Part One of a three part series: How I Spent the Last Weekend in July
I made a really stupid mistake. I received a direct message on Twitter that read: “You need to read this, really bad stuff being said about you” followed by a link.
My first reaction was the intelligent one–the one I should have taken to heart: It is another scam. Don’t click that link. But, then, I over-thought the problem and went down stupid path.
You see, there have been some folks out there spreading the rumor that I paid Casey Anthony when I wrote MOMMY’S LITTLE GIRL, my book about the death of Caylee Marie Anthony. It is not true but has been floating around the internet since before my book was released in November 2009. It’s popped up in chat groups and in blogs. I’ve received a number of emails castigating me for writing the book. I thought it was very possible that the sender of the direct message was warning me that I needed to go to another place on the internet to set the record straight once again.
I also thought about all the Mac users out there who have been telling me that I needed to switch to Mac because Mac is safer. Getting a virus or malware through a Mac was not possible, they said. Since I was traveling with my iPad and iPhone and no computer, my ridiculous line of logic was that since they are Apple products, I’d been safe checking out the link with one of those devices.
Essentially, curiousity got the best of me. I clicked that stupid link on my iPad while sitting in the airport waiting for a delayed flight. Then when disaster struck, I could not find a way to change my password on either device. A few of you made suggestions that didn’t work and then it was time to board the plane for my two and a half hour flight.
I had not been able to respond with a direct message on Twitter to those who wrote to me using that method since Twitter was blocking my direct messages because I had already sent out my daily quota of direct messages. It was not really me, but there was not a thing I could do about it.
Finally, I made it home, changed my password and am now secure once again.
If anyone out there clicked on the link on a direct message from me, please immediately change your password and end this devious chain reaction. I apologize for putting all of you at risk. In the future, I promise to let my common sense trump my curiousity.
I hope you will, too.
Coming soon, Part Two of How I Spent the Last Weekend in July: My Past is a Pile of Rubble.