I have some bad news for single men this Christmas season. The text messages you have recently been receiving from a beautiful woman aren’t real (shocker, I know). The messages usually read something like this, “Hey hun I’m town again, I’m here for the holiday break, we should definitely get together while out here.”
In the text message, the “woman” sends a photo along with the message about meeting. The first clue that something is amiss is the imperfect English. Obviously, this is a red flag for a foreign scam. In short, this new scam is simply a variance of the romance scam that has gone on through e-mail for years.
The difference is, this scam delivers its message in the form of a text message. The person behind the scam provides the bait (the chance to meet a beautiful woman) in order to extort the victim into sending them money or providing personal information so they can hack your identity. Often text messages contain a link to click, (to even see the picture of the woman) and when you click the link, it’s really a virus that infects your phone.
Unfortunately, with the fact that nearly everyone carries a smartphone these days, this is only the beginning of a growing trend of scammers targeting smartphones using text messages. With that being said, if you start noticing an increase is robotexts or spam text messages, here are a few ways to stop the spammers and scammers.
Do not respond. Legitimate companies include an option to text STOP to tell the company to remove you from their distribution list. But, that action usually just confirms to the scammer that you exist and that your phone number is valid. So, unless you know the text came from a legitimate company that honors such requests, you’re better off not responding to the message at all. If the scammer doesn’t think your phone number is working, they may not target you again. But, if you end up texting the word Stop, they know it’s an active phone and they will continue to bother you.
Report the spammer. You can report a robotext to your mobile carrier by forwarding it to a specific number. To do this, copy the original message and text it to 7726 (which spells out SPAM). This works for AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint, all of whom will use the information to try to block future spam messages. In addition, most phones, including the iPhone and Android phones will allow you to block numbers from the settings on the phone itself.
Use an app. There are several third-party apps to help protect you against spammers. Two popular apps, Nomorobo and RoboKiller, are both available for iOS and Android. Each app requires a subscription that costs a few dollars a month, but they are efficient at blocking and filtering robotexts.
The problem is, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google keep track of your online activity and may sell your phone number to advertisers. If your phone number is public on social media, assume it’s in various marketing companies’ databases. Another thing is, if you’ve called an 800 or 888 number, your cellphone number is collected by an Automatic Number Identification (ANI) system. In addition to identifying and storing your number, the ANI system can match it with other digital data associated with you. My point is, there are a number of different ways that scammers can obtain your phone number. So, the next time you get that text from a beautiful woman, delete it immediately, don’t click on any links and block the number.
Last month, I talked about intermittent fasting, such as only eating between the hours of 12pm-8pm. We got several questions about this, so I wanted to go deeper this month to show you how to get more energy over the next 30 days. So first, try daily Intermittent fasting for at least one month. Whichever method or timing you’d like to start with. There’s not a “golden ticket” in terms of one way over another, we just know intermittent fasting works. As I just mentioned, many people I know choose to do this by only eating between 12pm-8pm daily. Remember, eat for fuel, not pleasure and stress reduction. Eat like you want to fuel your life with great health, not like you just want to survive to your next meal.
Next, drink almost exclusively water for the next month. Drink 1/2 your weight in pounds, in ounces of water. In other words, if you weigh 180 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water a day. Hydration is so very important for all the biological processes in our bodies. As you probably know, we are approximately two-thirds water. Living in a dehydrated state zaps our energy, builds up toxins, kills our kidneys, promotes high blood pressure and limits our physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities. You must stay hydrated and Coke, Gatorade, Monster and Coors, don’t cut it. Drink until you pee clear and stay there. Dark yellow urine is a sign that you are not hydrated enough.
Third, calorie reduce long-term. Scientific study after scientific study have proven over and over that calorie reduction actually prolongs life when we reduce our caloric intake by approximately 30%. The converse of that is that calorie excess reduces life. Of course, there is a limit. We all know that starvation kills. So, what’s the happy medium? Well, it depends. It depends on your age, your activity and your personal requirements. Some athletes need 5,000 kCal/day. Some humans need perhaps as little as 1,200 kCal/day. Most of us need somewhere between 1,200 to 2,400 kCal/day. Interestingly, do you know which organ consumes the most calories, by far? Your brain. That’s right! Though the brain amounts to only 2% of our body weight, it is thought that it consumes up to 20% of the calories we consume every day.
