Protect Yourself From Phishing Scams

Phishing attacks have become more sophisticated and users need simple steps they can use to protect themselves from becoming victims of phishing scams. Follow these 5 steps to avoid being a victim and protect yourself from phishing scams.

1. Be Skeptical: It is better to err on the side of caution. Unless you are 100% sure that a particular message is legitimate, assume it is not. You should never supply your username, password, account number or any other personal or confidential information via email and you should not reply directly to the email in question. Ed Skoudis says “If the user really suspects that an e-mail is legit, they should: 1) close their e-mail client, 2) close ALL browser windows, 3) open a brand new browser, 4) surf to the e-commerce company's site as they normally would. If there's anything wrong with their account, there will be a message at the site when they log in. We need people to close their mail readers and browsers first, just in case an attacker sent a malicious script or pulled another fast one to direct the user to a different site.”
2. Use The Old-Fashioned Way: An even safer means of verifying if an email regarding your account is legitimate or not is to simply delete the email and pick up the phone. Rather than risking that you may somehow be emailing the attacker or mis-directed to the attacker’s replica web site, just call customer service and explain what the email stated to verify if there is truly a problem with your account or if this is simply a phishing scam.
3. Do Your Homework: When your bank statements or account details arrive, whether in print or through electronic means, analyze them closely. Make sure there are no transactions that you can’t account for and that all of the decimals are in the right spots. If you find any problems contact the company or financial institution in question immediately to notify them.
4. Let Your Web Browser Warn You: The latest generation web browsers, such as Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2.0 come with built in phishing protection. These browsers will analyze web sites and compare them against known or suspected phishing sites and warn you if the site you are visiting may be malicious or illegitimate.
5. Report Suspicious Activity: If you receive emails that are part of a phishing scam or even seem suspicious you should report them. Douglas Schweitzer says "Report suspicious e-mails to your ISP and be sure to also report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov".

Help! I've Been Scammed Online!

Scammers are doing their best to hit us from just about every possible avenue these days, from email phishing, to cell phone SMiShing, and everything in between.
Much like master pickpockets learn to use misdirection to confuse and distract their victims, modern-day internet-based scammers use fear, false urgency, curiosity, and other tactics to help them in their quest to steal money and information.
It can be hard to bring scammers to justice because of the difficulties associated with tracking them down. Scammers often cover their tracks by using fake or stolen identities, coupled with anonymizing Internet services, spoofed e-mail addresses, and disposable phone numbers.
Victims of scams don't always report when they've been conned because they feel embarrassed for having fallen for a scam.
If you have just fallen for a scam, you shouldn't feel embarrassed. It can happen to anyone. Scammers are constantly refining their scams to make them as effective as possible. They know what works and what doesn't.
If you're reading this article then you are here to find out what you can do after you've been scammed. Here are some tips to help you try and recover after you've become the victim of an online scam:
Call Your Credit Card Company or Bank IMMEDIATELY After You Realize That You've Been Scammed
If you've given out your credit card number or bank information to a suspected scammer then you need to tell your financial institution as soon as possible so they can put a hold on your account to prevent further charges against it. Always call them on the number on the back of your card or on your most recent statement. Never call a number in an email as it might be part of a phishing scam.
File a Police Report
Calling the police after you've been scammed might sound silly but it's not. You were just robbed, weren't you? When you're robbed on the street you contact the police, right? It shouldn't matter how you were robbed. The fact that the criminal used the Internet to steal your money doesn't make it any less of a crime.
You'll need to file a police report as soon as possible after you've been scammed, especially if money was actually stolen from your account. Your bank and/or credit card company will likely want a copy of the police report as will the major credit agencies.
You probably shouldn't call 9-1-1 for this type of issue, unless the scammer is threatening your life and you are in physical danger. When filing a Internet scam / fraud-related report, you may want to call the non-emergency number for your local police department and ask for the fraud or computer-related crimes division.
File a Fraud Victim Statement"(a.k.a Extended Fraud Alert) with the 3 Major Credit Bureaus
Filing a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus adds a note to your credit file that states to anyone trying to pull your credit that you have been a victim of fraud. The note requests that the business pulling the credit report call you on one of two phone numbers you provided when you filed the fraud alert.
This doesn't guarantee that the lender won't grant the thief credit anyway, but at least it throws up a big red flag to anyone who is paying attention. Hopefully they will call you and you can tell them that you did not authorize the credit inquiry and that the person trying to open the account is an imposter.
Consider a "Security Freeze" of Your Credit Reports
If you've been the victim of identity theft or you believe that scammers have gotten all the information they need to obtain a credit card or a loans in your name, you may want to contact the 3 major credit bureaus and ask them to place a "security freeze" on your credit reports.
Adding a security freeze to your credit reporting helps to halt ID thieves from opening accounts using your stolen identity. When a security freeze is in effect, if someone tries to get a loan or open an account using your name, the credit reporting agency will ask the requester for your PIN or password before they give over your credit score to the lender. Since the identity thief won't know your PIN, assuming the lender is following proper procedures, the lender won't give them an account without knowing if they have good credit.
For more information on the pros and cons of requesting a security freeze on your credit reports, check out credit.about.com's page on Credit Report Security Freezes.
If you opt for a security freeze then you will need to contact all 3 of the major credit bureaus and put in a freeze request with each of them.
Update Your Anti-malware Software and Scan Your Computer
When you opened that scam-related e-mail, the internet criminals who sent it may have embedded links to malware within the message which may have infected your computer. This malware could be capturing your account information and might be relaying it back to the scammers. Make sure your anti-malware software is up do date and do a full scan of your computer. You might want to install and run a Second Opinion Scanner as well.

