Staying safe
online is everyone's top concern. Fortunately, there are
many things you can do to protect yourself and others from
fraudulent activity and make trading online both fun and safe.
Read on to learn how to stay safe online
PhoneBusters is a national
anti-fraud call centre jointly operated by the Ontario
Provincial Police and the RCMP. PhoneBusters is the central
agency in Canada to report telemarketing fraud and identity
theft complaints. If you suspect that someone has stolen your
identity, don't be embarrassed - you are not alone. Visit
Phonebusters today and help put the bad guys out of business.
PhoneBusters website http://www.phonebusters.com
Internet Fraud Complaint Center
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp
Stopping Online
Viruses
Viruses are pieces
of code that install themselves onto your computer for malicious
purposes. Viruses are designed to replicate themselves,
spreading from computer to computer. Since the Internet is made
up of millions of computers connected to each other, viruses
thrive in the online world.
Some viruses are nothing more than an annoyance - others are
more severe, slowing down your computer, deleting and stealing
potentially sensitive information, or crashing your computer
altogether.
Most viruses require some sort of human intervention - sharing
and downloading infected files, opening attachments in emails,
etc. The good news is that by taking a few preventive steps, you
can help keep your computer safe and secure
Safety Tips
1. Keep your Internet browser and computer up-to-date.
Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer or Netscape are
constantly updated with patches that make them even more
resistant to the latest external threats. By visiting the web
site of your browser's manufacturer, you can make sure that your
browser is as secure as possible with the latest updates. Making
sure you have all current patches for your operating system is
also important. These patches can be found at the manufacturer's
web site.
2. Use virus protection software and keep it current.
Effective virus protection software will guard your computer,
automatically detecting and scanning downloads for known
viruses. Some popular virus protection software makers include:
McAfee Security, Symantec, Computer Associates, F-Secure and
Trend Micro.
Since virus creators are always inventing new, more threatening
virus definitions, simply having the virus protection software
is only half the battle - you should take steps to keep it
current by regularly visiting the web site of the maker of your
virus protection software.
3. Install a firewall
Some online hackers spend their time looking for vulnerable
computers - those that have left their front door wide open. By
flagging and ignoring information that seems to be from a
suspicious location, a firewall disables the ports that allow
criminals to access your machine, rendering your computer
invisible to hackers who are in search of vulnerabilities.Scam
Alert!
4. "4-1-9" Fraud
We are often contacted by some people from Africa who stated
that they wanted to buy their collector car or parts. This
sounds very similar to a recent scam that caught one customer of
another site. We would like to urge our customers to be
cautious. Here's the way the scam reportedly worked:
The advertiser was contacted by some people from Nigeria who
stated that they wanted to buy their collector car and sent them
a fake cashier's check. The crooks sent more money than the
price of the car stating that the extra money was to be sent to
someone in the US to ship the car to Africa. The amount of money
to be used for shipping was even close to what the actual
shipping cost would be. Once the American seller sent the money
to the person who was supposed to ship the car they discovered
that the original cashier's check was a fake. These individuals
lost $8000 of their own money in the scam. Apparently the scam
has been tried on others. According to the people who lost their
money it can take over three weeks for a bank to realize that a
check is fake. They also suggest that you contact the issuing
bank and get any verification in writing. The money you save may
be your own!
This type of scam is called "4-1-9" fraud after the section of
the Nigerian penal code that addresses such schemes. You can
find out more about it on the Secret Service Web site. If you
have copies of emails from -- or accounts of -- similar
encounters, it may be useful to forward them to the Secret
Service Financial Crimes Division at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov.
Anyone who has lost money can contact the FBI and they will
assist directly or put you in touch with other federal agencies
dealing with African banking scams. Anyone who has been
contacted should report to FBI Tips and Public Leads, which will
then report the scammers to African authorities.
