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New link to Madeleine McCann suspect revealed for the first time

<p dir="ltr">Detectives have uncovered an email account belonging to convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner that ties him to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a court has heard. </p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Titus Stampa told a court that the German FBI had identified two email accounts linked to the man, but was unable to discuss one of them because it was “related to the killing” of the child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The second email account was used for trading child pornography images with people online. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, the account had all of the messages deleted from the first half of 2007: the time Maddie vanished.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detective Stampa refused to confirm if the “murder” account contained any “photos”, but he said investigators were also in possession of a hard drive related to the “murder” which he was not allowed to discuss.</p> <p dir="ltr">The detective told the court, “An external hard drive is also belonging to the killing case – and I am not allowed to talk about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Asked about the account used for swapping child sex abuse images, Detective Stampa said, “I can remember that things were ‘massively’ deleted in the inbox.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There was nothing in there from January 2007.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The revelation offered the first glimpse into the physical proof that has led German investigators to believe Brueckner kidnapped and killed Maddie.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brueckner has long been the main suspect in the case of Maddie’s disappearance, after a key witness came forward in 2017 to report the man, who claimed that while discussing the McCann case, Brueckner said, “She didn’t scream.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Madeleine was last seen when she was just three years old in 2007 in Praia da Luz on Portugal’s Algarve coast, when she was on holiday with her family. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: MGG/Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Legal

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Why do I get so much spam and unwanted email in my inbox? And how can I get rid of it?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kayleen-manwaring-8735">Kayleen Manwaring</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Spam might not have brought an end to the internet or email, as some dire predictions <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-spam-could-destroy-the-internet/">in the early 2000s</a> claimed it could – but it’s still a massive pain.</p> <p>Despite all the spam being removed by spam-filtering technologies, most people still receive spam every day. How do these messages end up flooding our inboxes? And are there any legal consequences for the senders?</p> <h2>What is spam?</h2> <p>The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) noted in 2004 “there does not appear to be a widely agreed and workable definition for spam” across jurisdictions – and this remains true today.</p> <p>That said, “spam” generally <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/232784860063.pdf?expires=1693541947&amp;id=id&amp;accname=ocid177499&amp;checksum=D0C5BDAC49951DF353618B8E38483253">refers to</a> unsolicited electronic messages. These are often sent in bulk and frequently advertise goods or services. It also includes scamming and phishing messages, according to the OECD.</p> <p>Most people think of spam in the form of emails or SMS messages. However, what we now call spam actually predates the internet. In 1854, a spam telegram was sent to British politicians advertising the opening hours of dentists who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/aug/09/why-spammers-are-winning-junk-mail">sold tooth-whitening powder</a>.</p> <p>The first spam email came more than 100 years later. It was reportedly sent to 600 people on May 3 1978 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080628205216/http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-spam11may11001420,1,5168218,full.story">through ARPAnet</a> – a precursor to the modern internet.</p> <p>As for how much spam is out there, the figures vary, possibly due to the various <a href="https://www.spamhaus.org/consumer/definition/">definitions of “spam”</a>. One source reports the average number of spam emails sent daily in 2022 was about <a href="https://dataprot.net/statistics/spam-statistics/">122.33 billion</a> (which would mean more than half of all emails were spam). As for text messages, another source reports a daily average of 1.6 billion <a href="https://thesmallbusinessblog.net/spam-text-statistics/">spam texts</a>.</p> <h2>Where do spammers get my details?</h2> <p>Each time you enter your email address or phone number into an e-commerce website, you may be handing it to spammers.</p> <p>But sometimes you may even receive spam from entities you don’t recognise. That’s because businesses will often transfer customers’ contact information to related companies, or sell their data to third parties such as data brokers.</p> <p>Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 somewhat limits the transfer of personal information to third parties. However, these laws <a href="https://theconversation.com/accc-says-consumers-need-more-choices-about-what-online-marketplaces-are-doing-with-their-data-182134">are weak</a> – and <a href="http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/unsworks_75600">weakly enforced</a>.</p> <p>Some entities also use “address-harvesting” software to search the internet for electronic addresses that are captured in a database. The collector then uses these addresses directly, or sells them to others looking to send spam.</p> <p>Many jurisdictions (including <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s19.html">Australia</a>) prohibit these harvesting activities, but they are still <a href="https://www.projecthoneypot.org/statistics.php">common</a>.</p> <h2>Is spamming against the law?</h2> <p>Australia has had legislation regulating spam messaging since 2003. But the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00614">Spam Act</a> surprisingly does not define the word “spam”. It tackles spam by prohibiting the sending of <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s15.html">unsolicited commercial electronic messages</a> containing offers, ads or other promotions of goods, services or land.</p> <p>However, if the receiver <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch2.html">consented</a> to these types of messages, the prohibition does not apply. When you buy goods or services from a company, you will often see a request to click on a “yes” button to receive marketing promotions. Doing so means you have consented.</p> <p>On the other hand, if your phone or inbox are hit by commercial messages you haven’t agreed to receive, that is a breach of the <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/">Spam Act</a> by the sender. If you originally signed up to receive the messages, but then unsubscribed and the messages kept coming after <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch2.html">five business days</a>, that is also illegal. Senders must also include a <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s18.html">functioning unsubscribe facility</a> in every commercial message they send.</p> <p>Spammers can be penalised for breaches of the Spam Act. In the past few months alone, <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-06/commonwealth-bank-penalised-355-million-spam-breaches">Commonwealth Bank</a>, <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-08/doordash-penalised-2-million-spam-breaches">DoorDash</a> and <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/articles/2023-06/mycar-tyre-auto-penalised-1m-spam-breaches">mycar Tyre &amp; Auto</a> were fined more than A$6 million in total for breaches.</p> <p>However, most spam comes from outside Australia where the laws aren’t the same. In the United States spam is legal under the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business">CAN-SPAM Act</a> until you opt out. Unsurprisingly, the US <a href="https://talosintelligence.com/reputation_center/email_rep#spam-country-senders">tops the list</a> of countries where the most spam originates.</p> <p>Although spam sent to Australia from overseas <a href="https://austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/s16.html">can still breach</a> the Spam Act – and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) co-operates with overseas regulators – overseas enforcement actions are difficult and expensive, especially if the spammer has disguised their true identity and location.</p> <p>It’s worth noting that messages from political parties, registered charities and government bodies aren’t prohibited – nor are messages from educational institutions to students and former students. So while you might consider these messages as “spam”, they can legally be <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/sa200366/sch1.html">sent freely without consent</a>. Factual messages (without marketing content) from businesses are also legal as long as they include accurate sender details and contact information.</p> <p>Moreover, the Spam Act generally only covers spam sent via email, SMS/MMS or instant messaging services, such as WhatsApp. Voice calls and faxes aren’t covered (although you can use the <a href="https://www.donotcall.gov.au/">Do Not Call Register</a> to block some commercial calls).</p> <h2>Staying safe from spam (and cyberattacks)</h2> <p>Spam isn’t only annoying, it can also be dangerous. Spam messages can contain indecent images, scams and <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/learn-basics/explore-basics/watch-out-threats/phishing-emails-and-texts">phishing attempts</a>. Some have <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/threats/types-threats/malware">malware</a> (malicious software) designed to break into computer networks and cause harm, such as by stealing data or money, or shutting down systems.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/securing-your-email/email-security/protect-yourself-malicious-email">Australian Cyber Security Centre</a> and <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/dealing-with-spam">ACMA</a> provide useful tips for reducing the spam you get and your risk of being hit by cyberattacks. They suggest to:</p> <ol> <li> <p>use a spam filter and block spammers – email and telecommunications providers often supply useful tools as part of their services</p> </li> <li> <p>unsubscribe from any emails you no longer want to receive – even if you originally agreed to receive them</p> </li> <li> <p>remove as much of your contact details from websites as you can and always restrict the sharing of your personal information (such as name, birth date, email address and mobile number) when you can – beware of pre-ticked boxes asking for your consent to receive marketing emails</p> </li> <li> <p>install cybersecurity updates for your devices and software as you get them</p> </li> <li> <p>always think twice about opening emails or clicking on links, especially for messages promising rewards or asking for personal information – if it looks too good to be true, it probably is</p> </li> <li> <p>use <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-multi-factor-authentication-and-how-should-i-be-using-it-191591">multi-factor authentication</a> to access online services so even if a scam compromises your login details, it will still be difficult for hackers to break into your accounts</p> </li> <li> <p>report spam to your email and telecommunications providers, and to <a href="https://www.acma.gov.au/dealing-with-spam#complain-or-forward-spam-to-the-acma">ACMA</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208665/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> </li> </ol> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kayleen-manwaring-8735"><em>Kayleen Manwaring</em></a><em>, Senior Research Fellow, UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law &amp; Innovation and Senior Lecturer, School of Private &amp; Commercial Law, UNSW Law &amp; Justice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-get-so-much-spam-and-unwanted-email-in-my-inbox-and-how-can-i-get-rid-of-it-208665">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

