19 Things That Are Way, Way, Way, Way, Way Larger Than They Should Be
1.This tree stump:
2.This crocodile:
3.This leaf:
4.These horse lungs:
5.This cat:
6.This hail:
Related: People In HR Revealed Truly Unhinged Reasons Employees Got Fired, And My Jaw Is On The Floor
7.This mushroom:
8.This octopus:
9.These blueberries:
Related: "I've Worked In Various Prisons. I Will Take A Men's Over Women's Any Day Of The Week. Shit Is Scary": Former Female Inmates Are Sharing Their Most Disturbing Prison Experiences, And My Jaw Is Literally On The Floor
10.This sugar crystal:
11.This spider:
12.This black walnut tree:
13.This sunflower:
14.This squid egg:
15.This dandelion:
16.This beet:
17.This cabbage:
18.This tick:
19.Finally, this thorn:
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Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NC Department of Transportation warns residents of DMV text scam
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The latest DMV text scam has North Carolina officials warning residents to not fall for it. The NC Department of Transportation released a graphic detailing all the problems with the scam message. This DMV scam is the latest form of smishing that attempts to obtain revealing or sensitive information from individuals. It provides a fake link to pay the fines, creates a sense of urgency, and asks the recipient to reply 'Y' to the message, copy links into a browser, or confirm personal information. If you receive a text message from the DMV or any other state agency that demands money, the Federal Trade Commission recommends the following: Do not respond to the text or click any links. The DMV would not ask for your information or money by text. Report the text to the Federal Trade Commission at and/or file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to help your provider identify and block similar messages. Report the message on the app you are using. Look for the option to report junk or spam. You may also contact the DMV using a trusted telephone number or website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Oversharing, AI posts and other faux pas: Why you're using LinkedIn wrong
Be mindful of the pitfalls of posting on LinkedIn, or it could lead to cringeworthy content. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO Oversharing, AI posts and other faux pas: Why you're using LinkedIn wrong SINGAPORE – A widely circulated meme mocking LinkedIn entries goes like this: 'When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of growing up to satisfy user needs in a way that meets business goals for transformative outcomes.' While the post is satirical, its virality hints at how it captures the unique – and often cringeworthy – way that people write on LinkedIn. The professional networking platform, which launched in 2003, is where humble-bragging routinely meets oversharing . U sers find ways to draw leadership life lesson s from the most mundane of daily activities, such as conversations with a taxi driver or doing a presentation. Such oversharing is not without consequences. In May, Singaporean LinkedIn user Janney Hujic, who runs tour agency Elysian Expeditions, posted about a life lesson learnt from meeting former DBS Group chief executive Piyush Gupta – only for Mr Gupta to later comment: 'Sorry to disillusion you. That isn't me!' I f not for the mistaken identity, Ms Hujic's post would probably have gone unnoticed on the platform. LinkedIn has over one billion users worldwide – more than four million of whom are based in Singapore – all plugging their own professional and personal pursuits. Many of the initial comments lauded her for writing about this fortuitous 'chance encounter'. Even after Mr Gupta weighed in to dispute the account , some commenters suggested that the post , left up for a week, could draw attention to Ms Hujic's tour company. But at the end of May, her LinkedIn account was gone. What is the line between authenticity and misreading the room? Between clout-chasing and networking? Being vulnerable and oversharing? The Straits Times spoke to recruiters, public relations experts and LinkedIn's 'top voices' to find out why you are likely using LinkedIn wrong. Here are five questions to ask before you post. 1. Is it cringe or 'context collapse'? When you post on LinkedIn, for whom should you be writing ? Y our future boss? A potential recruiter or hiring manager? Your current colleagues? Perhaps your old schoolmates or industry acquaintances? While you might imagine a particular audience, the answer is really: 'All of the above.' Internet researchers have coined the term 'context collapse' to refer to how social media creates a form of communication that collapses many distinct social contexts into one. Offline, it is an easy feat to change your tone and language when schmoozing with your boss, sharing workplace gossip with a confidant or impressing a recruiter. Online, these contexts are flattened into a single feed that all of these potential audiences – and your mum and mother-in-law – can access. This partly explains why many LinkedIn posts feel 'cringe'. Users often post to impress future hiring managers or build a specific follower base, which is perhaps an expectation that current colleagues or general audiences might not share. It also explains why certain posts land their creators in hot water. Posts on LinkedIn are visible not only to one's target audience, but also to the public. PHOTO: LINKEDINLUNATICS Ms Bethany Bloch, managing editor at public relations firm Mutant Communications, says leaders need to be mindful of the opinions they share, as well as prevailing public sentiment. 