Old Dog, Old Trick
There's always a new scam - one that even a suspicious veteran like me is prone to fall victim to.
In the case I'm about to describe, there were no consequences - but there could have been!
I get plenty of SPAM, as I would imagine we all do these days. I have abandoned email accounts because they have become so SPAM ridden. But in this particular case, I simply tell Microsoft Outlook to block the sender, and move on to the next email.
But in this morning's email inbox, here was a new twist: an email from the FOX News Network Newsletters, with an opt out. Had I subscribed to a newsletter and didn't remember? There was the familiar "Right click here to download pictures." Not atypical, either.
So what did I do? I right clicked! And what was behind the click? It launched a website touting Viagra or some other buy-it-online drug. Keep in mind, when you access certain sites, malware can then be installed on your computer, so this isn't necessarily just a harmless bother. Quickly running a virus check did turn up a Trojan Horse, though I can't be certain that's how it was downloaded to my computer.
The point is - even though the email was from what might be considered a "trusted" source, I did not remember subscribing, and therefore, should NOT have clicked on anything in that email.
The old rule always applies: if you are not absolutely sure who sent it, it gets trashed. And I'll thank myself to remember it!
In the case I'm about to describe, there were no consequences - but there could have been!
I get plenty of SPAM, as I would imagine we all do these days. I have abandoned email accounts because they have become so SPAM ridden. But in this particular case, I simply tell Microsoft Outlook to block the sender, and move on to the next email.
But in this morning's email inbox, here was a new twist: an email from the FOX News Network Newsletters, with an opt out. Had I subscribed to a newsletter and didn't remember? There was the familiar "Right click here to download pictures." Not atypical, either.
So what did I do? I right clicked! And what was behind the click? It launched a website touting Viagra or some other buy-it-online drug. Keep in mind, when you access certain sites, malware can then be installed on your computer, so this isn't necessarily just a harmless bother. Quickly running a virus check did turn up a Trojan Horse, though I can't be certain that's how it was downloaded to my computer.
The point is - even though the email was from what might be considered a "trusted" source, I did not remember subscribing, and therefore, should NOT have clicked on anything in that email.
The old rule always applies: if you are not absolutely sure who sent it, it gets trashed. And I'll thank myself to remember it!
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