Question: Facebook told me my data wasn't shared with Cambridge Analytica, which is a relief. But now I'm spooked. What's to keep other bad actors from collecting it, and how do I prevent that from happening?

Answer: As has always been the case with keeping your data private on Facebook, the key lies in the application's settings. If you choose to continue using Facebook, take the following precautions to keep your data safe.

Here's another scam to watch out for, this one supposedly from a company you might know and trust. Say you had a tech issue a couple of months ago and used tech support services to resolve it. Now someone claiming to be from that service provider calls you to ask if you were satisfied with the service. If you say "No," the scammer asks for your banking or credit card information to issue a "refund." (If you say "Yes," they might claim they're issuing refunds because they're going out of business.) But, instead of putting money into your account, they take it out.

How do you avoid this type of scam?

Scammers send emails that look like they're trying to help you because they know you're more likely to click a link within them if you think you're protecting yourself. But, beware! In particular, watch for emails that look like they're coming from large tech companies you likely do business with. The emails say something like, "See the attached invoice for your recent purchase. If you did not authorize this purchase, click on the link below."

Just like other phony emails, this one is designed to get you to click on a link that takes you to a copycat website where you're asked to provide personal information that can be used for identity theft. Or it executes a program that gives scammers access to your computer, where they then install ransomware that prevents you from accessing your own files.

We will host a free workshop covering Basic Grant Writing.  Individuals and nonprofit organizations interested in learning about grant seeking and proposal writing are invited to attend.  The workshop is scheduled to take place April 3rd, 2018 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the conference room of the Harlem Public Library.   

The workshop is limited to the first 20 participants registered on or before Monday, April 2nd, 2018.   To register or for more information, contact Colleen or Carly at the Harlem Library by calling 406.353.2712 or e-mailing the library at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.