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Devastating leaked email places Jenny Craig on brink of collapse

<p dir="ltr">Weight loss firm Jenny Craig is reportedly closing its doors after four decades leading the industry. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to leaked staff communications, <em>NBC News</em> have shared that the company’s corporate and salaried field employees will face their final day of work on May 5, while their hourly staff will experience theirs on May 9. In the email, Jenny Craig explained that this was occurring “due to its inability to secure additional financing”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Employees were informed, however, that they would be receiving a “final pay cheque, including your full compensation earned through your last day of work and all accrued, unused paid time off”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Rumours have circled the company for some time, with <em>Bloomberg</em> reporting in just April 2023 that they were on the hunt for a buyer. The publication claimed that a source told them the company was “considering a bankruptcy filing” if their efforts to secure a buyer failed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Bloomberg </em>also shared the news that the company was in around $250,000 USD in debt (~$376,000 AUD/NZD).</p> <p dir="ltr">Around the same time, corporate staff at the company’s California office received notice that they would be closing June 24, but that that day may actually be as soon as the next Friday. An FAQ was also released to them, alongside an explanation that they would be decreasing their physical operations to make way for their more e-commerce focussed business model. </p> <p dir="ltr">As a spokesperson told <em>NBC News</em> in the wake of the reports of potential layoffs, the company was “embarking on the next phase of our business to evolve with the changing landscape of today’s consumers. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Like many other companies, we’re currently transitioning from a brick-and-mortar retail business to a customer-friendly, e-commerce driven model. We will have more details to share in the coming weeks as our plans are solidified.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite this assurance, even coupled with the latest communications, it remains unclear whether or not that transition will still be taking place, with employees left in a state of limbo. </p> <p dir="ltr">The industry supergiant currently employs over 1,000 members of staff, with approximately 500 stores - both company-owned and franchised - across just the United States and Canada, with a further 600 around the rest of the world, including Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">The company was actually founded in Melbourne in 1983, by husband and wife Jenny and Sidney Craig. The American couple went on to take their venture back to the states, but not until two years later in 1985. </p> <p dir="ltr">And while the situation looks dire overseas, an employee did tell Bloomberg that franchise-owned locations “may remain open”, though this is yet to be confirmed.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Leaked email advises landlords to increase rent amid housing crisis

