At some point, most of us have been vulnerable to computer scams that target people of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels. Scams succeed because they look real and catch the user off guard. They create believable stories that convince the user to give over money or personal details by pretending to be from a familiar organization, indicating that there is a problem or prize, exert pressure to act immediately and/or to pay in a specific way insisting, for example, that the user send money through a money transfer company or depositing a check or even by putting money on a gift card.

Below are some of the current most popular scams computer users should look out for, according to Robert B. Weiger, General Manager of Systems Plus Computers in Lebanon, NH. In all of these cases, if you have questions or are not sure how to proceed-call your nearest trusted local computer service center and have them help you.

What it is: Phishing is one of the most common cyber threats around, yet it continues to be equally as effective. Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to get sensitive and/or personal information(data) such as usernames, passwords, and financial detail by impersonating the user. Ways to avoid include thinking before clicking, installing an anti-phishing toolbar, verifying a site’s security, keeping browsers up to date, using firewalls, and never giving out personal information.

This is software that pretends to be legitimate antivirus software that will falsely tell you it found an infection or tries to scare you into giving out personal information or even allowing access into your computer. Sometimes they charge you to “fix” the computer allowing them more time to look for more information to steal. Some of the ways to mitigate fake antivirus software are enabling firewalls, setting exclusion websites, never clicking on pop-ups, paying attention to browser warnings, buying genuine products, and configuring settings.

This falls under the idea of “if it is too good to be true, then it is not.” When you get offers for amazing deals or “free.” Stuff-slow down and be cautious. It is usually something you want, and they know as they have been watching your buying habits and hope to get you to give out financial details.  Resist!

This could be a whole chapter to discuss. Basically, if a website uses http:// (no S) that doesn’t guarantee that a website is a scam, but it’s something to watch for. To be on the safe side, you should never enter personal information into a site beginning with http://. Some internet browsers like Google Chrome lend a hand in warning you about unsecured websites. When a site is secure, you may see a small padlock next to the web address, or the address may be highlighted in green. You might also notice the domain name next to the padlock before the https://. That means the website has one of the highest levels of encryption and can be trusted. Again, slow down and think about it.

This is the one we get the most. This is when you either get an email or an on-screen pop-up or even a phone call from what seems to be a major company claiming that your computer is in trouble, but they will help you now if you pay them to do this. There is no major company that will call you anytime to say they will help you fix anything. Apple, Microsoft, Dell, or Hewlett Packard will never do that. Once you allow them access and pay them to do so, you can lose all of your life savings, retirement, or any other items.