Lionheart Group Scam Prevention Toolkit

Dancing Skeletons And Other Things That Go Bump At Halloween

October 28th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Malware is an ever-present concern to users of the internet. Or at least it should be. On any given day there are thousands of threats lurking all around the web, just waiting to get onto or into your computer. Special occasions and notable dates tend to bring more ghouls and goblins out of their closets though and Halloween is no exception. I don’t yet know what the biggest threats will be this year but here are some from the past that may be recycled again this Halloween – The Dancing Skeleton Do you think that dancing skeletons are cute or funny? They may be, but then again, it depends on where you get them from. An application that runs an image of a dancing skeleton may be appealing at first glance until you realise that it may just give you more than you bargained for. The application goes by many Halloween themed names but all have the same effect – installation of the Storm Trojan – which gives your computer free entrance to a botnet. Halloween Bargains That Can Leave You Feeling Like A Pumpkin Everyone likes a good deal and retailers don’t need much in the way of reasons to offer them right now. Halloween specials are available on more than just pumpkins but beware of deals that come via email. Identity thieves can spoof emails to appear as though they come from major brand leaders and all you have to do is click the link and pay by credit card in order to save huge amounts of $$$s. Of course you don’t need me to tell you that clicking links in emails and then handing out financial details is stupid. Do you? Halloween e-Cards Yeah, I know, whatever next huh? I only give out cards for birthdays and Christmas but some people give them out just because. If you get a Halloween e-card then make sure you know the sender and the e-card website before clicking on the link to view said card. Otherwise, well, you should know by now. Party On Dude Are you sociable? Wanna go to a Halloween party? Cool… just make sure its with friends and not the stranger who invited you via email – he doesn’t really like you, he just wants you to R.S.V.P. via the malicious link he put in that invite. If you survive all of those then you are halfway home, though you will still have to contend with the great Halloween scam ….

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Dancing Skeletons And Other Things That Go Bump At Halloween

How To Avoid Viruses That Come In The Mail

October 27th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

There are dozens of attack vectors that people must look out for when they are surfing the Internet. One of the oldest but still effective vectors of attack that you must look out for is the use of email. People still tend to treat email very casually and are not on their guard when they use it. I will show you how email can be used against you and what you can do to keep from getting infected. Beware Of Email Attachments There are many things that you must look out for when you open your email but the number one thing that can get you in trouble is by opening up your attachments. Email attachments are files that are sent to you when you receive an email. They may be in the form of a music file, a pdf, a word document, or a funny little video. All of these types of files can be classified under the term of “attachments”. These files while overall harmless can also be used to send a virus to your computer. Some of these files such as a pdf or a flash file have known exploits that can be taken advantage of to infect your computer. Other files can be disguised to look like one type of file such as a mp3 music file but in actuality be an executable file. This is known as a Trojan. An executable file is a file that runs an actual program on your computer. This program can be the virus or a Trojan itself and you will never know that it is running. Also an email can be used to send a link to someone to direct them towards going to another web page. This can also be used as an attack vector against an unwitting victim. Most links that you will be sent in an email are harmless, but some are not, so it pays to always be prepared. Once the person clicks the link in the email, they will be sent to a web page which can either load a virus onto their computer or ask them vital personal details in a technique called phishing . This is a very popular attack vector and one of the most easiest to implement. You can avoid getting a virus onto your computer several different ways. Some techniques include common sense, others include outside program that will help keep you safe. The first step is to make sure that you only open attachments and visit links sent by people that you know. This is not a hundred percent effective method of avoiding getting infected but it does help slim down the chances. Strange emails that send attachments and links are always a sure sign that someone is up to no good. Avoid clicking these types of emails whenever possible. If you receive a link from a friend, email them back first to verify that they did indeed send a link and their email is not being spoofed. Once that is verified it should be pretty safe to go to that link. Some email programs such yahoo and gmail come with virus scanners already attached but it helps if you have your own anti virus already going on your computer. This is the most effective way to avoid getting attacked. When someone that you know sends you an attachment in your email, just download it onto your computer, and scan it with your antivirus program before you click on it to run it. Always Keep Your Antivirus Program Updated An updated virus scanner is a great way to beat the scammers at their own game. An updated anti virus program is the number one protection. Hopefully we made you more familiar on how people will try to attack your computer through email and have given you the means on how to defeat such an attack. Remember that an updated anti virus program is your best bet. An updated antivirus and the use of your own common sense is the best way to go.

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How To Avoid Viruses That Come In The Mail

The Tools You Need To Connect To Your PC Remotely And Securely

October 27th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

One of the things that the Internet has made easier is the ability to work from home. There were private networks that allowed you to do this before but these were only available to the big time people at your company. The cost was simply too great for the company to allow just anyone that worked for them to have this ability. Time To Relax Work But with the advent of the Internet all you now have to do is just have a couple of different pieces of software to securely connect to your work computer from home. After that you are now working from your home office (aka the couch) . I will go over a few of the tools that you will need to allow you to work from home securely. Some you already have on your computer, others you will have to download. The first thing that you are going to want to do after you have decided that you want to work from a remote location, is to decide which software that you will need. The software that you choose will have to have a mixture of security features and ease of use. There are several solutions on the market that will allow you to set up what is called a VPN (virtual private network) . Go To My PC One of the most popular is a piece of software called Gotomypc . It is a VPN solution that has been heavily optimized to allow you to easily and swiftly create a VPN for your business needs. This software receives rave reviews from the tech press and is known as being fairly secure. Tight VNC A popular open source solution for a VPN connection is to use TightVNC . This software is free, provides encryption services, and is fairly well maintained by the people who own it. It is not as easy to use as gotomypc in my opinion but it is still a pretty good option. Windows Remote Desktop Last but not least is Windows very own software that is already installed in your system. This software is simply called Remote Desktop and it will allow you to connect to your computer the same as all of the others. It is not, perhaps, the most elegant solution but it gets the job done. Finish Off With A Strong Firewall Even though you may have a VPN going, you will still need to secure the rest of your network. Some people believe that if they have the VPN working on their network that it is all they need to keep the network secured. This is very wrong. You are still going to need a firewall to keep your network secured as well. You will need to have them work together , as that is how you maintain a secure connection. A strong encrypted VPN along with a good firewall will help keep your system as well as your data transmissions safe. I have walked you through several software solutions that you can use to securely connect to your computer or network remotely. I am sure that you will like the ability to work on your computer remotely when you give it a chance.

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The Tools You Need To Connect To Your PC Remotely And Securely

Avoiding Spyware With Windows 7

October 22nd, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

You should, by now, be aware that Microsoft is introducing a brand new operating system into its Windows line of OS. The new operating system is called Windows 7 and from running it, it seems to be a more stable and more secured operating system. This is very good news for people that may have had security issues with Microsoft products in the past. Unfortunately some security issues still remain that will not be helped by simply upgrading your operating system. Spyware still remains a constant annoyance when you are using a computer. I will try to walk you down the way of avoiding spyware on your system by using common sense and new upgraded technology from Windows and other third party software vendors. Microsoft has spent years trying to help their third party software creators come up with a solution to the spyware problem. Windows Defender Finally a couple of years ago they threw their hat into the ring and introduced a new product called Windows Defender. This product was shipped with Windows Vista and was available as a free download to Windows XP users. Now it is again being shipped with Windows 7 and has been much improved. This system was put down by professional security people in the past but this new updated edition has been getting good reviews for the most part. Microsoft have taken what they have learned and improved this product a great deal. Third Party Anti-Spyware Vendors You will also have third party software vendors that are coming to the party, trying to protect your computer from devious spyware offenders. Most of the major spyware software manufacturers have been upgraded to include protection for Windows 7 systems. A lot of these software companies have had to use beta Windows 7 software to test their product so they might be a step behind the companies that Microsoft has closely worked with. With the release of the new operating system though this will not be an issue much longer. Once they get their hands on the final OS version, they will be able to keep up with anyone. The software products Ad-Aware or Malwarebytes still seem to be the best of the breed when it comes to software solutions. It doesn’t matter if you have the best software on your computer if you do not keep it updated on a regular basis though. Internet Security Begins And Ends With YOU! All of the increase technology that comes with installing a new operating system version will not mean anything if you are not using common sense while surfing the Internet. New technology works a lot better if the person operating the new technology does not work against it. I do not mean to be harsh but a lot of the problems that people get involved in can usually be avoided with a little common sense. Most of the time people realize this themselves when they sit and think about it, after they have made the blunder. So the first thing is that you do not want to go to any strange web sites while surfing the Internet. If you are not sure about a web site, Google it first to see if anybody has complained about it. Most web sites that will compromise your system have already been ran across and someone has complained about them. Also do not download any software or files from people you do not know that you may receive through email or Instant Messenger systems. This is rarely legitimate and I would even suggest that files that you receive from friends you double check. Email them first and ask if they sent their files and where did they get the file from. We have given you both software and common sense solutions that may help you avoid getting spyware or something worse into your system. It is up to you to maintain vigilance and keep your system safe.

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Avoiding Spyware With Windows 7

Securing Your Brand New Windows 7 System

October 21st, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

The age of Windows 7 is upon us as the new operating system from Microsoft will be released in the next few hours. As usual there will be the normal people who update as soon as the new system is available on shelves or is ready to legitimately be downloaded. There are also others who will update when they get a new computer over time. Windows 7 Security Whatever type of person you are, it will pay to know how to secure your new operating system from all of the dangers that the Internet can contain. With the releases of this new operating system a lot of the old exploits will be made null and void. But, as with any expansive piece of new software being released, new exploits will be found and taken advantage of. It will pay for you to be prepared in the long run. Securing Windows 7 is not too much different than securing Windows Vista or Windows XP. Again it will take a combination of the latest software and the (much needed) common sense on your part to keep your operating system secured. Antivirus The first thing that you will want to do is to make sure that you have the latest version of antivirus that you use on your computer. Microsoft has been working with all of the biggest vendors that provide antivirus solutions , so that they could keep their software updated for the new OS. Now might be a good time to think about switching to one of these vendors for a short time while the other companies race to catch up. You do not want to use an outdated and incomplete antivirus system on your new operating system. Firewall Microsoft has also upgraded the choices that you now have with their integrated firewall that comes built into the system. It is now easier than ever to allow certain pieces of software to talk to an outside network with your permission. The outbound and inbound network traffic analyzer has been much improved. The whole program has been made more flexible, which was a major complaint in the past. As I said with the antivirus if you use a third party firewall , then you might want to go with one of the major companies until the smaller companies have had a chance to catch up. Until they catch up the built-in Firewall that Windows 7 provides is a decent solution. Spyware Spyware will still end up being a problem with your new system, even though they have taken steps to try to eliminate the problem. Their solution to the problem, Windows Defender, has been upgraded and has been receiving major kudos this time around from the security community. For a short amount of time they will have the inside track as being one of the better spyware solutions until the others have caught up. One of the best in the business, Ad-Aware, I did not see on the list of companies that Microsoft has been working with. This will give them a temporary disadvantage but not much of one since beta copies of Windows 7 have been released all through the development cycle. So I hope this article gives you a good understanding on what’s available and how to secure your brand new Windows 7 system. Not too much has changed but the security has been raised to a new level.