<p dir="ltr">A real estate agency in Brisbane has come under fire over a leaked email in which landlords were advised to consider raising rents by more than 20 percent amid Australia’s worsening rental crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">The email, sent by Ray White East End, asked landlords to consider whether their properties were being “under-rented” and advised them to increase rents by “above 20 percent” - more than double the rate of inflation - with potential earnings of an extra $10,000 a year.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our property managers have been reviewing all our lease renewals and on average recommending a 17% rent increase on the leases renewed in October &amp; November this year,” the email said, per <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/17/brisbane-real-estate-agency-advises-landlords-to-increase-rents-by-over-20-amid-housing-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As we are planning December lease renewals, the average lease renewal recommendation is above 20%. This can be as much as $10,000 per year in additional rental income.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The agency said that “many landlords are not being provided with the information to make an informed decision” about rent increases, claiming that landlords were being advised to sign long-term leases with increases of $5 to $20 a week.</p> <p dir="ltr">The email also said that most tenants “are agreeable” to the increases and would understand that it is “fair and reasonable” based on what is available on the market.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On average, apartments in West End/Highgate Hill/South Brisbane/Brisbane CBD are renting for one bedroom $480 to $520+ [a week and for] two bedrooms $675 to $850+ [a week],” the email said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you are not achieving these rents (at a minimum), you should be asking why?”</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as the Queenlsand government prepares to hold a housing summit to address rising homlessness and rental stress across the state.</p> <p dir="ltr">Penny Carr, the chief executive at advocacy organisation Tenants Queensland, said the email was an example of “opportunistic price-gouging” that is happening across Australia at the moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rents are unaffordable for people at the moment and tenants are having to absorb increases because of fear of not finding another property or becoming homeless,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We should only allow rent increases above CPI if they’re justifiable and there’s been major work to the property or something’s had to be replaced.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Carr said rent increases have been due to vacancy rates and supply and demand, and that the email dispels the myth that a land tax proposed by the government last year for interstate investors is to blame.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Ray White East End principal realtor Luke O’Kelly said rental affordability relies on investors.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Over the past 12 months, Brisbane has had some of the strongest population growth in the country and this has most clearly shown up in rental growth,” Mr O’Kelly said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Right now, Brisbane doesn’t have enough homes for those that want to live here … with rents rising so quickly, Brisbane needs more property investors.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fiona Caniglia, executive director of not-for-profit housing and homelessness organisation Q Shelter, said the timing of the email couldn’t be worse.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is disappointing to hear this the week of the emergency housing summit to be honest,” she told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/renting/dont-have-enough-homes-rental-agency-ray-white-tries-to-increase-rent-by-20-per-cent/news-story/e4ff2ab4807fffe3b50b90fe81069156" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We already know that many vulnerable Queenslanders are struggling to secure a rental property in the first place.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are record numbers of people showing up for the small number of properties listed right across Queensland. Such an increase will only benefit those on higher incomes and will of course again negatively affect vulnerable Queenslanders, forcing more people into homelessness.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ray White’s chief economist Nerida Conisbee defended the email in a statement shared with the outlet, saying that the market is currently ideal for investors.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Right now, Brisbane doesn’t have enough homes for those that want to live here,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is making it tough for renters but does make it a good place to invest. While red hot house price growth is unlikely to start up again in the near future, yields are increasing as rents rise.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With Australians paying an extra $7.1 billion in rent over the past year and the average renter spending $62 more a week than this time last year, Greens housing and homelessness spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather said the email showed that urgent action is needed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s this sort of flagrant price-gouging that demonstrates exactly why we need a national two-year freeze on rent increases,” he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-605890c5-7fff-934e-a79a-b24009315c32"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Beauty brand praised for “thoughtful” opt-out email

<p dir="ltr">Beauty brand Mecca has received a divisive response after sending out a marketing email giving subscribers the chance to opt out of Father’s Day promotions. </p> <p dir="ltr">The email, which was sent to all members of the Australian site last week, gave those who didn't celebrate Father's Day due to poor relationships or death a chance to opt out of further emails. </p> <p dir="ltr">“An option to opt out,” the email subject read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Sometimes it's nice to choose which emails you see from us. In the lead up to Father's Day, we understand if you don't want to receive emails on the subject - so we've made it easy to opt out.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of Mecca customers flocked to Facebook to praise the brand's initiative, as many revealed that they had difficult relationships with their fathers.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm so glad for this email because I was burnt pretty hard by my dad and I don't need any reminders,” one woman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even if it's not a go-to place for Father's Day gifts it's still great to see the initiative! I just hope they do the same for Mother's Day because I also don't have her around and it hurts to see,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the brand received a lot of praise for the email, others slammed it as a “shameful marketing stunt” and condemned people for being “overly sensitive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think a lot more thought could have gone into it,” wrote one disgruntled customer. “I understand the sentiment but the specific reference to Father's Day was a bit weird.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't remember getting one of these for Mother's Day. Why not a general email with a list of holidays allowing customers to choose which ones they want to opt out of?” she asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">While some people opposed the emails, the reception was largely positive, with customers calling on other brands to do the same. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Man rejected from interview through accidental email to management

