2009年12月16日星期三

Connecticut Better Business Bureau - Connecticut BBB warns Facebook users about new dangers ambuscade in cyberspace

Popular amusing networking sites accepting acclimated by hackers, con artists and ID thieves

Wallingford, CT - February 17, 2009 – Perhaps it was just a amount of time: Cyber-criminals accept confused to accepted amusing networking sites to advance bacilli and abduct users’ identities.

Sites like Facebook and MySpace accept become abundant arena for hackers and scammers to allurement biting users into downloading computer bacilli and acknowledgment claimed information.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau President, Paulette Scarpetti, says scammers accept begin a new belvedere from which to do damage.

“As of December, Facebook had an estimated 150 actor breath users of all ages, abounding of whom are blind that there are humans on the aforementioned website aggravating to base their computers and abduct their identities. This is a wakeup alarm for all users, and especially, parents because of the vulnerability of adolescent humans on amusing arrangement sites.”

The acceptance of amusing networking sites has developed exponentially in contempo years as a area for award and reconnecting with old accompany we apperceive and trust. Better Business Bureau, however, warns that scammers apperceive they can crop advantage of that assurance by assuming as friends, ancestors associates and co-workers in adjustment to accomplish cyber crime.

Common amusing networking schemes include:

“Friend in Distress” Scam
Facebook users may accept an e-mail from a acquaintance adage they are in acute agitation – and charge money active to them.
The almsman is blind their friend’s anniversary has been afraid and that the bulletin was beatific by cyber abyss who ask that the acquaintance wire them money. If the Facebook user affairs the cash, they again ascertain their acquaintance is safe, the e-mail was a betray and that there is no way of convalescent the money.

Phishing Friends
A decidedly advancing computer virus alleged “Koobface” fabricated the circuit on MySpace and afresh hit users of Facebook. Users accept a bulletin from a acquaintance adage “You attending alarming in this video,” and which contains a hyperlink to an alfresco web website to appearance the video.

When the victim clicks on the hotlink they are told they accept to amend the accepted Internet browser constituent Adobe Flash. Agreeing to the download installs the virus assimilate the victim’s computer and monitors Internet action to potentially abduct claimed information. Victims of the Koobface virus accept accomplished ample adversity removing it, and in some cases, artlessly scrapped their computers.

Your BBB has some admonition for blockage safe on amusing networking sites:

Be alert of letters from accompany or strangers that absolute you to addition web website via a hyperlink.

Before base money to a “friend in distress,” users should attack to acquaintance the acquaintance anon to affirm the situation. If that is not possible, BBB recommends allurement a catechism to which alone the acquaintance would apperceive the answer.

Keep important advice private. While some amusing arrangement sites acquiesce the user to allotment buzz numbers, birthdates, e-mail and postal addresses, BBB recommends adjoin announcement such advice to anticipate a cyber bandit from acquisition abundant advice to abduct a user’s identity.

Be careful if accepting acquaintance invitations. BBB warns it is best to abatement a appeal for accord from anyone the user doesn’t know.

More admonition on blockage safe online is accessible at www.bbb.org.

Founded in 1928, Connecticut BBB is an aloof non-profit alignment that sets and upholds top standards for fair and honest business behavior. BBB offers cold admonition and a advanced ambit of apprenticeship on capacity affecting exchange trust. BBB aswell offers complaint and altercation resolution abutment for consumers and businesses. Today, 128 BBBs serve communities above the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and ecology added than three actor bounded and civic businesses and charities. For added admonition on award companies and businesses, alpha your seek with assurance at www.bbb.org.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau
94 South Turnpike Rd.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-269-2700 ext 103

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