Inside This Issue

Security Info
FTC's Top Consumer Complaints for 2006

Be Alert -- Be Aware
Protect Yourself from Scams

Ask The Help Desk
How Do I Add A Status Bar To My Web Browser?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In April!

Short Tutorial
Customizing Your Browser's Toolbar

 

Hello goNDTC Internet Customers!

In keeping with the season, we're going to shower you with information you can use this spring. First, learn how to avoid becoming a victim of today's many online scams and identity theft schemes. Next, find out how to add a handy status bar to your Web browser and how to customize your toolbar to include only the buttons you need. Finally, have some fun visiting the sites we've selected for you this month. They'll help you follow the NFL draft, prepare for a trip to the nursery, reach for the stars, pick a great movie, and explore the wonders of the world - all refreshing ways to spend your time.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to:

  1. Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax or security issue that may affect you
  2. An update on new services and other local interests
  3. An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question
  4. Some fun, seasonal websites to check out
  5. A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please click HERE .

To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading!

- The goNDTC Team

Security Info - FTC's Top Consumer Complaints for 2006

The Federal Trade Commission recently issued its annual report, "Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data," on fraud complaints filed by consumers in 2006. For the seventh year in a row, identity theft tops the list, accounting for 36 percent of the 674,354 complaints received between January 1 and December 31, 2006. Credit card fraud (25 percent) was the most common form of reported identity theft, followed by phone or utilities fraud (16 percent), bank fraud (16 percent), and employment fraud (14 percent). Other common fraud complaints included shop-at-home/catalog sales; prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries; Internet services and computer complaints; and Internet auction fraud. Consumers reported fraud losses totaling more than $1.1 billion and the median monetary loss was $500.

The FTC provides data on consumer fraud complaints to the Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For the first time, this complaint data has been broken out for more than 350 metropolitan statistical areas with populations greater than 100,000. You can find detailed information, including state-by-state statistics, at http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel .

The Internet was the top method chosen by fraudulent companies to contact consumers, used 60% of the time (e-mail was used in 45% of the cases and websites in 15%). The remaining methods were mail (16%), phone (13%), and others (10%). What can you do to avoid becoming the victim of online consumer fraud? Take these precautions:

If you do encounter problems, file a complaint with the FTC by completing a form at FTC.gov , or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

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Be Alert -- Be Aware - Protect Yourself from Scams

A few days ago NDTC received an e-mail regarding a suspicious phone call one of our customers received. Imagine our surprise when we read this e-mail:

This evening at 7:00, I received a phone call (unknown caller on Caller ID) from someone with a Mideastern accent who said he was from North Dakota Telephone Company and that I had just won a $5000 credit card and a free lap top computer from NDTC for paying my bill on time. They said it was an absolutely free deal, but that I had to pay shipping and handling costs and needed my credit card information. I hung up, but I thought you should know about this.
We want to thank Mary B. for sharing this information with us so we could warn all of our customers. Occasionally, NDTC does award door prizes to those attending a trade show, business luncheon, or open house; however, we would NEVER charge shipping to deliver a door prize.

Here's an e-mail that we recieved, describing a new phone scam that has been reported. This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note that 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 "Master Card".

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 next 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 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. Are we 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 issuing us a new number. What the scammers want 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 MasterCard 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 scammers 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 Master Card" 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.
If you ever have questions about a call (or an e-mail) claiming to be from NDTC that appears suspicious, please feel free to contact us directly to verify the nature of the call. The direct numbers for NDTC are 701-662-1100 or 1-800-880-4213. One of our customer service representatives will be glad to help you.

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Ask The Help Desk  - How Do I Add A Status Bar To My Web Browser?

Question:  I used to have a bar at the bottom of my Web browser that showed the progress of searches when trying to find a website. It would tell me if I was connected to the site I was searching for and it even had a little bar that showed whether the requested page was making progress in completely opening. I don't see this information at the bottom of my browser window anymore. Is there a way to get it back?

Answer:  Yes. You are referring to a "status bar" and it is a handy tool that tells you whether or not you're connecting to a site. To add the status bar back onto your browser when using Internet Explorer 6.0 and 7.0, simply click your cursor arrow on the Internet Explorer "View" menu and drop down to "Status Bar" on the resulting drop-down menu. If your menu bar in I.E. 7.0 isn't visible, click on the "Tools" icon to the right of your address bar, drop down to "Toolbars," and select "Status Bar" from the resulting submenu. The status bar will appear at the bottom of your browser. If you are using Firefox 2.0, click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Status Bar." The status bar will appear at the bottom of your browser. When using Safari 2.0, click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Show Status Bar." The "Status Bar" will appear at the bottom of your browser.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Get Growing
http://landscape-america.com/index.html  -  April is Lawn and Garden Month so it's time to get growing. To plant the seeds of inspiration, you may want to visit this comprehensive landscaping site. It's an excellent resource for planning your next yard project, and includes information on all aspects of landscaping from selecting the right plants for your climate to adding beautiful and practical pathways. And because things aren't always rosy, this site also offers advice on controlling weeds, insects, and disease.

Top Picks in NASA Pics
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html  -  It's the next best thing to being there. Each day NASA posts the Astronomy Picture of the Day on this site, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. You can see our fascinating universe in all its glory, and get a close-up feel for the stars and planets so far away. In addition to the Astronomy Picture of the Day, check out selected photos dating back to 1995.

