3 most common scams and malicious software to watch out for

Now that nearly every U.S. household can access the internet, it’s easy for scammers to infect millions of computers by tricking computer users to install viruses and malware. Below are 3 of the most common methods to watch out for which scammers use to install software without your consent which can render a computer useless until a ransom is paid, use the computer as a spambot or capture keystrokes and login information.

1. The phony e-mail attachment: You may get an e-mail that looks like it’s from UPS, Facebook, the IRS or Microsoft prompting you to open the attachment with the “.zip” extension to view “the package information”,  “your new password” or “a critical update”. What happens when the attachment is opened is a fake anti-virus program will be installed on your computer and render it nearly useless until you pay to register the program. Even paying for the program does not get rid of it. It’s a scam to get you to pay money for a problem you never had. We call it “ransonware” or “scareware”.

2. The phony e-mail with a link: You may get an e-mail that looks like it’s from your bank, PayPal, Amazon.com or e-mail provider without an attachment. There is a link in the e-mail that looks like it will direct you to the senders website to “verify information” or view the “details of your order”. When the link is clicked normally you would be directed to a fake yet realistic looking website that would prompt you to enter financial and/or personal information that would later be used for malicious purposes. Sometimes the link is directed to a website that would pop-up a fake anti-virus program as described above.

3. The fake website: you may click on a link in Facebook, forum or search result and then you see a pop-up for a legitimate-looking anti-virus program that looks like it’s scanning your computer and finding multiple threats. It’s a scam to eventually get you to purchase a program for a problem with your computer that didn’t exist until after you installed the fake program.

As mentioned in previous articles if you see a pop-up from an unknown program that is warning you about multiple security problems with your computer, you should immediately turn off or restart your computer. Do not click the “X” on the upper right corner of the window, nor anywhere on the pop-up. Doing so will likely install the unwanted program. If the pop-up is gone after you restart your computer, your computer is likely ok. If you continue to see warnings or strange behavior, contact Computer Techs so that we can check out your computer and remove any malware or viruses.