Scams and more scams

There are so many more scams out there. The number is multiplying by rates that we’ve never seen before.

I thought I would highlight an example that we’ve seen recently. You may not get this exact scam but it will give you an idea of what to look out for.

Amazon scams are still hot. This one came to me. I have an Amazon Prime account so it is very tempting. Free! But my first moment of caution was that the account ID shows my email address but that is not the email address associated with my Amazon account.

more scams

Now I have on occasion received Amazon gift cards from vendors for participating in research studies, making presentations, doing a guest blog post, etc. So I need to be sure. When I hover over the words reveal here I get a URL and paste it into http://urlvoid.com This website will scan the URL and give me some information on whether to trust it or not.

more scams

It also tells me that the URL passed all of the scans in so far that it isn’t listed as a bad website by any of the databases it checks. But this message at the top of the screen is my definitive clue that it’s a bad thing to click on. Amazon.com is the real Amazon address. Primramzn.com is a brand new website which is a trick used by scammers. They will file hundreds or thousands of URL’s in order to try to outrun filtering systems like this.

How to Avoid a Scam

  1. Read the whole email carefully. Does it look right? This one had an email address that Amazon doesn’t know about.
  2. Don’t click the links. You should go to the website and do what the email asks of you there instead.
  3. Does the URL look right? Hover your mouse over the button or URL. If it’s from amazon it should say amazon.com
  4. Test the URL before clicking. Right click to copy the URL and paste it into one of the following locations that will check the URL and give you some additional information about its safety
  5. Send it to Harbor. Remember that we’re supporting thousands of people just like you. It may be the first time that you’ve seen this particular scam but we’ve probably seen it before. Just forward it to your assigned tech.

Here’s a few of the scam testing sites that we trust and use.

http://www.urlvoid.com/ will check the URL against a bunch of anti-virus databases

https://www.virustotal.com/ will scan a file or check a URL

https://reverse.it will open the file or check the URL in a sandbox to detect whether any virus activity occurs. The results can be a bit technical.

-Amy, president Harbor Computer Services

About Harbor Computer Services

Harbor Computer Services is an IT firm servicing Southeastern Michigan. We work exclusively under contract with our clients to provide technology direction and either become the IT department or provide assistance to the internal IT they already have. We have won many awards for our work over the years, including the worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year in 2010. We’re the smallest firm to have ever won this most prestigious award. Most recently we were recognized as one of the top 20 visionaries in small business IT by ChannelPro Magazine (2015). And in 2016 as the top Michigan IT firm for Manufacturing. There are a few simple things that make Harbor Computer Services the best choice for your business. •We are Professionals •We are Responsible •We are Concerned About The Success of Your Business www.harborcomputerservices.net

 

 

 

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