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Hackers, phishers, viruses, worms…simply having your computer online can
expose your data and personal information to all kinds of malicious and worrisome
problems. If you’re somewhat new to the 'net' or to computers in general,
these four tips could help protect you from identity theft, credit card fraud,
or a complete computer takeover – all of which can happen without you even
knowing about it!
1. What’s in Your Inbox? – If your e-mail program allows you to preview
the entire message before or while it is being downloaded, turn this setting
off. Some e-mails can contain dangerous code that could unknowingly compromise
your computer and leave you vulnerable to viruses, worms or worse! Check the
options in your e-mail program for a way to disable the message preview pane.
2. Scrutinize Your Messages – Don’t ever respond to messages claiming
to be from your bank, credit card company, or other financial institution, which
ask for personally identifiable information such as card or account numbers,
passwords, or other private information – even if the e-mail looks to have
come from the actual company. It may be a hoax designed to get you to unknowingly
part with crucial financial or private contact information, leaving you vulnerable
to credit card fraud, identity theft or credit card theft. Contact the institution
or company that claims to be sending the e-mail and verify the contents of the
message with them. Chances are – they never sent it. Only use the number
on your statement though, and not the number that appears in the e-mail message.
It may direct you right to the scammer, who will do everything they can to assure
you that nothing is wrong!
3. If it’s From a Friend, it must be Safe, Right? – It’s logical
to assume that a message from your friend or colleague is safe, but that isn’t
always the case! If you receive an email from a friend or colleague which contains
an attachment (could be a media clip, a screensaver, a picture or anything else),
call them up to check and see if they really did send it. Many viruses and worms
can hijack your computer and blast out a virus-ridden email to everyone in your
address book, making it appear that it came from you and therefore, making it
appear trustworthy.
4. Read Your Messages in Plain Text – Some e-mails written in HTML (the
coding language that makes up many web pages) can be harmless. Others can contain
malicious code that can hijack your e-mail program, browser, or your entire
computer – and send your personal and financial information out to a hacker
or scammer without you even knowing about it! Stay safe by setting your e-mail
program to only show messages in plain text format (often in the options or
settings section of the software). This will prevent threatening code from installing
itself and compromising your system and private information.
Possibly one of the best ways to protect your e-mail is simply by exercising
common sense. The Internet is a lot like a crowded plaza. Would your banker
or credit card lender walk out into the middle of the throng of people and shout
out to you to ask for your account information? Would you tell him where everyone
could hear? Definitely not! The same caution should be exercised when checking
your e-mail. These tips can help you stop scammers dead in their tracks while
keeping you from becoming another victim of fraud or theft.
About the Author:
This article provided courtesy of http://www.wifi-shoppers-guide.com |
