Text Michelle Haryasz Photo Courtesy of Reno Computer Fix
Reno Computer Fix Avoiding Phishing and Vishing Sure, you know better. You’re intelligent, somewhat internet-savvy, and certainly weren’t born yesterday. But the truth is, anybody can make a mistake, and the folks behind the scams are getting increasingly savvy and subtle. With phishing, fake emails attempt to lure you in. We’re seeing less “Nigerian princes” and “Bill Gate/ Microsoft will send you money if you forward this” in the inbox these days. Newer scams are not nearly that obvious, and most people are most susceptible than they believe. In a paper presented at the 2013 International Human Factors and Ergonomics Society titled, Keeping Up With the Joneses: Assessing Phishing Susceptibility in an E-mail Task these stats were startling: “Although 89% of the participants indicated they were confident in their ability to identify malicious e-mails, 92% of them misclassified phishing e-mails.” (https://www.hfes.org/) Yikes! Some of this may be attributed to the fact that many of the newer phishing emails look like legit messages from your bank, shipping companies (UPS, FedEx, etc.), Microsoft, or social networking sites. They want you to click a link in the message, which will take you to a sign in page, where they can then get you to just hand over your personal info. An email might show an actual organization’s real logo, phone number and format--and still be fake! A good forgery is still a forgery. What upsets many of
us security-conscious types is that some banks and other organizations still put links in their emails. It isn’t best practice to encourage people to click links in emails--and they should know better. Even if you have every reason to believe an email is real, be safe! Don’t use the links provided; type the actual address you need into the address bar. Links could be anything, not necessarily what’s displayed! We’ve recently had increases in the number of customers reporting vishing activity. Vishing, or voice phishing, is when a call comes in claiming to be someone it’s not. Every few months there’s a surge in the number of people getting calls from “Microsoft” or “Windows” about problems with their system. It’s a scam. Don’t talk with these people; don’t give them any of your info, just get off the phone. (Unless you’re one of those IT people who love to string them along. Then, though I don’t officially condone playing with the scammers… have fun.) As always, we are glad to provide a no-cost, no-obligation initial analysis, on your desktop PC, Mac, MacBook, or laptop PC. We’ll spend time with you when you bring it in and time with you when you pick it up, so that you’re involved in the process and become a happier, more confident user. Reno Computer Fix is located at 1170 South Wells Open 10 am to 6 pm, Monday-Friday, and noon to 4 pm on Saturday. Give us a call at (775) 996-0212, or check us out online at www.renocomputerfix.net or on Facebook Remember: Don’t Suffer In Silence!
Michelle Haryasz is the Reno Computer Fix Quarter Master.
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