<p dir="ltr">Alexander Wood was refused an opportunity to be interviewed for a position he applied for thanks to an accidental HR email.</p> <p dir="ltr">This was the third time Alexander applied for a barista position at Utica Coffee Roasting Company in New York. </p> <p dir="ltr">He was interviewed by the company in April 2021 and was offered the role but was unable to accept due to his living circumstances. </p> <p dir="ltr">In December 2021, after reapplying, HR got in touch with Alexander saying they will set up a time for an interview…but no one got back to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">After applying again recently in March 2022, Alexander was rejected from any interview after he was CC’d in an email from HR saying he never showed up last time. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, today is the first time I got CC'ed on an email I should not have been,” he wrote on Facebook on March 15. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was an email an HR employee meant to send to management about how I never showed up for an interview and I was CC'd into their responses.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that he was at an “all-time low in my life, I had just left downstate after being rendered homeless for over a week, I had left my toxic relationship, and I was legally tied to an apartment that I did not feel safe living in.” </p> <p dir="ltr">After sorting out his life, Alexander applied once again, only to randomly check his phone and saw the “triggering email” from the company. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I got hopeful and checked when I could only to find out it was an email meant for the other managers talking about how I never showed up for an interview,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing a screenshot of the email thread, HR had informed management that Alexander had allegedly not shown up for a previous interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well that’s interesting ok so lets reject him…” management responded. </p> <p dir="ltr">Alexander said he would “never no-call, no-show an interview, especially at that point in my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Shocked at their unprofessionalism, Alexander responded with proof of their emails showing that someone from HR would get in contact with him but didn’t. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I am absolutely astonished at the carelessness in this situation. Needless to say, I will not get a job there and will most likely never step foot in the establishment again. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm confident in my skills and I hold enough pride not to put up with this kind of absolute garbage. These are the things you don’t do with your business.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Serious claim about Ben Roberts-Smith’s most private emails

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben Roberts-Smith’s lawyers </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-17/ben-roberts-smith-ex-wife-accesses-email-101-times/100469928" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">have accused</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> his ex-wife Emma Roberts of accessing the veteran’s email more than 100 times, as the case between the former couple continues in court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The case is running at the same time as his defamation proceedings against several newspapers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the defamation case, Mr Roberts-Smith’s opponents issued a notice to produce specific documents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His legal team suspects the notice may have been issued following access to an email address he used for confidential correspondence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They have accused Ms Roberts of accessing the account and passing confidential information on to third parties, with Telstra records suggesting a close friend of Ms Roberts may have accessed the account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arthur Moses SC, Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, applied to add Ms Roberts’ best friend Danielle Scott and her husband as respondents in the case currently being heard in the Federal Court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Moses claimed that Telstra records established that either Ms Scott or her husband accessed a “hosting account” of RS Group Australia, the company Mr Roberts-Smith owns.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told the court the account was accessed “on at least 101 occasions” between January 2020 and May 2021.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The RS Group Australia email hosting account … is password-protected and enables a person, once logged on, to access the email account of any RS Group user, including the applicant’s,” Mr Moses said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The accusations come after Mr Roberts-Smith previously swore in an affidavit that neither Ms Scott or her husband had been given the password.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Moses said the Telstra records raised new issues, such as how the couple found the password, whether they had accessed Mr Roberts-Smith’s specific account, or whether they had shared confidential information with other parties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If Ms Scott and her husband are not joined to these proceedings then the applicant [Mr Roberts-Smith] would have a basis to commence separate proceedings against them,” Mr Moses said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He continued, saying he would have included the pair as respondents when the case began, had his client been aware of the records.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Justice Robert Bronwich reserved his decision.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The defamation trial against the newspapers is currently on hold until at least November 1, and is expected to continue into 2022.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty</span></em></p>

Legal

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7 alarming things a hacker can do when they have your email address

