LELAND PROGRESS

LELAND, MS
CorcuIa~on= 7M
WEEKLY
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. Phishingivishing lndividu- 1
Beware of holiday
)
;
,is have reported receiving email
or text m e s a g e s indicating a
cyber stammers
During this holidai season the
~roblemwith their account. Thev
are directed to follow the linkpro-
I
Better Business Bureau(BBB) has vided in the message to update
learned of new, aggressive ways their account or correct the prob-
that cyber scammers use as they lem. I h e link actually diiectsthem
attempt to steal money and per- to a fraudulent web site whereany
sonalinformation. These include: information they enter then falls
the sending of e-cards in email into the hands of the scammen.
messages that contain malware TheFBI offersthe followingtips
(malicious software); setting up to avoid falling victim to cyber
spoofing web sites that look like hud:
legitimate commercial sites; and . Do not respond to unsolicited
unleashing email and phone "at- (spam) email messages.
tacks" where individuals receive . Do not click on links conrained
messages asking for personal within an unsolicited email.
data. .Avoid filling out forms in email
, "These cyber scammers will do messages that ask for personal
whatever they can to steal money information.
and personal information, espe- .Log on to official web sites in-
cially during the holiday season," stead o f "lnking"to them from an
said Bill Moak, PresidentiCEO of unsolicited message.
the EBB serving Mississippi. . Contact the actual business
"They continue to devise new and that supposedly sent the message
different ways to commit their toverify itsvalidity.
crimes."
.E-cards lnthee-cord(greet-
The BBB has been serving Mis-
sissippi consumers and busi-
I
,
ing card) scam, messages are be-
ing sent via spam and appear to
be froma family member or fiend.
nesses since 1964. Conract the '
BBB online at www.ms.bbb.org or
by phone at 800-987-8280. I
/
Generally, the spam directs theie- ;
I
cipient to click on a link provided
in the email to view the e-card. (
When the recipient clicks on the :
link, they are unknowingly taken )
ro a malicious web page.
. Spoofing Scamlners create
klse or shadow copy ofa real web
;ite or email in order to mislead
he recipients. All nehvork traffic
rehveen the victim's browser and
he shadow page are sent through
he spoofer's machine to enable
he capture of passwords, ac-
ount numbers, etc.