Would you be my valentine? People need to be cautious when that receiving Valentine e-cards over the next week.
Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs, Cynthia Sich said, “With so much business and communication done over the Internet, cyber-scammers see Valentine’s Day as another opportunity to break your bank and your heart.”
There will be many inboxes filled with eCards this holiday, but the office recommends using caution when opening an eCard from someone you do not know as it could be a phishing scheme. This could be designed to infect your computer or maybe obtain your personal information.
The e-mail may tell you to install a program in order to view the card. However, you could be guided to a Web site mimicking that of a greeting card company. That is where you could be installing spyware or software that would allow the scammer to monitor your computer activity which could include your finances. Sich warned to always keep your computer’s antivirus and security software up-to-date.
Another thing to watch are the emails that claim the flowers you ordered for your valentine will not be delivered unless you log in and re-enter your credit card number. Don’t do it. If you even think it could be a real message call the florist or go to the florist’s website before you do anything. Do not respond to the email. You can forward the spam emails to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and there is more information on email scam alerts at the Internet Crime Center at www.ic3.gov.
