Click on this link to learn about the United States Postal Service Spam alert to customers.
Cyber criminals have taken advantage of the season of giving to install malicious software that can harm our computers and steal personal data. The best defense is never to open any e-mail that informs you of a pending package. If you do, you throw yourself into the enemy’s ring and malicious software gets right into your computer.
Sometime ago my goddaughter e-mailed a link. When I clicked on it, my computer almost became the casualty of a malignant virus. Fortunately, my firewall was in place and the virus definitions in my computer were updated. My operating system was instantly cleaned out. Thank You, Jesus!
Recently I have been receiving tons of e-mails about funds allegedly transferred to me, complete with Western Union money transfer confirmation numbers (MTCN). If I complied with the sender’s request to e-mail the contact listed in the message, or tried to pick up the funds using the MTCN provided, I probably would have put my personal integrity in jeopardy. Ours has become an age of constant cyber criminal activity and everyone who spends time online must be on perpetual alert.
What happens if our computer gets held hostage by a cyber crook? Chances are, our address books will get stolen and if sensitive data is stored in the hard drive, that too will be in jeopardy. The cyber criminal will send e-mails to our contacts asking for monetary assistance. One of the guys I used to work with had this unfortunate situation happen to him. The crook sent messages to all his contacts informing them that he and his spouse were stranded in England because all their possessions were stolen. The e-mail was asking for monetary help from his address book contacts.
The course of action is to NEVER open any message that is suspect or that comes from someone we are not familiar with.
One time I was reviewing an e-mail when an "alert" suddenly showed up on the screen. It warned of "malware intrusion" and suggested that a scan be performed. This scenario had happened in the past. That time I allowed the scan to be performed and my computer ended up with a Trojan virus! I spent almost half a day getting rid of it with the assistance of a long-distance Mircrosoft technie in another part of the world. I didn't want the same inconvenience to happen again so I didn't click on the "alert" box to stay out of harm's way.
As any computer owner knows, it is such a hassle to have to get rid of a virus. If we don't know what to do and need a professional's assistance, the expense can amount to a small fortune.
Safe surfing to all!
