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Fool me once, fool me...
by Dale Brown, 2007

ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED AT TheBigFiveOh.com Blog @ Yahoo.Com, Friday January 26, 2007

I warn my family and friends about virus, spam, and phishing schemes I learn about, and I'm careful never to click on links or attachments, even from folks I know and trust. But even I get trapped once in awhile.

A friend sent me an e-mail about a service used by investigators to track cellphones equipped with GPS receivers. Knowing that I don't open unknown URLs, he just gave me the address, and I had to type in the full URL in a browser window.

Naturally, it was bogus--took me to a porn site. It was well done, even funny, but still bogus.

Am I mad at my friend? No, I'm mad at myself for falling for it.

Let me remind everyone again:

1) Don't open links or attachments unless you are POSITIVE it's from a trusted source and is something you were expecting. Luckily I didn't receive any virus or Trojan horse warnings when I navigated to that bogus site (however, it doesn't mean I didn't pick up a virus!).

2) Install a good firewall and anti-virus software on your computer, and keep it updated. Many viruses are spread via sending itself to addresses found in address files on an infected computer, so you might believe that the link or attachment is safe because the e-mail comes from a trusted source. A firewall (which blocks commands initiated from outside your computer) and anti-virus software will be your last line of defense.

3) Be sure the Web site you're traveling to is the real thing and not a phishing site. Scammers set up fake Web sites that resemble the real sites so well that initially you may believe you're at the real site until you're asked for unusual or suspect information--instead of just asking for a user name and password, for example, the phishing site will ask for a social security number, driver's license number, bank account number, or ATM PIN number. If you're not sure, close the browser window, open a new one, and navigate to the site the way you usually do.

4) Be wary, and question everything.

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