- Photo courtesy of: http://security.web.cern.ch/security/recommendations/en/bad_mails.shtml
What is the difference?
- Spam is many copies of the same message. It is sent to people who would not normally want it. Common spam includes commercial advertising or get-rich-quick schemes.
- Scam is when a person tries to get your personal information, such as name, address, and social security number.
- To help protect against spam and scams, make sure your information is protected by a strong password. Passwords that contain a variety of capital letters, numbers, and symbols are considered to be strong and hard to break. Also make sure you know the source of your email. If you have an email coming from an unrecognizable source, don't open it! Many scams will ask for your personal information. Do not ever give away your name, address, or social security number. Stay safe!
How to check for spam/scams:
- One of the most well known places online to check for spam/scams is at www.snopes.com. You simply can't believe everything you read or receive online and this is a great resource to check to verify your information. There is a link to click on called "Top Scams" that lists, according to subject, the top scams online right now.
- Top current scams involve lottery winners, secret shopper advertisements, and wealthy foreigners needing help moving their money!
- Another site to check out online is www.truthorfiction.com. This has a lot do with emails from you inbox-are they true or are they false? If you have ever questioned an email you have gotten the go visit this site. They often have various scams reported also.
Here is an example of online spam:
- http://securitylabs.websense.com/content/Blogs/3138.aspx
Here is an example of an online scam:
- http://bigpondmoving.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/15337/~/warning%3A-bigpond%2Ftelstra-phishing-scams
A graph showing the most phished companies, some of which you may be familiar:
- http://www.projecthoneypot.org/1_billionth_spam_message_stats.php
Ways to protect against spam or scams:
- I visited www.download.com to see the most popular security software. At the top of the list is AVE Anti-Virus Free Edition. One on their list is CCleaner which is also free. There are many other options in which to choose. It is best to find one to meet your specific needs.
- To set up firewalls, download ZoneAlarm, which is free. It is effective in controlling firewalls on your computer.
