WHAT ARE IMs? (Instant Messages)
IM stands for Instant Message. It is a system where any two members who are online at the same time can talk to each other in real time.
When you send an IM (instant message) to another member a window like the one on the right will pop up. When you type your opening message and click on 'Send' a similar IM window will pop up on the recipient's computer which will contain your greeting in the message pane. When they type a reply you receive it in your own message pane instantly, the moment they click on 'Send'.
You can carry on a conversation in this way, with each seeing the other's messages instantly. A great way to get to know a prospective holiday partner - much quicker than emails!
The well known symbols, such as :-) (meaning a smile) or ;-) (a wink) can be typed in Instant Messages and to make your conversations more fun they will be converted into an animated smiley or winking icon in the message window. There are a few more icons that can be used to help you express yourself in an Instant Message and have fun at the same time. Just click on the chosen icon on your IM window and the code will automatically be included in your message.
How do I receive IMs (Instant Messages)?
If you are a Gold Member you don't have to do anything to receive an IM. If someone sends you an Instant Message while you are online an IM window will automatically pop up on your computer, unless you have a pop-up blocker activated that will prevent this.
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NEVER GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION IN INSTANT MESSAGES
Our Instant Messages are private. They are not monitored in any way, so it is up to the individual to decide whether or not the person they are talking to is genuine. Always be on your guard for a couple of the most common scams.
Transferring money into your bank account from a troubled country
Never agree to this, no matter how tempting the amount of money involved sounds. It is a well known scam, referred to as the 'Nigerian Letter' by the FBI. This is because that is where the scam originated, but it could actually come from anywhere. The perpetrator of this fraud could claim to be anything from an African princess to a member of a prominent family with successful business connections, and they will sound very convincing. The bait is a percentage of the money transferred, amounting to almost the equivalent of winning the lottery.
The money will never arrive. There will be unexpected expenses required to get their millions released into your bank account, which obviously they will ask you to pay. It will be a few thousand pounds, but victims have been willing to go along with it as it is an amount easily covered by the 'commission'. Of course once you have paid this you will not hear from them again, unless they think you are gullible enough for them to push their luck and ask for more!!
Wire money to a friend using Western Union
This is another well known fraud. The perpetrators could be offering anything from car hire to a flat to rent. What to look out for is the request to prove your financial standing by wiring money using Western Union or a similar money wiring service. The clever part is that they gain your trust by asking you to wire the money to a friend or someone you trust, rather than to them. What they do ask is that you send them a copy of the receipt to prove that the transfer has been made and these receipts contain all the bank details of the sender and recipient of the money... They then have enough information for the theft of both your identity and that of your friend!
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Don't let these people put you off! The vast majority of people are basically honest and an IM or Instant Message is fun. Just remember that if you are offered something that sounds too good to be true in an Instant Message - then it probably is! Close the IM window immediately and report them to us so that we can make sure that they do not prey on our members.
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