Don’t catch an online love bug

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Watch out for bogus "e-cards" warns a top privacy watchdog, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. They could infect your computer with a "love bug," one e-virus that caused billions of dollars in damage to computers world wide. Some scammers even use the names of legitimate e-card companies.

According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, "Scammers have jumped on the popularity of e-cards, viewing them as an opportunity to infect your computer with malicious software (malware). Although there are variations in the message and attached malware, generally the email directs the recipient to click on a link provided to view the e-card. Upon clicking the link, the recipient may be taken to a malicious web site."

The organization provides some tips from the FBI that you can use to avoid becoming a victim of internet fraud:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) email.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited email.
• Be cautious of email claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the email to the link that you are actually directed to.
• Log on to the official web site, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email.
• Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the email is genuine.