MyTrendingStories brings tricks about scam avoidancetoday? Your computer is infected! (And we can help): How it works: A window pops up about a legitimate-sounding antivirus software program like “Antivirus XP 2010” or “SecurityTool,” alerting you that your machine has been infected with a dangerous bug. You’re prompted to click on a link that will run a scan. Of course, the virus is found—and for a fee, typically about $50, the company promises to clean up your computer. What’s really going on: When you click on the link, the bogus company installs malware—malicious software—on your computer. No surprise, there will be no cleanup. But the thieves have your credit card number, you’re out the money, and your computer is left on life support. Scams are everywhere–you can even become a “doctor” online with just $99. The big picture: “Scareware” like this is predicted to be the most costly Internet scam of 2010, with over a million users affected daily, according to Dave Marcus, director of security and research for McAfee Labs, a producer of antivirus software. “This is a very clever trick,” says Marcus, “because people have been told for the past 20 years to watch out for computer viruses.” Even computer veterans fall prey. Stevie Wilson, a blogger and social-media business consultant in Los Angeles, got a pop-up from a company called Personal Antivirus. “It looked very Microsoft-ish, and it said I had downloaded a virus,” she recalls. “It did a scan and said it found 40 Trojan horses, worms, and viruses. I was concerned that they were infecting emails I was sending to clients, so I paid to upgrade my anti-virus software. Right after I rebooted, my computer stopped working.” Wilson had to wipe her computer hard drive clean and reinstall every-thing. Although most of her files were backed up, she lost personal photos and hundreds of iTunes files. “I felt powerless,” she says.
Trending news from Mytrendingstories.com blogging platform: Hacking is an attack directly on computer systems or websites that contain financial information. Merchant account takeovers is a type of fraud that have been trending upwards over the last few years but exploded in 2020 and 2021. This is when a fraudster logs into a person’s merchant account (Amazon, Uber, Venmo) and uses saved payment information to make purchases for themselves. Merchant account takeovers can happen when a person uses the same password across multiple online accounts. If that log in information is leaked from any one website, scammers can do something called “credential stuffing”, where they use programs to test that log in information across hundreds or thousands of popular websites, hoping to get a hit. The best way to combat this type of fraud is to use strong, unique passwords for online accounts. Use a password manager can create and store unique passwords with ease. Learn more about password managers here. Discover more info on mytrendingstories scams.
MyTrendingStories anti-scam recommendations: After gaining a person’s trust, scammers often present a story of a personal hardship or struggle to get the victim to send money. And nearly as often, victims fall for the bait out of a mixture of generosity and what they believed was a genuine connection with their online partner. This is a mistake. You should never send money to someone online, particularly someone who you have never met in person. Additional tips to prevent you from becoming a victim of romance scams: Research the person’s photo/profile using online searches (like Google Image) to see if the material has been used elsewhere. Look out for poor grammar, spelling, unusual expressions and flowery language that don’t coincide with the person they are pretending to be. Ask a lot of questions and note any inconsistencies in current or past information they provided. Never provide personal information, including account, passport, social security or credit card numbers. New online scams pop up every week. While the internet has changed the world for the better in many ways, there is a downside.
Mytrendingstories.com discuss how to escape scams: So what’s the point of final sale items? To ward off return-happy customers. According to e-commerce analytics site Invesp, 30% of products ordered online are returned, compared with 8% of items purchased in-store. Although you don’t want to miss out on a good deal, subscribing to a lot of email lists can mean an overflowing inbox. Sure, promotions have a short shelf life, but there most likely is another one down the pipeline. Instead of getting a case of FOMO about promotions, it’s best to sign up for promotions when you’re in the hunt for something. This way you can give your inbox a break and not be tempted by unnecessary sale items. Read additional info at https://mytrendingstories.com/.
What To Do If You Think You’re The Victim Of A Scam: If you suspect that you are a victim of a scam, alert your local sheriff’s department to make a report. Secure all your bank accounts. Call the number on the back of your bank card to explain why you suspect you may be experiencing fraud, and they will walk you through the next steps to take. The faster you act, the more likely you are to resolve the issue. For online victims, change all passwords immediately. Contact the three major credit bureaus to have a fraud alert placed on your account, adding a security freeze. Scams no longer target just the gullible. They still come in letters, texts and calls, but more crooks are now looking online for the chance to get their hands on your hard-earned cash. There are increasingly sophisticated ways scammers try to target YOUR cash. This guide explains what to look out for, how to protect yourself, and what to do if you’re a victim of a scam.