How to Safely Unfriend a Facebook Creeper

The top voted definition of a creeper on Urban Dictionary is "A person who does weird things, like stares at you while you sleep, or looks at you for hours through a window. Usually a close friend or relative."
Sometimes we befriend people that end up being Facebook creepers and, while we may want to unfriend them, we are afraid to, for fear that they might hunt us down and harm us or send us unsolicited Grumpy Cat memes.
How can you unfriend a Facebook creeper in a friendly way so that they won't seek retribution?
Here are some suggestions for keeping creepers out of your Facebook life:
You have the right to unfriend or defriend someone at any time, however, you may want to consider a different tack:
Consider a Creeper Abatement Strategy Instead of Unfriending
Let's face it, if you unfriend a creeper, you might hurt their feelings. Depending on how unstable they are, those hurt feelings may lead to more negative outcomes. You might want to consider a more polite way to distance yourself from your creeper instead of unfriending them.
If you have to deal with this creeper in your daily life, unfriending them may create some awkward moments, especially if they are a close relative such as an aunt, uncle, or your spouse.
Don't think they'll notice when you unfriend them? Facebook doesn't notify when someone unfriends you, but if they are a true expert-level creeper, they likely have an unfriend finder script running on their computer that takes a snapshot of their total number of friends and checks over time to see if there are any changes. Trust me, they'll know, they always know.
One possible way to keep your creepers at a distance is to quit feeding them your Facebook updates. Here are a couple of ways to highly limit what your creeper sees without unfriending them:
Add Your Facebook Creepers to Your "Restricted List"
Facebook allows you to restrict what certain friends can see. People on your "Restricted List" can only see posts that you make "Public". So basically, they are still on your friends list but they are highly restricted in what they can view (assuming you don't have everything set to "public" that is).
You can add friends to your restricted list by performing the following:
1. Click on the Facebook padlock icon from the top-right corner of your Facebook homepage.
2. Choose "See More Settings" from the bottom of the menu.
3. Click "Blocking" from the menu on the left of the screen and then choose "Edit List" from the "Manage Blocking" > "Restricted List" section of the page.
4. Click the drop down menu in the top left corner of the window that opens and choose "Friends".
5. Choose the friends (creepers) you want to restricted and click the "Finish" button.
Change Visibility for Future Postings
Creepers love keeping up to date with your life. Part of a any good creeper abatement strategy is cutting off your flow of status and Facebook content updates to them.
You can easily keep them from seeing future postings by performing the following steps:
1. Click on the Facebook padlock icon from the top-right corner of your Facebook homepage.
2. Click on "Who can see my stuff" from the drop down menu.
3. Click on the little blue triangle directly below "Who can see my future posts?"
4. Choose "Custom" and locate the text entry box under the "Don't share this with" section of the pop up Window.
5. Type in the person's name that you want to block your future posts from and click the "Save Changes" button.
This will restrict your status updates so that they are now only viewable by those who are not on your "Don't share this with list", effectively preventing your creepers from keeping up with your updates (assuming you added them to the "Don't share" list). A Word of Warning
Problems may arise if you and your creeper have a lot of mutual friends. Sometimes a friend might repost something that you posted to your non-creeper friends and your creeper will wonder why they never saw your original post. You should never talk negatively about your creeper thinking they won't see it because inevitably you'll click the wrong list, or they'll see your post on a friends phone and your comments will get back to them.
If Things Get Really Scary
All kidding aside, if you start to get creeped out to the point that you begin to fear for your life because of a creeper's actions, or if threats are made and you believe that your personal safety is at risk, contact your local and/or state law enforcement immediately. A threat, whether it is made over the Internet or in person, should always be taken seriously.

