There are many threats online that may seem very safe when you recieve them in your inbox. Lets’ start with Phishing and Pharming because there is no software you can use to stop them. For these you need to be aware they exist and watch out for some tell tale signs. Also, the one golden rule that would prevent most email born issues ”Don’t open unsolicited email”! Let me say that again, “DO NOT OPEN UNSOLICITED EMAIL”.

Phishing (pronounced ‘fishing’). This is a scam in which you receive an official looking email from eBay or PayPal or maybe it looks like it came from your bank. There will be some excuse for changes to your account and they need you to re-send your information. Sometimes they even provide a link. Either way don’t do it. This scam is designed to collect personal account and financial info and is one of the leading causes of idenity theft.

You can tell the real from the fake if you look carefully. First, official emails will address you by name not as ‘valued customer’. Second, official emails will direct you to log into your account, not solicit information right there. Again, don’t trust the link provided. Open a fresh browser window and type in the web address. This will prevent you from being re-directed. And third, if you really want to be sure, you can contact the company and see if they did indeed send you the email.

A growing offshoot of this scam are the emails that offer cheap medications or unbelievable prices on software. The great majority of these are just to collect your credit card information. The thing to remember here is the old adage “If it is too good to be true, it isn’t”. And if they do ship you a product you can bet that it its either pirated or of inferior quality. The best thing to do is a Google search and sees what comes up.

Many cases of identity theft are caused by consumers clicking on these fraudulent links and unwittingly giving out their financial information. Please check all e-mail carefully before opening it or clicking on their links.

If you have recently ordered something on PayPal or Ebay, watch out for these fake e-mails that will look official, but have a fake return e-mail address. And remember to contact us at Computer Guys Live online if you need to scan your computer for spyware and viruses.