Internet Scams 101 -- Attacking You Through Your E-mail
The Internet is filled with scams, and eventually they wind up in your e-mail box.
The ingenuity of these people is astonishing.
Their goal is usually to get you to click on an e-mail attachment, so they can infect your computer with a virus, a tracking cookie, and/or a trojan horse.
? COMPUTER VIRUSES strike fear into all our hearts.
When a particularly vicious virus comes out, announcements are made on television and in newspapers.
For a good discussion of computer viruses, go to http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm.
? A COOKIE can be perfectly aboveboard and even helpful.
For example, when you visit Amazon.com, you get a cookie which enables their computer to recognize you when you return and to remember the sort of thing you're interested in.
TRACKING COOKIES, on the other hand, record the places you go online and what links you click on, telling advertisers what type of ads should be aimed at you.
It's true, they won't transmit a virus, but who wants an Internet bloodhound baying on their trail?
Good anti-spyware will remove tracking cookies.
? A TROJAN HORSE pretends to be something it is not, such as an e-mail from a friend or something you've ordered.
The text of the e-mail may say, "Here is the information you wanted."
Or, "Keep this as a secret between you and me."
Or, "You've just won our grand prize!"
Anything to make you click on that attachment.
Once you do, the trojan horse takes over your computer.
It can do any malicious thing it wants, from erasing files to changing your desktop. It then propagates by sending itself to other people in your address book.
A good friend just had his Internet address list stolen, and I've been getting messages supposedly from him ever since.
They all want me to click on an attachment to the e-mail.
I e-mailed asking him if he'd sent that message.
He had not.
Even if you're smart enough not to click on a trojan horse attachment yourself, one of the friends on your address list may do so, your address will then be stolen, and off you go into the underworld.
Once scammers get your e-mail address, they may use it to send malicious e-mails to thousands of people in your name. I usually discover this when I get "I'm out of the office" automatic responder messages from people I never heard of.
It's frustrating, but I know it isn't my fault.
? Anti-scam rule 1:
Never click on an attachment from a good friend unless you are positive the friend sent it.
It takes only a minute to click on "Reply" and ask the friend, "Did you really send this?"
? Anti-scam rule 2: Never double-click on an e-mail attachment that contains an executable, such as an EXE, COM or VBS suffix.
Once you click on it, an executable can do any sort of damage it wants. (Enough people now know this to make the scammer say, "This attachment is virus-free." If you believe that, I've got a nice bridge I'd like to sell you.)
? Anti-scam rule 3:
Your computer CANNOT be infected by an e-mail attachment unless you click on the attachment.
If you simply delete the suspicious message without clicking on a link or the attachment, you're okay.
REAL CHUTZPAH
It's so awful it's funny, but after the scammers have used your stolen address to scam thousands, they have one more scam up their sleeves. This is the message they sent me:
"Your e-mail account was used to send a huge amount of spam during this week.
Obviously, your computer was compromised and now contains a trojan proxy server.
Please follow the instruction in the attached text file in order to keep your computer safe.
Sincerely yours,
The foodandfiction.com team."
My first thought was, "How nice.
These people are sympathetic to my problem and want to help me."
And then I thought, "Wait a minute!
This message is supposedly from the foodandfiction.com team.
Food and Fiction, http://foodandfiction.com, is me, myself, and I, and I never sent that message."
Of course, if my e-mail address had been, say, AOL, the message would have been signed, "the AOL.com team."
I might have thought the dear folks at AOL were trying to help me, and I'd have clicked on that attachment.
Which was of course from the scammer, not AOL, and would have infected me.
? Anti-scam rule 4:
Having your address stolen does NOT infect you with a virus or trojan horse.
If you don't open suspicious attachments, you are all right -- though you may want to warn your friends that they'll be getting attachments pretending to be from you, which attachments will infect them if they open them.
Coming next:
an article on hijackings and spyware.
.
Find Janette Blackwell?s Christian mystery and hilarious cookbook, ?Steamin? Down the Tracks with Viola Hockenberry,? at foodandfiction.com.