'We saw what happened with the now former vice-president of the Law Society of Singapore , which is a classic example of oversharing that led to a PR crisis for them and a personal crisis for him ,' she says, referring to Mr Chia Boon Teck, who resigned from his position after he penned a LinkedIn post in March which was seen as casting blame on a rape survivor. Mr Chia likely expected his post to stay within a small circle of friends in the legal fraternity. However, context collapse meant that strangers – including those on Facebook and Instagram – who held divergent viewpoints became his audience, judge and jury. Recruitment experts speaking to ST affirm the importance of being wary about one's LinkedIn activity, noting that it is now common practice for recruiters to look through a candidate's posts to assess his or her personality and values , and identify potential red flags . 2. Are you authentic enough? Nearly all experts speaking to ST identified 'authenticity' as an important trait to project on LinkedIn , but it is an amorphous concept that defies definition. 'Beyond qualifications, cultural and personality fit are critical factors in the hiring process,' says Ms Jaya Dass, Asia-Pacific managing director at human resources firm Randstad Enterprise, who notes that she sees inappropriate jokes and personal rants as red flags. On the other hand, insightful content about personal takeaways – instead of merely posting often – and posts showing appreciation for colleagues are her green flags. Content that drives the most engagement on LinkedIn includes business news – earnings, mergers and organisational changes – as well as career advice and industry trend perspectives, says Ms Serla Rusli, a LinkedIn career expert and senior editor at LinkedIn News. Who is posting matters. She notes that more business leaders are using LinkedIn to explain the how and why behind major professional decisions, citing a 52 per cent increase in posts from chief executives over the past two years. These average eight times more impressions and four times more engagement than posts from others. There has been a 52 per cent increase in posts from chief executives in recent years, though engagement may not always be positive. PHOTO: LINKEDINLUNATICS Sharing videos is another approach to consider. Ms Rusli notes that video is a fast-growing format on LinkedIn, with time spent watching videos up by 36 per cent as at April. Ms Christel Goh, chief executive of local public relations agency Grow Public Relations, warns against overusing personal stories , a common trope on LinkedIn. 'There's a fine line between meaningful sharing and oversharing. When every moment becomes a 'teachable lesson', it can feel forced, cringey or overly dramatic,' she adds. An overemphasis on achievements, using the platform to shame and blame others, and an excessive dependence on artificial intelligence (AI) to generate content are other common mistakes on the platform . LinkedIn users' frequent overemphasis on achievements and 'teachable' moments is often satirised. PHOTO: LINKEDINLUNATICS 'LinkedIn is a professional networking space, and because of its nature, many users feel compelled to present a highly polished, positive image of themselves,' Ms Goh says. 'While this might seem appropriate for a professional platform, the overly curated and idealised tone can come across as unrealistic. People don't typically communicate in such a polished manner in everyday life. ' The key is setting editorial guidelines for yourself, says Dr Juliana Chan, a LinkedIn Top Voice with more than 100,000 followers, and former Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist-turned-branding-coach who prides herself on speaking 'fluent LinkedInese' . ''Does this story serve my professional audience? Does it add value or context to my expertise and job as a branding coach?' If yes, I'll share it authentically. If it's just unnecessary personal drama or random life updates, it stays private,' she says. She points to a post she made in November about her father's death in 2024 because she had written about him on LinkedIn in the past. She sees this as professionally relevant context because it 'helped people see that I am only human and not some digital avatar'. The challenge lies in where to draw these lines. What constitutes oversharing versus insight? Bluntness versus offence? The inherent risk of using LinkedIn as a platform is that not everyone agrees on boundaries. Unfortunately, any misjudgments are linked to your employer and a detailed resume. For another LinkedIn Top Voice and founder of career development organisation The Mindgem, Ms Ratna Juita, the answer lies in understanding that you cannot please everyone. 