PC Threats and the Sharks on the Net
It's already bad enough. You're running Microshaft Windows, an operating system with more security holes than a sponge.

Visit Junkbusters.com to reveal what any website knows about you.


A window opens...

You may be surfing. You may be just checking your email. Suddenly, a window opens up warning you that you may have Spyware on your machine. What do you do?

Disconnect anyway you can. Unplug the phone line or cable if you can. No matter how you respond to the warning pop-up, it will take you to a malicious website. Then you WILL have Spyware or worse on your machine.

The whole intent of this attack is to scare you into doing things that will let them infect your Windows based PC.


Don't Go There

You get an email. It says that you or someone using your email ID has registered for their service. The email may also contain a disclaimer that they are not spammers (even though they just spammed you). Next they provide a link to a seemingly innocuous website which is where you must also go to opt out. Don't bother. Just delete the email. Otherwise you may end up with more spyware and adware or worse.



Phishing

You get an email. It says that PayPal, Citibank, Visa or any other popular entity that people do transactions with, is having a problem or changing their accounting system (it's always some lame excuse that sounds sort of valid). You MUST go to some site & fill out a form to verify your account OR your account will be de-activated.

You are led to a site that looks official. After all, the URL looks soemthing like:

http://www.citicarp.de/citicorp/acounts

The site looks official. You enter your personal info. And the site walks you along and thanks you for your time and being a "valubed customr'. You've been phished. Some bogus site has just collected enough info to steal your identity.

Things to remember.
NO legitimate business solicits info in this way from their customers.
Just about anyone can go to a company's website, download the source code and images to reconstruct very convincing web pages.


Visit Ed Foster's Gripeline for great commentary and forums on the scams you may want to avoid.

Feedback/Questions?

Other Digital Tips in my Consumer Guide
and my
Computer Consumer Info page

Tips from Microsoft on disabling junk, enabled by default, that you don't use,
which allows hackers to compromise your PC.
Running Linux at home now.
Strange tasks in your Task Manager? Find out what it is here.

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