The Top Ten Cyber Scams to avoid this Christmas

Posted on 20 December, 2013 by Cliff Goodwin

Whether its the apparent ease of internet shopping or the seasonal goodwill, Christmas is a gift for online fraudsters.

So, knowing what to look for — and there are 10 basic scams — could save you both money and heartache this festive season.

❐  Phishing is one of the originals. Fraudsters send you a message, usually after you have made an online purchase, trying to get you to confirm something by clicking on a genuine-looking link. Instead you’re connected to a fake site or just opened the door to a malware download.

❐  Fake Virus Checker. Beware of messages warning that your machine is infected and inviting you to download a cleaner. What you will actually get is an infected computer with viruses that are almost impossible to get rid of. Always install a good virus checker before you go online.

❐  The Fake Upgrade is becoming increasingly sophisticated. You’re surfing YouTube or some other video site and a message displays telling you that you don’t have the latest Flash Player. Never — “Click here to download and install.”

❐  Bogus Appeals tug at the heart strings, but can cost you far more than a simple  donation. Unless you know an email appeal is genuine, bin it. However authentic the appeal site looks your money will never go toward helping disaster victims.

❐   Pirated or Cracked Software can be tempting, especially when money is tight, but never download cheap or suspicious copies of well-known software. The programme may work fine, but somewhere in there will be a busy little bug sending all your personal details to the nice man who sold it to you.

❐   Beware the Drive By Download. When zipping through sites, take care with links that take you to unexpected places. And you don’t have to agree to download software from a malicious site for it to happen. There are ways in which malware can be wheedled on to your machine just by visiting a site.

❐   Nothing is Free — Not Even WiFi. Be suspicious of wi-fi hot spots if you do not know who is providing them. Unless they’re in a reputable coffee shop or other outlet, all Wi-Fi connections should be considered insecure.

❐   Watch Out For The Wi-Fi Probe. Something few people realise is that when we connect our phone or tablet to a Wi-Fi hot spot, it keeps a record of the connection. And when it’s not connected your device continues to send out connection requests, which can be read by scammers to reveal all the Wi-Fis you’ve joined — allowing someone to track your movements and, ultimately, discover where you live and your home network password.

❐   Look Out For Strange vehicles parked outside your home. The chances are they will be piggy-backing your home network for a free connection. Worse still, your router might think it has a secure connection and start sending other data that can be picked up and used by the scammer.

❐   Always Look For A Padlock in your browser to check you have a secure connection. Whether intentional or not, some websites still ask you for your credit card details — and much other valuable personal data — without offering a secure connection. If there is no padlock symbol, you’re either dealing with a company that doesn’t deserve your custom, or a fake.



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