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Securing Your Brand New Windows 7 System

How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door

October 20th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Securing your network The following security measures are relatively easy to implement, provided you read the manuals that came with your wireless devices. “The manual?” you ask. Yes, the manual. You know, it’s the thing propping up the short leg on your computer desk. Take it out for now; you’ll only have to deal with the wobble until we’re done. None of the measures described here are particularly dramatic, and there are ways to get around them. But, doing so requires some skill and understanding of networking. In this case, they serve as a sort of “intellectual firewall ” that prevents script kiddies from cracking your network. These steps include the following: 1. Change the default SSID. 2. Disable SSID broadcast. 3. Change the default IP subnet. 4. Consider disabling DHCP. 5. Enable MAC address filtering. 6. Change default administrative passwords. 7. Change default user names. 8. Enable WEP or WPA encryption. 9. Adjust broadcast power. 10. Set minimum connection speeds. 11. Set access times. Change the default SSID The first step toward making a WLAN reasonably secure is changing the default SSID. This is important because anyone using a wireless sniffer can determine what sort of access point you use by looking at the default SSID. Knowing your access point model allows the cracker to guess the rest of the default settings and attack your WLAN that much easier. Don’t change the name to something obvious like your street address (I have actually seen this done) or your name. Consider using random numbers or even changing it to something tike “NOTPUBLIC” or “NOTRESSPASSING” just to make a point. Disable SSID broadcast Wireless access points are set to broadcast the SSID by default. Turn this feature off to make it harder for casual wardrivers to discover your network’s name. It won’t stop a determined cracker from discovering it, though, because wireless NICs always broadcast the SSB3 when communicating with the access point. The procedure for disabling SSID broadcast is different for each manufacturer, so consult your access point’s manual. Once you turn off SSID broadcast, you have to configure each NIC manually and input the new SSID. Change the default IP subnet The next thing you should consider doing is changing the default subnet IP addresses. Each manufacturer has a default IP subnet, and this can make it easy for an attacker to discover the IP address of your access point. Consider also disabling DHCP and assigning static IP addresses. Consider disabling DHCP Most access points support built-in DHCP service. This allows the access point to assign IP addresses dynamically to new computers as they connect to the network and to computers that are reconnecting after a shutdown or reboot. This also allows an intruder to connect to the WLAN and have the access point assign him an IP address, which makes the intruder’s computer a legitimate member of the WLAN. By disabling DHCP, you make this far more difficult. You have to assign permanent (static) IP addresses to each computer on your WLAN and manually configure them. Once again, this is an extra step, but it is well worth the effort. Insider insight : Without DHCP enabled, an intruder has to monitor and analyze network traffic in an attempt to determine the IP subnet and addresses in use He can then assign himself an IP address and attempt to establish a connection. This makes it difficult for casual sniffers and neophyte intruders to access your WLAN. Enable MAC address filtering Another step that you can, and should, take is to enable MAC address filtering. Remember that each network device has a unique MAC address assigned by the manufacturer. Many access points have an option that allows you to restrict access to specific MAC addresses. This should block any MAC addresses that are not on the “allow” list from connecting to the network. This is effective, but it is not perfect. An intruder can monitor network traffic and discover the MAC addresses of legitimate computers on the WLAN. He can then change the MAC address of his NIC, which allows him to masquerade as a member of the network and connect even when filtering is turned on. Change default administrative passwords Change the default administrative passwords on all access points. Once again, these are public knowledge, and, if a cracker knows what type of access point you use, he’ll know the default password. This will aid him in attacking your access point. Caution : Write down the new settings and passwords, and store the list in a secure place. This will be helpful if you forget this information and need it at a later date. Change default user names Likewise, the tips above apply to your username too as these are also common knowledge. Enable WEP or WPA encryption As I mentioned earlier, even though WEP encryption is flawed and vulnerable, you should use it. Enable 128-bit WEP on your WLAN, and use it. With the relatively low traffic on a WLAN in a home, it could take a cracker several hours to collect enough packets to crack your WEP key. Again, each step you perform just adds another piece to the intellectual firewall you’re building. As a whole, these measures with discourage most script kiddies and casual wardrivers. Adjust broadcast power On some access points, you can adjust the broadcast power of the unit. I recommend that you experiment and turn this down as low as you can while still maintaining decent connection speeds between computers on your WLAN. The idea is to keep the signal within the confines of your house rather than having it reach across the street. This makes the signal more difficult to receive for outsiders. Wardrivers can use directional antennas to pick up weak signals at a greater distance, but doing this will at least make it harder for them. Set minimum connection speeds On many access points, you can set a minimum access connection speed. The further away from an access point an intruder is, the weaker the signal will be (both ways). Therefore, if you set the minimum connection speed higher, computers will have to be closer to the access point to connect and stay connected. Once again, this makes it harder for an intruder to access your WLAN because he will have to be closer to connect. Anyone standing on your lawn with a wireless laptop is probably up to no good unless he’s the water meter reader. Set access times Lastly, some access points allow you to configure the times of day to allow access. If it supports this, consider using it. If no-one is home during the day, consider configuring it to block all access between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

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How To Lock Your Network’s Front Door

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What Exactly Is The Koobface Virus?

October 19th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Brief History Behind Koobface If you were to utter the word ‘Koobface’ for 10-15 times then you would probably realize that it has something to do with Facebook . That is because Koobface is actually an anagram for the word ‘FACEBOOK’. Even though it has got a cute name, Koobface is a highly dangerous computer worm. Koobface made its first ever impact on the Internet back in December of 2008. It then disappeared for a while but came back with a vengeance in March 2009. And this time it has gone big, in fact, very big. Where does Koobface hang out? As mentioned before, Koobface is most commonly associated with Facebook but it also targets other social networks, such as – hi5 Friendster MySpace and even Twitter. According to an official report by Facebook somewhere around 120 million registered users have fallen prey to the Koobface virus at some time. The Different Versions Of Koobface Even though Koobface only came to prominence in December 2008 it has in fact been around for much longer than that. Previous incarnations have been known by the following names – Net-Worm Win32.Koobface.a Net-Worm.Win32.Koobface.b WORM_KOOBFACE.DC and W32/Koobfa-Gen Over time this infectious virus grew more deadly until it became one of the largest threats on the internet today, garnering a similar amount of attention as the Conficker virus has. How can I spot the Koobface virus? You may be wondering about the way in which Koobface could find it’s way onto your computer. Well, by deception is the answer, much like most other computer viruses. You would get some messages or video links from your friends, or their friends, with catchy titles like “Look you were filmed all naked!”, “My friend catched you on hidden cam”,  ”You look just awesome in this movie” and “My home video :)”. Once you click on those links, you would be asked to download some plug-ins like Flash Player. And if you did exactly that then you’d be in trouble! According to many Internet Security experts, Koobface is one of the most deadly and viral infections of all time. Kaspersky Lab, which stands out among the best of the antivirus organizations stated that “the worms transform victim’s machines into zombie computers to form botnets.” The most important reason is that it has targeted the social networking websites which have become an essential part of the lives of people in this cyber age we live in. Although all the Social Networking websites are enhancing their security parameters to ensure safety to their users accounts you still need to be aware of all the consequences of this deadly computer worm. There are a number of methods which can help you to keep your computer free of this particular infection – more on that in a couple of days. Stay alert and avoid clicking on links posted by strangers because prevention is always better than cure. Follow this link to discover how you can remove the koobface virus .

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What Exactly Is The Koobface Virus?

Let Your Children Access The Net Safely With KidRocket

October 18th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

A couple of months ago I wrote about some child-safe browsers I came across. Here is one of them in more detail : KidRocket . Just as the name suggests, KidRocket is a computer application developed for Kids. KidRocket is actually a wonderful web browser which allows your kids to learn more about computers in an interactive manner. At the same time KidRocket keeps your desktop safe from those same jubilant, curious and sometimes naughty children! I would say that KidRocket is aimed at younger children, much as I concluded with Kido’z . The best thing about KidRocket is that its a standalone application. You do not have to install this application on your computer to make use of it. KidRocket is completely different from other conventional kid browsers. Instead of limiting access to the Internet, or filtering unauthorized content, KidRocket completely blocks the Internet and allows your children to use trusted web sites only. What exactly can this innovative kids Internet browser provide your kids with though? You cannot keep your kids in the dark about computers these days – they are here to stay and your children will have to use them as they get older. KidRocket allows you to completely lock your desktop and provides a completely different environment for your kids, where they can learn, play and have fun. Below are some of the amazing features of KidRocket – ART Here, your children can show their artistic ideas with different colors. Your child can either choose Doodle or StarBrite to put their decorated and colorful ideas onto the desktop. MATH This web browser is not all about fun though, it is in fact meant for learning too. By chosing the MATH option, your kids can brush up their fundamental mathematical concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This feature provides questions to your kids in the form of flash cards, which makes it an intuitive and fun learning tool. EMAIL Your children can get used to using email here in a manner that is totally safe. Using KidRocket, your kids can send emails to their grandparents, friends and relatives. Your kids can even take prints of their emails. You also have the option of blocking this email feature if you should consider it to be an unsafe option. ADMIN Here you get to access the timer which can control how much access time your kids are allowed to have. Once the alloted amount of time is over the application is closed automatically. I would imagine that most parents would love this feature! LAUNCH Launch is perhaps the most interesting feature offered by KidRocket. This feature allows your kids to use some of the kid safe web sites which can both educate and interest them whilst guaranteeing their safety at the same time. You can just relax while your children browse, learn and play on the safest web sites present on the world wide web. With KidRocket installed on your computer, you can allow your kids to use a computer in the safest possible way. You don’t need to worry about the important files on your computer and you don’t need to be apprehensive about the web sites your kids are viewing. Get your computer equipped with KidRocket , and allow your kids learn and play on their computer in the safest possible environment.

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Let Your Children Access The Net Safely With KidRocket

