Beware Classmates...
Autor: Deborah Friedrich | Publicado: 2010-09-08T08:24:00-03:00

Hello people,I am missing you all, believe me.But today I would like to explain why I have removed my personal information from this blog (as address and phone number) - and I did it too late, I think!Of course all of you have already known about scams! Well, I think is it good once again to say you all: Beware! Take a look on the text below:How to avoid online donation scamsMost online donation scams begin with an e-mail message or a post in an online forum. They ask for donations in the name of well-known, legitimate charities. In recent years, cyber criminals have taken advantage of natural disasters, such as earthquakes or tsunamis, to create illegitimate “charity” businesses to help the survivors of these events.These criminals provide links to phony Web sites that appear to be official but are designed to trick you into providing your personal financial information.You can avoid getting caught in online phishing scams, like these, by using caution when responding to e-mail solicitations, looking for signs that an organization’s Web site is legitimate, and using technology to help improve your online safety and security.Treat suspicious messages cautiouslyBe on guard if you receive an unsolicited e-mail message from a charitable organization asking for money.Don’t open any attachments because they may be infected with computer viruses or other malware.Don’t click any links because they may take you to sites designed to steal your identity or money.If you receive an e-mail request from a charity you'd like to support, make sure the request is legitimate. Instead of clicking a link in the message, manually type the charity's Web address into your browser’s address bar and look for how to donate. Look for signs that Web sites are safe Spoofed Web sites often use deliberate, easily overlooked misspellings to deceive users. Double-check the spelling of the organization's Web site in the address bar before looking through the site. You could have accidentally misspelled the address when you typed it in.On the Web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an "s" after http in the Web address of that page. It should read: https://. (Encryption is a security measure that scrambles data as it traverses the Internet.)Make sure there is a tiny closed padlock in the address bar, or on the lower right corner of the window.If you are using Internet Explorer, one sign of trustworthiness is that the address bar turns green and displays both https and the closed padlock.Keep up to date on the latest online scams through trusted technology news providers, government agencies, and other professional sources.Get help from technologyImproving your computer’s defenses will also help you prevent phishing scams.Always use firewall, antivirus, and antispyware software.Download and install updates for all of your software. Use automatic updates so you don’t have to manually install the updates.Use a filter that warns you of suspicious Web sites. Browser filters block you from visiting reported phishing sites. The SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer 8 and the Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer 7 are examples of these filters.Information from Microsoft Online Safety.Hope to be back soon here!