Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Hamza Balol Gets Around







When I first started writing professionally about three years ago (January 2010), it was just me and my cat, Tommy.  I didn't write for the masses and I didn't encourage a fan base.  I wrote for the pure joy of it, as a welcome release for all the words stuck in my head begging to come out.  That first year was a time for reconnecting with the writer within me...to see what I was made of...and to measure my words against what was already published.

I started gathering great books about the craft of writing and read everything I could get my hands on.  I was introduced to the blogosphere and on December 6th, 2011, I created my blog ON THE WRITE TRACK because I felt I was ready to connect with others.  I wrote inspirational posts about what writing meant to me and began to reach out to others through online groups.  One day I realized I was beginning to generate a fan base.  Every person who commented on a post would get a reply from me.  I would return the favor and began reading their blogs.  I went in search of blogs which appealed to me and expanded into the world of Facebook.  All along the way I made sure to connect and respond to every person who reached out to me.

By January 2013 I had celebrated my first year anniversary of my blog by achieving over 300 followers and over 175,000 views so far.  Last year was a huge learning curve for me.  I learned about LinkedIn, and Twitter, soon adding them to my platform.  I joined critique groups, created a FREE author promotion event as my way of giving back to the writing community which was hugely sucessful (doing it again this year), entered contests, submitted stories (and had one accepted for publication), and made great strides in strenghtening my skills as a writer.  I also dealt with a hacker who tried to destroy my life by lying to my friends (no, I never was stuck on some island resort with no way to get home) and erasing all my contact information within Yahoo and Facebook.  The person from Africa, whom I originally befriended, had nothing better to do than to interfere with my little life.  He decided to erase all my archived files of my stories and more than a year's research I had stored online.

It was hard at first to believe such a thing happened to me, but I am that way...honest, trusting, believing the best in all people until proven otherwise and even then, still giving second chances sometimes.  Fortunately the stories were saved elsewhere but my research was gone.  I can't say I wasn't upset by the turn of events but I eventually looked at it as a lesson to be a little less trusting when dealing with my online persona and my writing.

Maybe that is why when I received this note last night, warning bells started flashing in my head:


Hello Ms. Donna,

I am not sure whether or not you are the one who wrote the wonderful story "Shortcut to Peace," from the 'Angels Among Us' book of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The story, however, touched my heart and soothed my soul in a very positive way.

Best regards,
Hamza Balol
Saudi Arabia



"Shortcut To Peace" is my first published piece and who wouldn't be thrilled to think it touched the heart of someone half way across the world?  But something just didn't feel right and despite the fact I am so used to immediately replying to comments sent to me, I did a little research on Mr. Balol first.
 
 
It appears that Hamza Balol not only gets around but can change age and gender.  Googling the name shows he is not only a very young girl who appears to be the chief executive officer of a large company but also a middle aged man.  I'm not sure what his fascination is with following these types of stories but he has posted basically the same "touching" message on a number of other blogs and Facebook pages of writers submitting to Chicken Soup and like publications.  Unfortunately others have mistaken Hamza's comments for an invitation to begin a online conversation with him and that is when the scam begins.
 
I pray none of my REAL online friends and fans are ever taken in by someone like my buddy, Hamza, and in my research I even managed to locate some other Hamza Balols who might be taking a beating to their own integrity by having their name associated with a scam artist.  My heart goes out to those other Hamzas.
 
While I would like think my words may one day inspire others and touch their hearts, today is not the day and so I will let Mr. Balol's "heartfelt" note to me float off into the vast unknown of the Internet...maybe one day HIS poor soul will get the validation it so desparately needs so he won't feel the need to unnecessarily try to validate MINE.  Don't worry, Hamza, I'm doing just fine without you...;~)

36 comments:

  1. Wow. It sounds like you've had a very cool journey with writing and made some awesome strides. That being said, I cannot BELIEVE that happened to you. (The hacker thing) So crazy and I'm so sorry you lost all your research. That's awful.

    And, I gotta say, NICE job on the warning bells. More people need to pay attention to their instincts with all the scams and crazy people running rampant online. I'm glad that you checked into Hamza Balol and got the heads up. Thanks for warning the world about this person!