<p><strong>1. Send emails from your address</strong></p> <p>This is probably the most obvious thing hackers can do with your email address, and it’s a nuisance for sure. Once hackers have your email address, they can use it to target more than just you, sending out email blasts to anyone (maybe even everyone!) in your contact list. As Garry Brownrigg, CEO &amp; Founder of <a href="https://www.quicksilk.com/">QuickSilk</a>, explains, “They can ‘spoof’ an email message with a forged sender address – they don’t even need your password for this.” The things they send can be anything from harmful malware to scams and requests for money; either way, you’d certainly rather they didn’t come from your address.</p> <p>And although it’s mostly harmless (most savvy internet users are able to catch on when they receive a scam email from a friend’s address), it could still be a problem in some cases. “If a criminal really wanted to hurt someone, they could use this as a way to hook a romantic partner, hack the victim’s employer, get the person in trouble at work, or cause any number of problems in their personal or professional life by impersonating them online,” says Jason Glassberg, co-founder of <a href="https://www.casaba.com/">Casaba Security</a> and former cybersecurity executive at Ernst &amp; Young and Lehman Brothers.</p> <p><strong>2. Send phishing emails</strong></p> <p>Since there isn’t a lot that hackers can do with just the email address, they’re not going to stop there. “When a hacker knows your email address, they have half of your confidential information – all they need now is the password,” warns Greg Kelley of <a href="https://www.vestigeltd.com/">Vestige Digital Investigations</a>. They employ a few different methods to access it, the most common being the phishing email. This is an email, in the guise of being a legitimate email from a trusted source, designed to trick you into logging in. “They might create a legitimate-sounding email that appears to be sent from a service such as Amazon, eBay, Paypal or any number of other popular services… Links in phishing emails will always direct the user to a purposefully built website that looks identical to the real service,” explains Ray Walsh, a digital privacy expert at <a href="https://proprivacy.com/">ProPrivacy.com</a>. “However, if people use the login on that fake website, the hacker instantly receives the credential and password for the real account.”</p> <p>Another way they can do this, ironically, is by sending you an email saying that your account is compromised or has been accessed from a new device, so you need to change your password for security reasons. (You’ve almost definitely had one of those at one point or another!) When you change your password, then your account really is compromised and the hacker has your password. Once hackers have your password, the range of things they can do becomes much greater.</p> <p><strong>3. Access your online accounts</strong></p> <p>Nowadays, our emails do double duty as our logins for scores of social media sites, in addition to Google Docs, online retailers, and so on. Internet users also have a very understandable tendency to use the same passwords for all of these accounts. And even if you don’t use the same password, the hacker can click the old ‘forgot password’ button and use the resulting email – which comes to your email address, which they do have the password for – to change the password, and voilà. Your accounts are their accounts, and they have access to anything on them that you do.</p> <p><strong>4. Access personal information</strong></p> <p>The things hackers can do with your information seem to be something of a chain reaction. Once a hacker has access to your online accounts, just think about all of the information that is right at their fingertips. Allan Buxton, Director of Forensics at SecureForensics, sums it up: “At a minimum, a search on Facebook can get a public name and, unless privacy protections are in place, the names of friends and possibly pictures,” he says. “Throw that email address into LinkedIn, and they’ll know where you work, who your colleagues are, your responsibilities, plus everywhere you worked or went to school. That’s more than enough to start some real-world stalking. That’s just two sites – we haven’t talked about political views, travel or favourite places they might glean from Twitter or Instagram.”</p> <p>Glassberg admits that such ‘real-world stalking’ is rare, sure, but anything is possible in an era where people document nearly everything online.</p> <p><strong>5. Steal financial information</strong></p> <p>Things start to get really problematic if hackers are able to find your credit or debit card information – which, more likely than not, you’ve sent via email at one point or another. Your online bank accounts can also be a major target for hackers, especially if you use your email address as a login for those, too. And, needless to say, once a hacker has access to those, your money is in serious jeopardy. “This is one of the biggest risks you’ll face from an email hack,” Glassberg says. “Once [hackers] have the email, it’s easy to reset the bank account and begin issuing transactions.” In addition to potentially being devastating of your finances, this can also hurt your credit score, as <a href="https://www.beenverified.com/">BeenVerified</a>’s Chief Communications Officer Justin Lavelle explains: “Cybercriminals can use your credit card details, open bank accounts in your name, and take out loans. It will likely ruin your credit card’s rating and your credit report will take a hit.”</p> <p><strong>6. Blackmail you</strong></p> <p>As if things weren’t scary enough, hackers can use your personal info to ruin, or threaten to ruin, your reputation. This is fairly rare, but it can happen, especially if a hacker finds something that the user wouldn’t want to be seen publicly. “[Hackers] can use this access to spy on you and review your most personal emails,” says Daniel Smith, head of security research at <a href="https://www.radware.com/">Radware</a>. “This kind of information could easily be used to blackmail/extort the victim.”</p> <p><strong>7. Steal your identity</strong></p> <p>This is definitely a worst-case scenario, but “once the hacker has your personally identifiable information, they can steal your identity,” Brownrigg warns. With information like your tax file number and credit card info, identity theft can sadly be well within reach for hackers. So, if you start noticing signs someone just stole your identity, consider that your email address may have been compromised.</p> <p><strong>How you can stay safe from hackers</strong></p> <p>Hopefully, though, you won’t have to encounter any of these problems, and there are some measures you can take to keep your information safe. Avoid using your verbatim email address as a login for other sites, and make sure that your password is strong and difficult to guess. You should also change those passwords every couple of months or so for maximum security. Glassberg also recommends securing your email account with two-factor authentication. This “[requires] a one-time code to be entered alongside the password in order to gain access to the email account,” he told RD. “In most cases, the code will be texted to the person’s phone, but there are also apps you can use, like Google Authenticator.”</p> <p>And, of course, just use common sense. Don’t share information or type in your email password on public WiFi networks, and be smart about the information you share over email.</p> <p><strong>What to do if you think you’ve been hacked</strong></p> <p>Starting to notice some strange online activity? There are a couple of ways you can try to get ahead before it gets too bad. If you hear about spam emails being sent from your address, change your password immediately. You should also tell your contacts so that they know to ignore anything coming from you. Finally, Lavelle offers some other suggestions: “Change your email settings to the highest privacy setting, scan your computer for malware and viruses, and be sure your browsers are updated,” he says.</p> <p><em>Written by Meghan Jones. This article first appeared in </em><em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/7-alarming-things-a-hacker-can-do-when-they-have-your-email-address">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRN93V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Technology

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Scam alert: “Large volume of emails” pretending to be from Amazon

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Large volumes of scam emails pretending to be from Amazon have been sent out and flooding inboxes across the country. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Email security company MailGuard have alerted people to the scam by providing images of the scam emails.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Your recent order on AMAZON.COM has been cancelled due to fraudulent activity detected,” the body of the email reads, before providing a link for the victim to click.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other emails sent by the scammers say that a recent order was unable to be delivered due to a wrong address.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once victims click on the “verify email” button in the message, hackers are able to get your private details.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Once the link is clicked, users are redirected to a page that initially asks them to enter their username and password,” explained MailGuard.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The site presents a message advising the recipient that Microsoft has detected suspicious activity on their computer.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mailguard said that the ultimate goal of the phishing/scare site is to “trick the user into entering their username and password”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon explained to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/amazon-email-scam-large-volume-of-phishing-emails-flooding-inboxes-australia/8639641d-d266-4b6f-a241-7505d67e61dd"><span style="font-weight: 400;">9News</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that they would never send unsolicited emails that ask to provide sensitive personal information.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Go to Your Orders to see if there is an order that matches the details in the email. If it doesn't match an order in Your Account, the message isn't from Amazon,” the company explained.</span></p>

Technology

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Do you know the warning signs for email scams?

