Hmm...You Know
You Did Not
Send
That Email
by Liz Calder
IT Support Specialist
Chances are that at some point you have received an email "from" yourself that you did not send or someone has "replied" to an email you did not send. While it is possible you have been hacked or been infected, this is not the most likely cause. Viruses and spammers have gotten far smarter than that. Modern spammers and viruses typically provide "from" information that is NOT related to the actual sender. This makes it more difficult to track down the perpetrator or infected computer.
What do I do if I am told my account sent out an email I did not authorize? Check your "sent" items. If there IS spam in "sent," change your password to a stronger one. If there is not anything in "sent," it is possible, but less probable, that you were hacked. (Of course it never hurts to change your password. Use a strong password that is a phrase and uses upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.)
Scan your computer for good measure. Make sure your anti-virus software is current and running. Scan your computer for a virus. Use a malware scanner to check for malware. If your anti-virus and anti-malware programs do not find anything unusual and there was nothing in your "sent" folder, it probably is not a problem from your end.
What if I need more proof? If you have one of the emails in question, you or your IT professional may be able to use it to prove the email did not come from you. It must be the original email, not a forward. There is header information attached to the email that can identify the server that sent it. However header information is not kept with a forwarded email. How to view header information depends on what mail provider you are using. For Outlook you can find steps to view header information
here. (The information on the sending server is toward the bottom.) If you need help, check with your IT professional.
Note: If you or your company uses a filter program or service to check your incoming email for spam, do not add yourself to the white list/Safe Sender List. If you send yourself an email, it never leaves your "home" server and it does not go through the spam filter. If it hits the spam filter, it is only pretending to be from you.
Tech for
Troops Project
Seltek is proud to support Tech for Troops Project. T4TP provides free refurbished computers to Veterans allowing them to research employment opportunities and develop essential computer skills. T4TP also hires and trains Veterans.
In three years, T4TP has impacted more than 3000 Veterans in Richmond and Central Virginia; saved more than 5000 computers from landfills; and, has responsibly recycled over 52 tons of e-waste.
T4TP offers team building and community-service options for school groups and businesses.
Contact
Tech for Troops Project
to volunteer, make a donation, or for additional information about sponsorship opportunities.
Priority needs this month include volunteers for refurbishing computers and sponsorships for work area lighting/power and marketing (t-shirts and banners).
Meet the
Seltek Team
has worked for Seltek as a Computer Networking Professional since 2008. After receiving his Bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Computer Science, Chris immediately began his career working in the technology industry.
Prior to Seltek, Chris worked for NTK Computer Corp., Little Mountain Technologies and IT/Telecom Services.
Chris' interests outside of work include gaming and Star Wars. Chris says the best thing about technology is that "it makes life easier."
|
|
|
|
|
by Kara Mueller
IT Support Specialist & Certified Computer Examiner
We all know not to open or respond to spam, scam or phishing e-mails. But when these dangerous e-mails are designed to look as real as possible, how can you tell a scam e-mail from a legitimate one?
Sender Spoofing
Let's look at a real example. Below, you will see a screenshot of a malicious e-mail which contained an attachment (a virus disguised as an invoice). This e-mail is not really from Amazon, even though the "from" address says it is. How can that be? Scammers often use a method called spoofing, which allows them to change the "from" address to anything they wish. Seeing an e-mail that appears to come from a legitimate address in your inbox makes you much more likely to open it and follow through with the phishing or scam attempt.
Because the "from" address is not a reliable indicator of whether or not an e-mail is legitimate, we need to look at some other clues in the e-mail. Check out the e-mail below:
Look Closely
There are a number of red flags in this e-mail:
- The top of the e-mail simply reads "National" which is unusual. If you have received legitimate e-mails from Amazon in the past, you will notice this is not consistent with what is normally sent by Amazon.
- The greeting "How are you,," is impersonal and includes an extra comma. Generic greetings that do not address you by name aas well as spelling/grammatical errors are red flags.
- The date of the "order" is over a month in the past.
- Do you have an Amazon account? Have you ordered anything from Amazon lately? If you are expecting an order confirmation, visit amazon.com and check your recent orders through their website instead. Do not click any links in the e-mail.
- This e-mail came with an attached .zip file. Zip files are notorious for hiding viruses. Companies such as Amazon will never send invoices as an attachment to your e-mail. Never open an attachment from somebody you do not know.
Additional
Information
- Requests for personal information. Legitimate organizations will NEVER ask for your personal information via e-mail, nor will they send you a link to a form to enter it.
- Links. If you hover your mouse cursor over a link without clicking it, a pop-up will appear showing the ACTUAL web address. Similar to e-mail spoofing, it is simple to create a link that says it goes to one site but in reality goes to another. Additionally, examine the linked address thoroughly - scammers often use addresses that are similar or slightly misspelled but not the same as a real site. When in doubt, do not click.
Ultimately, if you are still unsure if an e-mail is legitimate and it appears to come from somebody you know, call the sender (do not respond to the e-mail!), or check with your IT professional. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Attention iPhone and
iPad Owners
Beware of This New Scam
An internet blogger recently had his iPhone stolen while on vacation in Italy. Upon losing the device, he visited icloud.com to locate, lock, and send a message to the lost phone. Afterwards, the blogger started receiving text messages and e-mails saying the phone had been located. These very real looking e-mails and text messages turned out to be a phishing attempt to capture his Apple account information so the iPhone thief could unlock the phone. Thankfully, the victim was savvy enough to notice that something was not quite right. The phishing website had a strange web address and the e-mail came from a non Apple.com e-mail address. Check out his detailed
account
at his website
and be on the lookout for attempts to steal your personal information if your iPhone or iPad is ever lost or stolen.
What is Pokemon Go?
Pokemon Go, a Nintendo product, is a mobile reality and social game that uses a cell phone's GPS to find and "capture" virtual "Pokemon." The game creates the illusion that the Pokemon are live and in your surrounding area. The pluses of the game, some say, are getting players more active and into local museums, parks and other cultural areas. Criticisms include car accidents caused by distracted driving or walking and outrage at insensitive locations such as memorials and cemeteries.
Pokemon Go Plus
is a wearable gadget that alerts you to nearby Pokemon. Unfortunately, there are Pokemon scams too.
|
|
|
|
|
