|
|
|
Jewish World Review Dec. 5, 2007 / 25 Kislev 5768 Enticing e-mail may lead to viruses, ID theft, malware By Vicki Lee Parker
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
With the holiday shopping season well under way, many consumers have already received a barrage of e-mails advertising hefty discounts on popular gift items. • Be suspicious. Be leery of e-mail with requests for personal identifying information, personal financial information, usernames or passwords. Virtually no legitimate businesses today request this type of information in an e-mail. Additionally, e-mail requesting that you download a document off a Web site should be considered highly suspicious. This almost certainly is an attempt to trick consumers into downloading malware off a Web site.
• Don't click. If you receive a suspicious e-mail, don't click the links in the e-mail and never open file attachments from anyone but 100 percent trusted sources. Links embedded in e-mails may take you to fraudulent sites that look similar or identical to the legitimate "spoofed" site.
Remember, malware is not limited to just .exe files these days - it can be hidden in Word documents, PDF files, e-cards and more.
• Be secure. When you are shopping online, entering important information such as credit card numbers, or updating personal information, make sure you're using a secure Web site. A secure Web server Web address will begin with "https" instead of the usual "http." Most Web browsers also show an icon (such as Internet Explorer's "padlock" icon) to indicate that the page you are viewing is secure. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Vicki Lee Parker is a columnist for The News & Observer. Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
Ask to receive discounts © 2007, The News & Observer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