My Top 10 Internet Security Programs Of 2009

October 17th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

As 2009 draws to a close most security vendors have already released their 2010-branded products. Therefore I thought this was a good opportunity to look back over what I believe to be some of the best offerings of 2009. Sure, there may be newer versions of some of these available now (and I will be writing about those over the next few weeks) but guess what? These 2009 versions are typically just as effective, and can often be found for a fraction of the price, as retailers look to clear out old stocks Introduction to the best of internet security, 2009 Every person who uses a Windows computer on the internet needs to ensure that their system is well protected. The very first thing I do after installing the operating system onto a new computer or drive is install my security software and I would recommend that you do the same thing too. There is no point in having the latest and greatest laptop or desktop computer if you arn’t going to take care of it and that includes preventing malware from entering it, as well as blocking other threats too. How does an antivirus program work? After installing an antivirus program it will scan your computer, detect and eliminates potential virus threats in two ways – Firstly, the antivirus program scans your system files and looks for virus definitions that match it’s in-built and updated virus dictionary and if a virus match is found then it automatically alerts the user about the virus. The second method is to recognize other suspicious behavior, such as spyware or data capturing. When such behavior is detected the program will again alert the user and offer the means to put an end to them. There are many such antivirus and internet security programs available today and picking the right one can be quite a tricky prospect. In order to help you decide I’ve listed my own favourite antivirus/security programs from this year – 1. Bit defender Total Security 2009: Bit defender antivirus 2009 was one of the best antivirus programs of the year. It has also earned “Top Ten REVIEWS Gold Award” for being the best protection suite. Bit defender not only provides security to PC’s but also provides internet security as well. This version of Bit defender has new features, improved protection and performance. The main key elements are: • Easy to use. • Easy to install. • Automatic updates • Parental controls • IM encryption • Active Virus Control • Adjustable user interface 2. Kaspersky Internet Security 2009: Most of my friends, who are more casual users of the internet, have not heard of Kapersky who come from Russia. That is, perhaps, because Kaspersky are one of the younger companies featured here but they have already carved out a great name for themselves nonetheless. Kaspersky Internet Security isn’t my favourite on this list but it is a suite I’ve chosen for kids’ computers due to it’s simple and clean interface. It does offer strong protection and has also won many awards. The main features of KIS 2009 are – • Renowned antivirus scanning engine • Virus scanner • Effective anti-spyware tools • Popup blocker • Simple interface • A strong well protected firewall The ability to protect your computer registry and more. That’s why it received the “Top Ten REVIEWS Bronze Award.” Receive a discount on Kaspersky Lab products 3. Webroot Antivirus 2009: Webroot spy sweeper is a product of Webroot software INC, one of the leading providers for anti-spyware software. Webroot spy sweeper is a reliable and award-winning anti-spyware program that effectively detects and gets rid of the spyware and adware from personal computers and laptops. The main advantage of this spy sweeper is that it protects your computer from various consequences such as a slower Internet connection, pop-up advertisement problems, reduced computer performance or, in the worst case, the loss of private information and identity theft. The main features are: • Advanced Detection Techniques • Accurate Risk Assessment • Continuous Security Updates • Enhanced Blocking with Smart Shield Protection • Protection Made Easy 4. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2009: ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2009 is one of the leading top 10 antivirus programs with some great features like – • Virus definition updates are very small in size compared to others antivirus applications. • Provides best protection against zero day threat and attacks • Multi layered protection including real time email scanning • Blocking all attempts to collect and forward your personal and confidential data 5. F-Secure Internet Security 2009: F-secure Internet Security 2009 is the one of the top 10 internet security softwares. I reviewed it very recently so check out my F-Secure Internet Security 2009 review for more detailed information. F-Secure Internet security 2009 has come up with many exciting features like antispyware, spam, antivirus, and a phishing filter. It also has a new feature called DeepGuard 2.0 cloud computing technology which provides automatic updates and protects your computer from severe threats which include terrors like root kits and malware. The main features are – • Protection from virus and spyware • DeepGuard 2.0 Enabled • Healthy and trustworthy Firewall • F-Secure Black Light which detects and eliminates the presence of root kits. • Spam Filter and Anti-phishing toolbar • Parental Control 6. AVG antivirus 2009: If I were to conduct a poll asking people which antivirus vendors they know of then AVG antivirus would probably come out at the top result. This would almost certainly be due to the fact that their free antivirus program is really rather good. It is very easy to scan your computer with AVG and for that reason it is what I am running right now whilst I choose another complete internet security package. Also, the user interface is easy to understand and installation is a breeze. Later versions of AVG come with a feature called core scanning engine which offers better performance with multi-core processors. 7. McAfee Antivirus 2009: McAfee is a well-known brand and the company always offers good quality products. Their 2009 Antivirus program offers some great features including a Script Stopper to prevent viruses from spreading from one computer to another via email, and WormStopper. It can automatically update its virus database regularly. And finally it has no support for p2p File Sharing and Registry Startup Protection. 8. Panda Antivirus Pro 2009: The new Panda Antivirus made it’s comeback with some new and excellent features. The best of those new features is the ultrafast scan engine that scan almost 30% faster compared to other antivirus applications. This is another easy to use program that my kids have had on their systems recently and it did a great job of keeping them safe. Other features of Panda Antivirus Pro are – • Inbuilt Personal Firewall • Panda Antivirus has an advanced heuristic scan which maximum possible identity theft • Identity protection through Anti-Phishing Filter and Anti-Banking Trojans Engine 9. Norton Antivirus/ Internet Security Norton Antivirus/ Internet Security is one of the most reputed antivirus application on the market today. This version of Norton has the ability to identify your wireless home network and protect it. Recently Norton has brought in a special version for gaming PCs known as Norton 2009 Gaming Edition. Here are some of Norton’s main features – • Very easy to use. • Updates take only 5 to 10 minutes. • Easy to install. • Uses less system resources. 10. Trend Micro Internet security 2009: Trend Micro Internet Security is an antivirus and internet security program developed by Trend Micro who are based in Tokyo, Japan. Trend Micro are growing fast and are quickly becoming a strong contender in the internet security arena. Here are some of the best features of Trend Micro Internet Security 2009 pro – • The programs boot times are 20 percent faster and use 40 percent less RAM. • The installation of the software is very easy and doesn’t take much of your time. After the installation is finished it performs a quick scan and updates the definition files. • So you can protect your personal information with ease and Surf the Internet without slowing down your computer. • Trend Micro Internet Security has a behavioral engine which is an exceptional tool for preventing malware. • Exciting new look and good user interface • Protect your children online: • Protection against web Threats (Take 10% Off Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 Now! Coupon Code: trendsecurity ) Which of the above is best for you is something I cannot really say – I use different products for different computers, according to their usage, and have chosen those with simpler interfaces for my kids regardless of the the rest of their features. The one certainty, however, is that all of the above are highly effective and will do a grand job of keeping your computer secure. Safe surfing! 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My Top 10 Internet Security Programs Of 2009

Getting Started With Data Protection – Using A USB Flash Drive For Backups

October 15th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

One inexpensive purchase that you can make that will help you with backing up your data and avoiding losing everything is a flash card or a USB memory flash drive. Most people tend to go for flash drives. A great thing about getting a flash drive is that they can read and write data at a much greater speed, and they last longer, than a floppy disk. They also don’t suffer from scratches and other forms of damage in the way that CDs and DVDs do. Some people confuse USB Flash Drives with USB Hard Drives when they are not in fact the same thing. USB hard drives tend to be much larger in capacity and are suited to backing up entire systems or at least larger files. A flash drive is tends to have a lower capacity, at a lower cost of course, and is better suited to backing up smaller files, such as your photo albums. For instance, a 32 GB flash drive is relatively cheap these days and would probably be sufficient for storing all the pictures on your computer, and much more besides. Flash Drives Are Easy To Install It’s very easy to install a flash drive, though I would recommend learning a little about security first so that you can avoid transporting malware, such as the dreaded Conficker virus . Every modern computer has ports that are shaped like a rectangle – they tend to be small ports located on the top, back or front of your PC. Turn on your computer and insert the flash drive into one of these ports. It doesn’t matter which one you use. A menu should then appear on your screen confirming that the device you just plugged in is ready for use. From then on you should be able to use your flash drive like a regular drive – just drag and drop, or copy and paste, the files you wish to backup onto it.

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Getting Started With Data Protection – Using A USB Flash Drive For Backups

What Is Spam, What Are It’s Effects And How Do You Prevent It?

October 14th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Over time the internet has become huge and it continues to grow at an amazing rate. Almost every person who uses the internet has their own email address, or perhaps even several. Therefore I would be shocked if you are unfamiliar with the term’ spam’ ,  though you may be unaware of it’s actual effects and the measures you can take to prevent it. On technical terms Spam is actually an Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE) which refers to an email message sent to a person without his/her prior request. Spam costs virtually nothing to send and the costs are paid by the recipient (time lost in dealing with it) and the carriers (bandwidth used) rather than by the sender. This is the reason why advertisers use Spam to market their unauthorized products. Below are the different types of Spam that you should be cautious of: Phishing spam – a popular and heinous type of scam Foreign bank spam Get rich easily and quickly spam Illicitly pirated software News group and forum spam The effects of spam Individuals, or a group of users, are easily targeted by email spam. Spam usually arises as a result of giving out your email address on an unauthorized or unscupulous website. Here are some of the effects of Spam: Fills your Inbox with number of ridiculous emails. Degrades your Internet speed to a great extent. Steals useful information like your details on you Contact list. Alters your search results on any search engine. Spam is a huge waste of everybody’s time and can quickly become very frustrating if you receive large amounts of it like I do. Preventing spam There are some effective measures that you can employ to stop spam entering your inbox: Always use an updated and trustworthy antivirus program. Never share your email address and personal information like credit card details with an unreliable source. Avoid responding to any emails that you never asked for. If you receive such email then delete it immediately. Try to avoid emails with the subject “need assistance or some funds “, or any other catchy titles. And never, ever forward such emails since they could be targeted to obtain as many number of mails email addresses as possible. Whenever you need to forward an email to a group of people make use of BCC field which enables you to of hide the email addresses from each of the other recipients. Never mention your email address in newsletters or instant messenger chats. Switch off the reading pane in email clients such as Outlook. It can be done by View –> Reading Pane – Off. Hopefully the above will minimise the amount of spam you receive. If you still get too much junk mail then I would recommend getting a good email filter/blocker such as Spam Bully .

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What Is Spam, What Are It’s Effects And How Do You Prevent It?

How Can I Remove The Koobface Virus From My Computer?

October 13th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Koobface is the latest buzz in the arena of computers. No it is not a web service, neither it is an amazing software package. Koobface is actually the latest Internet worm which targets the popular social networking sites. Many Facebook users have already been infected by this highly contagious Internet worm. Why Koobface targets Social Networking sites Social networking has become a daily activity of nearly every Internet user and that is the reason why the Koobface creators have decided to make users of social networks their targets. Koobface spreads rapidly once it enters your computer, leading to slow and sluggish performance. It dumps a ‘tinyproxy.exe” file on to your computer which then hijacks your machine and leads to its automatic operation, leaving it very vulnerable. How to avoid the Koobface Virus It starts with the arrival of some automated messages or emails having catchy or weird titles like: • Paris Hilton Tosses Dwarf On The Street • You must see it!!! LOL. • My friend catched you on hidden cam • Examiners Caught Downloading Grades From The Internet • Is it really celebrity? • You look so amazing funny on our new video • Funny Moments Avoid accessing the content of such messages and emails. How do I remove the Koobface Virus? As soon as you realize its presence, scan your computer with a good antivirus program . This should be the first and foremost step. Use the Add/Remove Program tool from your computer’s Control Panel to remove the Koobface virus. Some of the Koobface files can restore themselves back on to your system. Under such cases, it is better to delete it’s processes and registry files. Its not too difficult and this is how you do it: Press Alt + Ctrl + Delete to open the Task Manager End all the Koobface processes such as bolivar28.exe che07.exe bolivar28.exe system32nScanekrn.exe system32nScanecls.exe system32splmncsjapi32.exe bolivar28.exe C:Windowsfbtre6.exe Now you need find and remove it’s Registry Files. Type “regedit” inside the RUN field and press ENTER to access the registry files of your computer. Find all the Koobface Registry values installed on your system and delete them. Below are a few examples of what you are looking for: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftActive SetupInstalled ComponentsIntelli Mouse Pro Version 2.0BStubPath: “ System32splmncsjapi32.exe” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrent VersionRun”systray” = “C:Windowsfbtre6.exe” HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce*Intelli Mouse Pro Version 2.0B*: “ System32splmncsjapi32.exe” HKEY_USERSSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce*Intelli Mouse Pro Version 2.0B*: “ System32splmncsjapi32.exe” HKEY_USERSSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsnScan32ExecuteDate: “1482008″ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrent VersionRun”systray” = “c:windowsmstre6.exe” HKEY_USERSSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunIntelli Mouse Pro Version 2.0B: “ System32splmncsjapi32.exe” HKEY_USERSSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvancedHidden: “2″ HKEY_CURRENT_USERAppEventsSchemesAppsExplorerNavigating Always update your Operating System and make sure that you always Turn On your Firewall settings. And keep updating your antivirus program as this will be an effective first defence against the Koobface Virus. Always take care when engaging in Social Networking activities – never visit strange websites and avoid accessing the URLs and content posted by strangers. Surf Carefully To Keep Your Computer Healthy!

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How Can I Remove The Koobface Virus From My Computer?

Why I Like F-Secure Internet Security 2009

October 11th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

F-Secure have always had a great reputation for making top quality internet security and antivirus products. Their latest offering, F-Secure Internet Security 2009, is a solid package which offers antivirus, antispyware, spam and phishing filter features. It also features DeepGuard 2.0 cloud computing technology which provides automatic updates and protects your computer from severe threats which include terrors such as rootkits and malware. It is very easy to install F-Secure Internet Security 2009 and it offers a whole host of features that will protect your computer from just about every type of virus, malware, Trojan and rootkit thats out there right now. Protection from virus and spyware You may be amazed to discover that F-Secure Internet Security 2009 actually has the Kaspersky antivirus engine integrated with its technology. What this means is that F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is able to detect and delete any kind of virus or spyware from your computer. F-Secure BlackLight No antivirus program detects and deletes rootkits by itself. There are many programs available which have to be run separately so that they can eliminate the rootkit-related problems from your computer. F-Secure BlackLight, however, always stays alert and detects the presence of rootkits and instantly eliminates them from your computer. DeepGuard 2.0 Enabled F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is the first ever antivirus to incorporate DeepGuard technology. Deepguard is actually a cloud computing system, which enables it to protect your computer from any new threat within 60 seconds of its confirmation. It recognizes each and every unauthorized external activity and prevents your computer from getting infected by new threats. Firewall Any Internet Security system is incomplete without a healthy and trustworthy Firewall. The most amazing thing about F-Secure Internet Security 2009’s Firewall is that its settings can be customized as per the user’s wish. It keeps check on all incoming and outgoing Internet activities. Whenever it detects malicious traffic, it blocks the Internet access to that particular application and instantly protects your system from viral threats. You can even set your Firewall to work in Normal Mode, which would grant access to some of the basic activities like IM, email and IRC. Spam Filter and Anti-phishing toolbar Spam is one of the most serious and common problems for just about every Internet user. F-Secure Internet Security 2009 has an integrated program which protects your systems from unsolicited emails. It’s anti-phishing toolbar provides extra layer of protection from serious spam and phishing scams. Parental Control This feature is especially for all those parents who are worried about the kind of web sites visited by their children. Parental Control features enable you to password protect some of the applications and programs to ensure that the Internet does not turn out to be BAD for your kids. It even enables you to whitelist or blacklist particular web pages. With all these features, F-Secure Internet Security 2009 has been released with one sole objective, “protection of your system from virus, spam, malware, rootkits and every other similar threat”. With the innovative factors like DeepGuard 2.0 protection and BlackLight, F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is a stand out option for users who are looking for a trustworthy Internet Security package. Whilst there are many feature-rich antivirus and security programs available today I do have to say that F-Secure Internet Security 2009 offers robust protection for all types of users at an affordable price. Why I Like F-Secure Internet Security 2009 is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out 101 Internet Security Programs and Tips

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The Perfect Illustration Of What Koobface Can Do To Your Computer

October 10th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15708236@N07/2846915408/ If you wake up one morning to find your computer smiling back at you with a face like the one above then you’re well and truly screwed – you’ve been infected by the mischievous Koobface Virus !

