Your kids could be downloading bad apps

There are thousands of free social media apps out there for anyone to download. More than a few of these apps could be dangerous, exposing your children to unwanted risks by allowing a direct line from your kids to predators.

Many law enforcement establishments agree that the following apps are problematic to your children. They include:

1. Meet me, which allows teens to be contacted with users much older

2. Scout, which is a flirting app. Teens and adults are supposed to be in different groups but ages are not verified

3. Grindr, an LBT community app that shares photos and live location

4. Kik, which is specifically for kids but anyone can join

5. Hala, which allows strangers around the world to connect

6. Hot or Not This App, which rates you on your attractiveness and has no age verification in place

7. Calculator App. This one is particularly troublesome because it allows kids to hide their photos, videos and browser history.

A website called Common Sense Media allows anyone to see reviews on these and other apps that could be posing undue risks to kids. Here is an example: Kwai is a video social network that was rated at two stars out of a possible five stars. The review summary states the app is a Tik Tok wannabe that has no privacy controls and is not suitable for kids.

If you have children who are downloading apps on their devices, you can check out the reviews at www.commonsensemedia.org to see what the app is about and how it rates. The website also allows kids and parents to provide feedback and comments about apps to add content to the reviews.

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SECRET SOCIETY: A Coeur d’Alene reader called to ask about a letter she had recently received by snail mail. The letter went on to tell her how smart and wonderful she was and how she could win friends and influence people. The letter was from a secret society that informed her they could offer her the greatest secret of all time, free of charge.

The 10-page recruitment letter made it clear that our reader was wanted by this mysterious organization of elite members. The sender of the letter claimed to be “one of the most famous people in the world” and had all the wealth, power and authority he ever would need.

This organization goes by several names which include The League, Neo-Think or The Society and has been around for at least 15 years. It is interesting that they are still using a snail-mail pitch rather than moving into an email type of solicitation, but I digress.

I received one of these same solicitations back around 2006. The name and face behind the organization that sends out these letters is Mark Hamilton, who runs Integrated Management Associates from Henderson, Nev.

The letter makes many promises and states that this “is not a joke, a gimmick, a hoax, or a con job,” which should raise questions that it is probably all those things. At any rate, it might not be a total scam because it is possible that some people gain valuable tips and insights from joining the organization. But you are probably not being contacted by someone rich and famous and you certainly aren’t going to part of some mysterious super power group of individuals.

Mr. Hamilton primarily makes his money selling books on various topics about being successful. Whether or not you choose to buy them and then believe them is entirely up to you.

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NAUGHTY LANGUAGE: To be effective, con artists need to be charming in order to get the victim to comply with their request for information or money so they can scam us. Now that many people are becoming more leery of unsolicited calls or text messages, they are less likely to give the scammer what he/she wants.

Several readers have called to complain that these once-charming con artists have now gotten so brazen that when the victim refuses to send money or give the caller information, the caller breaks out into a tirade laced with an f bomb or s bomb thrown in for good measure.

Naturally, people are offended by this language but it shouldn’t really surprise us that we are being subjected to it. The lack of any real punishment has allowed these crooks to resort to any means necessary to get from us what they want.

Remember their end game is to get our money or information in order to steal from us. If they have to threaten or offend us in the process, then so be it.

If possible, do not answer the phone when you don’t know who is calling. If the call is important, the caller will leave a message. The other thing you can do is report these interactions with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us.

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STATE ISSUES WARNING: Last week I warned readers about fake FedEx text messages because I received more than a dozen calls from readers stating they had received a text message from what appeared to be FedEx, which included a tracking code, a link and a request to set a delivery preference.

In a consumer alert issued Jan. 27 by the Attorney General’s Office, this is a text-based scam using the legitimate company to fool people. If you click on the link, it will take the user to an Amazon listing with a customer satisfaction survey that promises a reward. However, if fully executed, according to the warning, the scam ends with the customer inadvertently signing up for expensive services they will be billed for later.

Emails and robocalls have long been used by scammers to target potential victims but they seem to be refining their methods to include increased text messages too, so be skeptical if you receive an unsolicited text message. If you receive one of these FedEx texts you can report it to: [email protected]

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Remember: I’m on your side.

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If you have encountered a consumer issue that you have questions about or think our readers should know about, please send me an email at [email protected] or call me at 208-274-4458. As The CDA Press Consumer Gal, I’m here to help. I’m a full-time copywriter working with businesses on marketing strategy, a columnist and a consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene.