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With Valentine?s Day looming, don't be fooled by one of many online scams!
I don?t know about you but I?m not a big fan of Valentine?s. Don?t get me wrong, I?ve been known to get romantic ? but I much rather celebrate a day which is special for me and my partner than get caught up in the commercial hype , especially when there is no in between. On the 14th of February you are either in or you?re out.
When I?m in a relationship the pressure is on....flowers, stuffed animals and overpriced restaurants, you have to book months in advance.
When I?m single it?s even worse. Everything around me is a reminder that I?m flying solo and even though it?s not a big deal on any other day, it haunts me. I start pacing, resembling something like a caged lion....back and forth between my computer and front door, hoping for at least one card that?s not sent by my mum.
Regardless, the anticipation of getting a Valentine is still there.
Last year my friend John?s excitement was unfortunately short lived when he clicked on the link to an e-card that caused his computer to shut down. It appears that on Valentine?s we are not only targeted by retailers but by hackers as well. The malware that had infected his computer not only managed to crash his PC but also stole his credit card and bank account information and sent an email containing the same link to all of the contacts in his address book.
As a result not only had he cancel his credit card, close down his account and spend hours restoring his computer he also had to send a message to all of his friends and colleagues explaining his own stupidity as well as warn them against opening the email.
Needless to say that romance was no longer in the air.
So how do you stay safe this Valentine?s Day?
| 1. | Be wary of any e-mail received from an unknown sender and do not click on any links provided.
| | 2. | Run up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software with behavioural protection ? such as Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus.
| | 3. | Ensure your software is up-to-date and run Smart Updates regularly.
| | 4. | Keep the programs running in the background at all times.
| | 5. | Use common sense.
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