Don’t Be Vulnerable: How to Avoid Hoaxes, Malware and Scams (by Gold Canyon Computer Repair)

Don’t let your guard down. If it sounds strange or unreliable don’t trust it!

Helpful Resources:
Not sure if a website is safe go to AVG ThreatLabs (http://www.avgthreatlabs.com/sitereports).

Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/) is a helpful resource to help identify urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation.

Be wary of the “AVSecuritySuite”. This is a FAKE security client. It’s a clone of other Antispyware Software. See photo below it looks real. The warnings and scan results are there to trick the user into making a purchase of this bogus security client. Don’t be fooled. If your computer is infected with this or another virus give us a call 480-262-9598. Our Virus Removal ($75) & includes free pick-up & delivery for Gold Canyon-AJ areas.

Warning Signs
We’ve all received some of the following emails from family members and/or friends in the past:

  • Missing Child (Urban legend hoax)
  • Dialing #77 on your cell phone to call the highway patrol (Urban legend hoax)
  • Emails starting with ‘This is an actual true story’ (Urban legend hoax)
  • Emails from a friend or family members about Viagra or other Rx (Someone’s hacked their e-mail account. Best action is to pick up the phone and call them their e-mail has been hacked/compromised and they need to contact their Internet Service Provider (ISP) and reset their password).
  • Virus Malware Hoax, Microsoft Security Patch, Conficker, New Gifts for You, Windows warning

Onguard Top 10 Scams

Email Rules

• Don’t open emails having ‘exe’ executable files*; delete them
• Always scan attachments before opening
• Don’t download from the Internet without scanning the files first
• Don’t open emails from unknown senders
• Empty the deleted emails folder immediately after deleting an email having a suspected virus

Report it!
If you think you’re a victim of a scam:

Best wishes, Stephanie & Dennis Calderone
Gold Canyon Computer Repair, LLC
http://www.gccrepair.com/

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