Newest Member of LifeLock

Just when I think life is getting dull and boring, something like this comes up and blindsides me. 
Hello my name is Erin and I'm here to talk to you about scams, craigslist and why you should pay attention to those warnings on the front page. 
I like to consider myself a very, computer savy person. I know better than to open certain emails, I can identify spammers a mile away. I never check my banking information on public computers, or on public wifi areas.
Common Sense stuff right?
So as I'm job hunting on craigslist, I have been very careful about the jobs I've applied for, checking for company names, googling them to see if they are indeed a legit company in my town, things like that. So far so good. Or at least I thought. 
When I got the email Wednesday morning from a company wanting to interview me for a receptionist position, you can imagine my excitement. All that hard work finally paying off.
Sure this may not be 'the" job, but finally it was a step in the right direction! 
Clue #1

"We would like to thank you for sending your resume to [Company Name].  After reviewing your initial credentials, I think you could possibly be a great fit for our company. 

 Our Human Resource manager would like to schedule an interview with you before she leaves for vacation early next week. You need to complete the pre-interview screening before we can schedule an interview....."

The initial email itself was well written, none of the obvious spelling errors you come to associate with scammers, though I did find it a bit strange, that the link back to the craigslist post had been flagged for removal; but in my state of delirium it didn't occur to me that if the company was taking down a post they wouldn't have FLAGGED it. However I found what I thought was the same post, and the company was legit so I went ahead with the screening.


Feel free to say a prayer for me now. 


Clue #2 
The questions seemed legit and I filled the answers out in a professional an courteous manner. I have this job in the bag people! After submitting that part of the application, it tells me they need me to fill out a credit report as the government needed something, blah, blah, blah. This gave me pause for a second, since they credit company wanted my credit card number..not to mention my SS#. The website itself was VeriSigned Trusted and after some hesitation (aka making sure the links they gave me, and that website were one and the same) I filled it out. 


"I'm sorry we are unable to process your request". 


I got this message a couple of times, before I backed off and started looking around a little more closely at the website. I emailed Customer Support (of the credit report website) and then emailed the "HR" people to let them know I was having problems. 


And I waited. 


And waited.. 


And. Waited..


And checked craigslist home page and felt my heart sink.

"SCAM ALERT - affiliate scammers are posting bogus ads promising (nonexistent!) employment, paid research trials, or other compensation, but then notifying repliers that they'll need to jump through a hoop first, directing them to:

• background checking services

• credit checking or reporting sites..........

Lots of variations on this scam, but each generally involves dangling (nonexistent!) compensation, and then directing you to a website where you are asked to sign up for something, use your credit card, or input personal information such as your email address."

Are you serious? Did I just fall for a scam? Really? You're kidding right. PLEASE BE KIDDING! 


Then I get an email back from the credit report company. 

"We apologize for any inconvenience, but we could not process the application for your credit report. This is most probably due to an interruption in the transfer of information from the Bureau to our system.
Let us assure you, we did not charge your credit card; you may confirm this with your credit card company."

OMGoodness! I do NOT care about my credit card, what do you MEAN THERE WAS AN INTERRUPTION IN THE TRANSFER OF MY INFORMATION!!!??!? 

At this point, I went back to the website, and begin looking at it a bit more closely. First things first was the red line through the https: . Which means, in layman terms, all the info on this site is unsecured and can be viewed by other parties. 

Cue Freak out. 

At this point, I decided to check out LifeLock.com, my parents have it, and at this point, I know I need to do something to protect myself. $10 a month? You know...., its better than having my identity stolen. 

"Where do you want my credit card number?"

You can be sure, I made sure the site was secured before entering ANYTHING in. 

So. Now I really need additional work. 

The moral of this story is, be smart. be careful. Learn from my mistakes. 

The End. 

P.S. (I have not heard back from the supposed company who wanted to hire me. So I think it's safe to say they are fake.) 

A Series of Adjustments

I have this bad habit of starting a post and never finishing them, so in an attempt to go ahead and post them here are some I started last week. Let's hope I can remember WHY I started those posts! :) 


- Monday October 11, 2010 


Life is a series of adjustments.
And most of the time I hate having to adjust.
Its the before God, Honest, Truth.
I don't like big changes.
Hence why it took me two years to move to TN.
I couldn't comprehend laying aside all my plans and diving off a cliff into the unknown.
God had to straighten me out on that one.
However I have found that I'm sort of a control freak.
I hate it when things don't the way I've carefully planned them to go.
As in go into slight panic attack, shortness of breath, tightening of chest sort of "hate". 


After the first six months of this year, I'd thought I'd gotten past this stage. If you haven't notice, this has been a, less than ideal year for me, I hate complaining or even mentioning anything about it, because I know there are those going through MUCH WORSE then being broke. At least I have a job to keep the money coming in (as it goes out the back door).  But that doesn't mean its any less serious. 