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The Perfect Illustration Of What Koobface Can Do To Your Computer

How Do I Remove Conficker After It Disables My Antivirus?

October 9th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

The Conficker virus differs from other viruses online because it is one of the few malicious worms that have already learned how to protect themselves from deletion. One of the first steps that all of the different variants of the virus take is to disable all anti-virus software and updates that you may have on your operating system. This ensures that the hole it entered through stays open so that it can continue to host and download files on your computer without any interference. Additionally, once you have the Conficker virus, it pays close attention to your browsing habits, disabling your entry to any websites such as Microsoft or anti-virus websites that could help you rid your system of it. So, if the virus itself prevents you from reaching any type of aid, how do you get rid of it once you have it? Well, there is no set way to remove the Conficker virus from your computer since there are different variants that attack in different manners but there are a few basic tips that may help you remove it on your own before it destroys your operating system. Many people have found a way around its limited browsing stipulations by having a friend email them an anti-virus download or the Conficker security patch. While you may no longer be able to access a downloadable removal service for the virus from your computer, you are still able to access software in your email, so this may be an effective way to attack the virus. You may also consider taking your computer to a computer repair technician if you are suspicious you have the Conficker virus because the longer you allow it to feed on your system the more irreparable the damage it is likely to cause. If all else fails, reformatting is always effective, but be careful when transferring files to an external storage space because variant B of the Conficker virus will ride along on your storage card to make sure it can re-infect your computer when you reload your files.

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How Do I Remove Conficker After It Disables My Antivirus?

In What Ways Can A WLAN Be Attacked?

October 8th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Just as there are many ways to attack a wired network, there are numerous ways to attack a WLAN . If a WLAN isn’t secured properly, an attacker may be simply able to connect to the network without having to make any sort of elaborate effort and without using any specific exploit. When the situation warrants, crackers have a number of techniques for cracking a WLAN. A basic understanding of these attacks will give you a better idea of the threats you face and how you should deal with them. Crackers are continually locating new avenues for intrusion and updating their tools to take advantage of them. Many types of exploits are very technical and require significant knowledge of networking to understand. Man-in-the-Middle Attack A man-in-the-middle-attack involves an attacker intercepting and monitoring network traffic or client authorization information and using it to authenticate with a server. In the first attack, an attacker intercepts authentication data from a legitimate user’s computer by configuring his computer to pose as an access point and then uses that data to authenticate his own computer with the network server. The attacker can then gain access to additional network resources. The attacker listens for a reply to the ARP request and then either “spoofs” the MAC address by posing as a legitimate computer or sends an unsolicited ARP reply by transmitting his own MAC address to the WLAN. Computers on the network receive the unsolicited ARP reply and update their list (cache) of MAC addresses with the attacker’s MAC address. Legitimate computers may then associate the attacker’s MAC address with that of a legitimate one by routing traffic to the attacker’s machine. In the second method, an attacker listens for and intercepts an address resolution protocol (ARP) request sent from one legitimate user’s computer to another. ARP is a network protocol used to determine a computer’s physical network address, which is also known as the media access control layer address (MAC address). Every NIC and access point has a unique MAC address assigned at the factory where it is manufactured. MAC Address Spoofing Attack An attacker monitoring traffic on a WLAN can listen for replies to ARP requests and intercept MAC addresses of legitimate computers on a network. The attacker then configures his computer to transmit and receive data on the network using a stolen MAC address to gain access to network resources and information. Internet Protocol Address Spoofing Attack To gain access to a WLAN, an attacker can acquire an Internet protocol address. Using a sniffer, the attacker monitors the WLAN to see what IP addresses the WLAN uses (this range of addresses is called the subnet). After the attacker determines the IP subnet, he assigns himself an unused address and connects to the WLAN. If a network uses the dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), it’s even simpler. DHCP software automatically assigns IP addresses to computers logging onto the network. If an attacker knows the service set identifier (SSID) for the network (which can also be sniffed), he can connect, and the access point or router with DHCP software will assign him an IP address. Manufacturers have included DHCP service in most routers and access points. Denial of Service Attack An attacker doesn’t use a denial of service (DoS) attack to gain access to a WLAN. Instead, DoS attacks are used to deny legitimate users access to the network and its services. WLANs are vulnerable to DoS attacks in a number of ways. First, using a brute-force attack, an attacker can “flood” an access point with network traffic, which effectively shuts it down for other users. Users attempting to use that AP are unable to connect, which is much like receiving a busy signal when calling someone on the telephone. An attacker can also use a high-power radio source on the same frequency to interfere with the WLAN and drown out its signal. The resulting radio noise prevents devices on the network from talking to and hearing one another, which brings network operation to a halt. This sort of attack is risky for an attacker. Getting close enough to the WLAN with a high-powered transmitter can make him easy to locate using sniffers and scanners. A denial of service resulting from a high-powered signal may not always be an intentional attack. RF interference from other devices that share the same spectrum could result in essentially the same network conditions as a DoS attack. However, this sort of accidental “attack” is rare if you take care in designing your network. DoS attacks are nothing new. They’ve been a problem on wired networks and the Internet for years. Certain applications and devices are susceptible to different forms of DoS attacks. Crackers may exploit design flaws that can trigger shutdown or crashing of devices. The best way to become aware of these DoS threats is to be knowledgeable about vulnerabilities that affect your equipment and deal with them as they arise.

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In What Ways Can A WLAN Be Attacked?

SPYwareRemover Anti-Spyware – The Official Spyware Remover

October 8th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

SPYwareRemover has once again proved its relentless efficiency pursuit by optimizing its 2009 version to a level attained by only a few anti-spyware softwares currently available in the markets. Spyware Remover has established it’s performance standards in its past years by rendering unwavering service in protecting and preventing computers of different nature and capacity from all sorts of online threats. With the advent of internet marketing and promotional businesses, the instances of harmful adware activities have increased to a large extent. They have a variety of patterns in which they attack your data processing system and information centers without giving any evident trouble during the initial stages. But this gradually affects the processing power of your computer and corrupts important information files saved in your network. Once the malware or virus finds the path for entering your computer, every time you access the internet this element starts spying and working on your files and applications rendering their efficiency to a considerable degree. Risks are of diverse in nature; for instance, you might be at a high risk of losing important data stored in your databases systems. Spywares may spy on all or part of the information you feed into various online portals and processing platforms like your online banking account, trading accounts, electronic money transfer accounts etc. Under today’s circumstances spyware and adware activities are highly advanced and they are finding newer weapons and instruments to crack through the normal protection measures implemented by reputed web browsers in conjunction with operating systems like windows. Even the costliest of antivirus softwares are being cheated by these smart adwares. The latest version of Spyware Remover was released by expert scientists and researchers in the field of advanced network protection. Spyware Remover is the official anti spyware software of several big corporate firms and multi-licensed companies. It’s 2009 version has further enhanced its reliability and integrity in protecting all the known and unknown threats that might possibility attacks your computer. The version has several add-on features incorporated into its program that includes improved spyware remover, systematic adware eliminator, upgraded pop-up blocker, robust Hi-Jack killer, advanced cookie cleaner, and automatic history remover. It also comes with an efficient technical support system that offers great customer care service. Its functioning is effectively divided into three phases, the first one being thorough scanning followed by detection and removal of spywares and hidden Trojans. This second phase makes sure that your computer’s lost performance is restored with all its functionalities. After this it functions as a shield and blocks harmful spywares from gaining access to your system and data transmitting paths. As an introductory offer of its current version, Spyware Remover is giving 50 percent discount on its normal price. You can also download a trial version that will let your PC get a free scan so that you realize the working capacities of this revolutionary application. Spyware Remover works on Windows and requires a processor of 100MHz or above. GET IT NOW!! SPYwareRemover Anti-Spyware – The Official Spyware Remover is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out 101 Internet Security Programs and Tips

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SPYwareRemover Anti-Spyware – The Official Spyware Remover

Fighting Back Against Spam

October 7th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Spam wastes your time, and when you’re using your mobile device, it wastes your money. Of course I’m not talking about Hawaii’s favorite canned meat. I’m talking about unsolicited commercial e-mail, junk e-mail in fact. Once your e-mail finds its way onto a spammer’s list, your inbox is inundated with spam advertising from personal enhancement ads to car loan notices and everything in between. Spam Filters Many e-mail service providers provide some sort of anti-spam service that filters out spam messages with varying degrees of success. If you have access to one of these services I suggest that you use it, but monitor it to make sure that it doesn’t mistake your legitimate e-mail for spam. Spam filters usually move suspected spam to a junk folder where you can view it at your convenience, just to make sure that no real mail gets deleted by mistake. Spam Prevention The best way to reduce spam is to prevent your e-mail address from getting on a spammer’s e-mail list in the first place. When one spammer has it, they will all get it sooner or later. Also, once you’re on a list there’s no way to get off of all of them; you’re going to get spam forever. There are a few ways that you can avoid getting on spam lists though – Don’t ever give out your real e-mail address when filling out online forms, especially when you’re entering contests or claiming “free” prizes. Don’t post your e-mail address to Web sites or discussion and news groups. Don’t post to discussion or news groups from your real e-mail account. Consider setting up a throwaway or junk e-mail account that you can use as the address you give out when you sign up for stuff online. This way once the address starts finding its way onto spammer lists, the spam doesn’t wind up in your real inbox. Periodically, you can log in and check the spam account to delete piled up messages and make sure that no important mail is waiting there among the spam. Also, if you use a free e-mail service you’ll have to log in periodically to keep the account active. If you participate in Usenet or other discussion groups, don’t post from your real e-mail account. Spammers use automated software that scans groups and compiles lists of e-mail addresses. Post from your throwaway account, and keep your inbox spam-free. The automated software that spammers use also can detect and copy e-mail addresses from Web pages and the bodies of news postings. If you post from your junk account but list your real e-mail address in the message body you’ll end up on the junk e-mail lists. If you must post your real e-mail address, obfuscate it so that the spammers scanning software won’t recognize it as an address. For example, if your e-mail address is you@yourisp.com, you could post it as “you at yourisp dot com” or “youNOSPAM@yourNOSPAMisp.com.” Either one would be decipherable by a reasonably intelligent human being, but not by a spam-bot. Reporting Spam Besides filtering, another step that you should take is to report spam. Rather than ducking and hiding we should start hitting back. Many spammers use (abuse) someone else’s mail server, often without their knowledge. If you take the time to report the spam, mail administrators can take action and stop spammers from abusing their servers. Web sites that use spam to advertise may be in violation of their service agreements and reporting the spam can get them shut down. The best reporting tool I have found is Spamcop.net . Once you register, you can report spam through an online form or by forwarding spam to an e-mail address that they assign you. You also can get a spamcop.net e-mail address, which spamcop.net monitors to filter out spam.

