Avoid Facebook Phishing Schemes

<br /> <p>Over the past few months I have noticed a large increase in the number of Facebook accounts getting hacked or hijacked by hackers using Facebook phishing. In order to understand this, let's first take a quick look at why Facebook accounts have become such a target for hackers.</p><p>Why are Facebook accounts being hacked?...</p><p>Facebook now has over 500 Million users, and provides such incredible demographic information, that advertisers are now flocking to it for targeted advertising. The very same affiliate marketers that have previously resorted to spam email and blog comment spam to force their message out to the public, have now discovered that by hijacking Facebook accounts, they can deliver their marketing message to the friends and connections of those account holders. These "spammy" messages are more likely to be viewed, read, or even clicked on, because they are seemingly coming from a trusted source (the original account holder).</p><p>Exactly how are these Facebook accounts being hacked and hijacked?..</p><p>This is really just a new delivery method for an old phishing scheme. Phishing happens when you enter your login credentials on a fake Facebook login page or download malicious software to your computer. This may result in messages or links being automatically sent to a large number of your friends. These messages or links are often advertisements encouraging your friends to check out videos or products.</p><p>The hacker sets up a dummy Facebook profile and sends out hundreds of friend requests and waits for the requests to be accepted. Once some are accepted, they send out tricky messages via Facebook chat or by posting to the wall of their new Facebook friends. These messages appear as an enticement such as...</p><p>"hey, what exactly are you doing in this video (click here).... how embarrassing..."</p><p>"this website has some sort of error and is giving away free iPads. Get there fast before you miss out (click here)..."</p><p>The above examples would include a link that goes to a page that appears to be a Facebook account login screen. The user assumes that they were logged out for some reason (which occasionally does occur) and re-enteres their Facebook username and password. What they don't realize is that the page did not belong to Facebook and they just gave their username and password to a hacker.</p><p>Once the hacker has collected the user's Facebook account credentials, they simply log into the account, change the password and begin sending out advertisements for affiliate programs, as well as more invitations to give up your account info. This process continues to spread because people are simply not aware.</p><p>How to avoid getting your Facebook hacked...</p><p>It is really quite simple to avoid getting your Facebook account hijacked. Just follow these simple steps:</p><p>1. Never, ever, ever give out your Facebook username and password to anyone.</p><p>2. Whenever you are at a Facebook login screen, make sure you are actually logging in on an official Facebook page. If you are ever unexpectedly shown a login screen, simply close your browser and open a new one. Then browse back to Facebook.com and login.</p><p>3. Share this post with any many people as you can. The more people who become aware of this, the less effective the hackers will be, afterall knowledge is power.</p><p>What to do if your Facebook account has already been hacked or you suspect you may have been "phished"...</p><p>1. If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure.</p><p>2. If you are able to access your Facebook account, change or reset your account password as soon as possible to block any outside access to your account.</p><p>3. If you have been locked out of your account, or it has been suspended due to phishing or sending unwanted messages, your best bet is to simply start a new profile. I have heard from many that trying to get Facebook to reactivate an account is a lesson in futility.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Let's work together to make Facebook a safe place to socialize and network. Get more <a href="http://jonochs.com/avoid-facebook-phishing-dont-open-the-door-to-facebook-account-hijackers/" target="_new">Facebook marketing tips</a> at Jon Ochs' <a href="http://jonochs.com" target="_new">network marketing success</a> blog.</p> <br />

Avoid Facebook Phishing Schemes

Over the past few months I have noticed a large increase in the number of Facebook accounts getting hacked or hijacked by hackers using F...