'In today's attention economy, appealing to everybody means appealing to nobody,' she says. ' Embrace strategic polarisation. Take clear stands on industry issues, share your unique perspectives and don't be afraid to repel the wrong audience while attracting the right one.' 3. How are you using your connections? One of LinkedIn's most important functions is the ability to connect with others. But this, too, can be a potential source of networking faux pas. Ms Yeo Sha-En, a professional speaker and LinkedIn Top Voice, considers immediately asking for something upon reaching out to be a networking red flag. 'In the case of networking or mentorship, this is equivalent to meeting someone for the first time and expecting him or her to give you something,' she says. 'People need time to get to know you before they can mentor you.' Similarly, Dr Chan thinks it is a common networking mistake to send connection requests without adding a custom note. 'If I receive 100 connection requests, often only two to three of them have a thoughtfully written custom note attached to it,' she says. ' Every single time, I consider these requests first.' Ms Juita says: 'Strategic networking isn't about collecting contacts. It's about building a community of mutual support and shared professional growth.' She highlights the importance of finding ways to turn online connections into offline ones and setting healthy boundaries on what you should share . Being retrenched in 2018, she adds, taught her a hard lesson on the importance of establishing a personal brand that extends beyond a single company or employer . 'The traditional employment contract where loyalty guaranteed job security no longer exists,' she says. 'Companies restructure, industries evolve and even the most dedicated employees can find themselves unexpectedly looking for new opportunities. 'When that happens, your LinkedIn network isn't just helpful, but it can also be your lifeline.' 4. Is sharing your layoff a good idea? Posting about being #opentowork or a recent layoff has become a common LinkedIn trope, but is sharing such news online a good idea? Nearly all recruitment experts who spoke to ST say being open about a layoff is a useful way to put yourself on the radar of recruiters – and get some much-needed support from others . 'From a recruiter's perspective, layoffs are rarely seen as a negative mark, especially given today's economic climate,' says Ms Kris Tan, an associate partner at recruitment firm Page Executive. 'Authenticity is a valued quality in candidates, and many employers appreciate when individuals are transparent about their job search efforts.' Recruiters say it often comes down to discoverability. 'Recruiters monitor these posts, and such announcements can increase visibility and encourage referrals,' says Ms Ilse Clement, senior consultant for human resources and business support at recruitment agency Robert Walters Singapore. ' Be tactful and forward-looking. Frame it as a transition rather than a setback,' she adds. Ms Clement also notes that active LinkedIn users who post regularly and engage with others are more likely to appear in search results due to the platform's algorithm. As recruiters use keywords to find candidates, it is important that your profile includes relevant industry terms, skills and certifications. Candidates can also use LinkedIn's built-in 'Open to Work' feature to discreetly signal to recruiters that they are open to opportunities. Not everyone agrees with this approach. Dr Leon Qiu, a PhD graduate from the Singapore Management University and prolific LinkedIn poster , believes that signalling you are #opentowork – using the platform's built-in profile frame – can be 'self-sabotage '. 'It hurts your chances and negotiating power. It signals to the job market you are of poorer labour quality,' he says. ' Conversely, if you are open to hire, you have greater power and are perceived to be more capable. But it's just my hypothesis.' 5. Falling for the 'thought leadership' trap? Considering the effort required and the many reputational risks, why post on LinkedIn at all? The answer usually revolves around 'thought leadership', one of LinkedIn's most persistent buzzwords. The term refers to establishing oneself as an authority in a field. Advocates see it as genuine expertise that influences industries and drives change. Sceptics argue it is little more than dressed-up self-promotion, recycled ideas and meaningless business jargon. The desire for 'thought leadership' has created a lucrative industry around it , where it has become common practice for public relations agencies to sell thought leadership as a service – meaning the creation of op-eds and, at times, LinkedIn posts for a tidy sum . Ms Charu Srivastava, co-founder of communications consultancy firm TriOn & Co, says her firm works with clients on LinkedIn strategy and thought leadership content development. 'The main reason they come to us is to ensure quality, authenticity and a consistency of LinkedIn engagement,' she says. 