How does calorie restriction work? Well, it is thought that a single cell has a certain number of predetermined divisions coded into its life cycle. These divisions are sped up by metabolism, which is determined by how much work the cell has to do. This work speeds up the aging process of the cell. So, the more we eat, the harder the cells have to work to metabolize the calories and the faster the cell ages. Reducing our daily calorie consumption by 30% over decades without minimizing nutrition is shown to significantly reduce disease and thus prolong healthspan. It does this by reducing cellular work and stress, thus maintaining telomere length and then by minimizing apoptosis (cellular death).
So, do intermittent fasting, drink a lot more water and eat less over the coming 30 days. Next time, we’ll talk about what to eat. It’s really not as complicated as many try to make it. Well, it could be, but it’s really not. Until then, stay alert. Stay alive.
I recently looked at one of my self-defense classes, which displayed an array of different types of people. Some were big, some were small, others tall and others short. I had both males and females in the class with varying occupations ranging from law enforcement to stay at home moms, executives to blue-collar workers. I taught them all the one move you must have in your self-defense arsenal.
It’s a simple move that will affect anyone, regardless of their size, gender, strength level or even pain tolerance. I asked everyone in the class what they thought it was, but nobody gave the right answer.
“It’s the eye jab”, I told them. Jabbing someone in the eyes is the one move that can literally disable any attacker with the least amount of movement on your end. Now, how you do it is very important. But first, grasp what I just told you. A quick eye jab can disable anyone regardless of how strong or big they are. There are few self-defense moves that can claim that label.
Bruce Lee even built his “Jeet Kune Do” combative theory around this elusive move. Lately, we’ve seen unintended eye jabs being used “too effectively” in mixed martial arts fights, as they have now been outlawed and come with hefty penalties. If this simple move can take down highly trained MMA fighters, I think it’s something that everyone should take a serious look at.
Performing an eye jab is easy, but that doesn’t mean that you and I don’t need to practice it. The steps to complete a successful eye jab are: First, stand in a bladed stance with one leg in front of the other. (Such as a boxing type of stance.) Next, use your front hand (ideally your strong hand, as it is stronger and more coordinated and it is closer to the target.) Then, flick out your arm, “whipping” your hand and fingers at the eyes. This is not like a “karate chop”, nor should you be “pecking” at their eyes. Simply snap out your fingers like you would snap out a rolled-up towel. Another way to think of this is a snake attacking and how a snake quickly strikes out at its victim.
If you don’t have a heavy bag or even a partner to train with, hang a piece of paper from the ceiling and snap out eye jabs to develop your distancing and timing. Although one good eye jab can take down the most hardened attacker, it is important to also have a couple follow up moves ready to go, such as a front kick, elbows and knee strikes. But, certainly don’t dismiss the simplicity of an eye jab, because it can do serious damage to your attacker and give you a chance to escape to safety.
My Urban EDC is compiled from my own survival philosophy, my time and training in the Army, and the Ranger and Warrior Ethos. My years of military experience and training have taught me that having a keen situational awareness (SA) is very important to staying alive and seeing things before they happen or develop. This very thing has saved my butt many times out on mission while serving in the US Army and I have applied it to both my everyday life and when out adventuring in the wilds of the great outdoors. I do not let the situation dictate my actions, but let my actions dictate the situation.
Everyone wants to be a beast, until it’s time to do what beasts do. I believe that certain people were put on this planet for a certain purpose, so that when evil rears its nasty head, good folks step up to answer that call. I am one of them. So, I prepare myself for just about every disaster, emergency, crisis, threat or survival situation that may pop up and this includes having my gear that is either on me or in my Jeep Rubicon.