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Securing Your WLAN With Encryption

October 6th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Encryption has been in use for a long time. The ancient Greeks and Romans used early encryption techniques to secure their communications, and governments and individuals have used encryption ever since. Many early types of encryption are still in use in some form today, including steganography, restrictive algorithms, and proprietary encryption schemes. These older encryption techniques often suffer from numerous design and implementation flaws, and, when companies integrate them into networking products, security ultimately suffers. Modern encryption techniques Modern encryption techniques utilizing computers and advanced mathematical science are far more secure than those that preceded them. They use unrestricted algorithms in conjunction with numeric keys to secure information. Because unrestricted algorithms are public, and have been tested and withstood scrutiny and attack by the world’s best cryptanalysts, they are more secure than the older restrictive algorithms. These techniques, even though they are not foolproof, have proven to be robust and reasonably secure. WEP Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the encryption standard developed for wireless networking. WEP encrypts data traveling between access points and computers on the network. It’s a nice name, but the technology hasn’t lived up to its promise. WEP suffers from a number of flaws that allow attackers to discover keys by analyzing network traffic. Attackers can then decrypt all data in real time and continue to compromise the network. WPA In order to improve security, the Wi-Fi Alliance developed a new standard known as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). WPA is much more secure than WEP, however, some older devices may not be upgradeable to WPA, and older mobile devices (Pocket PC and Palm) may not have enough processing power to take advantage of WPA. Although it is better, WPA is vulnerable to simple DoS attack. If an attacker sends two forged data packets to a WPA-enabled access point in under one second, he can trick WPA into thinking it’s under attack and force it to shut down for over a minute. This effectively locks all users out of the access point. If the attacker does this repeatedly, he can cause real headaches. All protocols are susceptible to DoS attacks in some form, so this is a trivial vulnerability. I say don’t worry about it; if your system allows you to do so, upgrade to WPA as soon as you can. If WPA is compatible with your network, then enable it. You can enable WPA (and WEP) using the configuration utility for your device or through its Web interface. If you can’t use WPA, then use WEP. Even if WEP can be broken, it takes some effort, and you can deter all but the most determined crackers. Faced with having to crack WEP or simply moving on to the next open WLAN, most crackers will just move along. VPN If you telecommute or work from home and need extra protection, use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN acts as a “tunnel” to protect data traveling between your workplace and home (or laptop). Chances are good that your company already has one installed so all you need to do is contact your IT dept and (very nicely!) ask for a VPN client. This allows you to check and send e-mail and other data through an encrypted link with the company mail server. Dealing with Default Settings Failing to change the default settings on WLAN equipment can facilitate attacks and allow unskilled script kiddies to access your network with little effort. Each manufacturer has default settings for all the equipment they produce. These settings facilitate installing the equipment; unfortunately, many users never change them. They just take their router out of the box, hook it up, and start using it. Default settings are public knowledge to crackers, who post them all over the Internet. There are default settings for passwords, SSIDs, broadcast strength, and IP addresses. Failing to change any of these can leave your network vulnerable to attack.

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Protecting Your Kids With Computer Parental Control

October 6th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Every day, millions and millions of children surf the web. Every time they surf the web, they are at risk of seeing extremely graphic and disturbing images – images even too much for many adults to see. These images often include hardcore pornography. Even though many parents feel that they have taught their children how to use the internet properly and carefully, this is often not enough. Once the children hit a certain age (usually their teenage years), they are at great risk of coming into contact with pornography , or even chatting with online predators. Many teenagers may even put photos of themselves online, making it much easier for predators to find them. The other problem with chatting is that teenagers can easily give out personal information in a matter of seconds, making them extremely vulnerable to online predators. TAKE STEPS THAT HELP Being aware of what your children are doing online is extremely important in order to eliminate some, or all of the above risks. You can take a few steps that will help, which include putting your computer in the living room, or even peaking over their shoulder once in a while. Make sure they notice you are peaking over their shoulder – this will make the chance of them visiting certain restricted sites a lot less. Even though it may not seem right morally, an act like this can save you and your children a lot of pain and trouble in the future. INSTALL A PORN BLOCKER PROGRAM Even after taking the above precautions, it is close to impossible to monitor every move your children are making online. It is quite a scary thought for many parents, but there is one method that has been proven effective for many years – porn blockers. Porn blockers do exactly as the name states – block porn. How do they do that? They filter through the web every day, building list of adult websites to block. Obviously, it is very difficult to block every single adult website, but programs like ContentPurity and other similar software blocks a good majority of the adult based websites. These programs also blocks websites with certain keywords, and you can even customize these keywords yourself most of the time. These days, almost every household consists at least computer, while many have up to two, three, or even four. With such access to computers and the internet, children are at very high risk for seeing content that is simply not meant for their age group. Thus, as a parent, it is important to take the right step and purchase or find a good free porn blocker program such to ensure that your children will not be at risk of watching videos, which are not meant for their age. Even though you may feel some sort of guilt monitoring your children’s online activities, it is something you must do as a parent. Their mind has not fully developed yet in that time of their life and much of the content on the web is just not meant for them to see.

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Protecting Your Kids With Computer Parental Control

How Do I Stop My Kids Watching Porn On The Internet?

October 2nd, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Many parents dread their children using the internet, and it is usually for one reason – fear that they may came across porn by accident, or furthermore, they may surf for porn on purpose . Either way, porn can be very damaging to your child. Thus, it is important to discover early whether your child is surfing for porn. Why would discovering whether your child is watching porn or not matter? If you find out your child is watching porn, there are several reputable programs that can help you block porn from the computers in your household. This is an extremely important step to take, as much of the material online is extremely hardcore, and such material can be very damaging to the mind of a child, thus causing long lasting effects. If proper precautions are taken, you can find out if your child is watching porn, and take action to halt it. ITS ONLY EVER A FEW CLICKS AWAY Every single day, thousands of children are introduced to the world of computers and the internet. Though the internet is a fascinating place where children learn, discover, and have fun, it can also be a place that is extremely dangerous, in the sense that certain unethical material can be accessed. Pornography is only a few clicks away on the internet, and needless to say, a child can access porn very easily, whether they are doing it on purpose, or by accident. As children use the internet more and more, they grow more curious. They may grow old of the previous things they used the internet for, and they may feel the need to explore further. This may lead to going into chat rooms, which can often lead to one thing – pornography. Many chat rooms have pornography banners, and clicking on these banners will land your child into porn sites. Furthermore, a majority of chat rooms have pop ups. When your child opens the chat room, many, many popup will come up, many of which contain adult material. Clicking on these popup will also take you into porn sites. Let alone that chat rooms are quite dangerous, porn sites are even worse. Once your child sees porn once, it may become an addiction. Their next step will be to visit search engines and look for porn. At this point, it may become a daily thing, where they watch porn, and it can take away from other things they regularly did – hang out with friends, study, play sports and so on. HOW CAN I BLOCK PORN? As you can see, pornography is something that can have many negative effects on your child, thus it is important to find out early whether your child is surfing for porn. How can you find out? There are many programs that help you do just that, by monitoring your child’s surfing activity. You will obviously be doing this without them knowing, or else the program would be virtually useless. A very reputed program to help find out whether your child is surfing for porn is PC Tattle Tale. The program costs a mere $49.99, and can make a lifetime of difference. There are, of course, a lot of other available porn blocker software programs. I recommend you to have a look around and find out what best suits your needs. As an adult, you are probably aware as for how much of the internet is filled with adult content. It is your job to monitor your child and find out whether or not they are watching pornography. If they are, you must then take further steps to counsel them, and to possibly limit their access of the computer and internet. It only takes a few adult videos to corrupt the mind of your child, so do not let it get that far. Take action while you can and put your child back on the proper road. Pornography can have long lasting negative effects on their mind. Now, there are obviously other ways to find out if your child is watching porn, but using a program to help you is one of the most efficient ways!

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How Do I Stop My Kids Watching Porn On The Internet?

What Every Parent Needs To Know About Registering A Website For Their Kids

October 1st, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

More and more children are getting their own websites these days, including my own for whom I have already registered their own names as dot coms. There are many reasons why kids are doing this – they want blogs to use as online diaries, they wish to learn how to design websites or they may even have a product or service that they are already looking to market. Whatever their motives, you as parents need to put some thought into registering whichever domain name they are going to use. REGISTERING A DOMAIN Registering a domain name is a quick and painless task that most people can accomplish with ease, though you should watch out for some common domain name scams . During the registration process you will be required to enter the contact information for the person who is making the purchase. The sort of information that you will have to enter includes your name, address, phone number and valid email address. What you may not realise is that this information is usually made public knowledge by default. Therefore, especially in this age of identity theft , you will want to mask your personally identifiable information as much as possible. I would recommend registering a domain name through an office address and using a post office box. You may also want to choose a free email service, such as gmail, instead of using your own personal email account. If you don’t do that then just about anyone can look up the full contact details of the person who owns that domain name. Another precaution you can employ to prevent this breach of you or your kid’s privacy is to employ some form of privacy protection. The majority of domain registrars these days offer such a service for free or a modest fee of a couple of dollars. If you use such a service then all the registration information will be shielded from public view. WHY YOU NEED TO GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME If you have already registered a domain and included your personal information then it is possible to go back into your account to amend it. That, however, doesn’t make the previously entered data inaccessable – if someone wants to see the historical details then they can if they pay a small fee and there is nothing you can do to prevent that. Even if you add privacy protection at a later date the initial contact details that you entered will be stored. Remember that once information is published on the internet it is incredibly difficult to get it removed permanently. Therefore it is imperitive that you protect your data from the outset.

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What Every Parent Needs To Know About Registering A Website For Their Kids

How Are Identity Theft Crimes Being Committed Today?

September 29th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

A few years ago, when identity theft was a new crime, many people became victims via the simplest of schemes and ruses. Nowadays, however, web users are far more educated about the risks and so the identity thieves are having to find new ways of committing their crime. ID theft is still here for the long haul but those behind it have had to become far more inventive about how they trick their victims into revealing sensitive information. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video PHISHING & VISHING One of the more obvious forms of identity theft comes in the form of phishing which is something I hope you now know all about. (If you don’t then you can get detailed information here – Phishing – What Is It And How Can You Avoid It? ) To recap, phishing is a technique employed by identity thieves whereby they send emails to consumers that appear to be from a legitimate source, such as their bank or credit card company. Said email will then ask the consumer to verify some important pieces of information, such as their account number, credit card numbers, or even their social security numbers. Should you return the email, with the information that was requested, then an identity thief will have all they need to be able to start buying products and services in your name. Such a scheme was incredibly effective at first but has become less so with time as people have wisened up to it. A newer version of phishing, known as ‘ vishing ‘, doesn’t even require the victim to own a computer. Instead they will receive a phone call, spoofed so that it appears to have come from their bank, which will require an account authentication process. The hope here is that the victim will be foolish enough to tap or speak out their account number so that the thief can then steal it. PHARMING Pharming has also been around for some time now and tries to trick users into revealing information in much the same way that phishing and vishing attempts do. The main difference, however, is that pharming is not conducted via email or the telephone. Instead, pharming normally relies upon a computer being infected with a Trojan which then allows it to server up fake web pages which look identical to the genuine article. Imagine that you open up your bank’s web page and are confronted with something that looks exactly like what you are expecting to see – you could be tempted to enter your information there couldn’t you? The proliferance of pharming has led to consumers becoming more aware of it and search engines and browsers have begun offering tools which will flag up suspect pages. This has led identity thieves to come up with yet new cunning plans… EMPLOYMENT WEBSITES One of the newer versions of identity theft being committed today takes advantage of the current economic climate. With large numbers of people out of work, or looking to earn more than they currently are, employment websites are receiving unprecedented numbers of visitors. ID Thieves have taken advantage of this fact and will trawl such sites looking for potential victims. They will then pose as a ‘prospective employer’ when making contact with an individual who has posted a resume online. They will then ask the applicant to submit themselves to a background check. Job seekers will think that the information being requested is reasonable and that the requester is a legitimate recruiter. They will often gladly hand over all manner of information, including names, addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers. STAY SAFE The lesson here of course is to never trust anyone with your sensitive information unless you are 100% certain that they will keep it safe and secure. Whilst there are countless other scams used by identity thieves to gain access to information the basic premise remains the same -they extract information from people by gaining their trust. Remember that people, and organisations, online are not always who they say they are. Stay aware of these scams at all times and you may just avoid the headache of identity theft .

