Trojan Horse scam
A Trojan Horse program, like the legendary wooden creature after whom it is named, offers you some apparent benefit (such as a pretty screen saver), encouraging you to install it and run it. After it gains your trust, it then has access to your machine to do whatever else it likes in the background.
As an example, in December 1997, two German students wrote a software product that allowed users to customise their Internet software. It worked as advertised, but it also secretly E-mailed the user’s password to the students. This action went undetected until March 1998, when the students themselves revealed it to the press to demonstrate the security risks faced by Internet users.
To protect yourself against this scam, only install software that comes from reputable sources.
Lost credit card number scam
Attackers can exploit the naivety and gullibility of trusting users to extract information from them. Unless you keep your wits about you, YOU can be the weakest link in your computer security chain.
For example, in May 1997, users of America OnLine (AOL) in the United States received E-mail, supposedly from AOL staff, asking them to re-enter their passwords and credit card details. Needless to say, it was a scam.
Most Internet service providers know about scams like this, and they now go to great pains to assure you that they will NEVER ask for your passwords or credit card details by E-mail. And if they seem to go to extraordinary lengths to verify your identity on the phone, do not get annoyed. Instead, thank them for being so security conscious.
Red Cross donation scam
After the terrorist attacks in New York in September 2001, many Americans gave generous donations to the Red Cross for emergency relief.
Some scammers sent out E-mail to people, asking for donations and directing them to a Web page that looked like the Red Cross site. It was a scam – the Web page was a fraud, deliberately designed to trick people into thinking it was the official Red Cross. Instead, the scammers grabbed credit card details from unsuspecting Internet users.
Be careful of ANY unsolicited E-mail (spam). Professional organizations such as the Red Cross know that it’s bad etiquette to send spam, so you are very unlikely to receive genuine requests from them by E-mail.
Nigerian Millionaire Scam
This scam has been circulating by mail and fax for a long time, and the Internet has given it a new lease of life. It is well known, but it still catches lots of new victims. The U.S. government reports that it gets 100 phone calls a day from victims or potential victims.
The scam starts when you receive an E-mail, supposedly from somebody in Nigeria, who claims to have access to a large sum of money, and they are trying to get the money out of the country. They ask you to be part of a deal, where the money is transferred to your bank account and then split between the parties. You are promised 25% of the funds, and they are talking millions of dollars, so it’s a lot of money!
After they convince you to join their scheme, you suddenly discover some snag, and they ask you to provide some money up front – perhaps to bribe an official or pay some tax. Then a few weeks later, another unforeseen fee is required.
In extreme cases, it can even be physically dangerous. You might be asked to travel to Nigeria or a neighbouring country to complete the deal. In 1995, an American who fell victim to this scam was murdered in Nigeria, and other people have been reported missing.
Yahoo E-Mail Address Scam
In December 1997, Yahoo opened its free E-mail service, so that anybody could get a free E-mail address at the Yahoo Web site. A scammer took advantage of the fact that the free E-mail addresses ended in “@yahoo.com”, which made them look like official E-mail from Yahoo.
The scammer then E-mailed people, telling them that they had won a prize. Next he asked for their credit card number to pay a small postage fee. You know the rest!
Beware of anybody asking for your credit card details by E-mail. Even somebody who has a legitimate right to know this information should not use E-mail. Also be careful of E-mail telling you that you’ve won a prize in a competition that you did not enter.
Anti-Virus Virus Scam
Most of the virus warning messages you receive are hoaxes. Whenever a real virus hits the Internet, anti-virus companies and software companies work diligently to update their software to detect and remove the new virus. They then release a ‘patch’ for Internet users to install on their computers.
Some virus writers take advantage of the virus hysteria by releasing a new virus, cleverly disguised as an anti-virus software patch! They send it by E-mail, claiming that it protects users from the latest virus. Unsuspecting users install the ‘patch’, only to discover that they have installed another virus.
NEVER install ANY software that you receive by E-mail. Reputable software companies will always make their updates available on their Web sites rather than sending them by E-mail.
Source: 4 hoteliers
