For the fourth scam of Christmas, the criminals gave to me… fake antivirus pop-ups scaring my family! I have had this scam hit my family twice. The last time, my husband accidentally clicked on what looked like a message that the computer had a virus and Bam! We got the scary blue screen.
These scams even target Mac users, so if you have any kind of computer, you need to keep a watchful eye out for this scam.
Scareware now makes up 25% of all malware. This scam has been used for a few years on PC users. A user is surfing the web when they get a pop-up message that says something like “you may have a virus”. You have no choice but to click on the pop-up when mayhem erupts! … in actuality, you just allowed a malicious program to download and run on your computer.
In the Mac version, Cyberscammers are placing links to fake antivirus software in online search results. They advertise programs with names like “Mac Defender,” “Mac Security” or “Mac Protector,” offering to safeguard your computer from online threats. But once you click on the link, it downloads malicious software onto your machine.
In the background, the program may open up pop-up windows, asking you to upgrade the software for a fee to remove non-existent threats. If you agree to “upgrade,” the cybercrooks get your money—often $50—and you get nothing in return. Or, it may open up pornography, or other undesirable websites.
To avoid this scam, follow these tips:
- Always have a legitimate copy of a comprehensive security software installed on your device
- Make sure that software is updated automatically
- Exercise caution when you click on links. Using software such as SiteAdvisor (www.siteadvisor.com) can help because it distinguishes between safe and risky websites
- ALWAYS exercise caution while clicking links in emails that look suspicious, even If they appear to come from a known contact
- Hover your mouse over links without clicking and look in lower left hand corner of the window to see the actual link address – avoid suspicious web addresses that contain misspelled words
- Hit alt + F4 to close the pop ups.
- If you think you clicked on a bad link, update your security software and run a scan.
For more information about this type of scam, see this post.
Stay tuned for the next Scam of Christmas and as always, stay safe out there!
By: Tracy Mooney