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How Are Identity Theft Crimes Being Committed Today?

Why You Shouldn’t Disregard The Conficker Virus Just Yet

September 29th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

You may have disregarded the warnings about the Conficker virus the day before April 1st as just another exaggerated epidemic like Y2K. However, if you are lucky enough to have avoided infection up to now it may be time to take the warning a little more seriously because the Conficker virus is a very real crippling agent that can destroy your computer system if activated. Thought to have been developed in Germany, since the root of the name ‘ficken’ is a German obscenity, and the domain it uses has been tracked to Ukraine, the Conficker virus is a very powerful computer worm that has infected millions of computers since it emerged in October 2008. It is estimated that, since then, between 9 and 15 million computers have been infected by the Conficker virus, and the number is still growing exponentially as its variants gather strength and continue to grow. There are four known variants of the Conficker virus , all of which are designed to open the door for each other should one find its way onto your computer. Although the variants have different destructive paths into your personal laptop, once they fix themselves into your operating system they open the door for strong strands so that your computer can be taken over. Most people who have the Conficker virus are unaware of its presence until they notice that they can no longer update their computer software or until their operating system crashes. This is because the Conficker virus works in the background downloading files and using your computer system as a host computer to continue spreading itself throughout the Internet world. This is one reason why it has been a struggle to trace the origins of the Conficker virus, because once it finds a host computer it simply exhausts all its available resources, using it as a command center, and then moves on. Thus, if you are not aware of its presence in your computer, you can continue to use most of your Internet functions until it has used all your resources and crashes the operating system leaving your computer worthless and inoperable.

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Why You Shouldn’t Disregard The Conficker Virus Just Yet

What Exactly Is A HYIP Scam?

September 28th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Firstly, for those of you who don’t already know, HYIP stands for High Yield Investment Program. HYIPs are one of the most common scams on the internet today, though they became a source of income for scammers well before the digital age. There are a huge number of people looking to make extra money, for many reasons, including becoming debt free or in the hopes of giving up their day job. A large proportion of those people have internet access and will come across some of the thousands of HYIPs that are circulating the net at any time. The allure of HYIPs is the promise of large returns on small investments, the type of investment a lot of potential internet investors may believe they can afford. With some HYIPs offering returns from 10% to even 50% per day on an investment of as little as $10, it is easy to see why some people get suckered into them, especially when it is known that some people do make the quoted returns. The downside of HYIPs, however, is that a larger number of people lose all their money. In order for the HYIP to pay out to some investors, they use the money invested by the newer members. In other words, a high yield investment program is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. Whilst anyone getting in early could make a profit, the truth is that the only people consistently making money from HYIPs are those that start them. As no-one really knows how much money is circulating at any time it is impossible to predict when the HYIP will crash, as it surely will. Therefore, investing in one is not much different to flipping a coin – ‘HEADS’ I win : ‘TAILS’ you lose

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What Exactly Is A HYIP Scam?

Why You Need More Than Just Software To Secure Your PC

September 28th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Have you installed an antivirus program ? Good. Got an antispyware program ? Well done. Is your operating system fully patched ? Excellent! Your PC must now be totally secure, right? WRONG! If you have been online for any length of time then you should already be aware of the types of programs I mentioned above. If not, then you are a danger and a menace to yourself . On the other hand, if you do run the appropriate security programs then chances are that your computer is running fine and contains no malware. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Don’t be too pleased with yourself though because your PC is still not totally secure yet. WHY YOU NEED TO PHYSICALLY SECURE YOUR COMPUTER Some, perhaps most, of the threats to your PC come from across the internet but there is another type of danger too, a very human one. Its easy to forget that data theft can occur in person and theres also the issue of hardware being stolen too. How secure is your laptop? Do you leave it on the front seat of your car when you are out on the road? Do you lock it in the boot? Worse still, have you ever left your computer unattended in a public place, even for just a minute or two? What would happen if someone picked it up and ran? What personal or business information would you lose, how would you retrieve it and what damage could be caused with it? SECURING YOUR COMPUTER The first thing you should do is to engage your brain as commonsense often goes a long way. You should always secure your computer in an appropriate manner. For laptops that means never letting them out of your site, locking them away out of sight when not being used and keeping windows shut (and doors locked) when stopped at traffic lights. For desktop computers you can buy various cables and locks which can secure your machine to the desk. Of course it goes without saying that a determined thief would take your PC whatever you do but most are opportunists and the above tips will make your computer far less appealing to them than the next one they can see.

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Why You Need More Than Just Software To Secure Your PC

Revealing The Secret Identity Of The Single Biggest Threat To Your Online Security

September 27th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Yes, thats right, its YOU !!! You could be forgiven for thinking that the biggest threats online come from spyware, viruses or phishing emails but you would be wrong nonetheless. The biggest security threat is in fact an uneducated user, someone who doesn’t even understand the threats to their online security. If there is any chance that I am describing YOU then do something about it now – read these 101 tips to keeping yourself secure , along with the rest of this site! (The easiest way to do that is by subscribing to daily updates via my RSS feed )

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Revealing The Secret Identity Of The Single Biggest Threat To Your Online Security

Are The Governments Of The World Spying On Us By Installing Keyloggers In New Computers?

September 25th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

The following email forward has been circulating for quite a while now and is obviously still popular as it arrived in my inbox again yesterday. This particular one is worded for the benefit of U.S. computer users as it references the Department of Homeland Security but there are plenty of other variants for other countries too. The email claims that the government has installed keystroke loggers into new laptops (and other computers too presumably) – GOVERNMENT AND COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS CAUGHT INSTALLING HARD-WIRED KEYSTROKE LOGGERS INTO ALL NEW LAPTOP COMPUTERS! Devices capture everything you ever type, then can send it via your ethernet card to the Dept. of Homeland Security without your knowledge, consent or a search warrant each time you log onto the internet! The real life implications of this are plain: Computer manufacturers appear to be cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security to make every person who buys a new computer subject to immediate, unrestricted government recording of everything they do on those computers! EVERYTHING ! Even though I have an interest in reading about conspiracy theories from time to time I am still pretty certain the above email is a total hoax. Others, however, are not so convinced – see Fear The Government . What do you think?

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Are The Governments Of The World Spying On Us By Installing Keyloggers In New Computers?

10 Easy Methods To Avoid Credit Card Fraud

September 24th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

In the digital age that we now live in it is, in many respects, safer to use a credit card online than it is to use it in the world at large. That said, credit card fraud is still very much on the increase so you would do well to keep your wits about you. If you believe you have already become a victim of credit card fraud then report it immediately, to the credit card issuer and to the police. The sooner you act, the sooner action can take place to ensure that the situation doesn’t get any worse. Also, report it to the credit agencies, such as Experian and Equifax, so that the fraudster cannot open any new accounts in your name should they have also been able to steal your identity . 10 Easy Methods To Avoid Credit Card Fraud Most are obvious but you would be surprised how many people are scammed by not doing these… Keep your credit card secure and never let anyone take it away from your direct line of sight Never give your credit card number, especially the 3 digit security number on the back, to anyone who calls or emails you Never enter credit card details into a website you don’t completely trust. You should check that the website address begins with https: and that there is a padlock symbol in your browser in order to know that you are dealing with a secure site. Always sign a new credit card the moment you receive it. Don’t make your PIN number your date of birth or 1234 – these numbers are easy to guess! Never write your PIN number down, especially if you intend to keep it in the same place as the card. When entering your PIN number at an ATM or similar, make sure no-one around has the opportunity to see the number. Check your credit card statement religiously to ensure there are no unknown transactions on it. Always shred any correspondence that has your credit card number or account details on it. If you move house then inform your credit card issuer of your new address straight away.

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10 Easy Methods To Avoid Credit Card Fraud

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Asian Teenage Hackers To Join MI5 To Fight Cyber Terrorism

September 23rd, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

According to a recent report in The Sunday Express , the British spy agency MI5 has begun recruiting teenagers to aid their fight against cyber terrorism which it claims is emanating from China, Russia, Pakistan and even Belmarsh maximum security prison!! MI5 is believed to have already hired around 50 hackers, most of whom are young Asians, to work in their newly formed top secret Cyber Operations Command, a function which has a close working relationship with the Pentagon. Each of the youngsters has had to sign the “Official Secrets Act” which means they cannot even tell their friends, girlfriends or parents what they are getting up to when they work in the Security Service building which is located next to The Thames in London. In a report to Lord West, the Security Minister, it was revealed that during this summer alone there were over 1,000 hits made on computers in Whitehall. Other key assets to have been targeted include power stations, air traffic control and the city of London. It is also believed that accountants, banks and other financial organisations have come under attack from Chinese state organisations . As with all security personnel, the teenagers are subject to high detail background checking of the same level used to vet other members of the intelligence community. According to Lord West, the new recruits are – “youngsters who use their talents to stop other hackers from closing down this country”.

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Asian Teenage Hackers To Join MI5 To Fight Cyber Terrorism

How Can I Avoid Vishing Scams?

September 22nd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

How to avoid vishing scams If you don’t already know what vishing is then you need to read yesterday’s post – What Exactly Is Vishing ? Today I am looking at a few very simple ways of ensuring you don’t become a victim of this crime. Rule #1 can be applied to just about every scenario you may ever come across online – DO NOT REVEAL YOUR SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO ANYONE , INCLUDING BANK EMPLOYEES. Whether you are contacted via email, IM or phone you should never, ever, reveal sensitive information to someone you cannot completely trust. If you always keep that in mind then you will have improved your internet security immeasurably. The other rules are just as much common sense – Banks and other financial institutions never call and ask you for personal information. The call or message may say that your call is being recorded but this is just to scare people so that they do not call the authorities. Notice how the caller never calls you by name. That is because they have no idea what your name is! If your bank or credit card number asks for your account number then they must be false – they should already know such details. Just because they don’t ask for your CVV2 number don’t think they are legit – some people can still steal your money without that information. Some banks, especially the small ones, usually have the last 6 numbers of the card the same for all the cards. So thieves will ask only for the last 6 digits of your credit card number because they know the first ones. So don’t think that if they ask only for 6 digits they cannot steal your money. They can do this just with your PIN and the last 6 digits of your card. Remember the above and stay safe. Don’t get vished!

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How Can I Avoid Vishing Scams?

How Can I Avoid Credit Card Fraud?

September 20th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

There is no denying to the fact that credit card usage has increased considerably over the past few years. Unfortunately, credit card fraud related cases have also seen a great surge in the recent past. As a matter of fact, credit card frauds have become a common incident amongst people across the world. Undoubtedly, the victim has to experience regret and inconvenience upon any such incident. WHAT ANTI-FRAUD FEATURES ARE OFFERED BY YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY? People who own credit cards should always be aware of the security features their credit card company has to offer. One can also keep this in mind while applying for a credit card. Apply for a card which offers room for plenty of security, in case of a fraudulent event. At times this might help one minimise the losses partly or completely. With the large number of financial institutions offering free credit cards, loads of people are being attracted towards possessing a few cards, without being completely aware of the precautionary measures one needs to take before calling themselves a proud owner of the credit card. Fortunately, most companies are aware about the fraudulent events associated with credit cards, and they offer plenty of security features with their cards. YOU NEED TO READ YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS One of the best ways to prevent credit card fraud is to keep track of your statements as and when they arrive. If you do not receive the statement for a particular month, make it a point to call the credit card company to know about the transactions on your credit card account. Statements are a good way to track any unwanted transactions happening on your credit card. Report any fraudulent transaction immediately, and block the card from further use by informing your credit card company about such events. WATCH OUT FOR PHISHING Not replying to any phishing or suspicious emails pertaining to your credit card is another measure to prevent oneself from credit card frauds. The internet and mailbox is often flooded with loads of fake emails requesting your credit card information for varied reasons. One should always exercise caution while dealing with such emails. Cross check with your credit card company about the legality of the email, and reply only once you are 100% sure about the validity of the sender. KEEP YOUR CREDIT CARD IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES Keep checking the possession of your credit cards in regular intervals. While handling your credit card to any dealer for a payment, make sure to take back the card promptly after use. Keep your credit card in a safe place whenever you are travelling or carrying them with you. The key factor is to track your credit card transactions, and to report any illegal activities as quickly as possible. That’s the best way to track fraudulent activities, and to exercise damage control upon fraudulent use. How Can I Avoid Credit Card Fraud? is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out 101 Internet Security Programs and Tips

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How Can I Avoid Credit Card Fraud?