How to Change Your Wi-Fi Network's Password

Whether you think the neighbor kid has finally hacked your wireless password and is now stealing your bandwidth, or you just feel like it's time for a change, changing your wireless network password is an easy endeavor.

You might not have messed with your wireless network's password since you setup your router years ago. Let's walk through the basic steps it takes to change / reset your wireless network router's password.

1. Determine the admin interface for your router and enter it in your browser

Most modern wireless internet routers on the market today are administered via a web browser. You simply need to find out what your wireless router's admin interface is and connect to it. You may have written the password down somewhere, if not then you will have to reset your router to its factory default password by resetting the router. This is usually accomplished by holding down the router's reset button for several seconds. Check your wireless router manufactures website or manual for detailed instructions for your specific router.

Most manufactures have a default IP sub net set at the factory. The default sub net will help you determine the router's IP address so that you can connect to it and access the administrator interface. You may need to consult your specific router's manual for the correct address. The following list contains default router IP addresses based on my research and may not be accurate for your specific make or model:

Linksys - 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1
DLink - 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.0.1
Apple - 10.0.1.1
ASUS - 192.168.1.1
Buffalo - 192.168.11.1
Netgear - 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.227
In addition to the default router address, you may have to specify the port that the admin interface is running on by placing a ":" at the end of the IP address followed by the admin port number (i.e. :8080) if the manufacturer requires this.

2. Log in to the administrative console on the router

If you've never changed the default administrator name you can locate the default admin name (and usually the admin password as well)by visiting your router manufacturer's website or by Googling "Default Admin Password" followed by your router's brand name and model.

3. Under the wireless security configuration section, ensure that you are using the latest encryption available

If you haven't already done so you will want to change the wireless encryption from the easily hackable WEP to the much stronger WPA2 encryption. WPA2 is currently the most secure method of wireless encryption available at the time this article was published.

This would also be a good time to change your wireless network name (SSID) if you want. It's best to change it to something other than the default as hackers have precomputed cracking tables for the top 1000 most common SSIDs. Get creative and don't use any dictionary words as SSIDs with dictionary words are more likely to be cracked than an SSID with non-dictionary words..

4. Create a strong password for the Pre Shared Key (wireless network password)

After you have settled on an SSID you will need to enter in the Pre-shared Key (the wireless network password). You'll want to make this password as complex and random as possible to discourage wireless hackers. Follow our guide to creating strong passwords for some best security practices.

It's also a good idea to turn off the "allow admin via wireless" setting off so that only someone connected to the router via an Ethernet cable can administer the routers. If you turn off this feature you remove the ability to connect to the router as an administrator via wireless, which may be a slight hassle, but you gain the piece of mind that no one can mess with the admin settings of your router unless they are physically plugged into it.

How To Hide Your Wireless Network From Your Internet-Leeching Neighbors

You've been so generous without even knowing it


High-speed broadband connections don't just grow on trees. We all like getting our money's worth when it comes to our Internet connection so we often extend its reach by adding a wireless router or a wireless access point. Once we start broadcasting wireless access, our signal can potentially be picked up outside of our home by our neighbors. If we haven't secured our connection then they might be able to connect and use our Internet access.