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First Phishing, Now Pharming

<br /> <p>There are more scams on the Internet today than most people want to admit, and the scams are getting more and more sophisticated. So how can you protect yourself? Get educated.</p><p>Many have learned about phishing, now there is pharming. Pharming works in two different ways. First, the "pharmer" infects your computer with a virus. When you type in a web address, your computer sends you to a fake site. Second, the "pharmer" hacks into your service provider's server and changes the numerical address of the website to the numerical address of their fake site. Either way the 'pharmer' captures your personal information without you suspecting any wrongdoing.</p><p>Like phishing, pharming coerces victims into visiting a fake website and supplying information. However, instead of tricking recipients into clicking on an email link, you are secretly redirected to another web browser. In this way, pharming effectively eliminates the need for "bait" emails and is therefore potentially more dangerous than "normal" phishing scams and can cast a wider "net" in which to snare victims. Even phishing-savvy web users could fall victim to a pharming scam without realizing it.</p><p>Currently, pharming does not appear to be as common as phishing. However, many computer security experts are predicting that pharming attacks will continue to increase as more criminals embrace these techniques.</p><p>So how do you protect yourself? Look for authentication, that is where sites can prove who they say they are and through a certificate from a certificate authority, such as VeriSign. When you visit such sites, you see a dialogue box asking you if you want to trust the certificate. If the name on the certificate doesn't match the site you're attempting to reach, you know that something is amiss, and hopefully you leave.</p><p>One should also protect themselves by consistently running anti-virus and anti-spyware software, keeping your operating system and browser updated with the latest security patches and using a reliable firewall. As with all aspects of Internet security, simple vigilance is a crucial defensive weapon.</p><p>Protection doesn't stop there. There is nothing that but beats education, whether it is for yourself or educating your employees. Keep in mind, banks do not ask for personal information through email or insecure channels. If they have doubts, make a phone call to your bank and verify whether they need the requested info.</p><p>You don't have to be a victim of Internet fraud and scams. Whether it is phishing or pharming, defending yourself with knowledge is your best weapon.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>About the Author: Stephen J. Richards has 25 years experience in Data Management and Information Technology. This information is provided as a public service by Neon Enterprise Software, a leading provider of mainframe disaster recovery [http://www.neonesoft.com/br.shtm] and data retention [http://www.neonesoft.com/TAR.shtm] technology.</p> <br />

First Phishing, Now Pharming

There are more scams on the Internet today than most people want to admit, and the scams are getting more and more sophisticated. So how ...

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Beware of Online Casino Phishing

<br /> <p>Online casino has become quite popular around the globe. More and more people are joining online casino networks just to play their favorite casino games. After all, if you don't have time to visit your favorite casinos, then the next best thing is the online casino at your home. You don't have to go far just to gamble, play your favorite game, and try your luck. You don't have to drive and dress up because online bingo is just sitting and waiting for you at the safety and convenience of your home. But is it really safe?</p><p>The World Wide Web is a great tool that has helped us break geographical boundaries. But at the same time, it is vulnerable to attacks. Because of the many benefits the Internet has provided us, many people also want to abuse it. Virus attacks, hacking, identity fraud, and now phishing, are just some of the worst things that could happen to you while using the Internet. So can this happen while you are playing online casino? Well the truth is that any website you go to and any online transaction you make have that risk. It all depends on how safe and secure the website you're visiting is and at the same time, how reliable your Internet security programs or anti-virus software is.</p><p>You should always be alert. Beware of websites that are posing to be the usual online casino website you go to. There have been reports of phishing scams related to online casinos. So it's important to stay alert. There are a lot of Internet frauds out there and it doesn't matter what type of website you are at. Those people taking advantage of today's technology simply want one thing. They all want to get a hold of sensitive financial information that they can use to rob you of your funds. Any website that requires for such sensitive information has risks that go along with it. For example, if you are purchasing something online, you may have to give out your credit card information. If you are transferring funds, then your bank information is being transferred over the Web. What phishing sites do is that they trick you into thinking that you are at the website you should be. They trick you that you think you are purchasing this certain product and filling up your financial information on a certain website when in fact you're just in their copy-cat website. This can be done to online casino websites too. So always make sure to check the website you're on and don't always believe what you receive through emails.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p><a href="http://www.meetmebingo.com" target="_new">Online bingo</a> news and strategies at Meet Me Bingo.</p> <br />

Beware of Online Casino Phishing

Online casino has become quite popular around the globe. More and more people are joining online casino networks just to play their favor...

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