For example, I always wear a pair of ballistic sunglasses. These not only protect my eyes, but hide my gaze as well. I am well versed in many disciplines of hand-to-hand combat. My stainless steel water bottle is quickly turned into a club at a minute’s notice for defense based on the threat presented. The coins in my pocket can be thrown quickly into one of my socks as an expedient black jack or sap. My leather Chinook work boots have a steel toe in them for extra effectiveness when kicking and also protect my feet from being crushed or stomped on. My laces are from Live Fire Gear and I am using their 550 Fire Cord, which is paracord laced with a strand of fire cord that helps start fires. I leave an extra foot on each end so I have extra cordage to use.
If the threat I face escalates to knives, I go to the next level with my “Tatanka” Folder made by Spydeco. It is their beefiest and largest knife and fits very well in my large mitts. Hidden in an inner pocket of my cargo pants, this knife is readily available.
As a 2nd Amendment practitioner and CCW permit holder, I always exercise my right to escalate to firearms if need be with my concealed Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol. I carry two spare magazines in one of my cargo pants pockets. I live in North Carolina, which is an open-carry state, so I sometimes also carry an extra gun on my hip in the open, my Springfield XDM 9 mm Pistol.
For a belt, I use the Wazoo Survival Gear Cache Belt. The Cache Belt is amazing at hiding things you don’t want folks to find. I mainly hide tools I may need if I am being restrained in some fashion and need to break out. I carry everything from several universal cuff keys, to lock picks, a razor blade, paracord to be used as a garrote or for breaking out of flex cuffs or zip ties and several dollars for bribing.
Communication is key in a crisis so my cell phone is always charged with my phone charger in my cargo pocket. I also carry a portable cell phone charger in my pack for up to 5 full charges. Also knowing time, getting timelines or for possible time hacks, I use my MTM Special Ops Watch that is very durable, reliable and comes in several waterproof options and looks. I attach a small compass to the wristband to aid in direction and navigation.
Inside my backpack that I carry around with me, I have a military grade SAPI Plate (bulletproof) with the capability of stopping up to 7.62 caliber rounds. I carry this in the event of an active shooter incident or random act of gun violence from some deranged assailant. The bag I carry with the SAPI Plate in it can easily be thrown in front of me for a make-shift body armor that provides me added protection against an armed assailant.
In the outer top pocket of the backpack, I have a compass for direction, head lamp and 1,000 candle watt combat flashlight to light the way. I have a Scripto marker for marking my way or writing messages, silver (helps for reflectiveness at night if used as a marking system), duct tape for any tape needs or marking things, and a Sharpens Best Knife Sharpener.
In the bag’s main compartment, I have an emergency blanket to be used as a blanket or make shift shelter tarp, 5.11 Tacticals Tac Gloves, a hygiene kit and a Life Straw for drinking on the fly if you are being chased. I also have Live Fire Gears Ring Fire Starting Kit.
I also carry the Scorpion II Emergency radio that is both solar and crank rechargeable. It has several bands of radio frequencies to keep you up to date and a weather channel. It comes with an attachment clip and a flashlight too.
I promise that you too can have all you need with this setup and be ready for whatever comes your way and make it out alive. So, if you don’t have EDC gear and a bag prepared for a crisis, I hope you’ll consider putting one together today, using the suggestions I’ve given you here.
SAVINT
Your Monthly Savings Intelligence
By Jason Hanson
What’s better than having a chance to win a free gun? Getting a free DVD that shows you how to use a gun to stop a deadly home invasion… Including, how to safely clear your home when you think there’s an intruder. So, please don’t delay and visit www.FreeARpistol.com to enter to win and to grab a copy of the complimentary DVD, AR Pistol Home Defense: How to Use the AR Pistol to Quickly and Easily Defeat a Home Intruder.
I think we can all agree that over the past three years, President Trump has not shied away from controversy or conflict. While he often leaves himself open to criticism, he seems to have a knack for tackling problems that other presidents didn’t even want to admit were problems during their time in office. One of those problems is the fact that China has a major counterfeiting problem. Trump isn’t often given credit for being the first President to strongly resist China’s product piracy and massive counterfeiting efforts. His appointment of a respected anti-counterfeiting expert to head the United States Mint is one more step in this direction. Many in the media don’t give the President sufficient credit for this hiring and successful efforts in addressing China’s transgressions in both business and trade.It’s a little-known fact, but the Chinese often insist that American companies operating in China turn over their product designs for the Chinese to copy. But, intellectual property theft is not limited to those American companies operating in China. Chinese agents are positioned all throughout America stealing corporate secrets. Last July, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the FBI has over 1,000 active investigations into attempted intellectual property theft within America, mostly involving China. (For examples, see “China’s Techno-Kleptomania” in the Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2019).
