Scam- the process of trying to convince a prospective person to participate in a fraudulent scheme, usually to make money quickly.
Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scam
It can happen to YOU!!! Read on to hear about a real example of a scam-
I was shocked when I read this one... the New York Times reported recently that employees of a company found a number of USB drives bearing the firm's logo scattered around its parking lot.
Several employees picked them up and took them back to their offices to see what the USB's contained. They found what appeared to be a document but when they clicked on the icon, it installed malware that was intended to steal confidential information directly from the company's computer network.
Information taken from: http://www.scambusters.org/
Tips for avoiding scams:
- protect your personal information
- know who you are dealing with
- take your time
- read the small print
- never pay for a "free gift"
Top 10 scams for 2010-2011
- travel and vacation scams
- investment scams
- work from home schemes
- auction and classified ad scams
- doorstep scams- where scammers take advantage of natural disasters to go door to door and offer bogus services
- lottery scams
- Nigerian scams
- economy related scams- foreclosure and loan modifications
- malware- instillation of harmful software
- phishing/identity theft- using Facebook and Twitter
If you think that you may be involved in a scam visit these helpful sites...
* http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/
* http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/how-to-report-scams
* http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams
Spam- Engulfing the Internet with many copies of the same message in an attempt to force large numbers of people to receive the message, advertisement, or special offer.
Source: http://spam.abuse.net/
According to Barracuda Networks' annual spam report, 95% of all of the emails we received in 2007 were considered spam. This is a huge climb from 5% reported in 2001. http://news.cnet.com/
Tips to help reduce and stop SPAM
- use different email addresses for different purposes
- subscribe to an online service that gives you a disposable address that can be deleted if too much spam is detected
- remove your email address from your website if you have one
- never buy anything from a company that sends spam
- filter your email
Potential results of Scams and Spam
- loss of money/assets
- identity theft
- personal information made public
- stress related issues
- psychological problems
- bankruptcy
- marital problems
Resources for firewalls that help protect your computer from unauthorized access and transmissions-
*www.freebyte.com
*www.securitysceptic.com
*www.free-firewall.org
Resources for free/inexpensive tools to block spam:
* Internet Crime Complaint Center...https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
* http://www.eatspam.com/ - offers free anti-spam protection
* http://www.domaincarecenter.com/preventing_spam.htm- provides a long list of resources that can help you block spam
