Category Archives: Spam and Phishing

Spam and Phishing

Scam Warning – Be vigilant

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BEWARE!!!! Please spare 2 mins to read and share this.

There is a telephone scam going around pretending to be from Microsoft saying they have detected a serious security issue with your pc which needs to be resolved immediately. They then ask for log in details and serial codes to fix your pc whereby they gain access and shut it down, holding it to ransom, only releasing it for a substantial fee. Under no circumstances give anyone, any log in data, passwords, serial codes etc over the phone without identifying who that person is. Microsoft or any other reputable company would never cold call in this manner or ask you to relinquish private details.

If you happen to come across a webpage by accident that says your browser has been blocked, again holding you to ransom, do not interact – shut down and restart your machine immediately.

Also, please pay the same attention to your emails. Scam emails are getting more and more convincing but any reputable company will always address you by name and will never ask you to download zip files. The golden rule is, if you do not know the person or company and you are not expecting the email, delete it immediately – DO NOT open attachments, DO NOT follow links. If you are unsure, either telephone the company concerned or open your browser and manually type in the name of the company’s web address and access your account from there.

Keep your anti-virus programs up to date and make sure they are installed on your tablets and mobile phones too.

If you do find your device has been compromised please contact us, we know trusted people within the IT industry that can help salvage your machine and data. At the end of the day though, vigilance is key – better to be safe than sorry.

E-Marketing, Spam and Phishing

Fake Emails, how to spot the signs

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Its great having your email address published on your website so all of your potential customers have direct access to contact you 24/7. Unfortunately, the downside is that it is also available to less scrupulous people and can become a target for spammers and phishers.

Criminals often use fake emails and fake websites, purposefully set up with the sole intention to spread spam and to deceive people into giving away private information such as passwords, date of birth, address and bank details. The technical word for this is ‘phishing.’

For example, they might send you an email that looks official, even containing link to an official website. However, when you try to log on, they can steal your password and any other details you enter.  They may ask you to make a phone call or reply by email or ask you to open an attachment which will often contain a virus.   Criminals are good at making their emails and websites look realistic, however, you can often spot the fake ones.

Look out for:

  • Emails that don’t address you by name eg. dear customer
  • Dodgy looking email or web addresses.
  • Poor design, typos or bad spelling
  • Click through Links that don’t match up to the senders domain

 

If the email is asking you to directly click a link, you can get a good indication of whether it is dodgy simply by hovering over it (BUT DO NOT CLICK).  Your web browser will show the destination address at the bottom left corner of your screen.   If the address does not match the senders company name, you can, with almost certainty decide it is fake.

If in doubt and you are concerned if it is genuine and it is something you really should be dealing with, contact the company who it claims to be from i.e. Lloyds Bank/Paypal/British Gas etc  via their own website or by using a telephone number from any written documentation you may have.  They may tell you outright if it is fake and  may even ask you to forward it onto their fraud department where they will do their best to ensure these people are officially reported.   If it is fake, block the sender using your webmail or email client so they can’t contact you again.

 

Better to be safe than sorry!