    I hope your writing journey continues with no more bumps in the road!!

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    1. Hi Tamara! Thank you for your kind words. As far as the hacker thing goes, I'm an extreme optimist and believe things usually happen for the best so I didn't let it get me down for long. Writing is an ever changing art form and I must change with it if I am to succeed in a highly competitive arena...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Hi Donna .. so pleased you kept going and joined us ... I've always been very cautious on the net - and question everything I see ... a quick scan can throw up those alarm bells - but it is time consuming and annoying when things go wrong ...

    Just glad you're wised up now and keeping your research and stories safely in more than one place ...

    Welcome to year two - many more ahead ... and you were brave enough to venture out on your own - I needed others, but then I wasn't looking to blog in the way I am now ... funny old life!

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary! Isn't it funny how life turns out different than maybe what we had planned? Forty years ago I could have sworn with conviction that I KNEW I would be a children's book writer one day...three years ago I KNEW no one would want to look at my stories. I wonder what I will KNOW next year? ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. I remember when you were hacked and I felt so awful for you to have to go through that! I would have gated losing so much research. I have accepted friend requests on Facebook and then had the people I had accepted hit on me over and over or start posting link after link on my homepage. I, too, have learned to be more cautious.

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    1. Hi Becky! Yeah, it stunk to lose that research but here it is, almost a year later and I'm still doing fine so I can just research again if I need too...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. So glad you are persevering and writing despite the hardships. Writing is hard, and doubting, and isolating enough without adding the hacker to the mix. Loving your blog. You rock, Donna.

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    1. Hi Kim! Thanks for your kind words...I'm flattered and will try to always live up to your high estimation of my writing talent...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. How sad that we have to have these cautionary tales. Thanks for sharing it.

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    1. Hi Wendy! It was amusing when I saw the little girl's picture pop up but it was disturbing when I read that same basic post on other writer's platform (one lady who's relative had died from cancer which was the basis for the story she wrote for Chicken Soup)and I saw Hamza write her the same words but she unfortunately fell for it and responded back to him...

      I don't understand the mentality of people who chose to live their lives in that manner...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  6. Hamza really DOES get around. He/she/they need to get around to getting a life and leave yours alone.

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    1. Hi Janet! I LOVE your comment...from your lips to Hamza's ears...lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  7. I'm sorry this happened to you, Donna. But at the same time it appears to be a good thing too. You have obviously become wiser and gained good instinct regarding the Internet. It makes me sad that there are such people out there. Thank you for sharing. It is quite the eye-opener. I'm generally pretty paranoid about scams, viruses, etc. But I think I might have fallen for praise from a young fan across the world.

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    1. Hi Alayne! I get quite a number of people wanting to connect on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. with me, and I take the extra time to check out each and every request before I approve any of them. I'm trying to protect the integrity of my platform while reaching out to as many fabulous people in the world as I can!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  8. Wow! That is some story! Good for you for being so cautious. It had to be tempting to just go with it and savor your "fan".

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    1. Hi Genevieve! A year ago it might have been very tempting to take Hamza's comment at face value and gush my thanks for his "heartfelt" words...but the hacker taught me a very valuable lesson and I proceed with optimistic caution these days when I interact with anyone new online. I'm sure you have heard of the old saying..."Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!" ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  9. Wow! Caveat scriptoris! Let the writer beware!

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    1. Lol, Quinn...you are too funny! I'm going to have to remember that one...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  10. Thanks for the warning and well done for exercising some skepticism! Loved reading about your journey again. I've been writing two years and knew nothing when I began of this awesome, supportive community of which we are part! Keep rockin', Donna!

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    1. Hi Joanna! I couldn't agree with you more! There are moments when I am almost overwhelmed with the love and support coming from this writing community. It's a feeling like none I've ever known and quite refreshing in such a jaded world as we live in these days. See what my buddy, Hamza, is missing out on? Lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  11. I'm the real dunce here, I'm not sure how answering a comment can lead to hacking. Please explain. I'm a lot like you too trusting and while I try to be safe, just a click can destroy everything.