The A,B,C And D Of Conficker Precautions

September 19th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Currently there are four versions or levels of the Conficker Virus — A, B, C, and D – that are steadily infecting Windows’ Operation Systems worldwide. Conficker affects Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7 Beta as well some Windows server platforms such as 2000, 2008 and 2008 R2 Beta. Basically what the virus does is it disables the computer’s ability to defend itself from malware. There are Conficker precautions that a Windows user can take in order to prevent any of the Conficker levels from infecting a computer. Using Windows Live Update Most private Windows PC owners can prevent the Conficker Virus from attacking their computer by simply making sure that the Automatic Update feature is turned on for their PC. To do this simply press the “Start” button; open the “Control Panel”; go to “Windows Security Center” and make sure that “Automatic updating” is turned on. This will ensure that the PC has received the necessary out-of-band patch. Using Group Policy Group Policy is a way in which networks can prevent the Conficker Virus from attacking PCs at the workplace. Using Group Policy will negate Conficker’s activities by removing users from the “Administrator” list. Doing this means that it will be very unlikely for the virus to attack a PC on a network. Third Party Protection Third party software developers that specialize in anti-virus and malware protection have developed their own patches that scan for and remove the Conficker worm. Some of these applications will run the scan automatically and others will have a scan-on-demand feature. Conclusion Many people believe that the current levels of the worm are just a prelude of things to come. By having the Conficker virus already disabling malware protection on a PC, it could leave the PC open to other malware attacks. It is best to make sure that precautions against Conficker have been taken so that there are no security issues later on. The A,B,C And D Of Conficker Precautions is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out 101 Internet Security Programs and Tips

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The A,B,C And D Of Conficker Precautions

Spyzooka Scam? Nope, And This Is Why You Shouldn’t Believe It

September 1st, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Surfing around the net, looking for interesting articles to read about spyware, etc, I come across all sorts of things. Some of those incluse posts which suggest that Spyzooka may be a scam . This, however, only highlights why you shouldn’t necessarily believe everything you read on the internet – What many of these web sites and blog pages are failing to disclose to you is the fact that they are in competition with Spyzooka – reading through what they have to say I’ve spotted a good many affiliate links which lead to competing anti-spyware products. They then pop the ‘Spyzooka’ name into their post titles in order to capitalise on the associated search engine traffic. The same tactic is applied all over the web for other products too so its something you ought to be aware of. By the way, you can get a free Spyzooka scan right here . Spyzooka Scam? Nope, And This Is Why You Shouldn’t Believe It is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Spyzooka Scam? Nope, And This Is Why You Shouldn’t Believe It

What Exactly Is Data Encryption?

September 1st, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Do you engage in any of the following activities – online shopping? eBay? other types of online buying or selling? online banking? If so, you are just like millions of other people across the internet today. Whether you realise or understand it, or not, you are probably relying upon data encryption far more than you know. Data encryption is becoming far more widespread on the internet as the number of web-based transactions continues to soar. Such encryption is an essential part of safe and secure web commerce. WHAT EXACTLY IS DATA ENCRYPTION? Encryption can be applied to many processes from emails to web based forms, such as the ones you see on shopping sites and when you are conducting your online banking. The encryption technique is used to hide the contents of your email, or the data that you are typing on the form, thereby preventing said data from being stolen by anyone else on the internet. When you send your data it will pass through a secure socket layer (SSL) and will be disguised so that if anybody manages to intercept it then they will not be able to decipher anything meaningful from it, at least not without having to go to an awful lot of trouble. When the data is received by the website at the other end of the communication process it will be decrypted, thus revealing your data only to the intended target. Data encryption is performed by applying mathematical logic or algorithms to the data. As with almost all aspects of internet security, algorithms can be broken by someone who has the time and determination. Encryption will go a long way in keeping your data secure but a sufficiently motivated hacker could succeed in breaking that encryption if they were determined enough. HOW THEN DOES DATA ENCRYPTION WORK? Behind every piece of data encryption is a key. These keys are used in the coding and decoding of your data. A key is in fact a long sequence of bits (1s and 0s) that are used by the encrypting algorithms. During the encryption process the algorithm will apply that sequence of 1s and 0s to the original data in order to alter it so that it then appears in a form that would make no sense whatsoever to anybody else who were to capture the data and try reading it without the use of the decryption algorithm. Obviously, when the encrypted data reaches its destination it will be decrypted using the same key (less secure) , or another (more secure) designed for the task, thereby rendering the data useful again as it reverts back to it’s original form.

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What Exactly Is Data Encryption?

Pan Am 103 – The Lockerbie Conspiracy – The CIA Theory

August 21st, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

On Wednesday December 21st 1988 a Boeing 747-121 named Clipper Maid of the Seas was destroyed by a bomb. Pan Am Flight 103 was a Pan American World Airway’s scheduled transatlantic flight, travelling from London’s Heathrow International Airport to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. When the bomb exploded the fuselage of the plane was ripped apart, leading to the deaths of 243 passengers and 16 members of crew. Additionally, the debris fell upon the town of Lockerbie in southern Scotland, causing 11 further fatalities on the ground. APPORTIONING BLAME Even though there has been a trial and conviction in the Lockerbie case, doubts still seem to remain in the minds of many people as to what really happened, who was responsible for the bombing, how the bomb was detonated and what motives the perpetrator(s) may have had. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, a Libyan national, who was serving life in prison for the atrocity was released yesterday on compassionate grounds as he is suffering with terminal prostate cancer. His alleged co-conspirator, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, was found to be not guilty. Since the original verdict on January 31st 2001 there has been one appeal dismissed and another is pending, likely to be heard in early 2009. Whilst a level of uncertainty remains in the conviction of Megrahi, the conspiracy theorists continue to speculate as to what they believe may have really happened. Here is one of many conspiracy theories that have gained a level of popularity amongst those who subscribe to such thoughts – DRUGS, BOMBS AND THE CIA One of the many conspiracy theories suggests that that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had set up a protected drug route from Europe to the United States. Some people allege that this route was known as ‘Operation Corea’ and suggest that Syrian drug dealers, led by Monzer al-Kassar (who was involved with Oliver North in the Iran-Contra scandal) used it to ship heroin to the U.S. These conspiracy theorists say that the American intelligence community then received intel on Palestinian groups based in Syria in exchange. It is alleged that the CIA protected the suitcases containing the drugs and ensured they were not searched. The theory suggests that on the day of the bombing a suitcase containing drugs was switched for the one that contained the bomb. WHITE POWDER AND $547,000 After the explosion debris fell on Lockerbie . In the aftermath of the disaster two teenagers claim to have found over half a million dollars in travellers cheques. A reporter, David Johnstone, reported on white powder being found in polythene bags. Furthermore, Wikipedia reports that a mountain rescuer wash ushered away from a field containing a large tarpaulin. Conspiracy theorists believe that the tarpaulin covered a container which they believe may have belonged to Major Charles McKee, belived to have been a special forces operative. This particular theory continues by suggesting that the CIA allowed the alleged drugs and bomb to be switched because the protected drugs route was a rogue operation, and Maj. Charles McKee had found out about it, and was on his way to Washington to tell his superiors. YOUR VIEWS Personally, I think this particular theory sounds quite spurious but does it hold any truth for you? Was a Libyan responsible for bombing Pan Am 103, or is there an alternative answer? Pan Am 103 – The Lockerbie Conspiracy – The CIA Theory is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Pan Am 103 – The Lockerbie Conspiracy – The CIA Theory

Wilhelm Voigt, Captain of Köpenick

July 8th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Wilhelm Voigt, born in 1849, gained a level of notoriety as the ‘Captain of Köpenick.’ He was in fact an impostor who posed as a Prussian officer in a case of fraud in 1906. In 1906 Voigt purchased all the various parts of a captain’s uniform and then went to the army barracks at Köpenick. There he stopped four grenadiers and a sergeant who were on there way back to the barracks. Being a captain meant they didn’t question him when he asked them to follow him into the local town where they then arrested town secretary Rosenkranz and also Mayor Georg Langerhans on charges of crooked bookkeeping. In all Voigt confiscated 4000 marks and 70 pfennigs from the ‘fraudsters’. Still posing as a captain he then commandeered two carriages and had some of the grenadiers take the Mayor and the treasurer to Berlin so that they could be interrogated by General Moltke. He left the remaining guards at the town hall whilst he slipped off o the train station. Despite changing into civilian clothes he was still caught and received a sentence of 4 years in prison for forgery, impersonating an officer and wrongful imprisonment. However, German Kaiser Wilhelm II pardoned him in 1908 with some observers of the time claiming that the Kaiser had in fact been quite amused by the whole incident. Wilhelm Voigt, Captain of Köpenick is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Coffee Bean Pricing Scandal

July 8th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Did you realise that after oil, coffee is the second most used commodity in the world? I didn’t. Putting aside some of the variations, such as ganoderma coffee, pure, natural coffee has a market estimated at over $70 billion each year. Despite the huge market prices, and continually high demand, farmers in third world countries, such as Ethiopia which often struggles with famine, are payed a mere $0.03 for each cup of coffee that they provide for. CAPITALISM, FREE MARKET ECONOMY OR EXPLOITATION? People around the world are beginning to take notice of how little producers of coffee are being paid for their product. To make that 3 cents, the farmer needs to harvest around 50 coffee beans, assuming the resulting coffee is finely ground. A couple of years ago there was a film, ‘Black Gold’, that aired at the Sundance Film Festival. The film exposed how the affluent countries in the West payed a pittance for coffee to people who are barely able to scrape enough money together to feed themselves or even attain basic shelter. Companies in the US, UK and other parts of Europe are making huge amounts of profit on the back of third world farmers. THATS A LOT OF CAFFEINE! Considering that there are around 2 billion cups of coffee consumed every day, could these large multi national companies not afford to pay a fairer wage to the farmers? Even if they doubled their payments they would be paying a tiny, tiny fraction of what labour in their own countries would cost and their profits would still be huge. Many companies source their coffee beans directly from Ethiopia who produce around two thirds of the world’s supply. By paying such a low rate to the farmers who spend all day hand picking a small number of beans are they doing what’s best for the consumer, their shareholders, or are they just taking advantage of a nation that relies on them too much for their income? What do you think – is there a coffee bean scandal or is it just market forces and world commerce operating as the laws of economics dictate? The Coffee Bean Pricing Scandal is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Do You Consider 100% Mortgages To Be A Type Of Housing Fraud?