Without any money that meant a LOT of what I had planned for this year, in regards to trips, and just life things such as school etc.. had to go by the wayside. I had to change a LOT of what I had in mind for this year. 


So one would think I'd be used to it by now. 


I'm not. 


So I had this plan, Pompei (the yellow lab/golden pup I'm training to be a future guide dog aka seeing eye dog) was to stay with me for about a year. I raise and train him during that time, and then send him back to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, so he can continue his journey to becoming someone's eyes. I found out around May that my group leader was housing a German Shepherd that was to be used as a Breeder for a new line of dogs that GDF was going to work with. I asked our representative if I could raise one of the puppies and was given the affirmative. So I began planning my life towards getting a fifth guide dog puppy around late November, and sending Pompei back around that time as well. 


Now this may seem like a little thing to those who are not puppy raisers. Its just a dog.  Um..No. When I say I'm a volunteer I mean I pretty much center my life around this pup for the year its with me. When they are puppies we can only leave them alone for a certain amount of time, so I have to arrange for someone to check in or watch said puppy if I can't do it. Since my job doesn't allow me to have the pups at work with me, I having to make my schedule so I can have time to go home, pick up the puppy and proceed on to school. 


So 75% of my life is spent wearing my puppy raiser hat. And I love it. My plan was to go ahead bring puppy number 5 into my home and after that take a break for a couple of months, just to have a little down time. 


That was MY plans. 


So when I heard that we welcomed 9 more future guide dog puppies into the world  on 10/10/10. I was estactic! Not only would I get to follow my newest baby before he/she got here but I was FINALLY raising something without "retriever" in its name. 

All those plans were shattered today. Yes shattered may be a bit dramatic...but I had the last couple months of this year set to go in a certain vein, I had my trips and school planned around it. I had my mind getting prepared for it, and within five minutes of sending an email those plans were tip off the self they were sitting precariously on. 


Apparently my name was never written down on the list for one of these special pups, thus knocking me out of the running for one. 


I'd forgotten the puppy raiser motto to "write it in pencil" and had most satisfactorily written that down in ink. 


::Saturday October 16, 2010:: 


Now that I've had time to work through my feelings, move on, face bigger more important "problems" such as my $193.50 charge for those registration tickets, and having the money for that....I've come to realize this is a little deeper then just not getting a GSD pup. Its more about loosing Pompei.


Pompei is special. This is another one of those "you've got to be a PR to know what i'm talking about moments" but I'll try to explain. 

With the high volume of dogs going through my home, you don't BOND  with every dog. There are some dogs you just live with. Out of 12 trainee's only four would I have kept as a long term pet..had I been given the option. The fourth of that group being Pompei. 

I think I was hoping by getting a GSD that it wouldn't feel like I was replacing Pompei's presence in my house. This next puppy has some high standards to live up to, and I guess I didn't want just ANY puppy that was available. I can understand a little better why people don't get new dogs soon after their previous one passes. 


Now that I've had time to work through my emotions and adjust my thinking, I'll most likely wait and see what I feel closer to Pompei's IFT. I've never been through a semester dog-less.  I've never been without a service dog pup for more than a month in the last five years.


I don't know if could take a break now, even if I wanted to. 


We.Shall.See. 


Though I've heard rumors that Midnight (first picture) is supposed to go into heat sometime soon....thinking about waiting for one of her pups...  

Until another thought strikes me,

                                             

Has This Ever Happened to you?

Just another Thoughtless Thursday

Let’s play a little game called: “Have You Ever!”

Let’s set the scene. Its 7:08AM Thursday morning, your snuggled under a mountain of blankets, one dog curled up on against my side, one dog somewhere else on the bed, and another dog at the foot of the bed, hoping you won’t know that he’s violated his “NO BED” rule. The alarm clock starts chiming (believe me when I say those chimes could wake the dead) and you absent mindedly smack the large snooze button. You pick up your phone to see what the “real” time is (as your alarm clock is about 45 minutes fast) and your eyes resume there previo………

The alarm chimes again, and this time dog #3 hops of the bed and whines at the door, despite encouraging him to come back and lay on his bed, he is insistent and you stumble out of bed, to take him outside. You watch in alarm as he seems to have a bad case of diarrhea, and your mind explodes with questions. What in the world? Where is he going to stay while at work? Should I live him alone? What about class? Nah I should keep him with me, he obviously can hold it a little bit, but what if that’s too long? Should I feed him? OH man I know why he’s like this! (I have a neighbor who throws out her chips/bread/whatever for the birds. I hate to break it too her that no bird is scarfing down that food!)

