Beware of "Scareware"
 First we had to worry about "viruses" (computer programs that do bad things to our computers). Then it was "spyware" (programs that spy on our computer activity). Then it was "malware" (general category for anything we don't want on our computers). And now it is "scareware". In the last few months I have seen a sharp rise in calls for help for all sorts of messages stating that a computer is infected with a virus, Trojan or privacy issue and to fix the problem you must purchase an anti-virus program. Turns out these messages are fakes designed to "scare" the user into buying worthless software. Apparently this is a lucrative business. One Ukraine company sold $163 million dollars of worthless anti-virus software. Click here to read the story in USA Today.
My advice is to keep your credit card in your pocket. Never, ever buy anything from messages that pop on your screen, come to you via email or from people who call you on the phone. Simply ignore them. If there is any question just send me an email and ask me if the message you are seeing is legitimate. |
Newsletter Archives
Click here to read my past newsletters on the following subjects:
What is an iPad and do you need/want one? (May 2010)
Broadband Speed Test (April 2010)
Top Ten Things Every Computer User Should Know (February 2010)
Vacation Message Setup and Webmail (December 2009)
Upgrades and Updates (November 2009)
Encyclopedia of Life (October 2009)
Windows 7 coming soon (September 2009)
Picasa Video Lessons (August 2009)
YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter (May 2009)
Disaster Protection (March 2009)
Share Your Holiday Photos (January 2009)
Electronic Voting Machines (November 2008)
Why do printer cartridges cost so much? (September 2008)
February 2009 Over-the-air TV change (July 2008)
Wireless explained (June 2008)
Updates Galore (March 2008)
What is RSS all about? (January 2008)
One Laptop Per Child (November 2007)
Backups 2007 Style (October 2007)
Going Green with Technology (August 2007)
Credit Card Safety, Personalized Email (April 2007)
Should you upgrade to Windows Vista? (January 2007) |
| Personal Computer Tutor
Claude Kerno
719.650.9916
ckerno@pctutor.com - www.pctutor.com
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