The more I read the last spam example offered up by my dear friend the more suspicious I became. Is it just me or since when does Paypal monitor your credit card account? How would they even have the ability to check your charges and then tell you when or when not to be concerned? Fishy, if you ask me.
Next, I have to say that whenever a download is attached to a suspicious email I am always alarmed. Downloads are the home to many malware, viruses, and spyware programs that can easily be activated as you perform a simple download of the “necessary” document. You might think you are just following a few easy steps, but in reality you are opening your computer and your personal information to immediate harm.
The simple rule of thumb is if you ever receive an odd email from a company you trust you should contact the company directly via phone or their website and find out if the email is valid. You can save yourself a great deal of time and energy if you are cautious and follow the best possible steps when it comes to your personal information.
Have a good night everyone!
Tags: malware, scams
Have you ever received an email from a friend (or friend of a friend) saying they heard about a recent scam? You must have! I think it has happened to almost all of us at some point. Think about it…
You open your email, see a message from your friend, click it, and get bombarded with a message that they discovered the most recent email scam and want to share it with you. By now, this has got to seem familiar. The only twist is that the “discovery” email did not come from a trusted source, but from a random name you have never heard of. Now what?
Hit delete! There is never a reason to open an email claiming to have heard about a scam from an untrusted source and there is definitely NEVER a reason to click on a link in an email from an untrusted source. Links and downloads from untrusted senders is the prime vehicle for malware, spyware, or a virus to be sent.
Always be on the lookout and avoid any emails that seem suspicious or have random links. One click can put your entire computer system and all of your personal information in jeopardy.
Tags: email scam, malware, new scam
I hope you took note of my last post. Malware, spyware, and viruses can be just as big of a threat as email scams. More often than not, email spam or scams can be combined with malware.
A perfect example of this hit our email only a few days ago. The title of the email read, “[From Harrison].” Brackets are always interesting in a subject title. Personally, I never really know what to make of it or why they would use them. The body of the email was simple and to the point. It read, “View attached.” Um, the red flag goes up.
The attachment was titled “Message.txt.” So, here is the big question. Why would I want to open this attachment from a person I don’t know? Well, I wouldn’t! To get back to my original point, an attachment can contain a virus or malware. If you download and interact with the file you are potentially downloading malware. For no other reason you should avoid attachments from unknown senders!
Regardless of their name or the reason they want you to open this attachment, you should not! You really don’t need to see what is on the document and most likely you really don’t want to deal with the malware that could be inside.
Tags: email, email scam, malware, new scam
You will all agree that we spend a great deal of time trying to keep you informed and “in-the-know” about recent email scams. Our number one goal is to help you understand potential online threats and learn how to stay away from those that wish to do you harm.
That being said, there is another form of online threats that we have yet to discuss in depth. We are referring to malware, spyware, and viruses. Now, we understand that some email scams almost go hand-in-hand with viruses. After all, how do you think most of these are spread?!?
The reality is that regardless of how you obtain malware, spyware, or a virus it can do harm to your computer system and your personal information. As we continue to spend time blogging, you should continue (or begin) to pay attention to your computer security.
Look to trusted companies and reliable products like Anti-Spyware for Dummies. The name may sound familiar, but have you tried the services yet? This easy-to-use software comes with extremely thorough support, automatic updates, and spyware detection and removal.
You can safeguard your computer and spend your time online without worrying about what malware, spyware, and viruses you encounter.
Tags: Anti-Spyware for Dummies, computer security, malware, software, spyware, viruses
The only thing worse than spam in your email box is spam with an attachment. That attachment could translate into a disaster for your computer and even worse, your personal information.
An attachment from an unknown source (even one that is posing as a friend) has the potential to harm your computer. Attachments can contain malware, spyware, or a virus that can download and “work” on your computer without your knowledge. Most victims of malware or spyware have no idea that they are actually a victim.
The most important thing you can do to protect you and your computer is to run a regular scan. Many companies offer scans at a reasonable price. On your search you should check to see if the company will offer you solutions for any problems, malware, viruses, or spyware the scan detects.
Part of the problem is to detect the issue and the other part of the problem is to solve and delete any unwanted programs or files. This may seem overwhelming, so make sure you take the time to find a reputable company that can walk you through the process.
Most importantly, don’t download any attachments from sources you aren’t familiar with!
Tags: attachment, computer, malware, spyware, virus
Today marks a unique day in which we receive an email variation we have never, ever seen before. We recently got an email from a man named Hoecker Moreb, a man that we obviously do not know. The subject line was quick, simple, and down right creepy. It read, “Your Wife Photos Attached”. Clue one… improper English.
Immediately, we became suspicious and of this obvious piece of spam. After clicking on the email we again found a similar quick, simple, and extremely creepy line. The only text inside the body of the email read, “Your wife photos”. The only other thing the email contained was a zip download. And, there we go! Wow, who wants to be the first to guess what that zip folder is? Can you say MALWARE!?!? And to think, Hoecker thought he could trick us!
Now, kudos to the scammer for freaking us out so much that we immediately had to click on the email. And, kudos to us for reconizing the potential dismise we would of faced if we downloaded the attachment. Crash! As we mentioned before, scammers will try to take any angle to get you to download a virus, malware, or send back personal information.
Tags: computer, email scam, malware, new scam, wife photos
A dear friend sent this scam along a few days ago. This appeared in his inbox and the subject line read “Hey xxxx@gmail.com”. Of course, we used “X” instead of his name! This scam caught his eye and he wanted to share it because they had tried to use his personal information to catch his attention. Read below.
Congratulations XXX@hotmail.com!
This is Jessica from Financial Aid Department.
I have been trying to reach you in order to inform you
that a Stimulus Check is available to you maybe!
Please register here to claim.
PENDING: ID #081R-GOXV9278
You could receive:
$5,350 a year in Federal Pell Grants
$2,500 a year in Tuition Tax Grants
We wish you all best,
Allison
Financial Aid Department
If you got this, would you think it was a message from a trusted source? Maybe one the email newsletters you signed up for? Well, it is best to take it slowly when you open and read emails that include your personal email address. They aren’t always from a trusted source. The best thing you can do is to avoid any unnecessary downloads especially if the email is vague and you are not sure the reason for its deliver. Thanks dear friend for sharing this scam with us!
Tags: email scam, financial aid department, grants, malware, personal email address, scholarships, trusted source
Hello faithful readers! We are back from our short summer vacation and of course, our inbox was full with latest and greatest scams. To welcome back the blog, we thought we could share a classic email scam that includes a download. Below is the simple text included in the email.
To Whom It May Concern:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Kindly download the attachment it contains vital information regarding your claims.
Regards,
Grace Morgan (Mrs.)
Attached came a PowerPoint presentation that was titled, “morgan letterhead”. As you might have suspected, we didn’t dare open the attachment. If we had, malware might have actually got us!
It is important to remember that attachments can be dangerous regardless of whom the email is from. The attachment could contain a form of malware that has the potential to infect your computer. Malware can be used to gather information such as bank account numbers, social security numbers, addresses, and more. On the off chance that the download does not include malware, it could offer additional information to bait you in for any other type of scam. It’s best to just avoid any attachment that you are not expecting via email.
Now, that we are back, please don’t forget to check back with us. Happy End of Summer!
Tags: email attachments, email scam, end of summer, malware, powerpoint
