This week I received an email from a friend of mine I had not heard from in a long time. Normally this is a happy occasion because I can reconnect with someone I haven't from in a while. I shortly thereafter noticed that this was a friend of mine who had their email account hacked. They were trying to get me to access a website that was going to sell me a 70" Sony Television Super Cheap! Unfortunately I am not a Sony fan, and this friend isn't a television fan I helped them regain control of their email account.
People often ask me why it is so bad if someone hacks their email or Facebook account. Most people use email to casually communicate with their friends and family, receive deals from their favorite websites, and allowing spammers to constantly advertise their Viagra prescriptions. A lot of people don't see any problem with someone getting their password and spamming their friends. I hope to explain why this can be a problem for people.
1. Scammers will spam your friends
As I explained above, as soon as I heard from a friend, I was eager to open their email. If the email sounds semi-credible at all people are willing to trust their friends. I am Super-OCD about opening websites from people I am not expecting them from, and know how to identify viruses and phishing scams, so I was not afraid of the email. People who are not as vigilant can have issues with this spam from friends.
2. Scam Artists will have access to your bank accounts
According to CNET, 64% of people use online banking. I am no rocket scientist by any stretch of the imagination (I barely earned a management degree) but most online banks can be accessed with an email address and password. The number of people that use the same password for all of their confidential accounts is not 100%, but it is a high enough percentage of people who do that scammers will exploit this opportunity. Once inside your bank account a scam artist is only a few clicks away from draining your hard earned funds into their slimy fingers. For those of you that say, "Well I am smart, I use different passwords for all my accounts." You must not have thought this through thoroughly because they can access your accounts as well.
3. Scammers WILL HAVE ACCESS to your bank accounts
This next section refers to the smart people who use different passwords. Once a scammer has access to your email account, the possibilities are endless for the accounts that can be accessed. Here is how a scammer can access your bank account even if you have a different password. The majority of websites have a "forgotten password" option that can be selected if by chance you do forget your bank accounts password. A lot of websites will ask you a secret question that you have previously answered to change your password. Unfortunately a lot of websites will send your email account a link which when clicked on will allow a person to change the account password. Once on this website, the scammer just needs to choose a new password for the account and can enter the account as well as transfer funds as they please.
Don't worry this posting is not all dome and gloom. Some people will do whatever they can to avoid using the internet for banking, shopping, or paying bills, but being careful can help you not get scammed. The key to avoiding this type of scam is to not click on links that you don't know their origin. As long as you only go to websites you trust, you can avoid having your account stolen from you. There are plenty of websites online that can help you if this happens to you, but prevention is always the key! I will close with a Facebook scam website that was posted on a friend's wall so you have some idea of what to watch out for.
As always please email me any computer questions you want me to answer at computerchampion10 at gmail dot com!