Don’t Become a Victim of Online Scammers

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We’ve all had our eye caught by the catchy banner or spam that sucks us in and sometimes keeps us there. The issue at hand is being able to identify the product or service being offered as being legitimate.

Because there is no single agency that polices the Internet to assure that everything is safe and truthful, the responsibility lies on our shoulders. You need to learn to distinguish scams from the truth so you don’t lose money, your identity or worse.

Here are a few valuable tips that can help you identify and avoid those online scams.

  • Do some homework and check up on the site or individual that is making the offer. Search engines can help you with this research. If it not legitimate, you will quickly find information about the scam. If it is a legitimate offer, you’ll find comments and information about that as well.
  • Make sure your spyware and antivirus programs are working and are up-to-date. Many scammers use emails to disseminate their viruses and stealth programs designed to steal your information or harm your computer.
  • Refer to the Federal Trade Commission and read up on the latest fraud information. You can also see if the company or individual you are researching is listed as being fraudulent. You can also see if there have been complaints filed again the company.
  • Do a quick WHOIS search to determine the owner of the domain name that has caught your eye. If the registration information for the domain seems shady, it’s a good idea just to stay away.

 

Filed Under: Guidance & Advice, Spam Tagged With: ,

How to Eliminate That Annoying Spam

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It’s a safe bet that no one out there likes email spam. We all hate those unwanted, sometimes offensive, email messages that seem to fill up our inboxes. Spam often occurs when users visit unsecure or unsafe sites and fill out forms with information. Those sites, in turn, then take that information and sell it to companies. Unfortunately, even some safe sites that say they won’t sell your information, often do. So what can we do to eliminate spam?

Use two different email accounts. Create a professional account first. This should generally be your name followed by the email service. The next one should be the one you will use when you will be submitting your information online.

Never open email messages from people and address you don’t recognize. Spammers have systems that can actually know when you’ve opened the message, and they will start sending you more emails.

Use an email spy filter. These systems let you create a contact list and keyword lists that will flag spam. Many email systems have these filters in place for your use.

Don’t use your professional address to register or purchase anything on line. This is where the secondary email comes into play. Check both address accounts daily.

Don’t send forwarded emails. Spammers will sometimes send out jokes and such to fish for more contacts. They send out these emails, you forward them and now the spammers not only have your email address, but those individuals to which you sent the message.

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What It Takes to Protect Your Identity in the 21st Century

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Some of the information written here might shock you, some of it might make you laugh and still others, will simply make you nod your head with a calm affirmation as if saying, ’yep, that’s for sure.’ Identity theft: that’s a surefire issue still. What with the rise of the internet, it’s become easier and easier to steal someone’s identity, go into someone’s bank account, take someone’s house, erase someone literally from the face of the planet! (Well, at least the digital planet).

What does someone do? How to go about instilling identity theft restoration in your life? How do you get your life back?

Keep an Eye on Your Credit Cards!

Should be a no-brainer, really. But you’d be surprised how many shoppers accidentally leave their cards at the cashier’s. Your friendly teen point-of-sale fresh face might be a skilled, true-blue titanic hacker ready to squash your whole line of credit into dust if you walk out that department store door without your plastic.
You may walk back into the store with all the pandemonium of shopping and never really realize that you left it on the counter, because it probably won’t be there. Then you’ll second guess yourself: maybe you left it in the fitting room, maybe you left it at the coffee shop, the food court, the movie theater! Dear God, you’ve lost your credit card–to a hacker behind the counter.

Buy a Shredder!

And that’s one of the ‘yep, that’s for sure’ ones. Obviously. The tried-and-true methods of identity theft would be to rifle through someone’s garbage. An identity thief would strike gold if going through a big black bag full of passwords, user names, account numbers and other goodies. That’s like candy.
You’ve got the all-purpose shredder, and that same thief would need a whole lot of glue to figure out how all the little strips are put together just to figure out if that ’6′ is really a ’6′ and not an ’8′–if he or she even gets lucky enough to figure out that it could be a ’6′ or an ’8′! And then that thief would have to do some of that same deduction for about nine, or 10, or 20 other digits. Hard work. Yes, a paper shredder is crucial.

Watch Your E-mail Carefully!