The Chinese have counterfeited many normal circulating U.S. coins as well as rare collectible coins. Among collectible classic U.S. coins, Morgan silver dollars were the most frequently counterfeited coins (reported by 71.7% of dealers), followed by Trade dollars (66.6%) and Seated Liberty dollars (48.6%). The most frequently counterfeited rare U.S. gold coins were the $2.50 and $5.00 gold coins.
Some of the easiest “tells” on fake coins is that they have a bogus weight. We all know the specific weight of .999 gold or silver, so that is easy to check. The biggest giveaway, however, is the asking price. Fake coins are often sold at very low “bargain” prices. In Asia, fake gold and silver dollars are often peddled at flea markets in Hong Kong and mainland China for $1 to $3 each. Over the Internet, if you see a price that is “too good to be true,” it is. If a dealer is willing to accept a price significantly below spot, that is another clear sign it’s a fake.
When you buy or sell coins, deal with experts who know how to spot counterfeits and how to validate the quality and grading of the coins they buy and sell. For example, Mike Fuljenz, the president of my company, has taught national seminars on counterfeit detection to collectors, dealers and law enforcement officials. Even if you don’t use me and my company for your gold and silver needs, make sure that whoever you do invest your hard earned money with knows the difference between butter and Parkay when it comes to your gold and silver![Publisher’s Note: For questions about buying gold and silver coins you can contact Forest Hamilton directly at foresthamilton@universalcoin.com or call 800-822-4653. Please know, if you purchase any coins from Forest, we don’t receive any compensation from him. We simply know he’s one of the good guys in the business that can be trusted.]
“The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I tried explaining that to a US ambassador while I was in a foreign country on a narco-terrorist track-down mission. I had included two firearms in my mission support package for self-protection on this high-risk mission. The ambassador had them removed before the local support team delivered my gear to the designated drop site. The ambassador was a liberal who felt that guns were evil and did horrible things.
Thankfully, I did not have much of a problem getting what I needed off of the local economy, which was very easy to do in the country I was in. But, what about here in the United States? What if the time comes that it’s not an ambassador, but a President who tries to ban guns? Democrats running for President have already said they would do this. This is why I want to share how I prepare to make sure my guns can’t be confiscated by the government.
The critical thing to do is to leave no trace of ownership by managing your records. The very best way to avoid a record of your gun ownership would to be to never have it recorded in the first place. Use existing loopholes. For instance, throughout America today, you can go to gun shows and purchase firearms from individuals. These transactions are not currently subject to background checks and the tracking of firearms and those who purchase them. This may change very soon and can change between the time you go to bed at night and wake again in the morning. Do not delay.
An individual can also purchase firearms (in many states) from another individual, with no mandates that either party record the transaction or inform the local, state or federal government. Individuals can give firearms as gifts and can receive firearms as gifts. Firearms can be used for payment or barter and no record of transfer and no tracking paperwork is required. So, take advantage of private party sales if your state allows it.
Don’t forget about my favorite way to leave no trace – ghost guns. This is where you buy an 80% lower receiver (for an AR-15) or an 80% frame (for a Glock handgun) and you can build an untraceable gun with no serial number. All it takes is a little work and you’ve built your own gun that doesn’t exist. I would do an internet search now and purchase some 80% AR lowers and 80% handgun frames today. On this page, you can see a picture of a ghost handgun.
What about guns you already own and there is paperwork attached to them? It’s easy to conceal guns at home or even in a storage unit that’s not registered to you and that you pay cash for every month. If you choose to conceal guns at home, remember you can break them down into several parts and have the frame hidden in one place, the barrel in another, the guide rod in another and so on.
The bottom line is, Paul Revere is on his midnight ride right now. This is your warning. This is your wake-up call to get prepared for the unimaginable and to start having untraceable guns before it’s too late.