    Thanks for sharing that, I definitely want to be more cautious.

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    1. Hi Yolanda! It's not the innocence of answering the comment itself...it's WHO you are commenting to and how "familiar" you get with them. A comment on a blog can turn into a friend request on Facebook, connecting on LinkedIn and Twitter and soon there is a false comfort level that a potential spammer will use to their advantage. The more connections they have with you, the greater the potential damage should they choose to hack into your system...then they know all the connecting platforms to play with. It happened with my hacker...started as a comment on my blog, expanded to Yahoo and Facebook and spiraled from there. I just didn't feel like letting Hamza get that far...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  12. I was once hacked but my Mom quickly changed my passwords. I also sometimes get hacker mail, but just delete them right away! It's amazing what good (and bad) hackers can do... I'm sorry about your research, but glad that Hamza Balol didn't trick you!

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    1. Oh, Erik, I am soooo proud of you AND your Mom! Smart woman to be ever vigilant where your online work is concerned and how sharp of you to not impulsively allow "unknown" people too close to your online platform. You will go a long way, my friend...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  13. Thanks for the heads up, Donna. How awful that you lost so much. You've had an amazing year!

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    1. Hi Catherine! Thank you for your kind words and yes, I feel extremely blessed with how last year gone where my writing is concerned.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  14. I'm mad at hackers today. I still have more clean up work to do on my website. So glad you recovered so well!

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    1. Hi Hannah! I am soooo sorry for the mess you are having to clean up right now. I'm not sure if Hamza is a hacker in the truest sense of the word but anyone who preys on people at the lowest points in their lives are not worth my time...hope things are back to normal for you soon!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  15. Thanks so much for explaining how you got hacked to Yolanda up above and for sharing your journey in particular. I have been hacked after a fishing attempt and your's seems so much more damaging. I think I"ll spend the afternoon putting my research and stuff onto a thumb drive and saving it in a different place than my computer after reading this. You really opened my eyes.

    I remember when you were going through this and wondered about what was happening. We Were new friends and then you vanished. It was very confusing. So sorry you had to go through this. :)

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    1. Hi Clare! Being hacked is never fun and an important lesson to learn. Always be careful who you connect with online and do some upfront research of a new request to make sure the person seems legit before allowing them access to your platform...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  16. LOL, Donna. I found your blog when I decided to google "Hamza Balol" because I received his/her email today. The wording is identical except for the book and story. Too bad I didn't google him/her before I replied and told him/her how his/her email had made my day. Oh well...

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    1. Hi Linda and welcome to my blog! I think this is how he/she creates a little happiness in his/her life...by reaching out to other people...just a shame he/she isn't really real. Congrats on the published books and be careful should our buddy Hamza want to start an online "friendship"...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  17. I got a very similar email from Hamza myself. I had a funny feeling and didn't reply. Thanks for the warning. Darlene

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    1. Hi Darlene! Whether this person is a spammer or whether he just likes inspirational stories he should pick a different way to try and connect with people. I'm hoping most people wouldn't fall for his lines...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  18. I, too, was contacted by Hamza Balol through a story I had published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. I found out at a luncheon for Chicken Soup contributors that this person has contacted dozens and dozens of us writers. I felt sick inside. For almost two years, I've corresponded with this person as if he and his family had become dear friends. We've even exchanged pictures of our families. He always addressed me as "Mother," and I thought this was a sign of respect. I won't answer any more of his e-mails, and I wonder why he does this. He even gave me his working address at Saudi Medical Services. I feel like such a fool. Thanks for posting what you did, and you can use this info to warn others.

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    1. Hi Jeanne and welcome to my blog! I'm truly sorry you became involved with Hamza but you shouldn't berate yourself. YOU reached out with compassion and human kindness to someone you truly believed was a kindred spirit. It is people like Hamza who seek to connect with others for all the wrong reasons and one day they will have to answer to a higher power than ourselves. Be proud of the fact YOU remained true to the lovely person you are and be thankful the only "damage" done was to your pride. Be kind to yourself...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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