Be Safe & Secure

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If you have a problem connecting to the order form (i.e. “Safari cannot open this page”), you may have an insecure browser connection. Please contact Gretchen Bostrom by phone: 617-496-6686 or email: classifieds@harvard.edu to complete your order.

Be Safe & Secure

We at Harvard Magazine are dedicated to protecting our advertisers’ and our readers’ security and safety. As cases of fraud have become more rampant in our society, especially with regard to online technology, we want to give you some good tips to keep in mind if you are responding to a classified ad or if you get responses to your ad that might seem a bit strange. We do our best to verify all advertisers, but as you know, it is possible for malicious individuals to see your ad and respond to you. 

    1. Never share financial information with people you don’t know. Examples include credit card numbers, bank information, or your social security number.

    2. Don’t reveal personal information on first contact. This is especially important for personals advertisers who may be meeting prospective dates. Never give out your home address, personal e-mail address, or phone number to people you do not know. Arrange to meet in a busy, public place for your first date and ensure you have a way of getting home on your own. If you are placing an ad or responding to an ad, you can always create a separate e-mail account that does not have your name or personal information associated with it. You can get free e-mail accounts from services like Gmail, Outlook.com and many other sources. Harvard Magazine offers (snail mail) HM Boxes to our clients for a fee of $25. For more information, please contact 617-496-6686. See our blog post on how to create a free e-mail address.
    3. Be especially alert if any of the following things happen:
      • You notice many spelling/grammatical errors in correspondence
      • You are asked to receive or forward packages on someone’s behalf
      • It sounds too good to be true. As they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If someone has asked you for personal or financial information, or if you are concerned about the validity of an advertiser in Harvard Magazine, please notify our Classifieds Department immediately at 617-496-6686, via Skype at hmagclassifieds or via e-mail at classifieds@harvard.edu.
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