The most common danger is the so-called phishing scams that lurk in every corner of the Internet. These scams usually fall for users of social networks, or all Internet users who visit sites that require a user name and password or other personal information (name, phone number, credit card number, etc.). We will do our best to help you not to fall into it. Spend a few minutes of your time and read this article to the end, because it is your safety, the safety of your data, and finally the safety of your money.
Phishing is actually just one of the illegal ways to get a person to steal her identity electronically. And what is the electronic identity? In simple words, the electronic identity are the username and password that someone uses to access a particular website, for example, Facebook or Gmail. When hackers come into possession of your user name and password, he can perform various tasks on the internet using your identity. For example, if the hacker came to your email address and password to access your Facebook profile, it can be your friends on the social network to send messages on your behalf and for you to publish what it wants. In the meantime, a hacker can change your old password and thus prevents you come back to your profile on Facebook. Given the fact that it was the Facebook social network users frequent target of phishing scams, hereinafter we shall use mainly examples relating specifically for Facebook.
Often the hackers just make a copy of the Facebook site. The next step that the hacker undertakes the production of “bait” that will take you to a fake Facebook site, rather than to the right. When you get to fake copies of Facebook site, which looks identical to the original Facebook site, you will find a more familiar field in which you need to enter your email address and password. You might be confused and you will wonder why again should you enter data when you mentioned it a couple of minutes already entered, or if the majority of people without thinking again enter the required information, without thinking that perhaps the word fraud. Given that it is a fake Facebook site, the information you enter will be recorded in PC hackers. In this way, you have “knowingly” gave someone email address and password to access your Facebook profile. After this, the hacker will effortlessly take control of your Facebook profile. If the hacker has not changed the password to access your Facebook profile, do it before him, and so prevent further abuse of your Facebook profile.
If the computer of one of your friend is infected with a virus, it can happen that you virus automatically sends e-mails that will make you think that you really sent the email to people you know. This attempt at fraud will easily recognize if you know the style of expressing your acquaintances. Virus will not have the same vocabulary as the people you know, and in the text of your email will be listed and internet address to visit for some reason. It is often the case that the disputed email complete with an unknown address. In any case, do not open suspicious e-mail and attachment that it can be located, do not reply to it, and be sure to clean it, and your acquaintances in other ways (eg. By telephone) inform that his computer is infected with a virus.
The bait often looks like some exclusive news whose title awakens your curiosity and that will be difficult to resist. The news usually have the following or similar headings and are found everywhere on the internet:
– “Find out who looking at your profile”
– “Look at my XXX video”…and similar
HOW TO PROTECT FROM THE INTERNET FRAUDS?
The answer to this question is not simple, because every day hackers come up with new ways to scam you. Quality antivirus programs have built a so-called anti-phishing filter that automatically blocks access to fake (phishing) websites. Unfortunately, even the best antivirus programs can not be regarded as a safe protection. The engineers who make the antivirus programs take time to discover all the fake websites, during which time you can catch. In other words, from the moment when a hacker placed the bait, so by the time the engineers who produce antivirus programs detect the bait, often take several weeks. It was in this period occurs the greatest number of scam.
Remember also that your bank will never ask you to send e-mail confidential and personal information such as identification number, checking account number, credit card number or PIN code to use it. This is information that the bank already has and there is no reason that it requires from you again. Especially in this way. In the event that the bank needs to contact you, officers will make a phone call and ask you to visit your branch. In principle, no company will be demand from their customers that sensitive information sent via email. This firstly applies to companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and others. The said companies are using special electronic forms that are on their official websites, and by which companies communicate with their customers, but even then you will not be prompted to enter the password form.
If someone on the internet site you see a message that you have just won a large sum of money, do not click on this message because it is an attempt of fraud.
We do not want to scare you with this text. With a little experience, the Internet can be a wonderful and very interesting place. As the author of this text, I can confirm that many years I browsed the Internet, buy online and pay my monthly bills by using the so-called e-banking, while I have not had the slightest problem. Just be wise and careful. Internet is a source of endless entertainment, music, movies and photos, and it should be used for acquiring new knowledge.
