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SUN SENTINEL

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Circulation = 2442

WEEKLY

04/01/2010
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Be aware ofonline

scamming threats

Special , ~~ Sun-Sentinel riever receive any employ­

ment offers.
RIDGELAND- The Bet­ ~.~ Auction Sites: Scammers
ter Business Bureau (BBB) lurk on auction sites offering
Serving Mississippi ofiefs tfie deals that appear too gOQd to
following cyber scam warn­ be true. Often these purchases
ings: never reach the purchasers:.
• Charity ''Phishing'': E­ • "Keylogging" Passworo
mail messages from' what Stealing: Thieves use low­
appear to be legitimate chari­ cost tools to uncover pass­
table organizations. These words by using malware that
contain Web sites that are records keystrokes. Com­
designed to steal donations, monly, spam messages are
credit card iofonnation and then sent from the user's e­
donor identities. mail account to their entire
• Fake Invoices: Bogus contact list/address book.
invoices and delivery notifi­ • E-mail Banking: Fake
cations sent via e-mail official-looking e-mail mes­
requesting credit card iofor­ sages are sent from financial
mation or opening an online institutions that ask for verifi­
invoice to pay for shipment. cation of account ioforma­
• Social Networking tion. They further threaten to
"Friending": ''New Friend make accounts invalid if the
Request" E-mails are sent consumer does not furnish the
from social networking sites. requested iofonuation.
These contain links that auto­ • ''Ransomware'': Scam-'
matically install malware on mers act as virtual kidnappers
computers to steal personal by hijacking computer files
iofonuation. and encrypting them so that
• Job Searches: High-pay­ they become unreadable
ing jobs and work-from­ and/or inaccessible. They
home opportunities are then hold the files ransom by
offered. Interestedjob seekers demanding payment in
submit their infonnation and exchange for the return of the
pay their set-up fees and then flles.