infotech.NEWS

Phishing scams and malware campaigns are prevalent during the winter holidays and shopping season. As the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) reminds us among phishing scams and malware campaigns this time of year are:

• Electronic greeting cards that may contain malware
• Requests for charitable contributions that may be phishing scams and may originate from illegitimate sources claiming to be charities
• Screen savers or other forms of media that may contain malware
• Credit card applications that may be phishing scams or identity theft attempts
• Online shopping advertisements that may be phishing scams or identity theft attempts from bogus retailers

So use caution when encountering these types of email messages.

Preventative Measures

• Learn how to shop safely online.
• Verify charity authenticity. Two good resources are:
  1. Federal Trade Commission's Charity Checklist
  2. National Charity Report Index
• Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages.
• Use caution when opening email attachments.
• Learn how to recognize and avoid email scams (PDF).
• Keep your antivirus software updated.

For further information consult Phishing Scams.