Protect yourself from online scam guides by Mytrendingstories blogging platform right now? 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 by Mytrendingstories.com online platform: Phishing is an attempt to get financial information directly from the consumer by posing as a legitimate company or financial institution. Most people know not to trust the Nigerian prince who wants wire them money, but phishing emails have evolved beyond these far-fetched plots. This type of fraudulent email typically comes in two parts: You are threatened with losing money. Examples of this include your PayPal account being suspended or fake unauthorized purchases made on your Amazon account. You are promised something for free. Flashy emails that ask you take a survey for a free gift card, enter to win a free iPad/iPhone, or participate in a free trial of a new diet pill could actually be the first steps in stealing your money. Never click on a link or sign up for offers in an unsolicited email. If you get an email from a vendor saying your account is suspended, visit that site directly to confirm. An example would be, if you are made to believe your PayPal account is suspended, go to paypal.com and log in to see if it’s true, don’t click any provided links.

MyTrendingStories anti-scam advice: Recent reports highlight the fact that online dating sites and apps are seeing massive increases in users and dates. It seems that love is logging in online. Before you run off to create your dating profile, consider the possible risks. According to the FBI, romance scams and similar confidence scams cost consumers more money than any other kind of internet fraud. And that negative trend has been on the rise. In just four years, from 2016 to 2020, consumer losses as a result of romance scams increased fourfold, eventually hitting a record $304 million in reported losses last year. But love doesn’t have to mean loss. We’re here to help with five tips to avoid becoming a victim of a romance scam. Like any encounter with a new person, it’s best to take things slow. Scammers are there for one reason only; they want your money, preferably as fast as possible. As a result, they may send gifts and flatter you with compliments, and even say the “L” early in the relationship. Take the time to ask a lot of questions and never give out personal information to someone online that could put your finances or identity at risk. Discover additional details on https://mytrendingstories.com/haywood-lige/best-internet-scam-prevention-guide-on-mytrendingstories-gxpfux.

Mytrendingstories.com shows how to defeat scams: Beware of clicking on coupons from social media. If the coupon comes from the retailer’s official social media page, then you should be in the clear. But other times, fake coupons surface on social media pages that claim to be affiliated with retailers. For example, say you stumble onto a deal at Ross that isn’t promoted on any of Ross’ official media platforms. Instead of assuming that the deal is an inside scoop, contact your local Ross or try to track down the deal on Ross’ official website. Otherwise, you’re vulnerable to malware attacks. When you’re browsing the clearance section online, pay extra attention to final sale items. Final sale doesn’t always mean final prices, according to Consumerist. In fact, retailers will sometimes mark down the prices of their final sale items.

With our ever-expanding dependence on technology, there are bound to be people who try to take advantage of people on the internet. In addition to internet scams and hacks, there are over-the-phone scams that attempt to steal personal information. Below are some tips from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff Office on how to spot potential scams and what to do to avoid coming in contact with them. Do not open or click on links from emails that you do not recognize, even from ones that appear to be businesses or organizations. You should immediately delete them so they are removed from your inbox. This also applies to links received over text messages. A general rule of thumb is to not click links when you aren’t sure where it will take you. Always look for the secure site icon near the URL, otherwise any information you submit there is not secure. Read more info on https://mytrendingstories.freshdesk.com/.