It's A Trap

Have you ever been surfing the web and have this happen? A pop up appears on your screen informing you that they have found suspicious activity.

Wow, isn't that nice of them, they are going to help you out by "performing a fast and safe scan" on your system. More like a "SCAM" if you ask me. If at this point you click "OK" or even click the red "X", you are taken to another screen that looks like you are getting a safe scan. It has the Windows Security logo so it must be safe, right?

This page does not look like a web page. In fact, it looks like you in the Windows "My Computer" screen. Look closely, it is not your computer. This scan is so good that I would bet you that it will find problems that your own antivirus could not find. It always does.

By now I am sure you have figured out that I am being sarcastic and this is not a good thing that someone has randomly contacted you to help save you from a virus and in fact this is a process to try and infect your system with malware. The problem with this trap is that it looks so much like it is your own Windows Security jumping in to save you. If you are fooled at this point and you click on the "remove all" link a major malware will attempt to load onto your computer and it will start a very frustrating problem. You will have pop ups appearing one after another and so often that it will render you system unusable. Then you get a message that if you want it to stop you can send them $24.95 or some amount and they will remove the problem. Truth is, all they remove is the money from your account.

The good news is that most good antivirus programs will save you and stop this before it can load. Even if you make a big OOPS and click on the link, your antivirus should save you.

BUT, WHAT IF IT DOES GET PAST?

The process of removing this malware is very elaborate and there is not any easy fix that I have found. In fact, the malware is written to block you from removing it by not allowing access to the files. I have even see some cases where it will replicate and fill your hard drive completely. My recommendation is to shut your system down and have a professional fix the problem. Of course I recommend me, http://www.pmcreation.us but it is important that you call someone you trust and do not use the computer until it is clean.

To prevent this or any malware from infecting your system you should always surf smart and never click on questionable links. Also, you should NEVER surf without a good trusted antivirus. I do have antivirus programs I recommend and others I would steer you away from. If you have any questions you are welcome to call me (Mike 260-349-3497) or email me mike@pmcreation.us and I will be happy to help.

Harmful Internet Scams

Many of you know about these scams, but still, many people are taken every day. There are hundreds of scams on the Internet. If they did not work they would dry up fast, but the fact is, they do. Here are five classic viral scams that have tricked many people over the years:



SCAM #1: A wealthy Nigerian needs your help to move millions of dollars from accounts out of his country. In return for your help, you will receive a percentage of the money. You send your bank account info, and at some point a small problem will arise and the Nigerian will need you to send a few thousand dollars to fix the problem. You would think that anyone would know that this is a scam, but the potential to get millions moved into your bank account is a very tempting to some people. There are many variations of this scam, originating from other locales. The one thing they all have in common is that the money will be moving out of your account, not in.



SCAM #2: A friend is stranded overseas and needs you to send them money. This is more targeted to people with a large number of close friends and is much easier to check for legitimacy. Still, if a hacker compromises an email or Facebook account, he/she can then access the address books and friend lists. Inbox messages appear as a desperate plea from your “friend” claiming they are traveling overseas, have been mugged on a deserted island and lost everything. They plead with you to send money immediately. Come to find out, your real friend is safe and sound. This hoax is especially tricky because it looks like it came from someone you know, not a stranger. These could arguably be the worst scams because they are coming from a known sender. Call your friend. If you cannot get through, call someone else who would know where they are. Last resort, email them back and ask for some information that only they would know. Never blindly send money.



SCAM #3: Online rental properties are another target for scammers. Con artists use real listings, changing the contact information. When they ask the victim for the deposit check, the scammer will say that they are out of the country on business or doing volunteer work, so the money needs to be sent overseas. Once discovered, it is very difficult to track down the scammer or your money. This one is becoming more and more active every day.



SCAM #4: Online dating scams are particularly cruel. Con artists use the sites to look for victims. If they do everything right, the victim becomes love struck. Cons take their time, reeling in the victim over weeks or months. Then comes the request; money for a small emergency or so they can travel to meet you. After the victim sends the money suddenly another emergency arises and this will keep going as long as the victim will send more money. People have lost everything to this con, so be careful. Victims can lose not only their money, but their hearts as well.



SCAM #5: You receive an email or a phone message from a bank that says your PIN or other information has been compromised or needs to be updated. You are supposed to respond, giving them certain information. Never do this! The senders are phishing for information which they will then use to try to steal your identity and money. Banks do not send messages asking for information. If you have any questions, contact your bank directly. This con is used to get your other passwords as well. As a rule, if asked for any information via email, NEVER reply or use the links contained in said email. Either call or use a known safe email address.

The bottom line is, if in doubt, check it out. There are many legitimate sites on the internet that you can contact. I would start with your antivirus protection provider. If you have questions and do not know where to turn, please ask me at mike@pmcreation.us and I will do my best to help.