3/15/2011
By: Gregg Keizer
A new record has been reached by cyber-criminals. Less than 3 hours after the earthquake in Japan, the internet was filled by scams. Scams range from links to fake anti-virus downloads and phony donation sites to classic online frauds that rely on greed. Even Facebook has been used by cyber-crooks to collect information when users click on a link posing as CNN video footage of the tsunami that struck the eastern cost of Japan Friday. Scammers are also flooding e-mail inboxes with messages asking recipients to donate money to relief efforts. A large number of domains with URLs have been registered that seems legitimate and ask for donations. The Internet Crime Complaint Centre-- which is run jointly by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center – issued an alert advising people to be cautious of responding to such requests.
There is nothing new about such fraudulent activities on the internet. I am sure that you too get at least 10 to 15 spam e-mail a day with subjects ranging from asking for donations to confirmation on your ATM card transactions or e-mails from the director of FBI or CIA..... There are still a number of people who may be fooled by such scams either because of their greed or simply because they are too trustful.
This latest scam --fake anti-virus -- is a whole different story and one of the worst. You are under the impression that if you don’t take action, your system is in jeopardy. So obviously, you want to stop the virus to compromise all your data or even wipe out your whole system. The way it works is: while you’re browsing the internet, a pop-up shows with a message that a Trojan virus has been detected. To remove it you are prompted to click and download the anti-virus for it. The page that you are forwarded to looks very legitimate, sometimes an exact replica of a Microsoft windows page, but in order to download the anti-virus software you have to pay. Depending on different packages the amount varies. Problem is once you’ve agreed to remove the Trojan you can’t exit this page and it takes control over your system. Even shutting down your computer will not work. Do not pay. One of the solutions to this problem is to restore your system to a previous date and you’ll get rid of the unwelcome guest who’s become the host. One of the giveaways to detect the fake message from the real one is that it doesn’t come from the anti-virus package that you have installed in your computer. I Hope this will help in case you encounter such a problem in your virtual tour on the Net.
Shabnam
Yes, it's ashame that people would try to profit from such a tragedy. It is also ashame that people are so stupid to fall for these types of scams. But that's the world that we live in. You have to be very careful on the internet. Don’t buy anything from anything if it’s not reputable. Even on ebay you have to be careful. If you want to buy stuff online, try to buy from a Canadian company – even better if it’s located in the GTA. That way if they try to rip you off, you can drive over to their office with a baseball bat and settle things directly. Lol, just kidding.
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ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what some people will do to make money. online scams is propbaby one of the biggest scams people give in to because some scams look authentic when really are not. even though you might have the best internet secuirty on the market, some scamscan still access you pc by pop ups and such. The fact the people do givve in to these scams does not seem surprising because most likey they are not aware of these types of scams, or have no information on this topic. The only thing i would advise is if you do not know what is you are pending on paying for/making a donation, dont make any payment because if it sounds bogus or too good of a deal, it is most likey a scam. I would try to make all puchases in person as I find it to be the most secure way. You can Also ask for a tax reciept if your making a donation to make sure your money is going towards a donation and that it is not a scam
ReplyDeleteChris Lall
It's unbelievable how low humanity can steep at times. People are trying to take advantage of the devastation and helplessness of the victims. However, these kind of scams have been present for years and till date there is nothing anyone can do or has done to eliminate these scams. My advice would be for everyone to find a legitimate or proper fund collecting agency and only give them your donations.
ReplyDeleteMishal