'The clients have full oversight of the content, and we incorporate their personal voice and nuances in the content development process. This provides our clients with the balance of strategy and guidance with full ownership of their profiles.' But AI also adds a new dimension to this , with many users turning to generative AI tools like ChatGPT to create posts and insights. Nearly all experts ST spoke to highlighted mindlessly using AI without supervision to create a flood of generic content as a flaming red flag. 'One of the biggest mistakes is posting content just for the sake of it,' says Ms Srivastava. 'There is more of this happening on LinkedIn these days, due to the increasing use of GenAI to create content.' 'There is a running joke about how people post about the most mundane professional developments with a 'LinkedIn flair',' she adds, noting that many users inflate achievements, and conflate their personal and professional lives. Recognising the reality that many posts are not written by users themselves – the platform has even introduced a feature to use AI-generated responses as comments – is key to understanding that not all engagement on the platform is meaningful. As such, the quest for engagement on the platform can sometimes be a performative trap, reinforcing that virality is far from the equivalent of becoming a thought leader. This is especially true for those who create generic listicles and inspirational quotes without a clear point of view, say experts. Dr Chan says 'not everyone needs to build an audience on LinkedIn'. For entrepreneurs, consultants and executive coaches – as well as those seeking speaking opportunities or board positions, or being headhunted – active engagement makes sense. For others, it may not. Her advice: Focus on 'signature content' that stems from your unique experience and cannot be replicated by others . 'Likes on LinkedIn don't pay the bills,' she says. 'It is more financially productive to attract people who want to collaborate with you. Every post should increase your 'surface area of luck' if done correctly.' Check out the Headstart chatbot for answers to your questions on careers and work trends.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
This is the phishing scam that gets an identity theft expert in the US 'really, very angry'
Digital thieves are nothing if not persistent and innovative. They keep finding new ways to try to part you from your money. Phishing – where thieves pose as trusted entities or send legitimate looking emails or messages to trick you into giving them access to your accounts – is a widespread method. And it is constantly evolving. 'We've seen phishing go through the roof,' said Eva Velasquez, the CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based national nonprofit. But knowledge is power. So here are three emerging phishing threats to look out for, according to Internet safety experts. All three threats target key parts of people's digital lives: email attachments that lead to fake login pages, multi-factor authentication trickery and deceptive calendar invites. Spending a few minutes reading these pointers could help you avoid getting your ID or money stolen and save you countless hours of dealing with the fallout. HTML attachments that open fake login pages Imagine a busy professional who is in email action mode. In the past 30 minutes on a Saturday morning, he has filled out emailed liability waivers for his seven children's summer camps, filed an expense report for work, answered a secure portal message from the veterinarian about his sick puppy's prescription, skimmed 182 email subject lines and paid five bills from his email inbox, including a car insurance premium and his beloved cheese-of-the-month club. Amid this flurry of inbound emails, ads, invoices and secure messages, he is working on autopilot: opening messages, skimming, clicking and signing in. What a perfect opportunity. Scammers are taking advantage of user distraction – and their trust – by sending emails with HTM or HTML attachments. When clicked, those open a browser file that looks like secure, familiar login page. These pages might look like secure invoice viewers, file-sharing services like DocuSign or Dropbox, or sign-in pages to platforms including Microsoft 365. 'Once the user enters their credentials, they are sent surreptitiously to the attacker's server,' said Vlad Cristescu, the head of cybersecurity with ZeroBounce, a Florida company that helps businesses lower their rate of bounced marketing emails. Why this method is especially insidious: 'There isn't a clickable link in the email, so standard email security filters (which scan for malicious URLs or attachments like PDFs and ZIPs) may not catch it,' Cristescu added. To prevent this, he added, companies should 'restrict HTML attachments unless essential, and users should treat unfamiliar HTML files the same way they'd treat a suspicious link – don't open it unless you're absolutely sure of the sender.' If you do receive incoming communication with an HTML link or attachment, don't engage, said Velasquez, with the ITRC. 