<p>Email scams are getting more and more complicated by the day. They’re not as obvious as they used to be, when it was easy to tell that you didn’t have a Nigerian Prince that your family hadn’t told you about.</p> <p>Google and its sister company Jigsaw has recognised that this is a problem with tech users and has developed a quiz so you can test your skills.</p> <p>In order to be wary of email scams, it’s important to look at a few things:</p> <p><strong>1. Is the email address correct? </strong></p> <p>If you get emails usually from Google, check that the email is correct. If you’re unsure, you can Google it to make sure that it’s legit. Most email addresses from businesses have the business name in the email address. It’s important to note that some emails will use a lookalike email, so it looks similar to the emails you’re used to, but it’s incorrect.</p> <p><strong>2. Check the links</strong></p> <p>Hover over the links if you’re on a desktop computer or press and hold on your phone for the link to come up. If it says it’s a Google Drive link but doesn’t have the correct Google URL, it’s spam. If it ends in tiny.url or something else that just seems odd, don’t follow the links.</p> <p><strong>3. Check the grammar and spelling of the email</strong></p> <p>If the spelling and grammar is a bit all over the place and you’re not expecting an email from an old family friend anytime soon, it’s probably a spam account.</p> <p><strong>4. Don’t open any attachments you’re not expecting</strong></p> <p>PDFs, links to photos and links that take you off the email and onto another website can contain malware that will harm your computer and gain access to your information.</p> <p>Are you ready to test your skills? The quiz doesn’t need any real data, so you’re able to put in a fake name and email. <a href="https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/">Take the quiz here</a>.</p>

Technology

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How to mass delete emails on your smartphone

<p>The iPhone is one of the most successful smartphones in the world, with over 700 million iPhone’s in use in the year 2017, it’s easy to see why people love the nifty device so much. Thanks to Apple, you’re able to have the entire world in the palm of your hand. Whether you want to take an instant photo, or you want to cruise the web, the possibilities are endless.</p> <p>But every once and a while, there are features you come across that make you question why you own one in the first place. One of those features is the email system. For the longest time, Apple has made it unnecessarily difficult to delete mass messages in its Mail app.</p> <p>If you’re someone who is the recipient of spam emails, or pointless messages that clutter your inbox, then keep reading as there is a way to organise your inbox and quickly delete unwanted messages.</p> <p><img width="498" height="290" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820166/trash_498x290.jpg" alt="Trash"/></p> <ol> <li>Open the Mail app and click on inbox.</li> <li>Once you’re in your inbox, tap the “Edit” button in the top right corner.</li> <li>Now select any message to put a checkmark next to it.</li> <li>With one finger, hold the “Move” button that’s found at the bottom of the screen, and with the other finger tap on the message you previously marked to unmark it.</li> <li>You will now be presented a new screen with the “Trash” option.</li> <li>Select “Trash” and all your unwanted messages will disappear from your inbox!</li> </ol> <p>While it can be a little tricky to wrap your head around, once you get the hang of it, it’ll become second nature. Also, it stops you from having to manually select each message and delete it one by one.</p> <p>Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Technology

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Wedding venue mistakenly sends abusive email to bride-to-be

<p>A venue owner has been forced to issue a grovelling apology to a bride-to-be after a staff member mistakenly sent her an abusive email.</p> <p>Jade Sharp and her partner wanted to scope out The Mulberry Tree in Kent, UK, for their wedding ceremony and reception. But were left feeling like the venue didn’t want their business after they were reluctantly given a tour and the manager on duty couldn’t answer any of their questions.</p> <p>“The tour was done quite reluctantly with very little enthusiasm or passion or even a smile … so I emailed when we returned home to express the disappointment,” Jade wrote in a TripAdvisor review.</p> <p>But Jade’s main complaint came a few hours later when she received a reply to her email. It was clear she was not the intended recipient.</p> <p>“[I] received an email that obviously was not meant for me. It was in fact an email from the lady we saw (manager of the day) to her mum (manager) about me and our visit,” Jade explained.</p> <p>"I cannot express how hurt and upset I was reading the email. How rude and unprofessional the way in which she spoke about us."</p> <p>The email read: “Well she's a cow. I actually didn't know about this, checked my emails and didn't have anything in my inbox. They didn't ask me about prices, the asked my [sic] how much it would be for bread rolls to start and a roast!”</p> <p><img width="552" height="344" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/rCRkqZb5z._aMCMVv71whw--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/cv/api/default/20171213/WEDDING_NOTE_ART_1.jpg" class="article-figure-image"/></p> <p>After Jade shared details of her unpleasant experience on TripAdvisor, Karen Williams, who owns the venue, issued a public apology to the couple.</p> <p>“I am absolutely mortified, horrified and completely embarrassed that you had sight of such an email. It is completely unprofessional and indefensible,” the reply read.</p> <p>“I did telephone you as soon as I found out what had happened to offer my profuse and sincere apologies and did apologise repeatedly to you.</p> <p>“You were adamant that you did not want to get married at The Mulberry Tree, completely understandably so after the email you were sent, so I did not wish to insult you by attempting to make amends after such a catastrophic mistake on our part, especially when it is your wedding day involved.</p> <p>“Once again I offer my sincerest apologies to you.”</p>

Technology

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Don’t fall for this latest travel email scam

