(11ALIVE) -- There are new warnings for internet users: A social networking website is being accused of deceptive e-mail marketing and invading users' privacy.
Time Magazine called Tagged.com "The World's Most Annoying Website" and the state of New York's Attorney General is investigating the site for possible invasions of privacy.
Here's how it works:
You get an e-mail from somebody you know. They invite you to click a link in the e-mail to see pictures.
To see those pictures, you are directed to register for Tagged.com. During the registration process for Tagged, you're asked to provide information about your own e-mail address.
Somewhere along the way Tagged asks you for permission to send all of your contacts an e-mail inviting them to join the site too and the cycle continues.
"Here's the thing we all need to realize. People just need to be a lot more skeptical, even of their friends, and I'm sorry to say that," said Bob Sullivan, author of MSNBC.com's The Red Tape Chronicles.
"If you get an e-mail that you don't expect from a friend of yours that invites you to join a new service, or click on a link or look at some pictures, just don't do it. Believe it or not, the best thing to do is call them and say, 'hey, did you send me this e-mail?' That's the only real way to ferret out whether this is trouble or not. Be very, very suspicious when you get e-mails you don't expect," Sullivan advised.
For their part, Tagged says they've done nothing wrong. They also say they've modified their registration process to address users' concerns.