You can bet everyone laughs at this–not at the prospect of getting scammed, but the lengths in which some will go to scam you! Don’t deny it–you get them in your INBOX all the time. Everyone does. They’re called e-mail scams. And they can be quite funny.
Usually they masquerade as your bank, or some other organization–typically from Zimbabwe or Poland–about a fund of a ton of money in your name. Sure. And then they ask you for their personal information. Sure. Click delete; move on.

Protect Yourself

It is, however, no joke. You never know what lurks around the cyberspace corner. How do you protect yourself in this century?

Filed Under: Guidance & Advice

Criminal Hackers Stalk Online Gambling Sites

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Most Internet users are aware of the dangers of entering banking information online. Many of these users need security help and some don’t even know.

More than just banking, people use sites that charge money, offer sports betting and more, and all of this requires some minimal online banking. A user who shops or buys without protective software is opening up their banking information to be stolen.

There are several ways a gamer can be protected while procuring online funds with minimal banking.

  • First of all, everyone needs an anti-virus program and there are several that are free and easy to use; one of them is AVG 2011. It is a very popular, useful and effective tool that many experts recommend.
  • Next is password safety. Have a different password for each casino or website that asks for it. Using the same password for all sites is an easy way to have a password that’s unforgettable to the user, but it’s an invitation to criminal hackers into all the sites. Make it at least 7 characters and mix up numbers, letters and punctuation.
  • E-wallets are a very easy, safe way to play at most casinos and sites for sports betting. The user deposits funds into the e-wallet once and plays with that money so the bank information is only accessed one time.
  • Scammers and phishers will call on the telephone and say they are from the online sports betting sites or banks, and they’ll require personal information and account numbers and/or passwords. Never trust them! Any reputable gaming site or bank would never ask for passwords or account numbers, so be aware.

Use common sense and stay safe.

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Why Is My Computer Running Slow?

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While we wish our computers would always run as quickly and smoothly as the day we first purchase them, often times we come to a point where they begin to run slowly.  Before running out and purchasing a new computer or paying a computer repairman money to come out to fix the problem, first take a look and see if it is one of these common problems.

Needs Updating

One of the common problems we face with computers that will cause them to run slow, is when a computer needs updated. While there are those little boxes that will pop up telling us we need to install updates, often times we ignore them or postpone them till later. These updates are actually really important and imperative to it running correctly so it is important that we take the time to go ahead and install them.

Check for Viruses or Malware

Viruses and malware can be the cause of a computer running slowly. This is especially common if the computer’s anti-virus software has not been kept up-to-date or has expired. To see if this is the reason a computer is running slowly, try running a full computer scan and see what the results are. For those who are not able to get virus protection, there are a few good programs that can be downloaded off the internet with some that are even free. These programs are good for catching any unseen problems and can even get rid of any dangers that may be going on in the computer such as removing the viruses or any spyware or malware that may be there.

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The False Positive Possibility

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It’s a sudden warning, a promise of invasion — your computer is under attack. A virus has appeared; a code is trying to force its way into the system. All defenses must be used. All protections must be given. And you begin to panic, thinking your files will be lost and your information will be deleted. You try to do all you can, enabling software to battle this Trojan concern. But, when the name of the problem is finally revealed, you… pause, recognizing it as the document you just created mere minutes ago. It’s being identified as an intruder and you’re baffled.

You shouldn’t be.

An all too common concern with anti-virus programs is the appearance of the false positive. As its name implies: the false positive is when a safe file, document or link is somehow identified as malware. It’s misread by software and is attacked — with the result often being the elimination of the source and the user’s inability to access it again. Systems can stall. Commands can become ineffective. And the process can lag.

It is important therefore to choose anti-virus software that is less likely to have this problem. False positives occur most often in lazily crafted programs (especially ones that have not been approved by established manufacturers and are instead independent). It’s necessary to select items that have stellar reputations and have been proven to be secure. Be certain also to avoid too quick updates of your current protections. Read customer testimonials before installing new versions to ensure that they do indeed work — and that they don’t suffer from this flaw.

The false positive can be devastating for users. It’s imperative then to counter it as best as possible. Choose reliable anti-virus software and be aware of any potential problems.