<p>It seemed like perfect timing – but it was a trap that cost a Lower Hutt woman $20,000.</p> <p>In September last year, an email dropped into Anne's inbox out of the blue.</p> <p>Signed from William Cobb, a senior manager at Gala Vacations, it promised "lucrative deals" offering 40 per cent discounts on international flights and 50 per cent discount on accommodation.</p> <p>The timing couldn't have been better – Anne's niece was getting married in Britain at the end of March 2018.</p> <p>A seasoned traveller, often jetting to Britain and the United States, Anne said she was lulled into a false sense of security when she went to the business's supposed website and saw offices and contact details listed in Auckland.</p> <p>She contacted the woman listed in Auckland, and was referred on to an agent in Melbourne, who would book flights for her.</p> <p>She booked two return business-class tickets for her and a friend to Britain for the end of March.</p> <p>She paid the scammer via Moneygram, and received confirmation and an itinerary.</p> <p>Two months later, Air New Zealand contacted her, to say the tickets had been cancelled as they were booked using a fraudulent credit card.</p> <p>"What I did was stupid, and I won't ever do anything stupid like that again," Anne said. "If nothing else, people can learn from me."</p> <p>Her travel plans were cancelled and she found herself $20,000 out of pocket.</p> <p>"At 75, I can't make up $20,000.</p> <p>"Somewhere along the line, somebody is going to have to take responsibility because it's happening often. It's happening all over the world."</p> <p>For Netsafe director of technology Sean Lyons, Anne's story is all too familiar.</p> <p>"We hear about [these scams] all the time. There are lots and lots of them out there, and it's not just this poor individual, it's all sorts of people from all sorts of walks of life."</p> <p>Scammers often used a "random, scattergun approach" and their too-good-to-be-true offers may come right at the time someone was looking for flights.</p> <p>He said it was common for scammers to work as part of larger organisations, setting up elaborate websites and running call centres.</p> <p>For cases such as Anne's, he said the key thing to watch for was someone insisting payment should be made through a wire transfer service, such as Moneygram or Western Union.</p> <p>"Bottom line – absolutely not. Stop at that point and get independent advice."</p> <p><em>Written by Eleanor Wenman. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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3 telltale signs of a scam email

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a></span>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. </strong></em></p> <p>There seems to be a new scam every day. In the last week, we have had calls from clients receiving emails from "PayPal", "Apple", "eBay" etc, usually to do with "suspicious account activity", and they have all been scams. <br /> <br /> These email scams will use the same logo and branding as these big companies. The email you receive will usually ask you to "validate" or "confirm" your personal details by clicking on a link or opening an attachment. <br /> <br /> For example, one client received an email from "PayPal" with a receipt from an Uber ride she did not make, and to "check account activity" by clicking the link. If you click the link, there are un-expected pop-ups on your computer or mobile device asking for certain software to run.<br /> <br /> So how do you detect a scam email?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="564" height="" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/53e371d4-0443-4117-8d34-e14cfe2942b2.png" class="mcnImage" style="max-width: 801px; line-height: 100%; outline: none; vertical-align: bottom; height: auto !important;"/></p> <p><strong>SIGN 1</strong></p> <p>If you look at the "From:" email address, it tries to imitate "Apple", but the end of the email says "@modifmoto.business"</p> <p>That's not Apple!</p> <p><strong>SIGN 2</strong></p> <p>Dear: [email address] of recipient</p> <p>Companies like Apple and PayPal will always address the email to you in your Full Name</p> <p><strong>SIGN 3</strong></p> <p>Poor English and grammar!</p> <p>"You receipt invoice Billing update's to re-active continue on February" and "If you not update within 24 hours."</p> <p>Life is hectic, and when we receive emails like this, sometimes we just click along... please be aware of these 3 telltale signs!</p> <p>If you're unsure about your account activity, it is best to open your internet browser, and visit the site directly (not via the email).</p> <p>Please forward this scam alert to friends and family and help them stay safe online!</p> <p>Have you ever fallen foul of a scam email?</p>

Technology

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The psychology behind why we lie in emails

<p>There’s been quite of lot of attention in the media recently surrounding the empty words and meaningless phrases we use to fill our emails of late.</p> <p>As Fairfax Media’s Natalie Reilly writes, “It appears to be a poorly kept secret that a large part of adulthood involves sending missives back and forth without ever actually achieving anything.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">adulthood is emailing "sorry for the delayed response!" back and forth until one of you dies</p> — Marissa Miller Kovac (@Marissa__Miller) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marissa__Miller/status/703085321643278336">February 26, 2016</a></blockquote> <p>Reilly continues: “But, in 2017 we're at peace with such messiness – likely because we have accepted how much we hate talking on the phone – and now just need to know how to dodge, delay and ultimately decline plans in the most painless way possible, while simultaneously sending out emails asking why there is a delay with X and when can we meet to discuss it.”</p> <p>More than ever people seem to be comfortable with a cluttered inbox, to the point where a range of common expressions have been created to control the messiness.</p> <p>Here are four of the most common:</p> <p><strong>1. “Hope you're well”</strong></p> <p>Rather than a genuine wish for someone to be faring well, this is just a statement used to precede the topic of the email which is much less pleasant.</p> <p><strong>2. “Just checking in”</strong></p> <p>This is quite a cheesy line, especially for people who are working in a corporate environment. This only means you haven’t received a response to your question.</p> <p><strong>3. “Not Sure if You…”</strong></p> <p>This statement generally hides the actual malice in the email’s content!</p> <p><strong>4. “Sorry! Your Email Went to My Junk Folder!”</strong></p> <p>Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this is almost certainly not what happened. </p>

Technology

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How to “unsend” an email before anyone notices

