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This section of Orange Frog Productions is dedicated to showing you those things you (or friends of yours and mine) what's real, what's not, and what and how to look for "the truth".

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The following (selected, partial) definitions are from The Free Dictionary, Thesaurus Off Site New Window:

A good portion of the Scams Sub-Section deals with email from unknown sources. There are categories, here, too... The Nigerian Scam, Foreign Lottery Scam, Work-at-Home Scam, etc. PLEASE UNDERSTAND that many of the scams described can also be perpetrated on the phone, through snail-mail, in person, etc.

Shams can also come through the email as Spam, but most of what I will concentrate on are  Infomercial Information. The vast majority of these seem to be hosted by people with questionable credentials and/or "shady characters", many of whom seem to have been in jail for other cons. Many come across as "friends" willing to give you a "leg up" to make money, become healthy, buy real-estate, etc. (Remember the old adage: "Never do business with friends." Well... I don't know about THAT, but with THESE "sham friends"?) Please be sure to read my DISCLAIMER for Shams/Infomercials..

As for Flim-Flams, if we use "swindle" and "related words", they tie in to all of the above. But in this case, those have already been defined. (Scams = Fraud/Phishing, Shams = Infomercial Info). So the Flim-Flams I'm talking about are those emails you get from family and friends that have been forwarded MANY times. Many of these are:

• trivia lists, purporting that every item on the list is true (they most-likely are NOT),
• what I call "attempted assassination (of character)",
• where they tell stories and use (sometimes) made-up statistics to scare you,
• where they tell you about innocuous emails you may receive from friends that contain viruses; and if you open them you will destroy your computer and every electrical item within 10 feet of it,
• urban legends, some including real and edited pictures, and, maybe updated versions, of emails/urban legends from YEARS ago,
• where they seem to be trying to stir up trouble (and many were, originally) by pointing out things the government and certain people can and should do. (Many times, most of these seem logical until you think about them and WHAT and HOW they are saying things),

and, in most cases exhort you to forward them on to "EVERYONE IN YOUR MAILING LIST" (usually in caps) or you will have bad luck, bad health, bad life, bad love, or other "bad things" (or you just aren't a REAL friend to the sender). I call these "Rumors", because many can't be proved one way or the other, and those that CAN be proved... well... until they are, that's ALL they are.

While "Spam", itself, is not one of my "trio" of types for this section, it's appropriate. Many of these items, especially those in the Scams Subsection come to our email inboxes as Spam.

I debated including "Viruses/Malware" in this section, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that many are transmitted through email to unsolicited recipients (therefore, "Spam"), many use "spoofed" email formats to lure you into opening the attached program to launch the virus (therefore, "Scams"), and there are many emails out there purporting to tell you about viruses that are not really viruses (therefore, "Flim-Flams"). The section directly linked from this page does not tell you about the "fake" virus emails out there. (Those will be listed under Flim-Flams.) I will include example emails and tell you what I look for.

Each sub-section, and sometimes the pages within the subsections will contain links to sites where you can find information about many of these things for yourself.

One of my favorite "first stops" is the Urban Legend Reference Pages (aka Snopes) Off Site New Window search page Off Site New Window. (I've used them so many times to verify or deny an "urban legend", sometimes people will just ask me to "Snopes" New Window something. They mean for me to find out if something is true or not.) There I enter a keyword or two and get a list of all those urban legends (in a very BROAD sense of the word - kinda like mine, here) with those keywords in them. They have a weekly newsletter where they list "new" urban legends that have been making the rounds and that they have analyzed; those urban legends that were around a while back, but seem to be making a come-back; sometimes they review their own analysis; and they point out those fraud emails attempting to take your money and identity (like my Scams section).

In all cases, I will include my own comments and analysis, and, at least, for the Infomercials and Rumors, will include links that "show my work" - Where I found the rumor or infomercial product, service or promotion, was good or bad.

Look around. I hope you like what you see. And if you disagree with me on anything, let me know. Remember: Each page will include an email link through which you can send me feedback, if you wish, or use the Contact button in the sidebar. If you've made a case for your argument, I feel I need to comment on your argument, or you've liked what I've said , I will include them on a "feedback" page for the page.

• Scams - Fraud and Phishing Schemes
• Shams - Infomercial Info
• Flim-Flams - Trivia researched, Rumors and Urban Legends
• Spam, not SPAM® - Q&A/FAQ and Examples of Spam Email
• Viruses/Malware - Q&A/FAQ and Examples of email that I, personally, have received, attempting to load a virus/malware onto my computer.

FYI ... I also edit a joke-letter of emails I receive sent to various people (family, friends, friends of friends, etc.). It's called LYAO and I am, therefore, the "LYAO-Editor". Many of the rumors, etc. have been sent in that letter, and comments are marked either "--LYAO Editor" or "-LE". I have left these comments in when I felt it appropriate. So remember that "LYAO Editor" and "-LE" means ME!

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