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The Rootkit Worries

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All access is to be limited. All files are to be secured. Your computer is meant to obey your whims only — with all data protected and all information shaped to privacy. This is the creed that propels all of technology and it has never disappointed… until you discover that your operating system is not as it’s meant to be. Changes are being made; software is being deleted; and applications are being replaced to dangerous alternatives. You try to undo this process but fail. Your platform no longer belongs to you. It’s instead defined by the rules of another.

You’ve been invaded by a rootkit.

Explained simply: a rootkit is a highly specific virus that attaches itself to the computer’s hardware. It allows a third-party to gain complete control over the system, enabling him to track all keystrokes, delete files, alter software and more. It is also nearly impossible to remove this problem — if only because the user can’t create the necessary protocols for a platform any longer.

Avoiding rootkits is therefore the intention of all individuals; and anti-virus software (along with common sense) is needed to accomplish this.

Be certain that all anti-virus programs are equipped to detect the arrival of rootkits. Keep all software updated and current. Choose items that will look for these problems often (each session should be offered a basic scan).

Remember also to never download any unknown files. Never open attachments from unrecognized senders. Perform regular checks on a hard-drive as well to ensure that it’s still functioning properly.

These steps will help to eliminate rootkits, allowing you to remain in control of your computer — rather than sharing information with someone else. Never believe yourself to be completely protected. Do all you can instead to combat all concerns.

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The Essential Updates: Anti-Virus

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Computers are confusing: this is the truth you cling to, the philosophy that can’t be denied. There are far too many programs to consider; there are far too many problems to decode. You spend more time trying to decipher technology than actually using it — and it’s easier to simply ignore the need for change, to let a system remain the same. All demands for updates are refused. Every manufacturer suggestion is ignored. You don’t want to spend the hours cluttering your hard-drive with unnecessary items (which is precisely what you believe all new programs to be). It’s better to let your platform be stagnant and familiar.

That familiarity quickly shatters when a virus appears, however.

Individuals who are uncomfortable with computers (lacking the necessary knowledge to manipulate their operations) often deny all attempts of updating. Softwares are thought to be useless. Applications are assumed to be weak. And even new anti-virus programs are passed over, believed to offer nothing but a loss of memory space.

The truth doesn’t reflect this, though — it instead demands progress.

Malware, Trojan attacks, spy codes and more: the online world is filled to worries. And, without the necessary precautions, users may find themselves being targeted by those worries. Anti-virus software is therefore needed. Believing that a standard program is enough, however, will only end in disaster. Technology is forever being redefined; and hackers are all too clever. Without embracing the latest protections, individuals can leave themselves open to attack.

It’s imperative therefore to update regularly. Heed all industry warnings. Find all new programs. Don’t refuse to improve your computer (thinking that it would be best to simply leave it as it was offered to you). You must instead make every effort possible to defend against viruses — and this requires adding new applications and participating in change.

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Heuristic Advantage: Anti-Virus

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Technology — you fear — is a limited thing. Boundaries define it. Specificity shapes it. There is no chance for wisdom. Instead it evolves as its makers intended, following strict rules and all too frustrating patterns. And anti-virus software is no different, you believe. It can only detect what it’s been programmed to. It can only seek out what it understands. And this makes it all too useless against ever changing malware and Trojan source codes. There can be no protection, just the pretense of it.

This is a common concern shared among users — they assume that programs are ultimately futile against viruses, can’t anticipate their variations. The truth is more hopeful, however: it involves Heuristics.

Simply defined, Heuristics is a form of analysis used in certain anti-spyware programs. This analysis learns to identify the root elements of viruses and then tracks any variations of them. All progress that a specific concern may make (passed from hacker to hacker, with new language shoved into the strands to trick systems) can be understood and deflected. The use of a genetic algorithm — which can decipher all forms of coding — enables this procedure to locate malware.

And this brands it invaluable for the modern user.

Anti-virus programs are necessary in today’s world. There can be no denying this. Too often, however, do individuals assume that such programs are weak. They’re not — and Heuristics proves this. It allows computers to understand all worries (pinpointing specific markers within codes and deeming them unsafe). This allows for systems to receive far more protection and helps to tame the number of virus invasions.

All are encouraged to seek out programs that feature this algorithm. It’s an advantage that shouldn’t be refused.

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