You come back inside, and watch as your dog gulps down the bowl of water in the kitchen, your brain coming a little more awake with each passing moment. Unfortunately its not awake enough to keep you out of your bed for just a few. Minutes. More. Once the alarm goes off for a third time, you realize that this is pointless and climb out of bed, and start getting dressed. You glance at the clock (7:28am!?!) you know you have to leave the house at 7:30am so you are jolted out of your morning stupor and start prying the other two dogs out of bed, (I swear its like having kids sometimes) and send them outside, your roommate finally gets out of the bathroom, and you dash in to grab your hair supplies. This is one time you’ll be doing your hair at the locker room at work. Again.  Dogs come inside, dogs get arranged around the house, with the “sick” one in the kitchen (easy clean up) and the other two in the rest of the house, water, here, food there.

You remember you need to get gas, and beat yourself up for not doing that yesterday. You head for your car….*Snap* you forgot my USB drive for school, grab that, ok purse..where’s your purse? Oh in the car. Dumb (insert name). Dash outside. Wait no purse. Oh, you must have taken it inside anyway!  (Note this house is very organized so it’s not hard to find things. Most of the time) Run into your bedroom and check the places you normal store  your bag, hmmm not there, what not there either? Must be out in the Living Room, though you don’t remember seeing it, psht. you don’t remember bringing it in the house period! Its gotta be here somewhere, check Kitchen chairs, table,  sink, Nothing. Desk, under the desk, dog room, roommates room…NOTHING. Begin feeling a slight sense of panic, as you realize the possibility of it being stolen, is very high. It has happened to you before, but you’re normally conscious of those things… surely not God! Deep breaths, glance at the time 7:50am?? You are so late. Email boss from phone as you dash back out too the car to look, check in the trunk, stranger things have happened…nothing. Walk back towards the house and suddenly realize…you know EXACTLY where your purse is. At work. Outside. Behind a wall.

Panic for real now, and scramble to check your bank account, as you rush to your parent’s house to borrow some money for gas.

You Head for work, rushing as much as your $3 worth of gasoline, praying the entire time, that by some miracle your purse is still outside; simultaneously thanking God it didn’t rain last night, and you had the presence of mind to take your cell phone with you! (Did I mention said cell phone now works?)

As you pull into your parking garage, you let out a happy scream as you see your black purse still sitting in the bushes were you left it, as you jump out to grab it you notice your co-worker waiting to pull in, snickering at you. You don’t care however, and are just overjoyed to have your belongings back with you.

The End.

Things like this don’t happen to anyone else but me do they? Please tell me it doesn’t!!?

A little background:

Well due to the accident, my father had an appointment made with the insurance company, to get an estimate done. However I didn’t find out that was going to happen yesterday (Wednesday) until late Tuesday evening. So we came up with the plan to have my mom take me to work, and get all that done, and pick me up. She got a little turned around downtown, so I stood outside of the parking garage trying to “walk her” through the streets, and back out of the area she was in. While this was going on, I set my purse down behind a concrete wall, so it wouldn’t be readily seen. My mom came; I walked towards the car got in, and drove away. I am sooo incredibly thankful that everything was still in there, especially since theft is high at the university. Oh yes, and good news! THE CELL PHONE IS ALIVE!!! The rice bath worked, and you would never know it had a problem! $200 that stays in my bank account!!! :)

This week Meme’s (I seem to be doing just a few a week, gotta study ya know) is brought you by Murdocks Mama 

Just Thursday!

Outside my window……well since I don’t have a window, I don’t really know, but outside my door my co-workers are walking around.

The time is…….11:25AM

Today I feel……Tired. Despite getting 7.5 hours of sleep last night (according to my SleepBot App)

I am thinking..…..my office feels like a cave. We have to keep my office door closed, since it houses the fire suppression system *don’t ask* and since there is no windows its weird in here. I was also thinking something else but I forgot.

At the moment, I am thankful..……….That my purse wasn’t stolen, and that my phone is working!!!

I am going…to classes after work

I am wearing………Work Uniform and Coat. Yes Coat.

I wish…………I could go back to bed

I am reading…… “The Geography of Bliss”

I am working on………Weekly Newsletter for company

I am hoping……Next week goes ok

I am hearing………The hum of the huge A/C system

I bet you didn't know..…I set up a Tumblr site for my daily photos

One of my favorite……???

I confess………I’m really not looking forward to next week.

Weekend Plans.. 

[Thursday]  -Work – Run Home – Class #1 – Class #2

[Friday] Class and more Class grocery shop

[Saturday] – Work at Church in preparation for event next week, nap

[Sunday] – Church, nap, prep for coming week.

Well I'm off 1.5 hours to get home, get Pompeii, clean up the mess he left while I was gone, decide if I should take him into public like this, and leave for classes. Speaking of class, I leave you with Assignment #2 for my Photography II class.