Client By Design, LLC Releases Guide To Stop Identity Theft.
Westchester County, NY (ContentDesk) July 2, 2004 -- Client By Design, LLC - Guerilla Marketing Coach, Richard Bailey releases a new downloadable PDF guide dedicated to stopping identity theft both online and offline.Recognizing the rising costs and inconvenience of identity theft on both consumers and business (large and small), Client By Design's new guide provides readers with common-sense counter-measures, advice, recommended technology and other resources to protect themselves, including revelations of how Identity Theft is done (from spyware to dumpster diving), how to prevent it and also a link to get a free online credit report to check your credit history for acts of fraud.The guide also contains links and contact information for government and credit related resources that will help victims and those who don't want to become victims to take an offensive as well as defensive approach."It's frightening, but many people are victims of identity theft and don't even know it. It...
Client By Design, LLC Releases Guide To Stop Identity Theft.
Spyware > Client By Design, LLC Releases Guide To Stop Identity Theft.
Pop-up Killer Pro Software Included with Subscription to Privasafe's Email and ISP Services
Fort Lee, NJ (ContentDesk) August 24, 2005 --Privasafe, a consumer products company offering subscription e-mail and ISP services, is now including pop-up blocker software as part of its suite of privacy protection software that is free to users with a monthly subscription to Privasafe.Privasafe recognizes the inconvenience of constant pop-up windows. Now with Pop-up Killer Pro, software designed to stop unwanted popup window ads, customers can surf the internet rapidly and with ease. Once the Pop-up Killer Pro software is downloaded, it provides the user control over what goes on their PC.Additionally, Pop-up Killer Pro comes with added bonus items to further protect the PC against Spyware, and annoying pop-ups.A standard monthly Privasafe subscription rate is $14.95 a month for four email accounts and ISP service along with the free online protection software bundle. The entire package includes anti-virus software, PC Cleanser, Spyware Slayer and internet accelerator software, as well...
Pop-up Killer Pro Software Included with Subscription to Privasafe's Email and ISP Services
Spyware > Pop-up Killer Pro Software Included with Subscription to Privasafe's Email and ISP Services
6 Essential Steps to Protect Your Computer On the Internet For Free
Recently one of my friends asked me to check out if his computer was infected by virus. He suspected because occasionally the computer was shut down automatically when connected to internet. My first thought was the Sasser worm 60 seconds auto count-down. As he uses Windows 98 second edition with IE5, the virus must be a Sasser variant. I'm not network security expert but I know some basic things he must do to protect his home PC.
It was a shock when he told me that his 4 years old PC had no protection except McAfee anti-virus.
- Bought in 2000 and no Windows service packs had been applied since then.
- McAfee anti-virus software came with the PC when bought and no updates since then.
- No firewall installed.
- No anti spyware installed.
Spyware > 6 Essential Steps to Protect Your Computer On the Internet For Free
Pioneer And Most Popular Screen Saver Author Moves Website To Larger Website Location Due to Rapid Growth
(ContentDesk) October 13, 2005 -- The new location of the site allows for faster downloads which offers better service for the clients who purchase screen savers. "The continuing support of repeat clients and their word of mouth to their friends and family, and the 141 affiliates have helped in the continuing growth of my website" stated owner and Author Lisa Cruz. Even in spite of recovering from cancer, has not stopped Lisa from creating and
offerring
custom created and special effect screen savers created in several catagories such as Patriotic,Nature, Scenic, animated, animals, Nature, Desktop Clocks, and Holiday.Several Types of screen savers are offered such as the rain, lake,waterfall, fish aquarium, and snow effects. These screen savers are compatible with Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP.The new website is updated frequently and new screen savers are added often. Free demos are offered so that you can try before you buy.
There is also a mailing list you can...
Pioneer And Most Popular Screen Saver Author Moves Website To Larger Website Location Due to Rapid Growth
Spyware > Pioneer And Most Popular Screen Saver Author Moves Website To Larger Website Location Due to Rapid Growth