| A lot of people are actually still | | | | That's why I would like to add one piece |
| afraid of using computers due to the | | | | of advice to all users that you should |
| fact that they can have viruses and | | | | always see where the link is taking you |
| people can manipulate them in order to | | | | by seeing the tool tip and then if it |
| serve their purposes. | | | | takes you to your usual Paypal address, |
| This argument actually holds true but | | | | follow the link. |
| there are actually different types of | | | | Now in order to avoid this e-mail to |
| "manipulations" that people can do. This | | | | ever land in your inbox you need to use |
| is where anti-viruses and viruses come | | | | a phishing filter. One of the most |
| into play and one of the most recent | | | | common ones at the moment is the |
| developments is creating phishing | | | | Bayesian Filter that allows you to |
| filters. | | | | blacklist or whitelist certain |
| Phishing is the act of "fishing" | | | | individuals. It also easily integrates |
| information via the internet, there are | | | | to popular email clients such as MS |
| a lot of ways to do this from emails to | | | | outlook. |
| spywares, and people can access your | | | | By using this filter 90% of these types |
| computer and steal your information | | | | of messages will not arrive in your |
| without you knowing it. | | | | inbox, thus greatly increasing your |
| Normally the accounts that people try to | | | | phishing protection and it saves you a |
| phish are financial accounts that cannot | | | | lot of time. |
| be subjected to information trace - | | | | The next thing you need to use is |
| especially if they can keep you locked | | | | anti-spyware software. One good program |
| out long enough to get the money into a | | | | available in the market is called |
| bank and run away with it. | | | | ad-aware by lavasoft. It is always |
| The most common ones in the internet are | | | | updated and it is extremely simple to |
| Paypal and Ebay Accounts. Apart from the | | | | use. It runs through your computer like |
| usual spyware tools, scammers are using | | | | a virus scan - except that it only looks |
| simple emails targeted at unsuspecting | | | | for spyware, which most of the time is |
| users. These emails come with subject | | | | not recognized by your virus scan as a |
| lines like: "Last Warning", "Password | | | | threat to your system. |
| Change Required" or "Your account is | | | | Just download it and run it at least |
| suspended" and a whole lot more. | | | | once a week and it will prevent any kind |
| These e-mails would appear to have come | | | | of phishing spywares to enter your |
| from eBay or PayPal and provide a link | | | | system. |
| to their own phishing page. Now these | | | | Now, all you need to do is just to keep |
| pages are designed just like the | | | | these programs updated to protect your |
| original pages and the unsuspecting user | | | | information and continuous awareness |
| ends up providing his/her sensitive | | | | over phishing issues will also help you |
| information like username/password or | | | | to be ahead of the curve and keep the |
| Credit Card Information to these | | | | scammers at bay. |
| duplicate pages. | | | | |