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a></span>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>Did you just send that message to Sam W. instead of Sam G.?</p> <p>It may not be too late.</p> <p>If you use Gmail on the web (via a browser such as Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer), you may be able to unsend the message you just sent.</p> <p>Gmail can hold back delivering emails for up to 30 seconds after you have clicked Send. You can "unsend" an email and recover from false recipients, spelling mistakes, a sub-optimal subject and maybe forgotten attachments.</p> <p><strong>First, let's enable the "undo send" function in Gmail</strong></p> <p>To have Gmail hold back delivery of sent messages for a few seconds so you can take them back:</p> <ul> <li>Click the <em>Settings</em> gear in Gmail.</li> <li>Select <em>Settings</em> from the menu that appears.</li> <li>Go to the <em>General</em> tab.</li> <li>Make sure <em>Enable undo send</em> is selected for <em>Undo Send:</em>.</li> <li>Click <em>Save</em> Changes.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="205" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38048/in-text-one_500x205.jpg" alt="In Text One (5)"/></p> <p><strong>Change the time before a message is delivered with "undo send" enabled in Gmail</strong></p> <p>You have at least 5 seconds to unsend the email by default and up to 30 seconds. To increase the time before the email gets delivered:</p> <ul> <li>Click the<em> Settings</em> gear in your Gmail's toolbar.</li> <li>Choose <em>Settings</em> from the menu that has come up.</li> <li>Open the<em> General</em> category.</li> <li>Pick the desired time to undo message delivery for S<em>end cancellation period</em>: __seconds under <em>Undo Send:.</em></li> <li>Click <em>Save</em> Changes.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="155" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38049/in-text-two_500x155.jpg" alt="In Text Two (6)"/></p> <p><strong>Unsend an email with Gmail</strong></p> <ul> <li>To take back an email shortly after you have sent it in Gmail:</li> <li>Make sure <em>Undo Send</em> is enabled (see above).</li> <li>After having sent an email in Gmail:</li> <li>Click <em>Cancel</em> immediately (if background sending is not enabled), click <em>Undo</em> when it appears or press z.</li> </ul> <p>Many thanks to ReadyTechGo reader Ian Adair for this great Gmail tip!</p> <p>If you have a tech tip of your own, feel free to share in the comments below.</p>

Technology

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Gordon Ramsay’s father-in-law jailed for hacking into the chef’s emails

<p>Gordon Ramsay’s father-in-law was jailed yesterday for hacking into the chef’s emails to dig up dirt to sell to the media.  </p> <p>Chris Hutcheson broke into Ramsay’s personal files in an attempt to get back at the TV star after being kicked out of the celebrity chef’s lucrative business empire.</p> <p>The 69-year-old, whose daughter Tana married Ramsay in 1996, conspired with his sons Adam, 47, and Chris Jr, 37, to hack into the Ramsay’s accounts almost 2,000 times.</p> <p>Hutcheson was jailed for six months, while his sons were given four-month suspended sentences.</p> <p><img width="383" height="341" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/04/11/14/3F28219D00000578-4400600-image-a-16_1491918764519.jpg" alt="In happier times: Chris Hutcheson with Gordon Ramsay at the opening Party of Gordon Ramsay's new Restaurant and hotel York and Albany, Parkway Camden Town, London in 2008" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-a50709c825d4fc4a"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Chris Hutcheson with Gordon Ramsay at the opening Party of Gordon Ramsay's new Restaurant and hotel York and Albany, Parkway Camden Town, London in 2008.</em><span><br /><br /></span></p> <p>During sentencing, Judge John Bevan QC said: “The whole episode amounts to an unattractive and unedifying example of dirty linen being washed in public.</p> <p>“By seeking deliberately to get Mr Ramsay into serious trouble, it demonstrates the gravity of what was going on. These emails were unsurprisingly embarrassing, damaging and personally distressing to Mr Ramsay.”</p> <p>Julian Christopher QC, prosecuting, said: “For a period of five months following the dismissal… he repeatedly accessed the company computer network for the email accounts of Mr Ramsay and Mrs Ramsay and a number of employees of the company in order to obtain material that might embarrass Mr Ramsay or be useful in the ongoing dispute.”</p> <p><br /> He said personal items were taken, including photos “provided to the press which led to considerable intrusion into the privacy of the family”.</p> <p>Ramsay and his father-in-law were once inseparable, with Hutcheson made chief executive of Ramsay’s business empire. For 12 years, the pair ran the business together, but in 2010 tensions over missing money and womanising led to Hutcheson being sacked. </p>

Legal

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The tell-tale sign of a scam email

<p><em><strong>Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ReadyTechGo</span></a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.</strong></em></p> <p>I really enjoy online shopping, and the convenience of buying things through the click of a button. I recently purchased an item off eBay, and used PayPal to pay for the item.</p> <p>A few days later, I received an email that looked like this:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="650" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36246/in-text-one_499x650.jpg" alt="In Text One (2)"/></p> <p>I knew I didn't order a Double Screen Waterproof Camera, but the PayPal email looked very similar to the original PayPal email that I had received for my legitimate eBay purchase.</p> <p>In most cases, the instant reaction is to click through on the links in that email, and dispute the purchase but this is exactly what the scammers want you to do!</p> <p>We've covered this topic previously, but these types of emails are becoming increasingly popular, so it doesn't hurt to revisit this security topic.</p> <p><strong>Spot the difference:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="320" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36247/in-text-two_497x320.jpg" alt="In Text Two (2)"/></p> <p>When you hover/mouse over the links (which will usually direct you to the website), note the website is not PayPal. It will be the website that the scammer wants you to click through to.  </p> <p>If you are suspicious of your PayPal activity, don't click through to your PayPal account via any emails.</p> <p>If in doubt, always open a new browser tab, and go directly to https://www.paypal.com and check your account.</p> <p>You can also forward those spam emails to spoof@paypal.com and report those emails.</p> <p>You can definitely enjoy online shopping, but be vigilant and think before you click!</p> <p>Do you have any tips about spotting scam emails? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

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