July 1st, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Many people aspire to own their own property. Due to this desire, many banking and investment institutions have engaged in lending practices that could, at best, be described as unethical. Some may even believe them to be involved in housing fraud . THE PROPERTY BOOM There are some suspicions that the recent property booms, seen both in the UK and the US, were created, in part, by loan companies and banks who were looking to cash in on the lucrative mortgage market. With ever-increasing property prices, that showed no signs of abating, many aspiring homeowners felt inclined to do whatever it took to get their feet onto the property ladder. With the increase of property prices rising far quicker than inflation, and offering returns far in excessive of many other investment options, many people were quick to sign up for interest only mortgages, and other unethical schemes. They hoped to make a quick, and substantial, profit. The reality, however, may be somewhat different. TRAPPED BY NEGATIVE EQUITY Interest only loans, often coupled with high arrangement fees, leave those that took advantage of them in the position where they can typically only afford to pay back the interest. Month after month, the outstanding capital balance remains the same. Obviously, if housing prices had continued to rise rapidly, then a healthy profit could still be made from selling at a later date and benefiting from any remaining equity left after the principle sum had been repaid. However, when the market crashes, as it may well be doing right now, the victim of this housing fraud will find themselves paying a loan for the rest of their lives. This loan may well end up being secured on a property which is then valued at far less than the value of the mortgage. Such negative equity can then lead the victim into a position where they are trapped and cannot move. THE NEVER-ENDING LOAN With such high interest rates on these types of mortgages, they are then trapped in a situation where they are paying through the nose for a home they will never actually get to own. Additionally, having such a large credit burden may prevent them from sourcing funding from other lending firms and may even lead to poor credit ratings . The housing market fraud is designed in such a way that the only people who consistently make profit from it, whatever happens in the property market, are the banks and other lending institutions. Personally, I would never obtain a 100% or interest-only mortgage as it poses too big a risk. By being careful, I have managed to keep an affordable roof over my head, despite getting divorced. On the other hand, if you don’t take risks, you will never make big profits. Have any of you reading this made a big profit, or a huge loss, by utilising interest only mortgages? Do You Consider 100% Mortgages To Be A Type Of Housing Fraud? is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Newcastle United FC In £150m Takeover Hoax

June 13th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Mike Ashley, owner of newly-relegated Newcastle United is keen to sell up and recoup some of the money he ploughed into the football club. On Thursday evening he may possibly have thought that he had a buyer in multimillionaire Rick Parkinson from Northumberland. Following photos and a press release the story ran on television but the Northern Echo had reservations. Turns out they were right as Mr. Parkinson actually turned out to be a fan of bitter rivals Sunderland and the whole story was a hoax. I guess it will depend upon your football allegiances but do you think such a joke is funny or a little bit stupid? Newcastle United FC In £150m Takeover Hoax is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Newcastle United FC In £150m Takeover Hoax

Air France Flight 447, A Domain Name Conspiracy?

June 11th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Thanks to fellow Twitter user fons_be I found this a post about the recent tragic loss of Air France flight 447. After reading the post, here , I’d be interested in your thoughts on whether owning / buying / developing a domain name related to a disaster is a good business decision or just a little bit crass? Also, what do you make of the fact that flight447.com was registered 2 years before the tragedy – coincidence or sign of a conspiracy? Air France Flight 447, A Domain Name Conspiracy? is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Great Toilet Paper Scam!

June 10th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

David Alexander over at ScamStop gave me a chuckle today with a post about toilet paper. Considering the problems facing just about every nation of the world right now it seems quite bizarre that his native South Africa should be feeling bummed about a toilet roll scam in which wipers are receiving less than the mandatory 500 sheets! Read the whole story : The Great Toilet Paper Scam . The Great Toilet Paper Scam! is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Hells Bells! Britons Now Fall Victim To An AC/DC Ticket Scam

April 27th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

Only last week I reported how a ticket scam had left some 8,ooo AC/DC fans out of pocket after a concerted planned for Bucharest was revealed to be bogus. Now, however, their has been another ticket scam for a concert in Birmingham, England. This time, fans of the Aussie rock group were left disappointed when they tried to gain access to the LG arena on Friday. The majority of those fans who had been duped arrived at the box office, only to be informed that they had been conned by counterfeiters. Even holders of genuine tickets were caught out as massive queues developed and some fans ended up missing the first hour of the concert. Police made two arrests at the scene and an investigation into the internet arm of the ticket company is ongoing. Hells Bells! Britons Now Fall Victim To An AC/DC Ticket Scam is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Hells Bells! Britons Now Fall Victim To An AC/DC Ticket Scam

Dirty Deeds Leave AC/DC Fans Feeling Thunderstruck

April 22nd, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

According to the Croatian Times over 8,000 fans of one of my favourite rock bands – AC/DC – were caught out in a recent ticket scam . The news article states that the scam could have netted several million pounds for those behind it but was rumbled after just £300,000 of tickets had been sold. Fortunately the bogus concert in Bucharest was busted when the band posted a warning on their official website . Dirty Deeds Leave AC/DC Fans Feeling Thunderstruck is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Real Lotteries – No More Than A Get Rich Quick Scam?

March 15th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

Here at Scam Types dot Com I have already written about several phony lotteries – you know, those ones where you receive an email saying you’ve won when you haven’t even entered? Such lottery scams are an attempt to con you by asking for advanced fees in order to release the so-called winnings. My question today though is – are genuine lotteries as much a scam? I would hope that most readers are aware of the fact that if something seems too good to be true, and offers you the opportunity to get rich quick, then it is probably a scam. Why, therefore, do people insist on playing national and other lotteries? Did you know that your chances of winning a lottery are far less than the likelihood of you being struck by lightning? When purchasing a lottery ticket are you not hoping to become extremely wealthy, in a very short period of time, without doing any work? Are you one of those people who hates the standard of living they have and so, by buying a lottery ticket, you are also in a way buying a dream? Considering that there are reports suggesting that around 10% of the internet population has fallen for a scam online I can’t help but wonder how many of the remaining 90% are guilty of buying into the hopes of the lottery? Personally, I believe that pyramid schemes are rightly illegal, and MLMs dubious. Am I right to think that way? Well, that’s a matter of opinion, but before you make assumptions about those engaged in multi level marketing and such like, perhaps you should consider that a large proportion of the world’s population invests into the hope of a better future every week. Real Lotteries – No More Than A Get Rich Quick Scam? is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Hotel Work Scam

March 14th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

Usually, those criminals behind the majority of email scams will blindly send out emails to everyone on their mailing list. If they ever target specific groups of people then it is obviously in their best interests to go for those they expect to have the most money. However, with the hotel work scam they generally reverse this and try to target those who are less well off, i.e. those who are desperate for work. Targeting regions such as Africa and Asia, the hotel work scam begins with an email from someone who ‘works in a hotel’ or ‘represents one’. They will tell their victim that the hotel is currently hiring staff and even conduct an online interview. One way to tell that this is a scam is from the fact that the ‘interview’ questions are so easy to understand… after all, the scammer definitely wants everyone to be offered the ‘job’! On completion of this interview the (lucky?) candidate will be referred to an immigration officer who will be able to prepare and formalise all the paperwork required to enter the country, typically Canada, in order to commence the new job. This immigration officer will require all the victim’s personal data, including name, age, date of birth and social security number. They may even attempt to phish their bank details from them too. What’s more, they will then try to extract money up front to pay for the legal expenses, visas and anything else they think they can charge for. In reality, the job never existed – this is just a scam to gain a quick buck and personal data that could be used for identity theft. Typically, the scammer is based in Nigeria or some other scamming haven and is nowhere near Canada or wherever the job has been advertised. The Hotel Work Scam is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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The Mystery Shopper Scam

February 18th, 2009. Published under Scams. No Comments.

There’s a new scam in town. A town near you. Companies are looking for mystery, or secret, shoppers. Often this scam will begin with the victim looking for some kind of paid and convenient work. Responding to an advertisement for a mystery shopper, the company will tell them that they can make a good amount of money with ease by shopping at different stores or testing different service based outlets. MONEY IN ADVANCE To facilitate this, the company sends out a cheque in advance, often for several thousand dollars. They will tell the victim that they need to cash the cheque and use some of the funds to purchase goods or use some service or other. The remaining balance from the cheque, which will be most of it, is then to be wired back to the company, less the victim’s generous ‘payment’ and expenses. They will probably be told they can keep any goods that they purchased as a bonus. THE SCAM Of course nothing is ever that simple or lucrative. The deal sounds too good to be true because it is. The cheque that the victim has cashed will be fake. The mystery shopper company will have told the victim that they only have 24-48 hours in which to complete their assignment. Some time after they have wired what remains from the amount they were given they will find that the cheque has been dishonoured. This leaves the victim liable for the amount of the fake cheque, out of pocket for any goods or services they purchased and an accomplice to money laundering too no doubt. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR Whilst there are indeed several reputable companies that do offer genuine mystery shopper type work, there are an ever increasing number that will try to rip you off. Here are some signs that a mystery shopper job is a scam – Advertising in small publications, shop windows, etc. – reputable companies typically don’t advertise at all. Have no contact information other than a mobile phone. Charge a fee in order for you to work with them. Guarantee work for anyone who applies. Ask you to wire them money – there is no legitimate reason why any company would need you to do this. The Mystery Shopper Scam is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Scam Email Reference Alexander Litvinenko

February 17th, 2009. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

The latest email scam I have received is clever in that it references a well-known person and event, namely Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-Colonel in the KGB – Dear One, It is my solemn pleasure to be able to get to you finally. Do take this email as a contribution to fate. This is not an easy task and that is the main reason why I contacted you. I was driven to contact you from the innermost being. Please do not be offended. I will understand completely if you cannot be of assistance to me. I am Mrs.Marina Litvinenko,wife of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian security officer who died in a London hospital after apparently being poisoned with the highly-toxic by a paid agent in Russia. You can read articles about my Husband’s ordeal via the websites below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6162562.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6708103.stm Please I want you to assist in donating and distributing these funds to charity in your region on behalf of my humbleself, I shall be presenting the said funds (USD$3.5M) to you which was given to my husband before his death by Mr Berezovsky,A Russian Billionaire, Who he saved his life by exposing the plot against him. The Funds are deposited with a Financial firm in Europe and I will personally put you in charge of this great exercise and you are to use your discresion to take the percentage that will be ok for you and your household. While you do the good work and don’t forget to let the benefactor know that this was possible with the help of a foreigner by the name Mrs. Marina Litvinenko. As soon as I receive your response,I will furnish you with more details on this issue. As i have come to realise that all things are vanity when you are not helping others. Get back to me via my E-Mail: mrsmarina2009@yahoo.com.hk Best Regards, Mrs. Litvinenko Of course, using news stories to try to add some validity to these emails is nothing new, air crashes are often referenced in these so-called 419 emails . The best thing to do with such an email is simply delete it as those behind it are looking to take money, not give it to you. Scam Email Reference Alexander Litvinenko is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Scam Email Reference Alexander Litvinenko

The Valentine’s Day Rip-Off

February 14th, 2009. Published under Fraud. No Comments.

I just popped round to my local florist to enquire how much it would cost to buy a dozen red roses for Scametta this year. Considering that we are in the middle of a credit crunch I though it would be somewhat less than the extortionate £36 being asked for last year. How wrong I was! £65 Can you believe that the florist wants £65 this year?!? (not far off $100) That’s crazy!!!! Do you believe that Valentine’s Day is a commercial scam designed to part foolish lovers from their money? Did you pay inflated prices to please your loved one or did you pass? The Valentine’s Day Rip-Off is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Barbara Moretek, Ivete Foundation, Spamdexing And Trojans

November 1st, 2008. Published under Fraud, Scams. No Comments.

The following email I received looks like a common 419, or scam, email – Subject: Information for prospective donors Would you have additional information for prospective donors or volunteers other than what is on your website? Thank you in advance. Warm regards, Barb Barbara Moratek Vice President, Director of Grant Programs Ivete Foundation Phone- Fax- 800.397.7205 Web- www ivetefoundation.org However, a quick Google of some of the key words shows that it is designed to be much more than just that. Recognising the email for what it was, I searched for ‘Ivete Foundation’ and was somewhat surprised to find that it was listed on digg.com. ( Hint : click on the digg link at the end of the article to give it some competition) According to sunbeltblog , the scammers behind this email have not only spammed the search engines with hundreds of less than salubrious sites, all containing the term ‘Barbara Moratek’, but have also got a link on Digg which points to a fake video site. The fake video site is, presumably, associated with nasty ActiveX controls, trojans, or other malicious or annoying malware. I can’t help but wonder if this is the beginning of a new trend in which scammers will try to ensure that searching for the names in their 419 emails will lead to sites under their control, thereby allowing them to get you one way or another? Protect Yourself From Email Scams – Click Here! Barbara Moretek, Ivete Foundation, Spamdexing And Trojans is a post from: Scam Types dot Com Check out The Best Internet Security Programs Of 2009

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Barbara Moretek, Ivete Foundation, Spamdexing And Trojans