canda for big concerns such as strategic advice, budgeting, security and software as well as smaller advice like setting up screen savers. Canda have enough resources at hand to handle any emergency or sudden, short-term project. With all the resources available, Canda have a team that can scale up when you need it and scale down when you don't. Of course, you want a reputable company, and many of Canda’s customers are a result of word of mouth, this has been key to bringing in new business. We know our customers refer us because they're pleased with our work.