'Don't click on links, people. That's the big, overarching message,' she said. Instead, go to the source: call the phone number on the back of your credit card, visit the bank in person. Multifactor authentication tricks If you are one of the many people who uses multifactor authentication, take note. Multifactor authentication is still very helpful and should be used. But Cristescu flagged one way that scammers are taking this tool – which is designed to make people's online accounts more secure – and using it to slither in. As a refresher, multifactor authentication is an added layer of protection that prevents data thieves from logging into your accounts if they have your username and password. It helps ensure that you're the one who typed in your password when you log in, and not some scammer in the Philippines or Poughkeepsie. To use multifactor authentication, you typically download an app, such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. You register your sensitive online accounts, such as Facebook, bank or email, with that app. Then, every time you log into a registered website, the authenticator app generates a new, random code that you enter after your password as a second layer of verification. With the rise of this protection, a new threat has emerged: Scammers who have your username and password can send log-in requests to your authenticator app. Next, the scammer can pose as an IT expert from your workplace and ask you to approve the log-in request. If you fall for it, then boom – the scammer is in. This technique 'exploits a user's frustration and trust in IT. If you're receiving multiple (authenticator) prompts you didn't initiate, that's not a glitch – it's an attack,' Cristescu said. He recommends pausing, never approving these unexpected requests and flagging the interaction with IT. Velasquez added that if you get an authenticator notification and you didn't just log in yourself, 'That is a huge red flag. Stop and address it. Don't ignore it.' Anytime you interact with IT, be sure you're the one initiating that contact, she added. If someone from IT calls or emails you, disconnect and reach back out using a trusted method, such as the same phone number you always dial. Fake calendar invites A third technique data thieves are using is calendar invites. 'I just get really very angry about this one,' Velasquez said. 'It is super hard to detect.' Here's what to look out for. If you use an online calendar like Google calendar or the native iPhone calendar app, you might receive an invitation to an event you didn't see coming. Sometimes these meetings are legitimate. Sometimes, they are not. Scammers 'are now sending meeting requests with malicious links embedded in the invite or 'join' button. These invitations sync directly into calendars and often go unquestioned,' according to ZeroBounce. Scammers use calendar invites because they have 'built-in credibility – they're not usually scrutinised like emails,' Cristescu said. Look for meeting requests from unknown senders and vague event names like 'Sync' or 'Project Review,' he added. In some jobs or roles, meetings routinely get added to calendars by other people –clients, prospects, coworkers, bosses, peers. 'I have gotten these repeatedly,' said Velasquez, with the ITRC. 'Depending on your lifestyle and your job and how you work, these are going to be particularly challenging. They are real calendar invites. The problem is they have malicious software embedded in them – so when you click on portions of them, 'Click to join,' it's like opening an attachment (or) clicking on a suspicious link. It's the same principle.' Cristescu, with ZeroBounce, shared this tip: 'Treat those just like a phishing email. Disable auto-accept where possible and review every invite manually before clicking anything.' Never stop questioning what lands in your inbox or calendar, Cristescu added. 'Always verify the sender's email address, ensure that any link you click matches the legitimate domain, and look out for subtle red flags like spelling errors or unusual formatting.' A big picture pointer 'All three of these (scams) are so common that it has probably happened to every single person reading the article – at least one of them. That's how ubiquitous these are,' Velasquez said. She shared this broader thought: It's less important to know how to respond to each scenario and more important to pause, be skeptical, double check. It's important to be ever more sceptical, because AI makes it easier and easier for thieves to create convincing ruses, Cristescu and Velasquez both said. AI 'really helps with making these phishing offers look and sound so much more legitimate,' Velasquez said. 'And with the amount of data that is out there from public sources and from data breaches, it's very easy to see what relationships people have.' Where you bank, where you do business – that is all fodder for someone to create a copycat page designed to trick you into logging in. Adopt an 'investigator mindset,' Velasquez said. Use this helpful reminder: the acronym STAR, which stands for Stop. Think. Ask questions or ask for help. Reassess. – The San Diego Union-Tribune/Tribune News Service
