NY state consumer website offers tips to protect against Internet

Daily Record (Rochester, NY), Aug 24, 2005 by Sarah M. Feingold

The New York State Consumer Protection Board website, at www.consumer.state.ny.us, provides helpful tips to protect yourself from Internet scams.

There is a wide variety of Internet scams. Five common scams are phishing, tsunami e-mail scams, nigerian scams, spyware trojans and bogus online auctions.

Phishing

Phishing attacks are often delivered via spam. Phishing schemes use spam and fake websites to fool recipients into revealing personal information or place a Trojan/virus into the recipients computer. Phishing often uses trusted brand names of well-known companies such as online retailers and credit card companies.

Tsunami E-Mail Scams

What seems like an e-mail from a relief charity, offering to find victims for a fee or requesting that money be deposited in overseas accounts, is really a virus. Viruses also are found attached to tsunami disaster pictures sent in the e-mail.

Nigerian Scams

Here, the recipient receives an e-mail that he or she is due a large sum of money. Another variation of this scam is where the recipient is asked for assistance with some form of money laundering. The recipient is asked to provide money to help with processing fees, or personal financial information to facilitate the fraudulent transaction.

Spyware--Trojans And Malicious Code

Spyware and Trojans are downloaded onto the user's computer by either accessing websites that contain them or through a spam e- mail that includes a link to a site containing the spyware or Trojans.

The downloaded software performs tasks on the participants' computer, typically without the user's consent. These tasks include collecting personal information about the user or infecting the computer with a Trojan or a malicious code.

Bogus Online Auctions

Credit card information may be gathered through fake auctions, which contain fake items that computer users bid on. Through spam, the user will be directed to the fake auction.

Tips To Detect And Combat Internet Scams

* Never reveal personal information to an unverified recipient. Personal information includes: login names and passwords, credit card numbers, PIN numbers, bank account numbers, mother's maiden name, social security number and date of birth.

* Never respond to requests for this personal information. Call the company that claims to have sent you the e-mail and verify its authenticity. Do not trust any numbers supplied by the e-mail. Look up the numbers on your own.

* Do not trust hyperlinks. Visit websites by typing the URL into your address bar.

* Review your credit card and bank statements for any unusual transactions and report problems immediately.

* Report suspected abuses to the proper authorities.

* Do not use the same passwords on multiple sites.

u Avoid opening spam that contains attachments. Attachments with the .exe or .d11 suffix are highly suspicious.

Additional Information

For additional information about fraudulent spam and more tips on how to avoid getting phished, visit the Direct Marketing Association and Federal Trade Commissions websites at www.the-dma.org/antispam and www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/inbox.htm, respectively.