Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
With the advent of the internet, con artists and crooks have found a way to reach out and scam more people than ever before.
We have all heard the horror stories of poor souls being fed a dream only to find themselves in the midst of a nightmare. As consumers grow savvy to the tricks of the trade so do the scammers, as they come up with more and more ways to swindle your hard earned money away.
So how can you protect yourself from being caught up in a web of fraud? Here are five simple tips to keep you out of hot water.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
Following the wisdom of this old adage is the soundest advice. These virtual thieves will try to appeal to your wildest dreams and convince you that they hold the key to realizing them. All they need is your help and access to your money.
A common example of this comes in the form of an email plea to you asking for your assistance. It begins with any number of stories, from the death of their spouse to a foreign business trying to establish a bank account in your country. The sender asks you to accept a deposit of an incredible amount of money into your bank account and for your trouble they will let you keep a percentage of it. Sounds great, but here is the catch.
They try to convince you that they need your bank account number in order to electronically transfer the funds. The truth of the matter is they use the information you give them to withdraw all your available funds and leave you penniless.
It is always a safer bet to practice caution when anyone asks for your banking information rather than take a chance like this and end up broke.
Keep your private information private and you will keep your money safe.
Anyone asking for your account information might be offering trouble
Websites like EBay and PayPal are common targets for this sort of scam. Official looking emails arrive in your inbox, looking quite legitimate, and tell you that your account is about to close if you don’t log in right away. Within the text of the email is a convenient little link where you can sign in and straighten everything out. The trouble is, the link directs you to a phony page and when you type in your information, you are giving these urchins access to your accounts. Both EBay and PayPal clearly state they will never request your account information by email, as is the case with most other well known sites.
Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
The best thing to do if you are unsure whether or not one of the email you received is a fake, is to inquire with the company directly. It is not a good idea to click on any of the links contained in a suspicious email, instead type the address you would normally use to access the site into your browser or contact the company directly by telephone to speak with a representative. The company can confirm whether or not the email is legitimate and advise you what to do if it turns out to be phony.
Buyer and non-buyer beware
A friendly little note arrives from a retailer thanking you for your purchase; only you never bought anything from them. The natural instinct is to click on the link and cancel any orders made in your name, but this might not be the most prudent thing to do.
Some hackers rely upon our inclination to cancel fictitious orders and use this to infect your computer with a Trojan or some other virus. The link or the website itself could be contaminated with malicious software and open up all your personal information to attack. Of course you want to be sure you were not charged for a product or service you never purchased. So what do you do? It is always best to check your credit cards for erroneous charges and report any unauthorized use immediately.
Another alternative is to try a search engine with the title of the email. There are a number of sites cropping up around the web where consumers are fighting back and reporting fraudulent activity to warn others of the threats. You might be surprised to see how many other people received the same phony email as you.
Keep Pop Ups from popping
Pop-up ads can certainly be an annoyance, but they can also be rather dangerous. While many of these Pop-up ads try to convince you that you are the lucky winner of one prize or another, sometimes all you won was a problem.
Trojan viruses and other damaging software can be downloaded into your computer simply by trying to close the Pop-up window. Using a Pop-up blocker with your browser can help to prevent not only the aggravation of being flooded with a number of irritating ads, but also keep the suspicious ones at bay.
An ounce of prevention
We all know the saying so be sure to update you anti-virus software regularly! Maintaining your computers security is imperative these days. With all the vital information we store on our systems, protecting it should be our top priority.
Viruses, worms and other hacking software place not only your computer, but your personal information at risk. Most of this malicious software comes through email programs and other internet applications. Regularly updated anti-virus protection programs can be an invaluable tool when it comes to protecting your information.
It only takes a short amount of time each day to run a virus scan, but it can take years to recover from identity theft and the damage a virus can leave behind.
Is your computer an Open Invitation for HACKERS? Download free version of Sparktrust Inspector to identify vulnerabilities and problems on your computer (and even your WEBSITES)!
constant-content.com | June 17th, 2009
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