Enter: The Wireless Internet Leech. These people live right around you or might just be passing thru so they can do a "drive-by-leeching". They have no problem connecting to your wireless network and killing your bandwidth while you pay the bill. They don't think twice about connecting to any open wireless access point they happen to find.

There are websites devoted to finding open wireless access points. Some leeches even spray graffiti or use chalk near an open wireless access point to mark or Warchalk the site so others will know where they can get free wireless access. Warchalkers use codes and symbols to indicate the SSID name, bandwidth available, encryption used, etc.

How do you prevent your neighbors and others from leeching off of your wireless internet connection?

1. Turn on WPA2 encryption on your wireless router

If you haven't already done so, consult your wireless router's manual and enable WPA2 encryption on your wireless router. You may already have encryption turned on, but you may be using the outdated and vulnerable WEP encryption. WEP is easily hacked by even the most novice hacker in less than a minute or two by using free tools found on the Internet. Turn on WPA2 encryption and set a strong password for your network.
2. Change your wireless network's name (SSID)

Your SSID is the name that you give your wireless network. You should always change this name from its manufacturer set default which is usually the brand name of the router (i.e. Linksys, Netgear, D-link, etc). Changing the name helps to prevent hackers and leeches from finding specific vulnerabilities associated with your brand of router. If hackers know the brand name, then they could find an exploit to use against it (if one exists). The brand name also helps them determine what the default admin password for the router might be (if you haven't changed it).

Make the SSID something random and try to make it as long as you are comfortable with. The longer the SSID the better as it helps prevent hackers from using Rainbow Table-based attacks to try and crack your wireless encryption.

3. Turn off the "allow admin via wireless" feature of your wireless router

As an extra precaution against hackers, turn off the "allow admin via wireless" feature on your router. This will help to prevent a wireless hacker from gaining control of your wireless router. Turning this feature off tells your router to only permit router administration from a computer that is directly connected via an Ethernet cable. This means that they would pretty much have to be in your house in order to access the admin console of your router.

Your neighbors will likely be a little mad at you for turning off their free Internet gravy train. They may sneer at you and let their dog use the bathroom in your yard from now on. At least now that they are no longer getting a free ride, maybe you will have enough bandwidth to stream an HD movie without it stuttering and getting all "blocky" for a change.

How to Hack-proof Your Wireless Router

Maybe not hack-proof but at least hack-resistant


OK, so I know there is no such thing as "hack-proof" or "hacker-proof", just like there is nothing out there that is completely "water-proof", let's just say that in this article we're going to learn how to make your wireless router as "hacker-resistant" as possible. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get down to business.

Your wireless router is a prime target for hackers wanting to infiltrate your network or freeload off your Wi-Fi connection. Here are some things you can do to make your wireless router harder to hack:

Enable WPA2 Wireless Encryption and Create a Strong SSID Network Name and Strong Pre-shared Key

If you aren't using Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) encryption to protect your wireless network then you might as well leave your front door wide open because hackers can virtually walk right into your network. If you're using outdated Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security, which is easily cracked in seconds by most hackers, you should consider upgrading to WPA2. Older routers may need a firmware upgrade to add WPA2 functionality. Check your router manufacturer's manual to learn how to enable WPA2 wireless encryption on your router.

You will also need to make a strong SSID (wireless network name). If you are using your router's default network name (i.e. Linksys, Netgear, DLINK, etc) then you are making it easier for hackers to hack your network. Using a default SSID or one that is on the Top 1000 Most Common SSID names helps hackers in their quest to crack your encryption because they can use pre-built rainbow tables associated with common SSID names to crack your wireless encryption.

Create a lengthy and random SSID name even though it might be hard to remember. You should also use a strong password for your pre-shared key to further discourage hacking attempts.

Turn on Your Wireless Router's Firewall

If you haven't already done so, you should consider enabling your wireless router's built-in firewall. Enabling the firewall can help to make your network less visible to hackers looking for targets on the Internet. Many router-based firewalls have a "stealth mode" that you can enable to help reduce your network's visibility. You will also want to test your firewall to ensure that you have configured it correctly.

