Today we live in an age of over-information. Scammers, spammers and con artists are just waiting for their opportunity to strike. I don’t need to turn over all of my personal information to operators of a website just to keep in touch with current or long lost friends. Most know how to contact me. Those who don’t can use Google, Yahoo! or use any other search engine to reach me.
Spam, or junk e-mail, is becoming even worse than junk mail delivered by the US Postal Service. However, it is far more dangerous and becoming a favorite tool of con artists. It would be great to have a registry for spam like the national “Do Not Call Registry” that has almost eliminated any unsolicited calls to me from telemarketers. However, so much of the fraud and phishing originate overseas making it difficult if not impossible for a prosecutor.
I have opened mail I thought sent by a friend only to learn my friend never authorized the sender to solicit me. When you sign on to some organizations, they capture your entire address list. I do not believe it is anyone’s business who I have on my e-mail address list, much less having an organization make it public. And, when I did sign on ever so briefly to a couple of these websites, my junk spam mail skyrocketed.
I have become very skeptical and am cautious opening any e-mail when I do not know the sender. Never open e-mail from a financial institution regarding activity or fraudulent use of your account. The only documents you should open are regularly scheduled electronic statements, proxy ballots, and information that you may have requested. Your financial institution will telephone you if there is an issue.
Not a week goes by that I don’t receive what appears to be a legitimate e-mail only to open it and find it is someone wanting to make me rich if I give them certain confidential information that would allow them to steal my identity. Unfortunately, too many people have fallen victim to these scams or the criminals wouldn’t continue their efforts. Never respond and do not open any attachments which could have a virus.
The scamming spammers have become so creative they have actually duplicated the e-mail appearance of legitimate organizations. I received a suspicious e-mail from Microsoft telling me I won a sweepstakes promotion. It had a Microsoft address but asked for personal information the company would not need. This may be revenge for the effort Microsoft has made in helping find and bring to justice cyber criminals.
If you think you’ve received a phishing e-mail, Microsoft says don’t risk personal information by responding. Phishing is a type of online identity theft that uses e-mail and fraudulent web sites designed to steal personal data such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data and other information. The company warns to approach any link in e-mail messages with caution because it could take you to a phony site and once you’ve opened the link you’ve enabled a virus. Microsoft says even if the e-mail appears to come from a sender you know and trust, be careful because fraudsters can easily spoof the identity information in an e-mail.
Other tips Microsoft suggests are to verify the identity of the website, do not enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows, do not trust offers that seem too good to be true, and report suspicious e-mail. To reduce the risk of identity theft, the company suggests creating strong passwords, using online payments services and shop more safely online.
Internet criminals actually got into the computer of a friend, captured his address book and even his e-mail address. He was traveling at the time and all of a sudden could not send any own e-mail. E-mails sent to him, were intercepted and captured by criminals. Almost anything is possible today with the skill of computer hackers.
Microsoft’s Internet Safety Enforcement Team has worked closely with Rob McKenna, Washington State’s attorney general, to find, prosecute and convict a number of cyber criminals. The company also has worked with McKenna’s counterparts in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina and Utah to provide comprehensive training for law enforcement regarding Internet investigations and cybercrime.
Microsoft has a coalition with Western Union, African American Bank, Yahoo! and Coca-Cola that is working internationally to proactively fight spam, cybercrime, Internet fraud, online child exploitation, spyware and online threats including phishing, botnets, malicious codes, identity theft, viruses and malware. The company has a number of educational resources that can be accessed at www.microsoft.com/protect
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the FBI, National White Collar Crime Center and Bureau of Justice Assistance and alerts law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international levels of suspected criminal or civil violations. The website is www.ic3.gov
When in doubt, err on the side of safety. Always unplug your modem when your computer isn’t in use because a hacker can access files even if the computer is powered off. Delete your browsing history and delete offline content before logging off or shutting down. Have the most current security and safety technologies installed on your computer. And always take the time to report offenders. Keep your private information private. Caribbean Net News

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