Reel Reviews
http://reel.com/reel.asp?node=intheaters  -  If you don't get your fill of stars on the NASA site, come here for detailed reviews of new movies in theaters and those coming soon. These reviews include handy links to the stars in the cast that show their other movie credits, as well as lists of similar films under Close Movie Matches. Still deciding what to see this weekend? Be sure to view the new trailers included on the site and take a look at the current top ten at the box office.

Wonders of the World
http://new7wonders.com  -  The Ancient 7 Wonders of the World (including the Pyramids at Giza and the State of Zeus at Olympia) will soon have company. This site is gathering a global vote for the New 7 Wonders of the World and millions of people have already voted for their favorite "wonder." Will the new list include the Statue of Liberty? Eiffel Tower? The Kremlin? We'll find out, appropriately enough, when the seven winners are announced on 07.07.07. There's still time for you to cast your ballot, but as with any sort of online voting site, it's best to use a "throw away" e-mail address (like Hotmail) rather than your main e-mail account.

Draft Tracker
http://nfl.com/draft  -  Keep up with the action of the 2007 NFL draft (April 28-29) with the help of the official NFL site. All the stats you could possibly want are here including prospect profiles listed by position or school, and a team-by-team history of first round picks from 1982 to 2006. NFL.com draft guru Gil Brandt weighs in with results from this year's Pro Days, plus you'll find draft analysis and columns, player diaries, and links to team draft sites.

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Short Tutorial  - Customizing Your Browser's Toolbar

The default settings of the newer versions of the Internet Explorer Web browser include buttons for common functions such as "back," forward," "stop," "refresh," home," "autofill," "print," and "mail." Additional buttons for other functions can easily be added to your toolbar or default buttons can be removed. Here's how:

To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using Internet Explorer 6.0 For Windows XP Home Edition:

  1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Toolbars."

  2. Select "Customize" from the resulting submenu. When the "Customize Toolbar" window appears, there will be two side-by-side panes visible with an "Add" and "Remove" button between them. The right hand pane shows you the buttons currently displayed on your toolbar and the left hand pane shows you the buttons that you can add to your toolbar.

  3. Click your cursor arrow on a button in the left hand pane that you'd like to add and then click on the "Add" button. The button you selected will then move over to the right hand pane and become visible on your toolbar. NOTE: A double click on buttons in the left hand pane will also add them to the right hand pane as well as your toolbar.

  4. To remove a button from the toolbar, click on it in the right hand pane and click on the "Remove" button or double click on it in the right hand pane. The button will disappear from your browser's toolbar. Please note that buttons removed from your toolbar do not disappear completely, they just go over to the left hand pane and can be easily put back.

  5. The "Customize Toolbar" window also has buttons that will allow you to change the position or order of the buttons on your toolbar. Click on the "Move Up" button or the "Move Down" button to change the position of the buttons.

  6. If you've finished modifying your toolbar and you don't like what you've done, press the "Reset" button and the toolbar will revert to its original factory settings. If you like your changes, click on the "Close" button and enjoy your newly modified toolbar.
To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using Internet Explorer 7.0 For Windows XP Home Edition:
  1. Click your cursor arrow on the "Tools" button to the right of your address field and drop down to "Toolbars."

  2. Select "Customize" from the resulting submenu. When the "Customize Toolbar" window appears, there will be two side-by-side panes visible with an "Add" and "Remove" button between them. The right hand pane shows you the buttons currently displayed on your toolbar and the left hand pane shows you the buttons that you could add to your toolbar.

  3. Click your cursor arrow on a button in the left hand pane that you'd like to add and then click on the "Add" button. The button you selected will then move over to the right hand pane and become visible on your toolbar. NOTE: A double click on buttons in the left hand pane will also add them to the right hand pane as well as your toolbar.

  4. To remove a button from the toolbar, click on it in the right hand pane and click on the "Remove" button or double click on it in the right hand pane. The button will disappear from your browser's toolbar. Please note that buttons removed from your toolbar do not disappear completely, they just go over to the left hand pane and can be easily put back.

  5. The "Customize Toolbar" window also has buttons that will allow you to change the position or order of the buttons on your toolbar. Click on the "Move Up" button or the "Move Down" button to change the position of the buttons.

  6. If you've finished modifying your toolbar and you don't like what you've done, press the "Reset" button and the toolbar will revert to its original factory settings. If you like your changes, click on the "Close" button and enjoy your newly modified toolbar.
To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using Firefox 2.0 For Windows XP Home Edition Or Macintosh OS X:
  1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Toolbars."

  2. Select "Customize" from the resulting submenu. The "Customize Toolbar" palette will appear.

  3. Drag tool icons from the palette to the position you want them to take on your browser's toolbar. You can also reposition the icons to different places on the toolbar.

  4. To remove icon buttons that you've added to your browser, drag them back onto the palette. You can also restore the toolbar to its original condition by using the "Restore Default Set" button on the palette.

  5. When you've finished customizing your toolbar, click the "Done" button.
To Make Adjustments To The Browser Toolbar When Using Safari 2.0 For Macintosh OS X:
  1. Click your cursor arrow on the "View" menu and drop down to "Customize Address Bar..."

  2. The toolbar palette window will appear.

  3. Drag tool icons from the palette onto your Safari toolbar to the position you want them to take on your browser's toolbar. You can also reposition the icons to different places on the toolbar.

  4. If you don't like the changes you've made and want to restore the toolbar to the way it was, simply drag the entire default set from the palette to your Safari browser's toolbar.

  5. Click "Done" when you've finished making your changes.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please click HERE .

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

Dave Dircks
NDTC General Manager
North Dakota Telephone Company



North Dakota Telephone Co.
211 22nd St NW
Devils Lake, ND 58301

(701) 662-1100



(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.