Use an encrypted personal VPN service at the router level

Virtual Private Networks used to be a luxury that could only be afforded by large corporations. Now you can buy your own personal VPN service for a small monthly fee. A personal VPN is one of the biggest roadblocks you can throw at a hacker. A personal VPN has the capability to anonymize your true location with a proxied IP address and can also put up a wall of strong encryption to protect your network traffic. You can purchase personal VPN service from vendors such as WiTopia, StrongVPN, and others for as little as $10 a month or less.

If your router supports personal VPN service at the router level then this would be the best way to implement a personal VPN as it allows you to encrypt all traffic entering and leaving your network without the hassle of setting up VPN client software on your computers. Using the personal VPN service at the router level also takes the encryption process burden off of your client PCs and other devices. If you want to use a personal VPN at the router level, check to see if your router is VPN-capable. Buffalo Technologies has several routers with this capability as do other router manufacturers.

Disable the "Admin Via Wireless" feature on your router

Another way to help prevent hackers from messing with your wireless router is to disable the "admin via wireless" setting. When you disable the "admin via wireless" feature on your router it makes it so that only someone who is physically connected to your router via an Ethernet cable can access the admin features of your wireless router. This helps to prevent someone from driving by your house and accessing the administrative functions of your router if they've compromised your Wi-Fi encryption.

Given enough time and resources a hacker might still be able to hack into your network, but taking the steps above will make your network a harder target which will hopefully frustrate a hacker and cause them to move on to an easier target.

Voicemail Hacking Explained

Learn how the bad guys break into your voicemail and how you can stop them


We've all heard about the voicemail hacking that allegedly took place in Britain's News International hacking scandal. Before the scandal, you rarely heard the terms voicemail and hacking in the same sentence. One thing that resulted from this scandal was that it got a lot of people thinking about how insecure their voicemail accounts might be.

Most voicemail accounts are secured with a simple 4-digit passcode. Voicemail is typically accessed from a telephone so the passcode can only be made up of numeric digits. A numeric passcode coupled with a 4-digit PIN length reduces the total number of possible combinations to just 10,000. This may seem like it would take awhile for someone to attempt, but in reality it can be done in less than a day or two, or even faster if using a computer with a modem and a scripted autodialer program.

Some people don't even bother to change their PIN / passcode from its default. In many cases the default is either the last four digits of the phone number or something as simple as "0000", "1234", or "1111".

So the harsh reality is that until voicemail password complexity catches up with the authentication methods used by other types of networks, voicemail will remain vulnerable to hacking and can be easily compromised.

What can you do to protect your own voicemail account from voicemail hackers?

1. If your voicemail system allows it, set a PIN passcode longer than 4 digits

It's nearly impossible to create a strong password on your voicemail box given the 4-digit limitation most systems impose. If your system allows for a PIN longer than 4 digits you should definitely take advantage of this feature. Simply adding two more digits increases the total number of possible combinations from 10,000 to 1,000,000 which requires significantly more time and resources to hack. An eight-digit password would yield 100,000,000 possible combos. Unless the hacker is very determined they might move on.

2. Change your PIN code at least once every couple of months

You should always change your PIN code every few months. If someone has already hacked into your voicemail this will cut their access off for at least as long as it takes for them to hack back in again. Couple this with a longer PIN, and by the time the hacker runs through the 100 million possible permutations of your 8-digit PIN, you've already changed it, and they have to start all over again.

3. Get a Google Voice account and use its voicemail features

If you haven't already gotten a Google Voice account you really should consider it.

Google Voice gives you a phone number that you can use as a permanent number for life. It never changes. You can route your Google number to whatever cellphone or land line you want and change how phone calls are handled based on different conditions. For example, say you want to have all calls coming in on your Google number go to your home phone in the evening, have them go to voicemail at night, and then have them sent to your cellphone during the day. Google voice will let you do this time-based call routing. Everything is easily setup via a secure website that you log into.

Google voice also has fairly robust voicemail security compared to what you might get with your cellphone provider. Google voice will let you use both PIN and caller-ID based login restriction, where it will only let you access your voicemail when it sees that your calling from one of the numbers that you told it to permit. This adds an additional layer of security and prevents random people from attempting to have a go at your voicemail password. (unless they have stolen your phone).