These days you can never be too careful…
You have been told clicking on the wrong thing can infect your computer with malware, but did you know it can also lead to a loss or theft of personal information? You probably did. Scams are no new thing. It’s only the types of scams we see that change.
Below is a list of common scams to be on the watch for.
- Email scams. Often called ‘spam’ by email clients, email scams are phony letters that show up in your inbox (or at least, try to) that want you to click on a bad link, send money, or give your personal information. Scammers pretend to be from banks, FedEx, UPS, the IRS, distant family, the lottery… you name it.
- Tech Support scams. These people will approach through the phone first, typically. They say they are from Microsoft or another company and tell you there’s something wrong with your computer. They get you to give them remote access, and then they infect your computer. It’s only after you pay them that they (might) undo the damage and leave; but most likely, they leave their malware there in hopes that you will pay more down the road for their “removal services.”
- Click bait. These are “news stories” that promise gossip, secrets, and too-good-to-be-true offers. They lure you in with their headlines and get you when you click on their bad links. Sometimes they pretend to be error or software update messages; but you can tell they are fake because they appear in advertisement spots on websites.
- Data breaches. Many crooks are going after the data stores large companies keep. There is little you as an individual can do to prevent data breaches, but you can take steps to protect your personal information should it get hacked. Keep track of where your money is going and don’t use the same username and password for every website.