Good afternoon, everybody- here's the latest PJ Networks blog post:
We're seeing more and more sophisticated attempts to access your valuable personal information, and PJ Networks would like to pass along this article from the Bankrate.com website about an especially nasty threat that apparently looks very legitimate. Some edits have been made, so a link to the ORIGINAL article is here:
http://www.bankrate.com/financing/banking/fbi-warns-of-new-banking-scam/?ec_id=m1078093
As noted in the article, most 'phishing' schemes rely on some form of end-users' oversight- usually overlooking the required maintenance of security or program updates, or even overlooking common sense itself (can i say that?) by just clicking on links without a CAREFUL examination of the contents of the email. I mean, come on- this is your bank account we're talking about, folks!
So, with our thanks to the author, and to the Bankrate.com website, PJ Networks says, "HEY! Let's be careful out there!"
By David McMillin ยท Bankrate.com
Some crafty criminals are aiming to steal one of the most valuable pieces of your personal property: your banking information.
...[T]he Federal Bureau of Investigation warns account holders of a ... spam email scheme that involves a type of malware called "Gameover." The scheme involves fake emails from the National Automated Clearing House Association, the Federal Reserve or the FDIC. These messages attempt to trick recipients into clicking on a link to resolve some type of issue with their accounts or a recent ACH transaction. Once you click on the link, Gameover takes over your computer, and thieves can steal usernames, passwords and your money.
[PLEASE NOTE:]The FBI also warns the thieves' hacking capabilities can navigate around common user authentication methods banks use to verify your identity, which is certainly a cause for concern. Those additional authentication steps -- often personal questions, birth dates or other pieces of private information -- are meant to provide some extra security padding.
While phishing scams are nothing new to the world of online banking, this type of warning serves as a reminder of just how susceptible account holders can be to malicious attacks. As more account holders begin to jump on the mobile banking bandwagon, it's important to remember that a smartphone essentially acts as another computer. While this additional connection to the Internet is convenient, it also serves as another outlet where your information can be compromised [PJN bold].
Here are a few crucial steps to take to avoid falling victim to this type of Internet crime:
* Keep your computer and mobile device updated with the newest versions of anti-virus software.
*If you have any doubts about an email sender's authenticity, do not click on any embedded links.
* Remember, banks never request any personal information via email. [PJN bold]
* Be vigilant about checking your account balances. The sooner you notice and report any type of fraudulent activity, the more likely you'll be able to be reimbursed for any missing funds.
Dear clientNeedless to say, I did not click on the links, but instead I looked up the subject line on Google and discovered that this is a fairly well-known virus scam. If you would like to read more about it, you can click on this link (this link is safe - promise!): www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp
Your package has arrived.
The tracking # is : 392869B2DAEB9292 and can be used at :
http://www.ups.com/tracking/tracking.html
The shipping invoice can be downloaded from :
http://www.ups.com/tracking/invoices/download.aspx?invoice_id=392869B2DAEB9292
Thank you,
United Parcel Service
*** This is an automatically generated email, please do not reply ***

"if you see a status update containing the message "I just got the Dislike button, so now I can dislike all of your dumb posts lol!!" or "Get the official DISLIKE button now" followed by a link, you should know that it's another one of many scams that aim to extract your personal data.
If you click on the link, you'll land on an elaborate Facebook dislike button "install" page (note that if the dislike button were real, you wouldn't need to install it; Facebook would automatically add it to user profiles). If you follow the instructions, you'll be asked to give the app permission to run, after which you'll be asked to complete a survey,similar to the surveys found in many other scams we've seen recently."
So, please be extra careful whenever you are asked by FaceBook (or any other social networking site) to install additional software or follow a link they leads away from the main website. That is exactly how these hackers and scammers try to lead you away from the relatively protected areas of the main site that you are visiting and then trick you into installing software that can steal your data and/or harm your computer.
Also, please remember to manually run a Windows Update on your computer from time to time in order to make sure that you have the most up-to-date versions of all of Microsoft's security updates and patches.
Let's be careful out there!
-PJ